2nd CHANCE DEVELOPMENT HOSTS 7th ANNUAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

UNBROKEN: DIARY OF A GANGSTA GIRL IS SUSPENSEFUL REAL LIFE STORY OF DANGER & REDEMPTION

According to her riveting autobiographical novel, Unbroken, Diary of a Gangsta Girl, Stephanie Powe has seen and done it all…and lived to tell about it! She is living proof that lives can change in the blink of an eye. Her novel leaves little to the imagination and comes clean with the shocking and dangerous events that she has endured over the past 20 years.
    Stephanie was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, coming from a loving two-parent home. She led a normal girl’s childhood, attending Catholic school. Stephanie grew up fast, but her interest was in the fast life, not in boys. She adored fancy cars, money, and status. She was convinced she was born to be a high roller. She new all too well the risks of her new lifestyle, but money, popularity, and the danger made it too good to give up.
    In Unbroken, Diary of a Gangsta Girl, Stephanie chronicles her life. Readers trace her childhood and adolescent years as she discovers her passion for the fast life. The novel was released in June 2012 and is already receiving rave reviews. It is being compared to Sista Souljah’s memoir, Coldest Winter Ever. The book details her struggle and determination to overcome the obstacles in Stephanie’s path.
    In fact, the book describes Stephanie as unlike the typical high roller. She

didn’t run with a crowd, didn’t attend wild parties or use drugs, remained close to her family, and continued to attend church regularly. What set her apart was her knowledge deep down that there was a bigger purpose to her life.
    But, Stephanie’s decision to date one of Chicago’s most notorious gang leaders and drug dealers changed her life forever. After he is sentenced to a long prison term, Stephanie leaves him behind and moves on with her life. But, this angers her imprisoned boyfriend, who marks her for death. In February 1992, Stephanie was shot three times    – twice in the head, causing her to permanently lose sight in one eye, and once in the shoulder. That she recovers is miraculous.
    Stephanie has some scars and many memories from her experiences. Now, she realizes God’s plan for her life is to help others and her book is meant to instill hope in those trapped in lives of abuse and pain.
    Unbroken, Diary of a Gangsta Girl, by Stephanie Powe, is available for $16.00 from www.unbrokendiary.com or contact Daniels Entertainment Group at 312/787-8920 or 312/304-6305.

COPS RAID 5512 W. DIVISION – SEIZE ASSAULT WEAPONS & FIGHTING DOGS – ARREST ONE

On August 5, officers of the Chicago Police Gang Enforcement Unit, assisted by the 25th District, executed a Search Warrant at 5512 West Division Street, on the 2nd Floor East. They seized six weapons: two handguns, one sawed-off shotgun, one AR15 assault rifle, one collapsible assault rifle, and one submachine gun-type weapon.
    Also, three dogs trained to fight were found living in substandard and inhumane conditions. Isaac Lindsey, 28, was taken into custody and charged with numerous weapons violations and cruelty to animal counts.

Loretto Hospital Fitness Fun Fest.

Young people gather for fun, fitness and a plea for peace at Loretto Hospital’s Back-To-School Fitness Fun Fest. (Photo by Marilyn Hampton)

Rep. Camille Lilly greets participants in the Loretto Hospital Fitness Fun Fest. (Photo by Marilyn Hampton)

WEST QUINCY STREET THROWS A PARTY

Tea Time At Eagle's Nest!

Pastor Marcus & First Lady Brandi Brady host Eagle’s Nest Christian Church’s Women’s Hats & Sundresses Tea. (Photo by Marilyn Hampton)

SHAQUILLE COCKRELL EARNS BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIP TO ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY

    Shaquille Cockrell, an Austin resident and son of Shawn and Doris Coburn and Keith Cockrell, and grandson of Eula Conyears and Janice Cockrell, is attending Alcorn State University in Mississippi on a baseball scholarship. He graduated in June from Walther Lutheran High School with a 3.00 GPA. He attends Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, under the direction of Pastor Johnny L. Miller.
    Shaquille got his start in baseball at Amundsen Park in 2000 when his aunt, Melissa  Conyears, enrolled him in T-ball. His first coach was Don Taylor. Shaquille extends thanks to other coaches who have helped him along the way, especially Coach Bruce, Coach Tommy, Coach Joe, Victor, and Mr. Mason of Amundsen Park. He also thanks Coach Chris of Altgeld Park, Coach Brown of the White Sox Ace Program, and Walther Lutheran Coaches Matt Tuomi and Bo Flowers. Shaquille also thanks the Walther Lutheran faculty and Mr. Craven.
    Shaquille is majoring in Business Administration and will focus on baseball. He gives special thanks to Alderman Jason Ervin for encouraging him to concentrate on his education.

AL RABY STUDENTS SPEND SUMMER WORKING WITH NATURE AS ENVIRONMENTAL INTERNS

The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization, hired six students from the Al Raby School for Community and Environment on Chicago’s West Side to participate in its national Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) program. Hakeem Coleman, Danyell Myles, Jabaree Vaughn, and Tatyanna Redmond, all 17; and Devon Glenn and Mikia Robinson, 18, are juniors at Al Raby. 

They began their 4-week paid internship on July 9. The three boys headed to Lewistown, Illinois, site of Emiquon Complex, and the three girls and their mentor, Amani Abdur-Rahman, took a 4-hour flight to Maine to the Saco Heath Preserve. There they helped rebuild a boardwalk that winds through a bog in the heath, allowing visitors to enjoy a unique natural system without adversely impacting the delicate plants that grow there. 

They repaired a bridge by trimming vegetation from the overgrown trail corridor, adding gravel to the existing trail, and carrying lumber and other building material into the heath. At Emiquon, the boys conducted archaeological digs, assisted with equipment maintenance, and cleared invasive plants from the property. After just a week at the site, the boys removed invasive species like thistle, locust, and autumn olive from more than 150 acres of prairie at the Emiquon Preserve and assisted the University of Illinois Springfield in collecting water samples that the students were able to view under microscopes. Emiquon is located about an hour southwest of Peoria and is one of the Midwest’s largest restoration projects. 

After significant land conversion along the Illinois River in the last century, The Nature Conservancy and partners have worked to restore this ecosystem that once supported the most productive inland commercial fishery and highest mussel abundance of any river on the continent. With 149 documented sites, scientists also consider Emiquon to be one of the richest locations for Native American archaeology. “Where can a student who is interested in the environment find a paid internship that exposes them to so much in four weeks?” asks Jason Beverlin, The Nature Conservancy’s Illinois River Program Director. “With our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dickson Mounds Museum, and University of Illinois Springfield, these interns get to roll up their sleeves and do everything from archaeology to zoology. 

 This comprehensive environmental leadership program has served approximately 20,000 students attending multicultural environmental high schools in urban areas. With the assistance of a $3.1 million grant from the Toyota USA Foundation, the program has added new schools in California, Washington, Illinois, and Massachusetts this year.