■ New coffee shop in East Garfield Park PAGE 4
FREE Vol. 40 No. 7
February 18, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Terry new NAACP chief page 3
AIPAC cash to Conyears-Ervin in 7th District sparks upset
M E M O R I A M
Ford said he turned down same offer; Collins, Mendoza question ConyearsErvin’s ethics; Showalter calls $2.8M spend ‘corruption;’ Friedman denies rumor he will leave race
PROVIDED
Lillian Drummond, Austin’s ‘mama,’ dies at 104 Officials and locals share stories of Drummond’s community impact and how she looked after Austin residents By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Lillian Drummond, a prominent community leader and activist in Austin, died Jan. 10. Born in 1921, Drummond celebrated her 104th
birthday in October. To honor Drummond’s life, her onthe-ground pursuit of social change, and successful advocacy for policy reform, nearly 100 people attended a celebration of life Feb. 12 at Friendship M.B. Church in Chicago.
Pastor of the church, Rev. Reginald E. Bachus, opened the program with a prayer for Drummond. “Lord, thank you for her vigor, her vitality and accomplishments. ... She See DRUMMOND on page 8
By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
A Super PAC connected with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has involved itself in a big way in the hotly contested Democratic primary race to replace the retiring Danny Davis in the 7th Congressional District. The United Democracy Project (UDP) has reportedly committed to spending $2.8 million in television ads supporting Chicago City Treasurer Melissa ConyearsErvin in the March 17 Democratic primary. That commitment far surpasses the spending of any of the 13 other candidates in the race, many of whom condemn the Super PAC money. The cash infusion could give Conyears-Ervin an edge in the race but might also raise concer ns among some voters. The first Conyears-Ervin ad paid for by UDP praises Conyears-Ervin as someone who understands the issues facing the voters of the 7th District and makes no See AIPAC CASH on page 9
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