🌱 Loretto Hospital Workers On Strike + NASA Testing Over Chicago Area

Welcome back, Oak Park-River Forest! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Hazy sunshine. High: 86 Low: 67.

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

1. Loretto Hospital service, care, and technical workers on Chicago's West Side have gone on strike, asking for increases in pay, and more hiring to address what they say are unsafe staffing levels. After tense negotiations over the weekend, 200 workers total will remain on strike until their demands are met, with support from elected officials. Loretto Hospital claims that the union has not provided a counteroffer to their proposal, while the union argues that their demands are reasonable given the busy emergency room and patient needs. (WLS-TV)
2. NASA will be conducting flight data research over the Chicago area this week, resulting in increased noise for the local population. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s DC-8 aircraft will fly at a low altitude, resulting in a "very loud" jet flyover. The aircraft will be collecting data for air quality and sources of pollution, as well as measuring atmospheric emissions. (WGN TV Chicago)
3. Local officials have been struggling to match the local homeless population down the road in Humboldt Park with adequate housing and medical care. After growing complaints from neighbors about the increased number of tent communities in the area, elected officials like Alderman Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) have committed to getting residents out of the park and into permanent housing with help from city agencies, such as the city’s Department of Family and Support Services. Solutions include opening a shelter by converting about 20 boarded-up Chicago Housing Authority apartments in the area into housing for park residents. (Block Club Chicago)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

Tuesday, August 1

• Book Character Scavenger Hunt At River Forest Public Library (9:00 AM)
• Supported Storytime At Oak Park Public Library (1:30 PM)
• National Night Out At Village Of Oak Park (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Oak Park Sculpture Walk has returned with an outdoor exhibit showcasing 12 sculptures in the downtown Oak Park business district near Lake Street and Marion Street. Running until spring 2024, the exhibit features artists from the Midwest and was selected through a juried competition by the Oak Park Area Arts Council, which can be found here. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)
• Students at Julian and Brooks Middle Schools received a sneak peek of next school year’s VEX Robotics Game. Through this process, students worked together to think, plan, and test solutions for the robot challenge. More information will be available this fall for any students interested in joining VEX Robotics at Julian or Brooks. (Oak Park Education Foundation via Facebook)
• Looking for something to do during the last month of summer? You can visit the Brookfield Zoo to check out the camels! The zoo's summer hours and admission information can be found here. (Brookfield Zoo via Instagram)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.