🌱 Former NFL Player Missing, Mother Murdered + COVID-19 Compensation

Hello, everybody. I'm here with your Wednesday edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's going on locally.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with partial sunshine. High: 83 Low: 60.

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

1. Former NFL player Sergio Brown's mother, Myrtle Brown, was found dead with multiple injuries close to her home in nearby Maywood, on Sep. 17 and her death has been ruled a homicide by the Cook County Examiner's Office. Sergio is currently missing, and authorities are searching for him, but they have no solid leads or suspects as of Sep. 18. Sergio's family has reached out for information on his whereabouts, and he is known for his NFL career with several teams, including the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. (rollingout.com)
2. Cook County correctional officers who sought compensation for time spent cleaning themselves, their clothes, cars, and equipment before and after shifts due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been denied the ability to pursue their claims as a class action by a federal court. The court ruled that the plaintiffs, a proposed class of over 3,000 corrections officers, failed to identify a common policy mandating cleaning activities as a condition of employment, according to Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. (Bloomberg Law)
3. The Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sep. 15 to Oct.15, by recognizing the diverse cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latiné communities in the United States. They emphasize the importance of understanding the richness and complexity of these communities, which encompass various countries and languages, not limited to Spanish. The chamber will be hosting an upcoming event featuring Patricia Santoyo-Marin, deputy director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, on Sep. 25. (Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

Wednesday, September 20

• PTO Churros Sale At Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School (10:45 AM)
• Tech Night For Kids: What's Inside A Computer? At Main Library (3:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Join author Emily Edlynn at the Main Library today, Sep. 20, as she discusses her book, "Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent, Confident Children." The book offers practical strategies for implementing autonomy-supportive parenting based on three decades of psychological research. (Oak Park Library)
• Barrie Park has begun installing new playground equipment! Photos of the installation can be found at the link. (Park District of Oak Park via Facebook)
• Mark your calendars for Trunk or Treat on Oct. 27 at the Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex parking lot. Registration is not needed. (Park District of Oak Park)

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

Featured events:

• Boycott - presentation of movie and discussion afterwards (September 20)
• Oaktoberfest 2023 (September 23)
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Featured announcements:

• Board Certified Neuropsychologist opens practice- Riverside Psychology- in River Forest (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.