Beat Assignment 1

My beat was local news, politics, and education. Here are the main stories that happened this week.

1. It was reported that JRW team member, Jaheim Benton and his family, have been homeless for the past few months.

2. Four people were killed and another 36 were injured over Labor Day weekend due to gun violence.

3. The city of Chicago released statistics saying that the graduation rate among CPS students improved by 4%, setting a new all time high.

4. An airport van crashed into a concrete guardrail near O’Hare airport on Friday.

5. Bruce Rauner and Gov. Pat Quinn continue to campaign for Illinois Governor. As of the latest poll, Rauner is ahead of Quinn with an 8.5 point lead.

The piece I chose this week is about Jaheim Benton and the neighborhood communities on the South Side. I really liked how the author mentioned that the neighborhood communities on the South Side have come together to help Benton and his family find a home. When talking about the South Side, I often think that the violence overshadows the good things that are happening in the community. It was refreshing that the author showed a different view. I thought the author also did a good job revealing how Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and other politicians have not done much to help the South Side neighborhoods.

Here is a link to the column: http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/jackie-robinson-west-did-hard-part-now-it’s-rest-us/tue-09022014-901am