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FREE Vol. 40 No. 14
April 8, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Remembering Brad Cummings for giving Austin a voice Kids and adults shared original poems and tributes at the North Austin Library By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter
Poets and performers filled the North Austin Branch Library on Saturday for a West Side Poetry Slam celebrating National Poetry Month and honoring the late Brad Cummings, founder of The Austin Voice. Cummings passed away last year in a fatal North Avenue fire along with three members of the Brown Henry family. The tribute honored Cummings for giving the West Side a voice and supporting poets across Chicago The poets shared original works and tributes that highlighted the power of words to connect and inspire the community. Doreen Ambrose-Van Lee, one of the founding members of the Library Poetry Group, dedicated a poem to Cummings. She said it was important to center the event around him because every poet on the West Side had been featured in The Austin Voice and they were shocked and saddened when they learned of his death. “The last time I saw him was last year at a breast cancer event. I remember handing him one of the poems he had
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West Sub CEO aims to reopen by July, others have doubts Staff and officials call for investigation into finances during closure process By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporters
KENN COOK JR.
Attendees of all ages gather and listen during a poetry event at the North Austin Branch Library on Chicago’s West Side, April 4. printed, ‘Never Give Up,’ and that was the first time I ever did that outside of a poetry event. Something just told me to let him know who I am. I had met him several times before, but I wanted him to know that I was dedicating ‘Never Give
Up’ to him for printing my poetry. I remember giving it to him and then standing on stage to read the poem,” Lee said. Lee said that having work printed by See POETRY SLAM on page 10
West Suburban Medical Center’s CEO said the hospital could reopen as soon as July — if it gets a multi-million-dollar flush of cash from previously unsent invoices. Manoj Prasad, president and CEO of West Suburban, and State Rep. La Shawn Ford held a press conference April 1 to for Prasad to share with members of the media his immediate and mid-term plans for the hospital and its patients. West Suburban closed temporarily March 27, due to an issue with the hospital’s billing system that left up to 90% of its services unbilled, creating a cash shortfall that had the hospital unable to pay its staff. Prasad said that all patients have been transferred from the hospital and, once the issue with billing is resolved, patient services will resume. See WEST SUB on page 8
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