🌱 Catalytic Converter Thefts + OPRF High School Staffer Dies

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's newsletter:

• A Park Ridge school employee from Forest Park is facing criminal charges.
• Rush University Health System is moving ahead with its Galewood project.
• Thursday Night Out, movies in the park and more summer events are on the weekend calendar.

But first, today's weather: A stray afternoon t-shower. High: 81 Low: 55.

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

1. A catalytic converter was stolen from a car Sunday in the 400 block of Washington Boulevard, according to Oak Park police. New data shows 17,000 catalytic converters have been stolen from cars in Chicago since 2019, the Sun-Times reports. The paper found records of only 34 arrests related to the thefts. (OPPD/Sun-Times)

2. A Forest Park man will appear in court next week after he was indicted for predatory criminal sexual assault of students at a school in Park Ridge. Anthony Meza was employed at the Jeanine Schultz School for children with special needs. He has been out on bond since late May. (Paid source: Tribune)

3. OPRF High School Buildings and Grounds Director Fred Pruess died of cancer June 5 after eight years serving the campus. “He was a man who absolutely loved this building,” Superintendent Greg Johnson said. “He took great pride in how it looked and in fact one of his last comments to me was ‘take care of my building.’” (Wednesday Journal)

4. A new Rush University Health System facility is being developed in Galewood at the former site of the Sears building. According to an application before the state review board, the “hybrid mini-hospital” is expected to “provide expanded services Rush Oak Park simply doesn’t have room for.” (Wednesday Journal)

5. The Village of Oak Park will host a Juneteenth parade Sunday morning, beginning at 11 a.m. at Longfellow Park. A community cookout will be held afterwards at Taylor Park. (VOP)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Drop in at Trailside Museum for a “Thursdays in the Field” wildflower activity. (2:30 p.m.)
• Enjoy music and food at Thursday Night Out downtown Oak Park. (5 p.m.)
• River Forest Park District hosts a free “Party in the Park” at Keystone Park West. (6 p.m.)
• The Village of Elmwood Park hosts an outdoor screening of “The Great Outdoors” at Central Park. (Dusk)

From my notebook:

• Cook County is “confronting [its] pension challenges,” with a series of reforms affecting forest preserve employees, President Toni Preckwinkle said Monday. (Paid source: Tribune)
• Free COVID-19 testing will be available today at Barrie Park and Thursday Night Out. (VOP)
• The Park District of Oak Park will host a Father’s Day Nature Walk in Maple Park this weekend. (PDOP)
• Voting is open for the Oak Park Public Library’s T-shirt design contest. (Library)

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• 60th Chicago Book and Paper Fair (June 17)
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That's all for today! See you tomorrow for the Friday edition.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.