🌱 High School Goes On Lockdown + Local Poll Workers Step Up

Good morning! In today's edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Daily:

• A fight breaks out at OPRF High School
• Car thefts continue
• The CTA announces changes

But first, today's weather: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 74 Low: 58.

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

1. Oak Park and River Forest High School went on “soft lockdown” Tuesday due to a fight on the third floor involving multiple students. The lockdown lasted about an hour and the students involved were “safely removed” from campus, according to a Wednesday Journal report. (Wednesday Journal)

2. Nine cars were stolen in Oak Park during the last week of October, according to the police department. Four were recovered by police. (Wednesday Journal)

3. Illinois election judges have not reported any serious threats so far, despite intimidation and harassment of poll workers occurring in other states. Oak Parker Steven Lloyd told ABC he “considered bailing out this year because of all the coverage of hassling, intimidation and threats to election workers.” The local election judge signed up anyway, because “it's still important enough that elections in this country manage to get conducted with organization and with fairness.” (ABC)

4. The Chicago Transit Authority will host a public hearing next Thursday about its 2023 budget. The CTA announced new schedules on its Blue and Green Lines last month, both of which run through Oak Park. (VOP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Trinity High School hosts a Blazer Boutique featuring 50 vendors in the Sister Michelle Germanson Athletic Facility. (5:30 p.m.)
• Einnim partners with Indigo & Violet Studio for a fall candle and wreath workshop. (6:30 p.m.)
• “Armageddon Time” opens at Lake Theatre. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Illinois is averaging nine COVID-19 fatalities per day, with more than 1,900 new daily cases of the virus. (NBC)
• Living Fresh Market could expand from Forest Park to Maywood. (Review)
• A new combined parish name for St. Giles and St. Catherine-St. Lucy will be voted on by the Cardinal tomorrow. (SGP)

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Events:

• Blazer Boutique (November 3)
• One Night Only — Brian Hicks Comedy (November 5)
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That's all for today! 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.