🌱 Metra Updates Mask Rules + Police Chief A 'Champion Of Change'

Happy Wednesday, Oak Park and River Forest! Here's the news for April 20.

First, today's weather: A little afternoon rain. High: 53 Low: 50.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. Interim Police Chief Shatonya Johnson told Pioneer Press she intends to apply for the permanent position. She is the first woman ever to lead the Oak Park Police Department. “I’m a champion of change, and I embrace it,” Johnson said. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

2. A spokesperson from Concordia University said the suspension of English professor Paul Stapleton was a “confidential employment matter” and the school will not provide further information. A student petition with more than 1,800 signatures alleges the professor and his wife are “being targeted against by administration for their refusal to remain silent about racism.” (Paid source: Forest Leaves)

3. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a $46.5 billion state budget Tuesday, including $1.8 billion in tax relief. “Families are struggling, and I hope this budget provides them a bit of relief,” Oak Park Senator Don Harmon said. (NBC)

4. Masks are no longer required for passengers on CTA and Metra trains in the Chicago area after Gov. J.B. Pritzker lifed a statewide transportation mandate Tuesday. Amtrak, Lyft and Uber lifted their requirements this week, along with most major airlines. (Patch)

5. A Forest Park resident from Ukraine has raised $7,000 for orphans in Kyiv who are “traumatized” by the war. Liliia Chernytska is also earning her master's degree in clinical mental health to return to Ukraine and counsel children. (Forest Park Review)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a wellness walk in Thatcher Woods. (1 p.m.)
• Join Oak Park Public Library for “Words on Wednesday.” (1 p.m.)
• Lake Theatre continues its “Class of ‘97” movie series with screenings of “The Fifth Element.” (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held tomorrow afternoon at Cheney Mansion. The Oak Park Department of Public Health will administer all doses of all vaccines to anyone older than age five. (VOP)
• Oak Park Records and Val’s Halla Records will participate in Record Store Day on Saturday. (Paid source: Naperville Sun)
• Fenwick High School took first place at the Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science sectional competition. (Fenwick)
• Earth Day is April 22 and Oak Park Public Library is celebrating with an “upcycle crafts” program. Kids 6-12 can make new creations out of plastic bags, cardboard tubes, bottles and more. (Library)
• Oak Park and River Forest High School girls field hockey coach Kristin Wirtz was named 2021 Illinois Coach of the Year. (OPRFHS)

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Events:

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• Catherine Chrisler Opening Reception (April 22)
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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.