🌱 Credit Card Skimming + Community Safety Meeting + New Village Hires

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

• The Fenwick High School community mourns the loss of a staff member
• Car and bike thefts continued over the weekend
• Assessor Fritz Kaegi will host a virtual tax seminar today

But first, today's weather: Low clouds. High: 36 Low: 32.

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

1. A Kia Optima was stolen over the weekend from the 100 block of North Humphrey, according to the Oak Park Police Department. Other weekend thefts included two catalytic converters and a bike taken from Longfellow Park. (OPPD)

2. Credit card skimming has become common at gas station pumps, according to River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci. Scammers use a device to steal credit card information from customers. The village will host its quarterly community safety meeting tomorrow at Village Hall, with a virtual option for viewing via Zoom. (VRF)

3. The Fenwick High School community is mourning the loss of executive assistant Karen Campagna. She served the school for more than 20 years. (Fenwick)

4. Village Manager Kevin Jackson announced a number of new hires in Oak Park this week. Filled roles include environmental services manager and emergency preparedness and response coordinator. (VOP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Park District of Oak Park hosts “A Parent’s Guide to TikTok.” (Noon)
• Oak Parker and Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi gives a virtual seminar offering tips for property taxpayers in partnership with the OPRF Chamber of Commerce. (6 p.m.)
• Learn about de-cluttering with the Oak Park Public Library. (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Cross Community Climate Collaborative, which includes Oak Park and River Forest, recently received a $125,000 grant. (VRF)
• Chicago meat wholesaler Purely Meats is planning to move to Forest Park pending certain zoning updates. (Review)
• Residents who take an online Classic Cinemas survey will be entered to win two free movie tickets to Lake Theatre. (Classic Cinemas)

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Announcements:

• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago Lands Top Producer Keith Brand (Details)
• Sports Cards and More Show @ Orland Park Civic Center — Jan. 29, 2023 (Details)
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Job listings:

• Oak Park Residence Corporation is Hiring (Details)
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That's all for Tuesday! 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 Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.