🌱 Garfield Street Shooting + Oak Parkers Attend World Cup

Welcome to the weekend, Oak Park and River Forest readers. In today's Daily:

• Local COVID-19 numbers dip slightly
• River Forest lifts parking rules for holidays
• An Oak Park-set novel gets recognition

But first, today's weather: Cloudy, chilly; p.m. flurries. High: 28 Low: 19.

Are you a business owner or marketer in Oak Park-River Forest who wants to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales? If that's you, then I invite you to see how our newsletter sponsorships combine our local audience reach with your expertise to attract new customers. Click here to learn more.

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

1. The Oak Park Department of Public Health reported 91 new cases of COVID-19 in the village this week. The weekly report does not include at-home test results. Each household can once again access four free at-home tests through the renewal of a Biden administration program designed to curb a surge in winter infections. (VOP/CNBC)

2. Shots were fired Wednesday in the 100 block of Garfield Street, according to Oak Park police. A crime summary report states “police identified property that was damaged” but no one was injured. (OPPD)

3. Chicago police closed down a Portage Park lounge where a mass shooting killed three people last week. A notice said Vera’s Lounge on Central Avenue “presents a public safety threat.” (Block Club)

4. River Forest’s overnight parking ban will be lifted Dec. 21 to accommodate holiday guests. Street parking is not allowed if more than two inches of snow accumulates. The ban will resume Jan. 2. (VRF)

5. An Oak Park-based novel made Chicago Reader’s list of “best Chicago books of 2022.” Jennifer Close’s “Marrying the Ketchups” follows the family of an Oak Park restaurant owner during the tumultuous events of 2016. (Reader)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a winter dog walk at Trailside Museum. (10:30 a.m.)
• Stern Glass Works and Great Sip Cafe present a Holiday Makers Market to benefit Beyond Hunger. (11 a.m.)
• Head downtown Oak Park for a “Home for the Holidays” event. (11 a.m.)
• FitzGeralds hosts “A Charlie Brown Christmas Brunch.” (11:30 a.m.)
• See “The Nutcracker” at Fenwick High School. (3 p.m.)
• Ascension Catholic Church hosts a weekend food drive. (5 p.m.)
• “Light Up the Night” with Kiwanis Club of River Forest and Oak Park luminaria kits. (Dusk)

From my notebook:

• Oak Park Temple announced its schedule of Hanukkah events. The festival of lights begins tomorrow night and runs through Dec. 26. (Temple)
• Elmwood Park was honored by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for its stormwater control and “innovative” rain garden project. (Paid source: Elm Leaves)
• Oak Parkers Simeon and Dylan Carson spoke to Wednesday Journal this week about their experience attending a World Cup game in Qatar last month. (Wednesday Journal)
• After the Park District of Forest Park acquired the sign that used to hang outside the historic Oak Leaf Laundry on Madison Street, a grandson of the original owner is looking to acquire it. (Review)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In the Village — (Visit website)
• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Singers from the Lyric Celebrate the Season (December 19)
• Add your event

You're all caught up! Thanks for being a part of this Daily community.

— Georgi

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.