Energy Bill Passes + Pie Bake-Off + Friday Football

Happy Friday, OPRF! Start Labor Day weekend with the latest headlines.

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First, today's weather: Overcast throughout the day. High: 76, low: 64.

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

1. Acting Forest Park Police Chief Kenneth Gross said the shooting that occurred outside a Walmart on Aug. 29 “was not a random act.” A 21-year-old store employee was shot in the foot and said her boyfriend was also hit in the leg, but he fled the scene before police arrived. More than 40 shell casings were found in the parking lot, and at least 12 bullets struck the store facade. (Forest Park Review)

2. Two outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported at OPRF High School since the semester began in August: one among teachers and another among students. District 200 reports that 84 percent of staff are vaccinated and 72 percent of students submitted proof of vaccination. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

3. Oak Park’s Public Works Department is planning to make changes to the intersection of Forest Avenue and Ontario Street. A plan to “reestablish a historic presence” in the area includes improved sidewalks and new pedestrian lighting. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The Village Board selected consulting firm BerryDunn to conduct an independent assessment of the Oak Park Police Department. The firm’s proposal “attempts to unify police agencies with the public.” (Wednesday Journal)

5. A long-awaited energy bill passed the State Senate Wednesday, with the goal of making Illinois a fully-renewable energy state by 2050. The bill includes a “generous bailout for nuclear plants, closing coal-fired plants, investments in wind and solar energy and ethics measures.” It has yet to pass the House. (AP)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Walk a nature story trail at the Trailside Museum of Natural History. (9 a.m.)
• Paint the Chicago Skyline at Dole Center. (6 p.m.)
• Bill MacKay and Marvin Tate perform at Side Yard Sounds. (7 p.m.)
• The Fenwick football team takes on Notre Dame. (7:30 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• The CDC is urging unvaccinated Americans to avoid travel this Labor Day weekend to slow the spread of COVID-19. (NPR)
• Registration is now open for the Oak Park Farmers' Market's Pie Bake-Off. (VOP)
• The Oak Park Community Recreation Center is one step closer to its $22 million fundraising goal. (Patch)
• Longtime Oak Park community member Roy George Hlavacek died last week at age 83. He was a founding member of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation and an early supporter of preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park architecture. (Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home)
• Veterans and military members can attend a White Sox game for free in September, thanks to the Cook County Clerk’s Office. (Patch)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed this week, and thanks for your positive feedback on the Daily. As always, I'm sharing this link to subscribe if you'd like to pass it along to friends and neighbors.

Have a great, safe holiday weekend.

— Georgi

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Oak Park-River Forest Daily? Email georgi.presecky@patch.com.