A news report from Kelsey Duckett, AustinTalks.org On Monday, Local 881UFCW will host a free training session for those working or looking to find employment in the retail industry. The OSHA Health and Safety training will be held at the South Austin Coalition office, 5660 W. Madison St., at 6 p.m. and is open to all...
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A news report from Kelsey Duckett, AustinTalks.org Throughout the summer, the Austin community has taken steps to clean up the streets, fight violence and provide services to neighbors in need. So far, programs like 100 blocks, 100 churches, organized by the 15th District CAPS office, and the Fight Against Foreclosure and US Bank, organized by theCoalition to...
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A news report from AustinTalks.org Dorothy Daniel, 78, never asked the government for a bailout like Bank of America did. But after making payments on time every month for her home of 40 years, she asked for help before she needed it, and now, Daniels, an amputee, is not only fighting for her life but...
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A news report from AustinTalks.org Cigarette butts, beer bottles and cans, fast-food wrappers and trash line many of the baseball fields in Austin, and some residents say the Chicago Parks District is striking out in maintaining fields at Levin Park, Amundsen Park, La Follette Park and Columbus Park. Thomas Bowling, president of the Westside Youth League, said the bleachers are...
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As the nearly 100 people entered i.O. (formerly Improv Olympic) on Sunday night, the mood was tense, but the in-your-face message was clear: Save Wrigleyville. As the theater reached near capacity, a spin on Jodi Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” written and performed by i.O. alum Matt Besser was played on a projector screen. Besser,...
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The message – Step Up, US Bank- was loud and clear Tuesday night at Hope Community Church in Austin as over 150 people gathered to voice their concerns over the foreclosure crisis that has hit hard the West Side neighborhood. Two US Bank representatives joined locally elected officials and community activists in search of a...
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Ald. Deborah Graham (29th Ward) and Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) walked a block in Austin last week to get a first-hand look at the foreclosure crisis and how it’s affecting residents in the West Side neighborhood. More than 30 people took part in the “tour” and heard Steven McCullough, chief executive officer and president of Bethel...
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With three months remaining in the school year, there have been 118 shootings involving Chicago Public School students. The numbers, down from last year, have prompted Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) to introduce an anonymous Violence Prevention Hotline, but one representative said it is just another “useless mandate.” House Bill 4647, which passed the House...
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SPRINGFIELD – For Dora Brooks-Rodriguez and Trista Bond, it’s the second chance they’ve been waiting for. After years of volunteering at their local schools, they are now on their way to the head of the classroom. But the program that has given more than 500 an opportunity at a college education and a second...
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When the final bell rings, high school students rush to the nearest door, excited to head home, hang out with friends, watch television and eat a home-cooked meal with their families. But 19-year-old Niaesha Shivers isn’t one of them. She is one of nearly 13,000 Chicago Public School students who is homeless. For the...
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