🌱 Senior Prank Gone Wrong In Niles + Chicago Cabaret Week Returns

Morning, friends! It's me, Kaytlyn Mroz, your host of the Chicago Patch newsletter. Let's get this Saturday started off right with a quick review of the most important things happening around town.

But first, today's weather:

Showers; breezy in the p.m.. High: 56 Low: 42.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

Are you the owner of a small service business? If so, 2023 is the year for you. And for 17 years, business coach Jason Rosado has been helping owners like you to plan their business year to include improved time management and more time off, less stress and overwhelm, better employees and profits, and the work/life balance you started your business for in the first place. Visit here to learn the best way to scale your business efficiently this year and request a free consultation.

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

Here are the top three stories today in Chicago:

1. A prank at a Catholic school in a Chicago suburb went wrong as a cow was spotted galloping through a neighborhood at 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Students at Northridge Preparatory School in Niles decided to purchase live animals from Craigslist as part of their senior prank — but the cow escaped and made its way into town. Police officers discovered upon investigation that in addition to a cow being purchased, a student bought chickens from home, and a pig was also purchased. The school will not press for criminal charges; ordinance citations were issued to the students involved in the incident. (Fox Weather)
2. From May 12-21, Chicago Cabaret Week will celebrate the city’s great history of cabaret dating back to the early 1900s. This year's lineup over the week will feature 40 artists and performers from a variety of different venues each providing its own special feeling. Cabaret Week was originally scheduled to begin its yearly run back in 2020 but due to the pandemic, the celebratory week was pushed back to 2022. Tickets are priced at $30 or less for all performances; reservations are recommended as some shows have already sold out. For all the information you may need, visit chicagocabaretweek.org. (Broadway World)
3. House Bill 3425 is making its way to the state Senate in Illinois in an attempt to tighten up anti-bullying protocols in state schools. The bill requires that schools diligently make efforts to notify parents or guardians involved in bullying incidents within 24 hours of an incident; it passed the House on Mar. 24. Opponents of the bill argue that this is placing an unnecessary burden on schools administrators who already are monitoring their email and voicemails all throughout the day, specifically in situations of receiving a notification while away from school on vacation. If the bill is passed, the Illinois State Board of Education would have to create and share a template of the anti-bullying policy by Jan. 1. (Jacksonville Journal-Courier)

Today in Chicago:

• Poetry Fest - Harold Washington Library Center (9:00 AM)
• AHA BLS CPR Certification Class - CPR Certification Chicago (10:00 AM)
• Chicago Pickle Fest - Across Wrigleyville (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• After a long off-season, the NFL draft officially commenced on Thursday, and the Chicago Bears made their first pick of the draft. The offensive line has some backup coming in, with the Bears selecting offensive tackle Darnell Wright from the University of Tennessee with the 10 overall pick. Welcome to the Windy City! (Chicago Bears via Instagram)
• Chicago Public Schools wants to congratulate Kyle Nowicki, a teacher at Little Village Academy, for winning a coding lab for his classroom. This lab, as well as software suites and other tools, will be essential for teaching coding and other technology advances in his class. (Chicago Public Schools via Instagram)
• Hungry in the city but can't decide where to eat? Check out Chicago Magazine's top 10 hottest restaurants in the city. (Chicago magazine via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Improovy Painters Chicago — (Visit website)
• The CleanUP Guys — (Visit Website)

Featured events:

• Art Talks! - The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto (April 29)
• Splinter: A Romantic Comedy (April 29)
• Splinter: A Romantic Comedy (April 30)
• Violins of Hope (May 3)
• Maker’s Market • May 7, 2023 (May 7)

Featured announcements:

• Little City Foster Care Honored as Non-Profit Hero of the Month for April 2023 (Details)
• Trinity High School's Summer Experiences (Details)
• Are you 60 or older? Experienced a TBI? Study opportunity available! (Details)

Featured gigs & services:

• Free Professional Website Design & SEO for Veteran-Owned Businesses (Details)

Featured job listings:

• Serve Your Community in a Uniformed Service (Details)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— Kaytlyn Mroz

About me: Kaytlyn Mroz is a copywriter at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.