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There are a number of programs available to Chicago and/or Cook County residents wanting to buy a home or repair the one they already own. Some of the programs will begin accepting applications in early 2021, so housing advocates urge West Side residents to start organizing their paperwork now.
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.
AustinTalks wishes you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season, and a safe and prosperous 2021. Thank you for supporting AustinTalks, as we begin our 11th year of providing news and information to the Austin community.
This year, Kwanzaa will be held from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Each day, The Black Mall will live stream a five-hour celebration, from 4 to 9 p.m.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford shares this information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the COVID-19 vaccines are given to healthcare personnel and nursing home residents. Essential workers and those 75 years and older will be able to get the shots next.
Black Lives Matters banners at two historical black churches were destroyed last weekend in the nation’s capital after a pro-Trump rally. Faith leaders – including Revs. Ira Acree and Marshall Hatch – want Rev. Graham, a Trump supporter, to condemn these actions. Clergy from Chicago will travel to Washington, D.C., next month to push for healing and reconciliation just days before Joe Biden becomes the 46th president.
The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be administered in Chicago were given at The Loretto Hospital Tuesday morning. Mayor Lightfoot hailed it as a milestone, but officials caution Chicago isn’t out of the woods yet. Also this week, Loretto announced it will be launching a coronavirus vaccine trial with a focus on minority populations. To learn more, tune in early next month to a virtual town hall the hospital will be holding.
The telethon, organized by the new nonprofit group Renew 312, will feature singalongs, book readings and an appearance by Santa Claus to raise money for Austin. Tune in on Facebook Live from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
At a community meeting hosted last weekend by state Rep. La Shawn Ford, community members discussed concerns they have about e-learning and the opioid crisis, which is hitting the West Side even harder this year than in 2019.
The tree displayed outside the 15th District police station at 5701 W. Madison St. was donated by ComEd after a city forester noticed several spruces planted a few miles away on the utility’s property. The tree that was donated was growing too close to power lines and could have at some point caused power disruptions.