🌱 COVID Milestone + Mental Health Expo + Comedy Club In The Works

Welcome to the weekend, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's digest:

• State officials make a significant COVID-19 announcement
• A former Fenwick basketball star continues his rise
• Weekend events abound

But first, today's weather: Breezy; milder in the p.m. High: 41 Low: 34.

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

1. Forty people tested positive for COVID-19 in the village this week, the Oak Park Department of Public Health reports. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced this week the statewide public health emergency declared at the beginning of the pandemic will officially end May 11. (VOP/Patch)

2. A mental health expo is coming to the Howard R. Mohr Community Center this spring, the Review reports. The Village of Forest Park is partnering with the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission for the event, tentatively set for May. (Review)

3. Comedian Emily Ramirez is looking to open a comedy club on Madison Street. The Berwyn resident is also kicking off a new comedy open mic night in March at the Kribi Coffee in Forest Park. (Review)

4. Fenwick High School graduate Bryce Hopkins is featured in The Athletic this week. The basketball star now plays for the Providence Friars. (Athletic)

5. The Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest will perform Feb. 19 at Concordia University. Musicians will play “rarely heard masterpieces” at the weekend concert. (Patch)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Bring broken items to Fox Center for its monthly Repair Cafe. (10 a.m.)
• Check out Winter Fest at Austin Gardens. (11 a.m.)
• OPRF High School hosts a Japanese Festival. (Noon)
• Learn about the local owl population at Trailside Museum. (1:30 p.m.)
• It’s game night at Oak Park Temple. (5 p.m.)
• Fenwick High School hosts its annual Banua performance. (7 p.m.)
• Vito Zatto performs at Salerno’s Pizza. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Park district camp registration opens today for Oak Park residents. (PDOP)
• The Oak Park Farmer’s Market is up for a “Best of Chicago” award. Voting is open through Feb. 15. (Reader)
• Trinity High School recently celebrated Peace and Justice Week. (THS)

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Thanks for reading today's newsletter! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— 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.