As 2024 dawns, we took a look back at the Top 10 articles and columns that got the most views in 2023.
What we found was an interesting mix of long-form features, columns and pieces that touch on the issues that matter to the West Side. Some of those issues affected the entire community, while others are so local, they only affected a single block.
We would like to hear from you, dear readers. Are there any stories that should’ve gotten more love? Any stories that got overhyped? And, as you look back on the year of our reporting – what is your favorite piece? Email or comment on Facebook, and let us know.
No. 1 – A look at Austin’s growing Hispanic population by Francia Garcia Hernandez and Igor Studenkov.
This year, Austin Weekly News tried something different and put out a West Side magazine that – as editor Lacey Sikora so aptly put it – captured the many things that make our communities so vibrant. Our top story is one of the articles from this magazine – a deep dive into Austin’s growing Hispanic population. We tried to capture issues from many angles, looking at the data, talking to experts and speaking to Austinites, whether they are new arrivals or someone who’s been there for decades.
No. 2 – A Men in Black Moment by Arlene Jones
A recent column by Arlene Jones looks at the mysterious explosions that were seemingly heard all over the city, offering an interesting look at how information, and disinformation, can spread, especially when official sources are silent on the matter. If a fallen tree goes unreported, did it really fall?
No. 3 – Austin man barricaded in apartment after arrest attempt by Francia Garcia Hernandez.
Some of Garcia Hernandez’s best stories happened because she stumbled on a story and stuck with it for hours on end. This was the only one that made it into the Top 10, It went beyond what made the evening news – armed man barricading himself, police and the FBI getting involved. Garcia Hernandez talked to neighbors whose apartment was raided by mistake, how traumatizing it was for a victim of gun violence, and how the standoff made the other neighbor miss work.
No. 4 – Teens crashed Columbus pool, neighbors criticize park district by Igor Studenkov
Pools are a precious commodity on the West Side, where there aren’t that many places to cool off and relax. When the Columbus Park Advisory Council pitched us the story, they emphasized that they weren’t just upset by the mayhem young people caused – they blamed the park district for not opening the pools as long as they could be and not giving them alternatives. The pool season is over, but the issue lingers.
No. 5 – FEMA aid appears to be coming up short, West Side advocates say by Igor Studenkov
Ever since FEMA came in to respond to July 2-3 flooding on the West Side, community leaders like Rev. Ira Acree worried that the aid wouldn’t get to the people that needed it the most. We promised to follow up – and when we started getting statistics, we did our best to parse out the West Side numbers. In the months to come, we will keep our eye on the issue and keep checking with our sources, because while the flooding passed, the fallout has not.
No. 6 – Weak people, hard times by Arlene Jones
This April 28, 2021 column hits on a common Arlene Jones theme – that violence will continue to plague the West Side if the community doesn’t strongly denounce it and push back. The column came on the heels of the murder of Jaslyn Adams, who was shot while her family was driving though a drive-thru of a Homan Square McDonalds, and Jones argued that the response was inadequate. This was far from Jones’ last column on the topic – but it seems to have struck a chord.
No. 7 – Chicago considers using Austin Avenue warehouse, office building to house migrants by Igor Studenkov
The city’s effort to house asylum-seekers that largely came from Central and South American countries has been a major source of concern for West Siders, and tensions exploded when city proposed using the Amundsen Park fieldhouse. After strong pushback, the city looked at an alternative site – the portion of the old Zenith Radio campus between the park and the railroad tracks. Several residents suggested using the seemingly abandoned factory portion north of the tracks. While researching the story, we found out that the factory wasn’t as abandoned as it seemed. The city ultimately decided not to use 1900 North Austin building and reopened the fieldhouse, but we will be keeping our eyes on the new industrial business development slated for the old factory.
No. 8 – Austin residents object to proposed three-flat on vacant lot by Igor Studenkov
There are local issues, and then there are really local issues. The neighbors living at the 200 block of North Menard Avenue came to Ald. Chris Taliaferro’s June 7 ward meeting, saying they were worried that developer A-Z builders’ plans to build a pair of three-flats would hurt their quality of life, and asked for two single-family homes instead.
No. 9 – West Siders want Cato, former 15th District commander, as next top cop by Igor Studenkov
Before he was promoted, Ernest Cato was a popular commander of the 15th Police District, which spans the half of Austin south of Division Street. When the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability was looking for candidates for new police superintendent and held a hearing in Austin, many attendees urged them to nominate Cato. He didn’t make it into the list of three finalists, and CCPSA now faces another important task – transitioning to an elected commission.
No. 10 – Chicago disrespects Black citizens with its policy on migrants by Aisha Oliver
In her second column for Austin Weekly News, Oliver voices something we’ve heard quite a bit on the West Side in recent months – that the city is investing resources in migrants and not addressing inequities that Chicago’s Black residents faced for decades.
