🌱 36 Displaced, 1 Injured In South Boulevard Fire + Cold Christmas

Hello and a Merry Christmas Eve to all readers who celebrate! In today’s brief holiday Daily:

• A firefighter was injured Friday in a three-alarm fire on South Boulevard
• COVID-19 numbers are up again this week
• A local radio station celebrates the season

But first, today's weather: Windy with blowing snow. High: 12 Low: 4.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. A firefighter was injured early Friday after a three-alarm structure fire broke out at 227 South Blvd. Several nearby districts responded along with the Oak Park Fire Department. The fire was extinguished after about three hours. At least 36 apartment units were affected, and its residents displaced, according to a press release from the village. (VOP)

2. The Oak Park Department of Public Health reported 99 new cases of COVID-19 in the village this week, an 8.8 percent increase from last Friday’s report. The state health department is offering tips for safe holiday gathering as COVID-19, flu and RSV spread across Illinois. (VOP)

3. The National Weather Service forecast indicates what could be “one of the coldest Christmases in years.” Strong winds and bitter cold are expected to continue today and into Saturday, with blowing snow and subzero temperatures expected overnight. Warmer weather is on the way after the weekend. (Patch)

4. Metra and CTA trains experienced delays Friday due to the extreme cold, according to an NBC report. Issues included crew shortages and frozen railroad switches. (NBC)

5. Oak Parker and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon shared a holiday message Friday via social media, wishing constituents a happy new year. “The Senate Democrats will continue our work to make the great state of Illinois a better and brighter, more equal and more prosperous place for all,” Harmon said. (Twitter)

From my notebook:

• A sold-out screening of “Home Alone” was held earlier this month at Grace Episcopal Church, where one of the scenes from the beloved holiday classic was filmed more than 30 years ago. (Paid source: Daily Herald)
• WBEZ is sharing free “retro” read-aloud stories via audio to celebrate the season. (WBEZ)
• Open skates will begin at the park district rink on Dec. 27. (PDOP)
• Save the date for the 12th Annual Eggnog Palooza at FitzGeralds on Dec. 28. (FitzGeralds)
• Lake Theatre opens at 4 p.m. Christmas Day with showings of Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” (Classic Cinemas)
• On this day in 1954, a group of Oak Parkers gathered in a home on Cuyler Avenue with the belief they’d see a flying saucer. (OPRF Museum)

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That’s all for this Christmas Eve. Wishing you a very happy, warm and safe holiday.

Thank you for subscribing and reading our daily Patch newsletter. Your comments and notes make my job so enjoyable, and I look forward to continuing this work as your curator.

The Daily is taking a break but will return to your inbox Thursday, Dec. 29. Happy holidays!

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Oak Park-River Forest Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.