🌱 Man Killed In Laundromat Shooting + Fire At Maywood Church

Welcome back to the Daily, Oak Park and River Forest readers! I hope you had a happy and healthy holiday. A special welcome to our new batch of subscribers: thanks for your interest in Patch's five-minute guide to the latest local news.

Now let's get to today's top stories.

But first, today's weather: Breezy with mist, then fog. High: 50 Low: 34.

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

1. A 27-year-old Chicago man was shot and killed Tuesday night on the east side of Oak Park. The shooting at a Chicago Avenue laundromat appears to be targeted, according to Oak Park police. (ABC)

2. A three-alarm fire broke out Monday in a vacant Maywood church. The structure in the 1600 block of South 15th Avenue “sustained heavy damage,” according to fire officials. (WGN)

3. A woman was targeted by a carjacker Christmas Day at a Forest Park Dunkin Donuts, according to the Review. The suspect threatened her life before stealing her car, purse, smartphone and Christmas presents after she stopped for coffee at 7200 Circle Ave. (Review)

4. Elmwood Park and River Forest officials will work together to improve streets and sidewalks along its shared border, the Pioneer Press reports. The North Avenue Streetscape Project intends to “make a more walkable and pedestrian-friendly environment along this economic retail, commercial and transportation corridor.” Elmwood Park Village Manager Paul Volpe said it is too soon to estimate complete costs. Work could take 18 months. (Paid source: Elm Leaves)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Go snowshoeing at Fullersburg Woods. (9:30 a.m.)
• Four new films screen at Lake Theatre. (10:30 a.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library hosts a Community Kwanzaa Celebration. (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Wednesday Journal is looking back at the lives of 30 Oak Parkers who died this year, from entertainers to religious leaders. (Wednesday Journal)
• Village President Vicki Scaman said the board of trustees will “have to make some tough decisions” about allocating Oak Park’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)
• An Oak Forest man faces felony charges for allegedly driving drunk and crashing into the Brookfield Zoo fence. "It is disturbing that the suspect has been arrested 47 times in the past but has never had a conviction,” Lyons Police Chief Thomas Herion said. (Patch)
• OPRF High School added mental health workshops to its offerings this year to prioritize student wellness. (Wednesday Journal)
• Electric vehicle ownership in River Forest is up 40 percent from last year. (VRF)
• Test your knowledge of the news in 2022 with WTTW’s online news quiz. (WTTW)

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Events:

• New Year's Eve Dinner with FREE Champagne and Live Music at Tre Sorelle (December 31)
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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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Oak Park-River Forest Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.