🌱 Boosters For Teens + Best Books Of 2021

Happy Monday, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to the news for Dec. 13.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and mild. High: 51 Low: 32.

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

1. A Proviso West High School employee has been arrested for assaulting a student. The school resource officer, who was not a certified Illinois police officer, was caught on camera grabbing and throwing a student to the ground. (ABC)

2. The CDC approved booster shots for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds late last week. “Initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. (Block Club)

3. River Forest is attempting to develop village-owned property at the corner of Lake Street and Park Avenue. The village has put out four requests for proposals since 2010. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The “Pink House” in Austin has new owners. After the current residents fought to keep it from being torn down, the iconic 127-year-old Victorian home at 556 North Central Avenue has been sold to a family who hopes to repair it. (Block Club)

5. Oak Park parishes are planning ahead for Christmas Masses as the pandemic continues. Mass will be live-streamed at some parishes, and a drive-through communion option is available at St. Giles for those who wish to remain socially distant. (SG)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Three tenors from the Lyric Opera of Chicago perform holiday favorites at The Nineteenth Century Club. (1:15 p.m.)
• See “The Matrix” at Lake Theatre. (3:55 p.m.)
• Attend the first of four “It’s A Wonderful Life” viewing parties at FitzGeralds. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Illinois Department of Public Health is offering guidance to stay safe from COVID-19 this holiday season. (IDPH)
• Holiday light recycling is available behind River Forest Village Hall through Jan. 15. (VRF)
• Triton College’s Holiday Festival of Trees is now open for drive-through viewing. (VRF)
• Oak Park Public Library has published its “Best of 2021” lists, featuring the top titles in non-fiction, teen fiction, music, movies and more. (OPPL)
• Metra will launch a $6 day pass in February 2022. (Paid source: Tribune)
• For every retail dollar spent in Oak Park, two percent helps fund public services and projects. (VOP)

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That's all for today! See you tomorrow for more local news.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based reporter with seven years of experience writing for entertainment-based publications. She represented FF2 Media for five years at film festivals across the U.S., from Sundance to Austin. 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 campus newspaper, she earned honors from The Associated Collegiate Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association. She began working for Patch in 2019.