🌱 Oak Park Trustee Resigns + Microbrew Review Marks 15 Years

Good morning! Welcome to the Oak Park-River Forest Daily! If you're new here, thanks so much for subscribing to this five-minute guide to local news. And if you've been reading for more than a year now, an extra thanks to you. You keep this newsletter going! Now let's get to today's Daily.

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First, today's weather: Heavy thunderstorms. High: 75 Low: 69.

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

1. Oak Park Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla has resigned. She is prioritizing her physical and mental health after undergoing a hysterectomy earlier this summer. Read her full statement here. (Wednesday Journal)

2. A new Sun-Times report shows Senate President Don Harmon is continuing to accept donations from Johnson & Johnson, despite its recent settlement implicating the company’s role in the opioid crisis. The Oak Park Democrat is among the “most prominent” politicians in Illinois to accept campaign contributions from J&J. (Paid source: Sun-Times)

3. Oak Park is officially in the “low transmission” category for COVID-19 exposure, according to the CDC. The health department reported 106 new cases in the village this week, the lowest case count since mid-April. (VOP)

4. River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci is reminding drivers to use caution next week as most village students return to school. District 90, Trinity, St. Luke, St. Vincent and Grace Lutheran schools are all set to return Monday. (VRF)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Local Cub Scout troops host “Kid Olympics” in Ridgeland Commons. (9 a.m.)
• Cook County officials offer a free rabies vaccine and microchip clinic for area pets at Chicago Academy High School in Austin. (10 a.m.)
• The Microbrew Review takes over Marion Street with craft beer, food and live music. (2 p.m.)
• OPALGA+ hosts a free ice cream social in Cummings Square. (2 p.m.)
• Head to Elmhurst for “Park Palooza” in Berens Park. (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A witness in the R. Kelly trial taking place in Chicago said she met the singer at an Oak Park hotel for sex when she was a minor. (CBS)
• A Forest Park running group is fostering local friendships, including runners from Oak Park and River Forest. (Forest Park Review)
• Registration is open for the annual Farmers Market Pie Bake-Off in Oak Park, set for Sept. 17. (VOP)
• New book drops are now open at the River Forest Public Library. (Library)

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Events:

• Emmy-winning W. Kamau Bell & bestselling author Kate Schatz in Conversation (August 23)
• One-of-A-Kind Meerkat Experience Coming to Oakbrook Center (August 30)
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Thanks for reading! See you soon for more local news.

— 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.