🌱 Fire Station Renovated + Event Features History Of Local Dining

Happy Sunday, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to today's top stories.

But first, today's weather: Chilly with low clouds. High: 47 Low: 34.

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

1. The Oak Park Fire Department has completed renovations at the south fire station at 900 S. East Avenue, Village Manager Kevin Jackson reports. Improvements were made to the showers, sleeping area and locker room. (VOP)

2. A teen wrestler has been issued an assault citation after punching his opponent, the Oak Leaves reports. The attack was caught on camera earlier this month during a Beat the Streets tournament at OPRF High School. Neither of the teens involved is from Oak Park or River Forest. A court hearing will be held in May. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

3. Oak Park Trustee Ravi Parakkat will host a panel today at OPRF Museum with local restaurateurs. “Dining in Our Community: Past, Present, and Future” begins at 4 p.m. Local food and drink options are included in the ticket price. (OPRF Museum)

4. Tickets are sold out for singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams’ return to FitzGeralds this summer. She told the Associated Press she’s “doing really well” following a stroke less than three years ago. (AP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Brookfield Zoo hosts an Earth Day “Run for the Planet” race. (8 a.m.)
• The OPRF Chamber hosts a Community Health and Wellness Fair at FFC Oak Park. (11 a.m.)
• The Park District of Oak Park offers a “Brews & Botany” tour of The Plant and Whiner Beer Co. (1:30 p.m.)
• A “thrift store” event is held at OPRF High School. (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has ties to Oak Park that go beyond his Cook County Commissioner role. The Austin resident also served as an aide to Don Harmon, Oak Park’s state senator and the Illinois Senate President. (Paid source: Tribune)
• The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Uber to provide transportation for survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence. (CBS)
• The River Forest Park District is hiring seasonal employees for upcoming summer camps. The deadline to apply is April 28. (Park District)
• Today marks the beginning of National Library Week. (Library)

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That's all for today! See you tomorrow for another week of 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.