Austin

Proposal Would Limit Protests in Council Chambers
Wed, 02/15/2012
Ahead of this spring’s NATO and G8 summits, four influential aldermen on Wednesday proposed prohibiting audience members from waving signs or engaging in any “demonstration of approval or disapproval” during City Council meetings. Under the proposal, the banned conduct in the council chambers would include — but would not be limited to — “cheering...

State Challenges Hospitals' Tax Break
Mon, 09/12/2011
Facing a budget deficit exceeding $11 billion, the State of Illinois in recent weeks has begun challenging the property tax exemptions of some of its best-known hospitals, saying they should pay more because they are not providing enough charity care. The Illinois Department of Revenue moved last month to strip property tax exemptions from...

The Public School Probation Maze
Fri, 04/22/2011
Austin Polytechnical Academy, a school established in 2007 to help broaden the West Side community’s academic opportunities and retool perceptions of vocational education, is facing harsh realities as it prepares to graduate its first senior class: lagging test scores, diminishing attendance and dismal reading levels. Last October, Polytech joined...