■ Loretto’s blood drive spotlights African-American health PAGE 4
FREE Vol. 38 No. 30
July 24, 2024 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Alma l Velez l is ‘The Fixer,’ page 8
Last year’s flood took a heavy mental toll on West Siders. One group is trying to help As residents grapple with unmet needs, Habilitative Systems uses an outreach-oriented counseling approach to assist them in coping By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Despite more than $66 million in aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, West Siders are still reeling from the after-effects of last year’s storms that devastated the area. A weekend of severe rainstorms late June and early July 2023 left thousands of Chicagoans with See FLOOD on page 5
THE WHITE HOUSE
President Joe Biden
After Biden bows out, local officials turn the page to what’s next for Democrats The area’s federal, state and local officials weigh in on latest turn of events By ERIKA HOBBS Editor
Democratic leaders across the West Side and Western Suburbs, like their
counterparts across the country, have come out en masse in support of President Joseph Biden’s extraordinary decision to withdraw as the Democratic candidate for president, with many ready to
WS ! NEF H S A L
enthusiastically pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. Praise came from elected officials at See BIDEN on page 9
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