🌱 Gas Station Shooting + COVID Update + New Laws In New Year

Welcome to the last Oak Park-River Forest Daily of 2022! Let's get to the news for this New Year's Eve.

But first, today's weather: Cloudy and colder. High: 35 Low: 34.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. According to the Oak Park Department of Public Health, 75 residents tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The village averaged about 92 reported cases per week in December. (VOP)

2. Three people were shot and wounded Wednesday at a South Austin gas station, the Sun-Times reports. No arrests were made following the shooting in the 5100 block of West Madison Street. (ABC)

3. Wednesday Journal is looking back at 2022 with a “year to remember” retrospective. From a new village manager and police chief in Oak Park to remembering the lives of Betty White and Jailyn Logan-Bledsoe, click here to see some of the most notable events in the area over the past 12 months. (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Celebrate “Noon Year’s Eve” at Wonder Works. (10 a.m.)
• Attend a New Year’s Eve service at St. Giles. (4:30 p.m.)
• Hear live music at Maya del Sol. (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Village Halls and libraries will be closed tomorrow in observance of the holidays. (VOP)
• Oak Park Public Library was named a “Five-Star Library” in Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service. (OPPL)
• Patch has a guide to more than 20 new Illinois laws taking effect tomorrow that “could change your life” in 2023. (Patch)

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:

• New Year's Eve Dinner with FREE Champagne and Live Music at Tre Sorelle (December 31)
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Announcements:

• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago Gets its Own Website Chatbot, Elle (Details)
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That's all for today, Oak Park and River Forest! Thanks for sticking around for another year of news.

The Daily will return Wednesday, Jan. 3. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2023.

— 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.