County Assessor Candidates Clash Over Campaign Cash, Assessment Data, and Tax Fairness at West Side Forum

The event at Collins High in North Lawndale highlighted sharp divides between incumbent Fritz Kaegi and his Democratic challenger Pat Hynes over ethics rules and how to fix an inequitable property tax system

EP 02: Black History Month – Collecting Artifacts with Rosie Dawson

Mike & Zoe talk with property manager & art collector Rosie Dawson about the ASPIRE Center’s BHM art exhibit which explores the importance of Black people taking control of their own image in the years after emancipation.

Chicago Black Restaurant Week Runs Feb. 8-22

One Austin restaurant and four west suburban restaurants will participate this year

Austin Resident Stands Alone at Cook County Board President Forum

Libertarian Michael Murphy, 32, was the only candidate to show up at the Feb. 5 candidates forum in North Lawndale

Lillian Drummond, Tireless Austin Advocate Who Took On Presidents to Protect Low-Income Seniors, Dies at 104 

Known affectionately as “Mama Lill,” the West Side matriarch helped win landmark utility protections for low-income families

EP 01: Black History Month – Black Women, Palantir & Museums

Mike and Zoe reflect on the centennial of what is now Black History Month and examining the historical forces, debates, and cultural meaning that shaped its transformation over the last 100 years.

Black History Lives in the Details at Austin Pop-Up Museum

The temporary exhibit at the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation draws on family collections to connect Black history to real lives

Print Edition: February 4, 2026

Leadership Successions Announced by Organizations Founded by Prominent West Suburban Bishop 

Bishop Claude Porter’s PLCCA and Interfaith Illinois Inc. both got new leadership this month, weeks after his death in December