🌱 Most COVID Cases Since January + Climate Action Plan Goes Public

Good morning, neighbors! Patch is back with a brand-new edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Daily.

First, today's weather: Mostly sunny and very warm. High: 88 Low: 67.

Shoutout to our premier local sponsor:

Are you a parent in Oak Park looking for summer activities for your child? Magical Minds Studio hosts a series of week-long summer art camps for children from PreK through middle school, from June 13 to Aug. 19. Programs include puppet making, Legos, ceramics, clay, painting, photography and Outdoor Adventure for middle schoolers. Enroll by May 15 with the code PATCH2022 and receive a 10 percent discount. To learn more and to see this summer’s schedule visit Magical Minds Studio today.

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

1. The Oak Park Department of Public Health reported a 60 percent increase in COVID-19 cases this week, with 437 people testing positive over the past seven days. It is the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases in Oak Park since Jan. 16. (VOP)

2. A Forest Park residence was robbed last week in the 300 block of Elgin Avenue, the police department reports. According to the Review, stolen items included a “MacBook Pro laptop, Michael Kors watch, three credit cards, a checkbook” and more. (Forest Park Review)

3. A draft of Oak Park’s “aggressive” climate action plan will be made available to the public today, Wednesday Journal reports. The village is aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent over the next eight years. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The Archdiocese of Chicago will ordain 20 deacons tomorrow at Holy Name Cathedral. Deacon Kevin Morgan of Oak Park’s St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Parish will join the archdiocese’s 500 deacons — the largest contingent in the world. (Patch)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take Tai Chi at River Forest Community Center as part of Celebrating Seniors Week. (1 p.m.)
• Learn to paint a beetle at Dole Center. (6 p.m.)
• Oak Park Education Foundation hosts its annual Bingo Bash. (7 p.m.)
• It’s “Friday the 13th” Comedy Night at Madison Street Theater. (8 p.m.)
• Today is the last chance to donate menstrual products and diapers to the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce drive. (All day)

From my notebook:

• Oak Park residents can now pay water bills at a new kiosk in the Oak Park Police Department lobby. (VOP)
• Whittier Elementary School is hoping to raise more than $20,000 for new basketball courts. (PTO)
• The OPRF Chamber of Commerce Health & Wellness Fair is set for May 15. (Chamber)
• The Cook County Department of Public Health is recognizing National Hospital Week. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Sertoma Big Event Heroes Cook-off (May 14)
• Oak Brook Artisan Market — Sunday, May 15 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) (May 15)
• Meet Me in Manhattan, An Old Fashioned Way to Beat Cancer www.scoreboardcharities.com (June 10)
• Add your event

That's all for today, Oak Park and River Forest! See you tomorrow for the Saturday edition.

— 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