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beautify

Cleanslate brings $300,000 beautification investment to 29th Ward

By Connor S. Carynski | May 21, 2018

The initiative, funded by six sponsor families, will employ individuals to improve city areas with work like litter abatement, landscaping, graffiti removal and more over the next three years.

clean water

World Vision to host run for clean water this weekend

By Analisa Trofimuk | May 17, 2018

La Grange Park pastor Tim Hoekstra will join Austin residents as they participate in Saturday’s World Vision 6k – which is roughly the distance many living in Africa must walk to get clean water.

budget

Most Austin schools will see a bump in their budgets next year

By Analisa Trofimuk | May 11, 2018

CPS officials released school-by-school budgets in April, three months earlier than last year.

CPS

LSC candidates still needed at many Austin schools

By Analisa Trofimuk | May 6, 2018

Officials results from last month’s two-day election won’t be available until June, CPS officials say.

Small Business

Democrat nominee Brandon Johnson meets with Austin small business owners

By Ian Karbal | May 2, 2018

Johnson spoke to members of the Austin African American Business Networking Association at their monthly meeting. The former teacher and union organizer defeated the incumbent, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, in the March 20 Democratic primary

News

Austin street could be named after Harriet Tubman

By Austin Weekly News | May 1, 2018

A resolution to rename parts of North Avenue after the former slave who became one of the most famous “conductors” on the Underground Railroad is pending in the Illinois House, according to our partners at the Austin Weekly News.

good neighbors campaign

Free pop-up barbeques will continue throughout the summer

By Analisa Trofimuk | April 29, 2018

The good neighbor campaign will host the free events every two weeks in partnership with the Westside Health Authority and the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.

gang database

State lawmakers promise action on gang database

By Ian Karbal | April 26, 2018

An Illinois Senate committee held a hearing earlier this month to discuss the gang database. State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt wants the Chicago Police Department to stop adding names to the database until legislation can be passed.

education

Local school elections held this week

By Analisa Trofimuk | April 18, 2018

Parents, teachers and school staff will be able to vote Wednesday at elementary schools and Thursday at high schools. In Austin, there will still be vacancies on 12 of the 17 LCSs, which will be filled before July 1 when all members begin serving.

Opinion

Is our government for or against us?

By AustinTalks | April 17, 2018

State Rep. La Shawn Ford urges everyone to make it a priority to fight for justice and change the bad public policies that continue to hurt African Americans in Austin and elsewhere.

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News

  • Expungement, record sealing event helps West Siders get jobs after leaving prison

    Austin resident Anthony Jefferson has been working over the past six years to expunge his criminal record. With help from the Monroe Foundation, he's moving toward the clean slate he wants to achieve to secure employment.

  • Get free groceries, other help from these Austin groups

    On a recent Thursday, volunteers from What About Us Charitable Enterprises spent the morning filling dozens of grocery bags with fresh food and staples that soon filled the arms of West Side residents in need. Dorin “Pastor Mac” McIntyre, executive director and co-founder of What About Us Charitable Enterprises and pastor of Mount Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, is one of many helping Austin residents struggling with food insecurity.

  • 29th Ward residents invited to holiday events on Tuesday

  • 29th Ward residents invited to propose how to spend $450,000

    Austin residents are invited to participate in this year's participatory budgeting cycle. The annual process lets ward residents ages 14 and up decide how to spend a portion of the aldermanic menu money.

  • Forty Acres Fresh Market marks important moment this week in bringing store to Austin

    Austin moves one step closer this week to getting a new grocery store with the groundbreaking of Forty Acres Fresh Market in the heart of the Soul City Corridor. Another effort to expand food offerings on the West Side continues with the Austin Community Food Co-op, which held a virtual info session last week on its efforts to bring a grocery store to the area.

  • Healing in nature workshop set for Saturday

    The Westside Cultural Alliance continues its "See, Feel and Heal" nature series Saturday at Garfield Park Nature Area, 100 N. Central Park with a workshop on making memory boxes. The workshop sessions focus on art and nature as vehicles of healing through art therapy, which provides wholistic healing for the body, mind and spirit.

  • Illinois residents can apply for help with paying gas, electric bills

    Applications are now open for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for qualified residential customers who are over the age of 60, have a disability or have children under the age of 6 to receive financial assistance to pay their energy bills. LIHEAP is a federally funded bill payment assistance program that helps low- and fixed-income families pay their utility during the winter heating season.

  • West Siders turn out for chili cook off in Austin’s Soul City

    Over a dozen local chefs competed in the second annual "It’s Getting Chili in Soul City" event on Saturday. A team of five who make up the Austin African American Business Networking Association board – Malcolm Crawford, Shirley Fields, Sharmine Rickett, Ronald Smith and Marshawn Felton – created the chili contest last year.

  • Chicago Marathon runner raises money for West Side girls

    Over the last 20 years, Ashley Graham has run 56 marathons - including the Chicago Marathon five times. Several of those marathons she raised money for charity - and this year was no different.

  • Stop by Austin farmers market this week

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