Local News
Cook County Judge Directs Oratory Competition in Kenwood
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Stanley L. Hill frequently steps away from his bench to direct the Oratorical program for PUSH Excel, the educational arm of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition founded by Rev. Jessie Jackson Sr. The Oratorical Society recently held their Spring Oratorical Competition at 930 E. 50th St., the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s national headquarters.
EIGHTH WARD RESIDENTS PROTEST ALDERMAN BACKED HOUSING PROJECT
Residents of Chicago’s Eighth Ward recently gathered outside the office of their alderman, Michelle Harris, to protest a new senior housing development, the Montclare Senior Residences of Calumet Heights, that she is pushing for at the corner of 94th St. and Stony Island Avenue.
Help with substance abuse, mental health services and education serve as key factors in reducing recidivism rates
According to the Bureau of Prisons, there are 207,847 people incarcerated in federal prisons. Roughly half (48.6 percent) are in for drug offenses. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are 1,358,875 people in state prisons. Of them, 16 percent have a drug crime as their most serious offense. Moreover, data from a national study in five major American cities indicated that at the time of arrest, 63% to 83% of people had drugs in their system.
NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The deadline to apply for the Southeast Chicago Commission's (SECC) Neighborhood Enhancement Grant Program is quickly approaching. Community groups and organizations from Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, Washington Park, and Woodlawn are encouraged to submit their proposals for funding to support their various projects by May 14.
Museum of Science and Industry Celebrates DNA Days
The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) recently celebrated DNA Days with a week of special activities and experiences that exposed visitors to genetic science. This year’s series of events was extra special because it also celebrated the 15 year anniversary of the successful completion of the Human Genome Project.
Obama Foundation Announces New Program to Train Emerging Leaders Across Africa
The Obama Foundation today announced a new addition to its international programs: the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa. This one-year leadership development and civic engagement program will train and support 200 promising young leaders across Africa working in government, civil society, and the private sector. The Foundation received nearly 10,000 applications for 200 slots.
SBA CELEBRATES SMALL BUSINESS WEEK IN PULLMAN
Crain’s Chicago Business is wrapping up their celebration of Small Business Week which began April 30 and will conclude on May 5. A variety of events and workshops relating to owning and operating a small business have been taking place across the city.
Advocate Trinity Hospital Honors 55 Volunteers for Valuable Contributions
Advocate Trinity Hospital celebrated National Volunteer Week on April 18 by honoring the hospital’s 55 volunteers at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Over 60 guests attended, including Advocate Trinity’s longest serving volunteer Martha Wilson, 88, who has shared her time and talents with the hospital for 27 years. Also among the honorees were Florence Burns, 86, a 20-year volunteer and Dale Benniefield, 73, who joined the hospital’s volunteer force four months ago.
SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE OFFERS FREE ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES
The Adult Education program is in full swing at South Suburban College and has already graduated 60 students with their high school equivalencies this school year. The program offers a variety of courses for adults seeking a high school diploma or GED, adults with skill levels below ninth-grade, and English as a Second Language classes.
Chicago’s Leading Cultural Organizations Introduce Innovative Summer Opportunities to Youth and Families Citywide
Launched in the summer of 2013 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CCOL is a year-round initiative that allows young people to discover, engage in and have evidence for out-of-school learning opportunities they pursue beyond school walls.
14th Annual Free Citywide Home Expo Hosted in Tuley Park
The Chesterfield Community Council is a community based non-profit organization that was started in 1955. The organization regularly organizes and participates in community activism along with hosting their annual Citywide Home Expo and the annual Silas Purnell College Expo. The free Home Expo was designed to bring Chicagoans together with all the housing-related resources that are available to them.
Funeral Held for Long Time Chatham Restaurant Owner
“Izola was a friend and mentor to me as a newly elected official trying to navigate the rough waters of Chicago. It was always nice to be able to go to Izola’s and have her give me advice. You all know that Izola would give tough advice, but she was always there.” DOROTHY BROWN, CLERK OF THE COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
Joshua C. Shelton, Sr., Chicago Police Department’s youngest faith-based liaison brings compassion and grace to tough job through seminary training
Officer Joshua Shelton, 33, remembers the time he saw his first homicide victim. It was a young, black male who had been shot and killed and left dying on his feet in the vestibule of his apartment building, while his family, including a small child, was just upstairs. “[That] was something I couldn’t get out of my head for a long time,” Shelton recalled. “This man had died standing up, and his family was just upstairs. We had the fire department escort them out of the building using a ladder through a window. We couldn’t let them see him like that, or see the blood, or the crime scene. For a long time, I couldn’t get this victim out of my mind. I had to pray about it constantly.”
LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT FOUGHT FOR TRAUMA CENTER IS PROUD TO SEE IT OPEN
The University of Chicago Medicine will be opening their new state-of-the-art level one adult trauma center at 8 a.m. on May 1. Bringing an adult trauma center to the South Side of Chicago has not been an easy task, but a coalition of local organizations took it upon themselves to champion the trauma center campaign that has been taking place for the last several years.
