🌱 Charges Filed In Student Fight + River Forest To Buy New Vehicles

Hello, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's Daily:

• A security guard was injured at Oak Park and River Forest High School last week
• President's Day weekend events abound

But first, today's weather: Milder with clouds and sun. High: 45 Low: 37.

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Here are the top 4 stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. A campus safety staffer at Oak Park and River Forest High School was injured Feb. 9 while intervening in a fight between two students, the Wednesday Journal reports. The security guard is pressing charges and Principal Lynda Parker said “the district is fully cooperating with the police” in their investigation. (Wednesday Journal)

2. A residential burglary was reported Tuesday night in the 100 block of South Elmwood Avenue, according to the Oak Park Police Department’s daily summary report. The resident’s car and jewelry were stolen. (OPPD)

3. River Forest trustees this week approved the purchase of several new vehicles for the village. More than $500,000 will go toward the purchase of two dump trucks for the public works department and a new Dodge Durango for the fire department. (Wednesday Journal)

4. A busy President’s Day weekend is ahead in the area. The Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest will perform Sunday. Hiplet Ballerinas will dance at Dominican University and OPALGA+ hosts a family play date at Let’s Play Work. Monday is Concordia University’s Spring Visit Day for prospective students and the OPRF Chamber of Commerce will cut the ribbon at StretchLab Oak Park. (Patch)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Economy Shop has a sale. (9 a.m.)
• The Village of Oak Park hosts a free Black History Month Honors Celebration at the Nineteenth Century Club. (11 a.m.)
• Dancing Krow Gallery has an artist reception. (Noon)
• Stand-up comics perform at Salerno’s. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Five catalytic converters were stolen from cars on Elmwood Park streets in early February. (Paid source: Elm Leaves)
• More than 100 people attended this week’s Oak Park Trustees Candidates Forum. The virtual event was hosted by the Center West Oak Park Neighborhood Association. (Patch)
• The regional champion Trinity High School basketball team will compete at sectionals next week. (THS)
• Beer Shop will host a trivia night Feb. 21. (Beer Shop)

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Featured events:

• Handel Week Festival Concert I (February 19)
• Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest Performs Rarely-Heard Masterpieces (February 19)
• Symphony Presents Ravel and Vaughan Williams (February 19)
• 2nd Annual International Women’s Day Concert - A Tribute to Women in the Arts (March 5)
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That's all for today, Oak Park and River Forest! I will be away from the newsletter for a few days but will be back curating your daily digest Wednesday, Feb. 22. Have a great weekend!

— Georgi

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.