Masks Required In Oak Park + Trinity Breaks Ground

Welcome to the weekend, Oak Park and River Forest! There's a lot of news to catch up on this Aug. 7.

First, today's weather: Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 88 Low: 73.

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

1. Oak Park is officially under a mask mandate. Masks are now required in all public indoor spaces for all people over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status. Oak Park Public Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder made the announcement Thursday as COVID-19 cases are up 750 percent compared to June. (VOP)

2. Trinity High School broke ground on its EmPOWERed Capital Campaign construction project this week. After five years of fundraising and $6 million, renovations will include the installation of an elevator, courtyard, auditorium and more. (Paid source: Forest Leaves)

3. Local restaurant owner Nick Apostolakos reflects on opening Snoopy’s on North Avenue during the pandemic: “I need a little bit of help right now and want people to know Snoopy’s is here.” (Wednesday Journal)

4. The state’s first case of West Nile Virus was detected in Cook County this week. More than 40 cases of the mosquito-borne illness were reported in Illinois in 2020, with four deaths. (WGN9)

5. Nearby crime headlines include a Walmart shooting in Forest Park, charges in a South Austin carjacking and a River Grove doctor is charged with illegally dispensing drugs. (FOX32)

Today in Oak Park and River Forest

• Celebrate National Farmers Market Week at Oak Park’s market; the township is offering free transportation to for seniors and the library's"Paperback Rider" book bike will make an appearance. (7 a.m.)
• The Oak Park Area Art Council unveils a new mosaic mural. (10:30 a.m.)
• Youth and teen video game clubs meet at Dole Center. (12 p.m.)
• Oak Park Brewing Company launches a new beer. (5 p.m.)
• Hear live music at Wild Tied Onion House. (6 p.m.)
• Dominican University hosts a virtual storytelling open mic night in partnership with Illinois Storytelling. (7 p.m.)
• Local band Sons of Chicago performs a concert in Scoville Park. (6 p.m. Sunday)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• Registration is open for the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society’s Healthy Kids Golf Classic on Aug. 16. (OPRFIWS)
• Find out why there’s no left turn signal at the intersection of Austin and Madison. (Wednesday Journal)
• Ascension Catholic Church is collecting diapers for Catholic Charities. (Ascension)
• Both O’Hare and Midway were ranked among the nation's best airports. (FOX 32)
• “COVID is still here,” the Cook County Department of Public Health posted on social media this week. “You know what to do when you're in crowds or inside, even if you're fully vaccinated. It's not that hard.” (CCDPH)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Free Family Mini Photo Session (August 7)
• First Saturday Evanston Art Events (August 7)
• Hiring Open House! (August 12)

Job listings:

• Now Hiring Butchers! (Details)
• Head custodian/handy person (Details)

That's all for today, OPRF. Thanks for staying informed about what's new in the area. Have a safe and healthy weekend, and I'll be back with an update Tuesday.

— Georgi

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based reporter with seven years of experience writing for entertainment-based publications. She represented FF2 Media for five years at film festivals across the U.S., from Sundance to Austin. 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 campus newspaper, she earned honors from The Associated Collegiate Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association. She began working for Patch in 2019.