🌱 Knife Threat At Rush Oak Park + Local Author Talks 'Good Mothers'

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest readers! In today's Daily, a Forest Park campaign kicks off, an Oak Park school goes green, and a beloved cinema finally reopens after more than two years. Let's get to the headlines!

First, today's weather: Heavy thunderstorms. High: 75 Low: 65.

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

1. A Chicago man was arrested earlier this week for wielding a knife at a Jewel employee at 438 Madison St. Another Chicago resident was arrested May 22 at Rush Oak Park Hospital for threatening to cut an employee and security guard. (Wednesday Journal)

2. Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins will kick off his re-election campaign with an event at Shanahan’s tonight, the Review reports. The election is set for April 2023. (Forest Park Review)

3. La Grange Theater will open Thursday after being closed for more than two years due to the pandemic. The newly renovated theater will be run by Classic Cinemas, which also owns and operates the Lake Theatre. “Top Gun: Maverick” will screen this Memorial Day weekend. (Patch)

4. Leaders from Oak Park, River Forest, Broadview and Forest Park announced they will join forces to combat climate change. The Cross-Community Climate Collaborative “set the ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2023, and by 100 percent by 2050,” Forest Park Review reports. (Review)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Catch the “Abandoned Spaces” exhibit at Oak Park Art League before it closes Thursday. (1 p.m.)
• Oak Park author Jessamine Chan chats with Emily Maloney about their novels and “the systems of power that impact our lives.” (7 p.m.)
• FitzGeralds offers “Jazz on the Patio.” (7 p.m.)
• Click here to tell me about any summer events you'd like to see here in the coming weeks.

From my notebook:

• The Oak Park Department of Public Health is reminding residents that eight free COVID-19 at-home tests are available to order through the federal government. (VOP)
• Oak Park officials are warning residents about hikes in electricity costs this summer. ComEd rates are expected to increase at least 15 percent from this time last year. (VOP)
• Village officials are still “gathering information” about potentially phasing out gas-powered leaf blower use in Oak Park. (Wednesday Journal)
• Beye Elementary School was recognized by the Illinois Green Schools Project for its effort to reduce lunchroom waste. (D97)

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Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit website)
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Events:

• Northbrook Symphony Season Finale (May 29)
• Meet Me in Manhattan, An Old Fashioned Way to Beat Cancer www.scoreboardcharities.com (June 10)
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That's all for today, Oak Park and River Forest. Have a great Wednesday.

— 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