emotional commitment

DON’T GET LOST ALONG THE WAY – STAND UP FOR VIBRANT RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY JOURNALISM THAT WORKS FOR YOU!

Crossword Puzzle

2

9 1

7 8 6 3 4

5

10 Here at Growing Community Media, we understand news. And we know that, these days, the news can feel especially unpredictable and relentless. From major changes to legislation, the climate change crisis, and our upcoming local elections there’s one breaking news story after the other. We also know it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with all that news. And that’s why we exist. We want you to relax for a moment –complete the crossword or share Donor Doe’s adventure with your child knowing the journalists at The Austin Weekly News are here to untangle swirls of misinformation and keep you up to date on the issues that matter most to you. As a nonprofi t news organization, we’re committed to telling fact-based stories about the West Side that might otherwise go untold. But we need your help. Our newsroom can’t run without support from readers like you. Can we count on you to help your local newsroom thrive?

11

15 13

20

SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 14

14

17

18

19 12

16

Across:

Down Across

1.Strike inspired musical 2.Scan to donate (2wds.) 3.Precise 4.Emotional commitment 5.GCM publisher (2 wds.) 6.501c3 email address ending 7.Journalist who opines regularly 10.Free from favoritism 12.GCM’s current campaign (4 wds) 19.Seven day adverb 20.Satirical drawing 8.Blood flow 9.Explorer of the “neighborwood” (2 wds.) 11.Prohibition cocktail made with gin and orange curaçao (2 wds.) 13.Writer’s credit 14.Digital home 15.Real; actual 16.Person who receives a publication and pays in advance 17.Threat to local media (2 wds) 18.“Stop the ______!” 20.Beach boys tune, “_____ the news”

Donate Today!

Broadview to demolish eyesore commercial property

A derelict commercial building in Broadview that the mayor called one of the village’s biggest nuisances to public safety is coming down.

The Broadview village board voted unanimously on Dec. 5 to enter into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management, which will fund most of the costs of demolishing the building at 2412 S. 9th Ave. in Broadview.

As of Dec. 6, the building was eligible for the 2020 Annual Tax Sale, according to records by the Cook County Treasurer’s office. The owners are Forest Park residents who owed nearly $60,000 in unpaid property taxes on the property’s two PINs, records show.

The demolition is projected to cost around $100,000. As part of the IGA, Broadview will only pay $25,000 of that while the county will pick up the remaining $75,000, select the company that will demolish the building, pull the necessary permits, and ensure the demolition complies with local ordinances, said Broadview Building Commissioner David Upshaw.

Upshaw said the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management would go forward on the demolition through a new pilot program called Municipal Capacity for Capital Projects, which leverages the county’s expertise across all areas of infrastructure. Broadview was among just two municipalities selected for participation in the pilot, he said.

During the Dec. 5 regular meeting, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said her office has fielded numerous complaints about the property, which has attracted rodents and wildlife.

“I’m happy we have this relationship [with the county],” she said. “We were prepared to get this building done, and we’ve done our due diligence on behalf of the residents.”

Village officials said the county hopes to demolish the building by year’s end. There are no immediate plans for replacing the structure, they said.

NEWS briefs

Police arrest 2 suspects of robbing Westchester bank

The. Westchester Police Department and federal law enforcement officials have arrested two subjects suspected of robbing a bank on Friday.

According to a statement put out Friday evening by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Chicago office, the bank robbery happened at the Wells Fargo Bank at 11000 31st Ave. in Westchester at around 2 p.m. on Dec. 9.

“Two suspects entered the bank,” the FBI said. “A verbal demand for money was made. At least one suspect is alleged to have pressed a handgun to the head of a bank employee during the commission of the crime.”

The agency said each suspect had a handgun and caused only minor injuries. In a statement released earlier today, Westchester Police said the bank robbery is currently under investigation and that two suspects were arrested with the help of local and federal law enforcement agencies.

Westchester Police said there is no threat to the public. Maywood Police give away free antitheft devices

With a rise in car thefts targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicle models, police departments across the country have been giving out free car clubs to owners of those models. Now, the Maywood Police Department is giving them away, too.

Maywood Police officials announced in a

CHARGING

Prepping

from page 1

the only other west suburb included in the inaugural cohort.

ComEd officials described the new EV program during the June 23 signing ceremony of the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4) at Triton College. The C4 initiative is a coalition of a few dozen west suburbs that have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100 % by 2050.

“Your communities are preparing to meet the demand for EV infrastructure,” said Michael Fountain, ComEd’s vice president of governmental affairs. Fountain said that the $225,000 ComEd will put forth to fund the new program will “provide the training and support needed to implement safe and smart EV policies and practices.”

ComEd and Caucus officials said in their joint statement that the EV Readiness Program will “focus on policy development related to EV infrastructure, permitting, and safety, and support community engagement.

“Additionally, by building local capacity for EV integration, this program will help remove barriers that smaller communities may face in vying for state and federal funding to expand EV charging infrastructure – a key component to ensuring equitable access to EVs for residents across the region.”

Officials said cohort members will start work early this month and are expected to achieve “EV Ready Community” designation status within six to nine months. The Caucus expects the second cohort of municipalities and counties to start in 2023.

Electric vehicles currently account for roughly 6% of new car sales in the country, according to Cox Automotive, with some experts expecting EV sales expected to account for roughly half of new vehicle sales by 2030.

The growth will largely be due to state and federal policies, such as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) that passed the Illinois legislature last year and President Biden’s climate bill that passed earlier this year.

In addition, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle recently announced $5.5 million in funding for the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Program, designed to increase public EV charging stations throughout the suburbs.

The local emphasis on EV charging accompanies a larger statewide focus on EV production. Earlier this year, Capitol News Illinois reported that state lawmakers “passed the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act, or REV Illinois, that provided tax incentives for electric vehicle manufacturers, or companies that manufacture certain component parts for electric vehicles, to locate or expand in Illinois.

“Under that program, companies receiving the breaks could receive a state income tax credit of 75-100 percent of payroll taxes withheld from each new employee and 25-50 percent for retained employees. The law also provided a 10 percent credit for training expenses.”

House Bill 5189, which cleared the General Assembly Dec. 1, “expands the incentives to be available to the makers of more component parts, and raises the maximum tax credit to 75 percent of the incremental income tax attributable to retained employees. That amount can also go to 100 percent, depending on where the jobs are located.”

In the joint statement put out by ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker said the village is “thrilled to be a part of the first EV Readiness Program cohort. We hope our work to become EV ready will guide future investments in EVs and EV charging infrastructure in Maywood.”

To help residents navigate their EV options, ComEd has created an EV Toolkit — “an all all-in-one resource providing information and tips on available resources and rebates, rate plans and cost savings options, where to find charging stations, and more.”

You can find the toolkit at: https://bit. ly/3iVIWgK

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

NEWS briefs

Dec. 5 statement that they’ll be giving out the free anti-theft devices to residents until the supply is depleted.

“We decided to reach out to The Club manufacturers who make the steering wheel anti-theft devices to see ifthey could help,” said Maywood Police Commander Dennis Diaz in the statement.

“The manufacturing company, based in [Sharon, Pa., was] more than happy to assist us with providing our department with devices so we could give them to our residents who may become [victims] ofthe thefts,” he stated.

Eligible vehicle owners can visit the Maywood Police Department, 125 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ask for Carmen Rivera, the community resource liaison.

The devices will only be given to Maywood residents who provide proofof ownership of Kia models manufactured between 2011 and 2022 and Hyundai models manufactured between 2016 and 2021.

The nationwide trend in Hyundai and Kia thefts is due to a trend on TikTok, the social media platform.

“Due to the TikTok trend, police departments like ours have seen an increase of Kia and Hyundai thefts not only within the Chicagoland area but across the nation,” Diaz said.

A group ofteens called the Kia Boyz have gone viral on TikTok after easily stealing the vehicles with screwdrivers and USB cables.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Oak Park Chimney Oak Park Chimney & Fireplace Services & Fireplace Services

INSPECTIONS • CLEANINGS REPAIRS • IMPROVEMENTS

on fi reboxes, dampers, liners, gas starters & logs

CHIMNEY SWEEPING • RAIN CAPS/ SCREENS • DRAFT INCREASE

Formerly Custom Fireplace Co. in Columbus, Ohio in 1982

Free site visit inspection with appointment by Chris Wessels

• buckeye.chris@yahoo.com • 708-906-5027

Get in the spirit of the season by viewing Triton College’s holiday lights celebration!

Come drive through our campus and surround yourself in the rows of brightly lit trees. You can even stop by for a selfie or take your own family photo.

Free holiday drive-through and photo opportunities run Now through Jan. 2, 2023.

For more information, go to triton.edu/lights or call (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3290.

There’s a place

2000 Fifth Ave. River Grove, IL 60171 (708) 456-0300