■ Three shootings after Austin street party PAGE 3
FREE Vol. 39 No. 32
August 13, 2025 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Mini Mini-golf golf at Columbus Park, page 5
West Sub in financial crisis, says owner on same day Weiss is closed
State reps Ford and Lilly commit to seeking state help Youth Connector Cohort 2025 graduates at the ceremony at the Island Oasis in Austin on Aug. 6
By DAN HALEY Interim Editor
On the same day that Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown was closed by Resilience Healthcare, its owner Dr. Manoj Prasad attended a press conference at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park where he was flanked by two West Side state representatives who said they would work to secure more state aid for the struggling safety net hospital. Prasad said the two hospitals had been in crisis for the past four months initially due to a difficult conversion in its billing system which left two-thirds of its potential revenue unbilled and then by severe issues with its air conditioning systems as summer heat arrived. That problem was called “catastrophic” at Weiss and led to severe overheating and the hospital’s inpatient rooms being closed several weeks ago. After the federal Center for Medicare Services took the rare step of terminating Weiss’ particiSee WEST SUB on page 8
PROVIDED
In Austin’s Island neighborhood, students connect with peers and neighbors The Youth Connector Cohort pays young people a stipend to engage with each other and the community during the summer By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
On Aug. 6, 14 students gathered at the Island Oasis in Austin to celebrate com-
pleting a summer youth cohort. This year was the third iteration of the program, where young people learn leadership and civic engagement skills around the Island neighborhood of Austin.
Throughout the 8-week Youth Connector Cohort, participants conversed with each other and their neighbors through See THE ISLAND on page 9
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