Local News
Mayor Lightfoot Announces $9 Million Fund
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. José M. Torres announced the creation of the Chicago Families Forward Fund. Driven by Chicago families’ high level of continued financial need, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Families Forward Fund will provide emergency assistance to eligible students and families. The Fund, aimed at supporting families with educational and living expenses, will distribute more than $9 million in assistance before the end of the Fall 2021 semester.
Sickle Cell Disease: Getting to the Root of the Problem
Chances are you probably know someone who is or has been impacted by sickle cell disease (SCD). In fact, 1 in 13 African Americans have the sickle cell trait. While it’s considered a rare genetic disease, it’s actually the most common inherited blood disorder in the world. Every September, we recognize Sickle Cell Awareness Month in the U.S. As we mark the month this year, we’re taking this opportunity to raise awareness about this devastating disease, elevate voices in the community to share their experience living with the disease and highlight potential treatments scientists at Vertex Pharmaceuticals have been working on. Read on to learn more about the underlying cause of SCD and how scientists are currently investigating a potential gene-editing therapy to address this serious disease.
LEGISLATION BRINGS HEALTHY CHOICES TO CHILDREN’S MEALS
LEGISLATION BRINGS HEALTHY CHOICES TO CHILDREN’S MEALS
15th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour
In honor of Gospel Music Heritage Month, which takes place annually in September, McDonald’s is serving inspiration with a side of friendly banter for music fans of all ages. Starting Sept. 19 through Oct. 10, the 15th annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour, a long-standing event that fosters community through the deeply rooted tradition of gospel music, will take place virtually every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BET Network’s YouTube channel and BET.com.
SCHOOLS STRUGGLE WITH REOPENING AMID PANDEMIC SURGE
With coronavirus cases rising across the U.S. as a result of the highly contagious Delta variant, school districts nationwide are moving quickly to implement public-health precautions in preparation for fall reopenings.
Oooh Wee! It Is! Restaurant expands to Beverly and Wicker Park
Mark Walker has been in the retail business for seven years, starting out with Oooh Wee Sweet Tea. The tea was being sold in the Harold’s Chicken at 87th and Dan Ryan in December of 2014, at a tea stand set up on vintage luggage, with one flavor, lemon honey. It blossomed. In the first year, there were 286,000 cups of tea sold and name recognition from celebrities and elected officials. Walker hired staff and was able to get tea in more places.
Artist transforming shuttered school into creative incubator
Artists are known for taking elements and transforming them into something beautiful. That’s exactly what artist Theaster Gates and Rebuild Foundation are doing with a shuttered elementary school on the South Side, by turning it into a creative incubator.
Young People Get exposure to professional careers
This summer the University of Chicago launched a Youth Internship Program. The program paid Chicago Public High School students and paired them with an internship supervisor in different units throughout the University. There were 10 students who participated in the program this year remotely. There is an aim to expand to 30 students next year and ultimately get to 100 students by 2024.
The Pullman National Monument Is Open To The Public
The Pullman National Monument site opened on Labor Day weekend after years of planning. The National Park Service site is unique in that it is an urban park that tells the story of the planned community founded by George M. Pullman, who designed and manufactured sleeping train cars.
GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING ARTIST LECRAE PARTNERS WITH EXPERIAN NORTH AMERICA TO TALK ABOUT THE BASICS OF FINANCIAL HEALTH
Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Lecrae, has partnered with Experian North America, a leading information services company, to present, “Protect The Bag,” a six-part web series, that provides viewers with a blueprint for building a financial legacy.
“OUR CITY IS IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY”
Antonio Rocquemore- Senior Pastor of the Powerhouse International Ministries of Chicago- will lead a coalition of Faith Leaders, Church Congregants, Community Leaders, and businesspersons in mass beachside prayer in response to the enormous crime and political chaos in Chicago. “It has become increasingly embarrassing to witness the chaotic state of our beloved city. People from all walks of life have now wondered, are we a city of lawlessness, both politically and criminally? As leaders we have lost faith in some of our major government leaders. We must now continue to pray in a desperate fashion for our children, our women, and seniors.” says Pastor Rocquemore
The CVS Alumni Association answered the call from the high school’s athletic department for support by hosting a 5K run and walk to raise funds. The Association was able to raise $5,000 which it will
The Florida NAACP, Florida Student Power Network, and several medically vulnerable families across Florida are requesting a hearing before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings to invalidate an Emergency Rule that prohibits mask requirements in public schools across Florida, according to a petition filed recently with the agency.
Illinois State Treasurer Frerichs Announces Fee Reductions for College Savers
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced another program management fee reduction for all Bright Start 529 college savers – the third reduction in five years. Effective July 3, 2021, Bright Start dropped its program management fee – the fee charged by Union Bank & Trust, the program manager for Bright Start – from 0.075% to 0.07%, a reduction that will save college savers a combined $500,000 every year. The lower fees will help every Bright Start investor save for college at a lower cost.
Lil Yachty And Terrell Owens Invest in PlantFuel®
PlantFuel Life Inc. (CSE: FUEL) (OTC: BLLXF) (FSE: BR1B) (“Plant- Fuel” or the “Company”), the scientifically focused plantbased wellness company, today announced that Lil Yachty and Terrell Owens have made a strategic investment in the emerging sports nutrition brand coming to market in early September. The commitment of Lil Yachty and Terrell Owens to the Company and its innovative, premium plant-based brand further strengthens PlantFuel’s breakthrough into the nutritional retail sector.