🌱 OPRF Retires Dallis Flowers Jersey + CCSO Telephone Scammers

Hi, Oak Park-River Forest. Like many of you, the Patch team will be taking some time off for Labor Day. I’ll be back in your inbox after the long weekend, but until then, here’s what’s happening in town.

But first, your weekend weather:

• Saturday: Hot with plenty of sunshine. High: 93 Low: 68.
• Sunday: Breezy and hot with sunshine. High: 97 Low: 72.
• Monday: Sunny, hot and more humid. High: 96 Low: 75.
• Tuesday: Breezy, hot and humid. High: 93 Low: 72.

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

1. On Friday, Sep. 1, Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) honored alumnus Dallis Flowers, a former football player and current cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, by retiring his jersey #21 during the home opener against Lake Park. Flowers, a standout player, played for OPRF from 2012 to 2014 and is only the second OPRF football player to have his number retired. After a unique journey through college football, he joined the NFL, earning accolades for his performance and becoming a key player in kick return duties. (Wednesday Journal)
2. Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is warning the public about telephone scams in which callers impersonate sheriff's office employees to defraud victims. These scammers use the names and titles of real sheriff's office personnel, demand personal information or immediate payments over the phone, and may employ legal or police jargon to appear as law enforcement officials. The public is urged to recognize these calls as scams, as sheriff's officers do not make such demands over the phone, and any potential victims are advised to report the incidents to the Sheriff’s Police Investigation Section or the non-emergency number. (My Suburban Life)
3. A 61-year-old woman is in critical condition after being brutally beaten and left in the middle of a street in nearby Harwood Heights, identified as a victim of a carjacking, with her blue Scion stolen by the suspect. Local authorities responded to the incident after 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and later located the stolen car and arrested the suspect in Crete, nearly 40 miles away, following a camera notification. Charges have been approved for the suspect by the Cook County State’s Attorney's Office. (WGN TV Chicago)

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This weekend in and around Oak Park-River Forest:

Saturday, September 2

• Oak Park Farmers' Market At Pilgrim Congregational Church Parking Lot (7:00 AM)

Sunday, September 3

• ARC Music Festival At Union Park, Chicago (2:00 PM)

Monday, September 4

• Chicago Waffles Oak Park Grand Opening At 726 Lake St. (7:00 AM)

Tuesday, September 5

• Village Of Oak Park Board Meeting At Village Hall (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Village is hosting a free paper shredding and foam recycling event on Sep. 23 at the Public Works Center, marking the first time residents can drop off foam products with the No. 6 symbol, which are not accepted in the regular recycling program. Residents can bring up to two bags or small boxes of paper items containing personal information for shredding. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)
• Residents of Oak Park are encouraged to participate in a community biodiversity survey aimed at gathering information on existing projects that support biodiversity in the village. The survey can be accessed online, and more details are available on the village's website. (Village of Oak Park via X)
• Registration is still open for the Silly Science STEAM Class starting on Sep. 5, where those aged 5-10 will engage in various fun and hands-on experiments, including activities like Frankenstein's hands, Floating a Marker Man, and creating Elephant toothpaste. Click here for more information and to register. (River Forest Park District via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• College Funding Workshop (September 13)
• High Holiday Services 2023 (September 15)
• A Tail to Remember: Animal Care League's 50th Anniversary Gala (September 23)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.