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AUSTIN WEEKLY news ■
Suburban doctor announces run for Davis’s Congressional seat,
Vol. 31 No.41
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October 25, 2017
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austinweeklynews.com
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Also serving Garfield Park
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PAGE 5
Meett T M Tandra d Rutledge, page 3
15th District commander promoted Lt. Ernest Cato has replaced Commander Dwayne Betts, who was recently promoted to deputy chief By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Dwayne Betts, who has been police commander at Austin’s 15th District for almost three years, has been promoted to deputy chief of the department’s Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) program. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said that Lt. Ernest Cato, of the 15th District, will replace Betts in the position. The spokesperson did not confirm whether Cato will serve on an interim or more permanent basis. Mayor Rahm Emanuel made the announcement during his Oct. 18 budget address. He cited Betts’ work in the 15th District, particularly his work with the community, as reasons for the promotion. But during the Oct. 19 Chicago Police Review Board meeting, some local community leaders argued that the commander didn’t deserve the promotion, complaining that police department hasn’t been responsive to their concerns. The CAPS program was started in 1993 as a way to improve the communication and cooperation between police officers and the communities they serve. At the beat meetings, officers and residents can talk about local crime issues and figure out ways to address them. CAPS officers also attend community events and, in certain cases, community meetings organized by aldermen, to help further these goals. But, as the Chicago Reader reported in a Sept. 12, 2016 feature, funding for CAPS has been declining, See BETTS on page 4
Trojans touch down on West Side
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
The Trojan Marching Band practices at Hanson Field, 5501 W. Fullerton, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. River Forest native Jacob Schaider, who graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School, is a drummer in the band.
Why the CPS enrollment decline?
Austin’s CPS enrollment has declined by nearly 800 By XUEER ZHANG AustinTalks
Dozens of parents, principals and community members gathered last week at the Westside Health Authority to discuss ways to slow or halt shrinking enroll-
ments at the majority of Austin’s public schools. “We have 7,000 high school-age youths, but only 840 currently attend high schools in Austin,” Quiwana Bell, COO of Westside Health Authority, said after the Oct. 10th meeting. “Enrollment in nearly every Austin school is going down, and its forecast (to go) down even further,” Bell said. Last week’s meeting was intended to give parents a chance to discuss the issue
and ways to improve education in Austin. Fifteen Austin schools lost a total of 780 students compared to last year, according to 10th-day enrollment data released by Chicago Public Schools. Just two schools did not see their enrollment drop — Michele Clark High School, whose student body remained unchanged, and Lewis Elementary, which has 9 more students than in 2016.
Austin Chamber of Commerce on the move... 773.854.5848 • www.austinchicagochamber.com
See CPS ENRILLMENT on page 9