🌱 New Phone Policy At OPRF High School + Betty White Tree Planting

It's Friday, Oak Park and River Forest readers! In today's Daily:

• Three cars are stolen within 24 hours
• Oak Park's health director makes national news
• A new Frank Lloyd Wright Arts and Education Center is in the works

But first, today's weather: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 72 Low: 54.

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

1. Three cars were reported stolen Wednesday in Oak Park. A 2022 Kia Carnival with the keys inside was taken in the 200 block of Lake Street and later recovered by Chicago police. The other two vehicles were stolen overnight in the 400 block of Harlem and the 800 block of S. Cuyler. (OPPD)

2. Oak Park and River Forest High School is implementing a new smartphone policy this semester, requiring students to leave phones in a hanging organizer before class. More than 70 percent of teachers see a “significant improvement in instructional quality” thanks to the new rule, established by history teacher Dan Wolman and other school officials. English teacher Jolene Heinemann said the move is “life changing” and most of her students showed little resistance to the requirement. (Wednesday Journal)

3. Oak Park Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder is featured in a new Atlantic article about mask-wearing at this stage of the pandemic. She and her family are wearing masks in all indoor settings until her youngest son is old enough to receive his vaccination. “People often tell me, ‘It’s okay, you can take your mask off here,’” Chapple-McGruder said. (The Atlantic)

4. The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust announced plans to build a new arts and education center near the architect’s Oak Park home and studio. The project is currently at the fundraising stage and is expected to cost more than $5 million. (Wednesday Journal)

5. The Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association is seeking new board members to serve two-year terms. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31. (OPALGA+)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Harvest on Harrison begins at several Arts District businesses. (Noon)
• It’s Film Lover Friday at River Forest Public Library. (Noon)
• A“Fright At Night” Halloween event is held at Oak Park Conservatory. (5:30 p.m.)
• Shops in the Hemingway District host another "Third Friday Night Fun" event. (6 p.m.)
• OPRF High School’s contemporary dance company performs a fall showcase, with additional performances Saturday and Sunday. (6:30 p.m.)
• “Black Adam” opens at Lake Theatre. (7:20 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The health department will offer free COVID-19 testing Saturday at the Farmers Market. (VOP)
• Village officials held a tree planting this week in honor of Oak Park-born Betty White’s conservation efforts. The new tree is on Randolph between Lombard and Harvey, near the former home of White’s family. (Instagram)
• River Forest resident and Ovation Academy student Clare Wols stars in the new production of “Man and Moon” at Madison Street Theater. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)
• More than 75 households are participating in Forest Park’s annual “Invasion of the Scarecrow” fundraiser to benefit the historical society and arts alliance. (Review)
• Tonight’s “Haunted Hemingway” ghost story event at the Birthplace Museum is now sold out. (Hemingway Foundation)

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That's all for today, OPRF! Have a great Friday.

— Georgi

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.