🌱 Child Found Alone In Austin + St. Giles Student Wins State Honor

Welcome to a new week, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to today's top local stories.

But first, today's weather: Warmer with periods of sun. High: 54 Low: 41.

Are you a business owner or marketer in Oak Park-River Forest who wants to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales? If that's you, then I invite you to see how our newsletter sponsorships combine our local audience reach with your expertise to attract new customers. Click here to learn more.

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

1. A toddler was found wandering alone Sunday in the Austin neighborhood. Chicago police are searching for his parents and estimate his age to be between two and three years old. (FOX)

2. Three cars were broken into Thursday in Oak Park. According to police, windows were smashed on vehicles parked in the 400 block of Wesley Avenue and the 1100 block of S. Austin Boulevard. A dozen shell casings were found near a car in the first block of Thomas Street, with bullet holes in the front and rear windshields. (OPPD)

3. Oak Park officials could approve a new three-story development at the corner of South Boulevard and Kenilworth Avenue, Village Manager Kevin Jackson wrote in his weekly report. The space at 901 South Boulevard is currently a parking lot. (VOP)

4. A local student was honored for entering this year’s Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Annual Poster Contest. St. Giles School student Mary Shea Gibbs was among the top 12 award winners to be recognized by the state. (EPA)

5. This year’s Historical Society House Walk will feature homes near OPRF High School, in celebration of the school’s 150th anniversary. The event is set for May 7 and will feature six local homes. (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Author Catherine Prendergast presents a free program on “The New Woman” at the Nineteenth Century Club. (1:15 p.m.)
• Actor Everett Osborne will answer questions at Lake Theatre following a screening of the film “Sweetwater,” about the life of NBA trailblazer Nat Clifton. (7 p.m.)
• OPAGLA+ and other organizations host a meeting at Unity Temple to form a “community advocacy” team. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Outdoor dining will return to Oak Park streets May 1. (Wednesday Journal)
• North Austin’s Grace and Peace Church welcomed migrants to their Easter celebrations earlier this month. (AWN)
• A Frank Lloyd Wright home in Oklahoma hit the market this week with a sale price of $8 million. (CNN)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit website)
• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

You're all caught up for this Monday. See you tomorrow for another recap of local news.

— 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.