■ Four vie for 8th District state rep PAGE 8
FREE Vol. 40 No. 10
March 11, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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1st firefighter to graduate from Christ the King breaks into acting Levelle Kimble III shared his story at his alma mater’s career day Staff Writer
See KIMBLE on page 4
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Erie opens health center in West Garfield Park
1st part of the Sankofa Village Wellness Center offers medical, behavioral, dental and reproductive services
By JESSICA MORDACQ When Levelle Kimble III, whose stage name is Velle Kimble, returned to his alma mater Christ the King Jesuit College Prep last year to speak for career day, the principal told him he was the first firefighter to come out of the Austin high school. Kimble came back to Christ the King in Austin on Friday for his second career day, sharing with students about how he became a firefighter and actor. “I think when they see someone who’s close in age with them, who has a good career, it goes without saying, ‘This guy’s older than me by about four or five years. If he can do it, I can do it,’” Kimble said. “If I could make it through it, all of these students in front of me, I’m sure a vast majority of them deal with the same things that I dealt with.” Though Kimble’s family has been supportive of his pursuits, “I still had to go through the fire to get to where I am today,” he said. “Now, I see the importance of having that guidance in your corner, because without it, you can fall short to the system, which is what a lot of my childhood friends have done,” he added of those he’s lost to gun violence or who are in jail.
Easley runs for 7th Congressional District
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Writer
PROVIDED
Levelle Kimble III, whose stage name is Velle Kimble, has been a firefighter on Chicago’s South Side since 2024 and an actor since 2020.
A new health center opened in West Garfield Park at the beginning of February. The Erie Sankofa Village Health Center provides similar comprehensive care services as other Erie health centers, now to a community that has long been without them. Kawana Tharps, Erie Sankofa Village’s site medical director, shares the story of one of the health center’s first patients who lives in the neighborhood. “She hasn’t been involved in care in a long time, and she spoke a lot about medical mistrust throughout the multiple visits where I saw her,” Tharps said. “She was saying, ‘My sister said I don’t have excuses anymore. I’m right around the corner, so I’m coming back.’ It really spoke to the convenience of having a clinic in the community.” See HEALTH CENTER on page 6
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Mary ‘May’ Larry
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