■ Conyears-Ervin defeats Mitts for committeewoman PAGE 7
FREE Vol. 40 No. 12
March 25, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Shantel Franklin wins 8th District state rep race
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Riot Fest hosts Douglass Park community engagement meeting Participatory budgeting, local artist showcases, volunteer programs and the Beyond the Fest initiative highlighted By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter
TODD BANNOR
mailers, but to focus on the people he has met in the 7th Congressional District, and rely on a network of political allies to bring in the vote beyond his 8th State House district power base.
Riot Fest hosted its 2026 Community Engagement Meeting on March 19, providing residents and local stakeholders with a comprehensive update on festival logistics, park impact and opportunities for involvement. Riot Fest at Douglass Park is a three-day, allages festival celebrating music, art and community, featuring national and local artists across multiple genres, carnival attractions, local vendors and community partnerships. Riot Fest will be held Sept. 18 to 20 and it will remain in Douglass Park through at least 2027 under a new three-year agreement with the Chicago Park District. The park is in North Lawndale at Roosevelt Road and Sacramento.
See FORD WINS on page 6
See RIOT FEST on page 11
La Shawn Ford election night victory party on March 17
Ford wins 7th, beats big money State rep stuck to ground game as PACS piled on in 7th District By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter
As boxer Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” When La Shawn Ford got punched in
the face — or more aptly, hit below the belt — by a multi-million dollar attack ad campaign by cryptocurrency interests, he hit back. But he stayed on plan. He had insisted since last fall that his campaign strategy was not to raise millions of dollars and carpet the neighborhoods with
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