🌱 Body Found In Chicago River + Oak Park Electric Building Ordinance

Good morning, neighbors. It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Sunshine with a stray t-storm. High: 84 Low: 67.
• Sunday: Partly sunny. High: 86 Low: 64.

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

1. The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from the Chicago River near The Salt Shed Thursday evening. The Chicago Police Department pronounced the man dead at the scene; no additional details on the individual's identity or the circumstances surrounding the incident have been released at present. This marks the second body recovered from the area recently, the first being that of 23-year-old Noah Enos on Jun. 19. (WGN TV Chicago)
2. Oak Park has become the first town in the Midwest to pass an ordinance mandating that all new buildings must be powered exclusively by electricity, effectively banning the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas. From January 2024 onward, the ordinance will be enforced as part of the village's building code, with exceptions made for commercial kitchens and emergency backup power generators. Oak Park has also approved a stricter energy code that will come into effect in January 2024, imposing higher energy efficiency standards on new constructions. (Daily Herald)
3. On Jul. 8, officers with the Harvey Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant that resulted in the apprehension of four suspects. The operation also revealed a potential link to the recent deaths of Bertha Rollins and Paulette Diaz-Keinz, as the property searched was identified as a known drug house frequented by the victims. Confiscated items included digital scales, plastic bags for narcotics, glass pipes, bullets, and nearly 650 grams of suspected cocaine. (The Southland Journal)

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Today and tomorrow in Oak Park-River Forest:

Saturday, July 15

• Farmers' Market At Pilgrim Church Parking Lot (7:00 AM)
• Disability Pride March At Oak Park Public Library (11:00 AM)
• Grace Strawberry Festival At Grace Episcopal Church (12:00 PM)
• Gentle Yoga At River Forest Public Library (2:00 PM)

Sunday, July 16

• Tabletop Adventurer Training: Adventure Arena At Oak Park Public Library (1:00 PM)
• Sunday Jazz Jam With John Scoville & Friends At Tre Sorelle By Mancini (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Village of Oak Park invites residents to fill out a community biodiversity survey, available online. The results will be used to help the Village's Office of Sustainability & Resilience establish biodiversity and green infrastructure projects in the area. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)
• Dominican University is highlighting three of its graduates — Portia A. Anderson, Roberto Sepúlveda, and Courtenay Boron Joseph — and their professional work in the sphere of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Visit dom.edu to read the stories of the three former Stars. (Dominican University via Facebook)
• The Forest Preserve District of Cook County reminds visitors to stay on the designated trails and avoid using wet trails. For more tips on sharing the trail safely, click here. (Forest Preserve District of Cook County via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit website)
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Featured events:

• Grace Strawberry Festival (July 15)
• Saturday at Tre Sorelle. We have the Keys to Romance. (July 15)
• Chicago Artisan Market - Sun, July 16th at Morgan MFG (Summer Market) (July 16)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right. See you all soon for another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.