🌱 OPRF Energy Plan Moves Ahead + Cook County To Open Income Program

Good morning! Thanks for starting this Monday with the Oak Park-River Forest Daily, Patch's five-minute guide to the latest headlines. Let's get to it.

First, today's weather: Humid in the morning. High: 78 Low: 64.

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

1. Oak Park and River Forest High School will seek bids to convert its new athletic facilities to geothermal energy. The school district board voted last week to spend about $5.25 million on the eco-friendly project. (Wednesday Journal)

2. The Van Buren Multi-Use Path project in Forest Park is moving forward. Contractor MYS Inc. will build a path for walking and biking along Van Buren between Madison Street and the Illinois Prairie Path trail. The project will cost more than $500,000 and is expected to be complete by December. (Review)

3. Cook County will launch a guaranteed income pilot program later this year, Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced. Applications open Oct. 6. Housing Forward in Maywood will serve as an application assistance location. (Paid source: Tribune)

4. In case you missed it: Oak Park author Jessamine Chan was profiled last month in The New York Times. She shared her journey of getting published and eventually becoming a best-seller, telling the Book Review: “I’d like people to know that it’s possible for a debut author in her 40s, a woman of color, a mom, who led a quiet life offline with no brand building whatsoever to have this experience.” (Paid source: New York Times)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Drop-off opens for this weekend’s rummage sale at St. Catherine–St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish. (10 a.m.)
• The Park District of Oak Park offers a virtual class on podcasts for beginners. (Noon)
• Meditate with the OPRF Chamber of Commerce. (12:15 p.m.)
• It’s the final day to place an online order for the Fall Mum & Bulb Sale at the Oak Park Conservatory. The in-person sale is set for this weekend. (Details)
• Celebrate Banned Books Week with the Oak Park Public Library. (Details)

From my notebook:

• It's the final day to vote for the Oak Park Farmers Market in the American Farmland Trust grant competition. The winning market will receive $10,000. (VOP)
• The Cook County Department of Public Health is sharing resources for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. (CCDPH)
• Forty Acres Fresh Market owner Liz Abunaw received a $50,000 grant toward opening a grocery store in Austin. (AWN)

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That's all for today! See you tomorrow with another recap of 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Oak Park-River Forest Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com