AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/author/zach-cunning/page/2/)
The new youth-led podcast aims to tell a more accurate narrative about Austin the bigger media outlets miss. West Side residents Tobias Bell, Tamia Crawford and Ziolet Nellum want to help Austin residents share their stories. Listen to “Austin Has the Mic” on Spotify.
Lewis School of Excellence and the Revive Center unveiled new murals Friday at two locations on the West Side. The mural series at Lewis is titled “We Believe” and was designed by students. The Revive Center mural, painted by artist John Vergara, depicts Cesar Chavez, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr.
At this month’s meeting of the 29th Ward residents aired concerns about vaccine appointments and the alderman shared how the Chicago Police Department is preparing for summer violence. Residents also heard an update about a new grocery store that will be opening in the now-closed Salvation Army building in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue.
The West Side Heroin and Opioid Task Force offers training each month to help reduce the record number of overdose deaths.
The community-focused mural by local artist Tia Etu was unveiled last week at the store, 4650 W. North Ave. Etu said she featured the things she thought were wonderful about the community in the mural, which is right inside the store’s entrance.
About 50 Austin residents came out last weekend to clean up several blocks for Wecycle’s first annual spring cleaning rally. Wecycle CEO David Fleming said Saturday’s cleanup went great, but there’s still work to do. “We’re going to get this place nice. We’re going to go green. And we’re going to get it beautiful,” said Fleming, an Austin native.
At this week’s meeting of the West Side Men’s Network, Loretto President and CEO George Miller pledged the hospital will work to rebuild trust after several instances of COVID-19 doses being improperly vaccinated. Also at this week’s meeting, Austin businessman Malcolm Crawford said new restaurants are coming to the neighborhood.
Chicago Run hosted its first in-person race since the start of the pandemic at Columbus Park last weekend.
Ald. Chris Taliaferro will be hosting community meetings via Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month. Austin residents at last week’s meeting learned about where they can get COVID-19 vaccines in the ward. Temporary clinics at Amundsen Park and Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School will be giving vaccinations to residents through the middle of April.
The new law, signed Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, provides $150 million in funding for hospitals like Loretto. Sitting nearby were several elected officials, including Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and state Rep. Camille Lilly. Both represent Austin residents in the Illinois General Assembly.