🌱 Ghost Gun At OPRF + COVID Cases Climb + Trinity Remembers Teacher

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to your Friday headlines.

First, today's weather: Breezy with periods of rain. High: 51 Low: 48.

Shoutout to our premier local sponsor:

Are you a parent in Oak Park looking for summer activities for your child? Magical Minds Studio hosts a series of week-long summer art camps for children from PreK through Middle School, from June 13 to August 19th. Programs include puppet making, Legos, ceramics, clay, painting, photography and Outdoor Adventure for middle schoolers. Enroll by May 15 with the code PATCH2022 and receive a 10% discount. To learn more and to see this summer’s schedule visit Magical Minds Studio today.

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

1. More details are emerging in the arrest of Keyon Robinson, the 18-year-old student who brought a firearm to Oak Park and River Forest High School on Tuesday. The Sun-Times reports the unmarked “ghost” gun was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Illinois just became the first state in the Midwest to ban ghost guns. (Paid source: Sun-Times)

2. The Oak Park Department of Public Health reported 277 new cases of COVID-19 in the village this week, a nearly 40 percent increase from last week's total. Cases have tripled since the beginning of April. (VOP)

3. Forest Park School District 91 has wrapped up its public hearings about potentially closing Grant-White Intermediate and Betsy Ross Primary schools. The board is expected to further discuss school closures at its May 12 meeting. (Forest Park Review)

4. The Oak Park Village Board is weighing the benefits of purchasing a self-cleaning portable restroom for the downtown area, Wednesday Journal reports. Trustees were divided over the funding source for the restroom, in addition to “measuring” its success in the community. (Wednesday Journal)

5. Longtime local educator Mary Jardine Barrett died on April 27 at the age of 77. Barrett served on the faculty at her alma mater Trinity High School for more than 40 years. (Legacy)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a senior fitness walk at Thatcher Woods. (1 p.m.)
• Join Mothers and Others for Peace for “The Circle Process: Creating Deep Conversations,” sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Park and River Forest. (2:30 p.m.)
• Experiment with ceramics at Dole Center. (6 p.m.)
• OPRF High School presents the musical improv comedy “Husky Wants Candy.” (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• On this day in 1968, the Village of Oak Park passed the Fair Housing Ordinance. (OPRF Museum)
• Today is the deadline to apply for Oak Park Public Library’s executive director post. (OPPL)
• Roosevelt Middle School students are collecting items to help the homeless as part of their eighth-grade service project. (Wednesday Journal)
• OPRF High School junior Maya Souden won the Illinois BioGENEius Challenge and will move on to compete at the international level. (OPRFHS)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• "Descendants," The Musical (May 6)
• Free comic book day 2022 (May 7)
• "Descendants," The Musical (May 7)
• Spirito Singers Spring Concert — May 15 (May 7)
• "Descendants," The Musical (May 7)
• "Descendants," The Musical (May 8)
• Hire A Pro to Tackle Mom's To-Do List (May 8)
• Sertoma Big Event Heroes Cook-off (May 14)
• Oak Brook Artisan Market — Sunday, May 15 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) (May 15)
• Add your event

Job listings:

• Residential Leasing Agent with Oak Park Residence Corp. (Details)
• Accounting Assistant with OPRC (Details)
• Add your job listing

That's all for Friday! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— 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