🌱 Halloween Decorations Stolen + TV Ads Filming + Street Paving Work

Thanks for checking out the Wednesday edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Daily. In today's news:

• A gun scare is reported at a local Walmart
• Oak Parkers are among the 184,000 residents applying for Cook County's guaranteed income program
• A lotto player wins big at a River Grove grocery store

But first, today's weather: Chilly with clouds and sun. High: 48 Low: 33.

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

1. Two teens were apprehended Sunday at a Forest Park Walmart. One of the juveniles was in possession of a gun-shaped lighter. (Review)

2. Halloween decorations are being stolen across Oak Park, according to a Wednesday Journal crime report. A nine-foot skeleton worth $600 was taken in the 800 block of South Highland Avenue. An inflatable dragon was punctured in the 900 block of North Mapleton Avenue. More than $1,000 worth of decorations were stolen in the 1000 block of Home Avenue. (Wednesday Journal)

3. Several streets will see improved patchwork and paving over the next month. Pavement preservation work is expected to continue through Nov. 21, according to the Department of Public Works. Click here to see a map. (VOP)

4. A local home care aid is among those applying for Cook County’s Promise Guaranteed Income pilot program, which will give a $500 monthly payment to more than 3,000 residents over two years. Oak Park resident Takiyah Franklin told the Sun-Times she would put the funding toward completing community college courses while being there for her children. Friday is the application deadline. (Paid source: Sun-Times)

5. Two television ads will be filmed in Oak Park today, according to the Community Relations Department. The CDC is filming an anti-smoking campaign commercial, and the Servant Foundation will shoot a promo comparing religious viewpoints. (VOP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• “I Know What You Did Last Summer” screens at Lake Theatre as part of its 25th anniversary series. (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library hosts a “More Than A Mic” showcase for all ages. (5:30 p.m.)
• It’s Nature Center Night at Austin Gardens. (6:30 p.m.)
• Hear “Haunted Trails Tales” in Scoville Park. (6:30 p.m.)
• The library partners with Elmhurst University and the Illinois Prison Project for a virtual screening of “Stateville Calling.” (6:30 p.m.)
• Fenwick High School students perform a free Fall Instrumental Music Concert. (7 p.m.)
• Previews of “Man and Moon” open at Madison Street Theater. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Check “washing” is on the rise in Chicagoland neighborhoods, including Harwood Heights. Thieves are stealing envelopes from mailboxes and “scrubbing” information from personal checks. (WBEZ)
• Rich's Fresh Market in River Grove sold a $4.85 million winning lottery ticket this week. (ABC)
• The Chicago International Film Festival is expanding to multiple venues this year. Screenings will be held tomorrow at Austin Town Hall. (AWN)
• Dominican University is celebrating National Transfer Student Week. (DU)

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

— 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.