AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/author/suzanne-mcbride/)
City officials recently briefed West Side residents on the $21 million Austin corridor improvement project. The goal of the project, which covers Chicago Avenue from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue, is to provide a safe, walkable and attractive street that will foster community and economic growth.
The 15th Police District has a new acting commander: Andre Parham. The 24-year department veteran replaces Patrina Wines, who’s been promoted to deputy chief of Area 4.
Sgt. Jermaine Harris of the Chicago Police Department’s 15th District shared the good news Tuesday at the monthly meeting of West Side faith-based leaders. “No lives were lost to gun violence in Austin,” he said. Harris thanked ministers and others for being out in the community over the three-day weekend, noting, “It does make a difference, us being present.”
Registrations are still being accepted for Saturday’s Global 6K for Water walk/run organized by World Vision. The 3.7 mile event, being held virtually for a second year because of the pandemic, raises money to provide clean water around the world.
Pastors Ira Acree, Cy Fields and Marshall Hatch Sr. say Black and Brown communities are once again being harmed; this time, they’re losing out on lucrative state licenses to run cannabis dispensaries. “This is not good, this is not right,” said Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church.
Austin United Alliance, the group the city of Chicago recently picked to develop the former bank building at the corner of Laramie and Chicago, briefed members of the Austin African American Business Networking Association about the nearly $40 million project.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the 15th Police District’s faith-based leaders group, Richard Wiser acknowledged that detectives have at times been insensitive in dealing with the families of murder victims. Wiser, commander of the Area Four Detective Division, which includes Austin, pledged the department would do better and asked West Siders for recommendations on how police can do better.
Faith leaders on the West Side are being encouraged to get trained on how to stop someone from having an overdose. At the monthly meeting of the 15th Police District’s faith-based leaders, attendees also were urged to complete training offered by the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The 8th grade class is competing in an annual, year-long competition that introduces investing basics and the importance of financial intelligence to hundreds of students in the Chicago area. Last year, the 8th graders from St. Catherine – St. Lucy placed third out of 64 teams.
During a virtual press conference held Sunday, Congressman Danny Davis, city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Alds. Emma Mitts (37th) and Jason Ervin (28th), and Cook County Commissioners Dennis Deer and Donna Miller said it’s imperative African Americans be willing to get the two-dose vaccine. Davis was among the first to get vaccinated earlier this month.