🌱 Burglars Target Jewel + Oak Park Will Require Vaccine Proof

Good morning, OPRF! Let's get to the latest local news.

First, today's weather: Mostly cloudy. High: 36 Low: 33.

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

1. Oak Park will officially follow Cook County's lead and require proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars and gyms beginning Jan. 3. The village had been exempt from the new Cook County rule because it has its own health department. Health Director Dr. Theresa Chapple-McGruder said Tuesday that officials did not want Oak Park to become a "safe haven" for people trying to dodge the county rules. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

2. A series of pre-Christmas burglaries occurred at the Jewel-Osco on Madison Street last week, according to the latest police department crime report. Offenders stole more than 30 bottles of liquor on two separate occasions. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

3. Friends and family are remembering a Schiller Park man killed in a Christmas Day hit-and-run. Emil Benak was crossing Irving Park Road around 10 p.m. when he was struck and killed. (NBC)

4. The Oak Park Economic Development Corporation is seeking $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support Black-owned businesses. OPEDC Executive Director John Lynch signed a letter to the village board in requesting funding for an “equity-focused local business assistance grant program.” (Wednesday Journal)

5. Brookfield Zoo is hosting a series of online chats for students on winter break. The zoo remains open but is offering daily Facebook Live events at 1o a.m. as some families stay home due to the COVID-19 surge. (CBS)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a walk through “A Secret Winter Ecosystem” with Trailside Museum. (1:30 p.m.)
• Professional comic artist Gene Ha teaches a virtual drawing class with Oak Park Public Library. (4 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Madison Street Theater canceled its New Year’s Eve event in light of the COVID-19 surge. (MST)
• FitzGeralds is enacting the Cook County vaccine proof rule early. The music venue will no longer accept a negative COVID-19 test for entry. (Facebook)
• A few spots remain open for River Forest Public Library’s virtual “Noon Year’s Eve” event. (RFPL)
• The Park District of Oak Park is hiring for more than 40 positions. (PDOP)
• Dominican University is forming a pilot program to recruit more teachers of color. (Wednesday Journal)

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That's all for Dec. 29! See you tomorrow for more local news.

— Georgi Presecky