🌱 OPRF Student Brings Gun To School + Elmwood Park Ups Water Rates

Welcome back, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to today's Daily.

First, today's weather: A little afternoon rain. High: 54 Low: 51.

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

1. An Oak Park and River Forest High School student was arrested Tuesday after he was found with a firearm on school grounds. Keyon Robinson, 18, now faces felony weapon charges. Assistant Superintendent and Principal Lynda Parker informed families that school was not interrupted at the time of the arrest and “everyone was safe.” (Wednesday Journal)

2. The Elmwood Park Village Board voted this week to increase water rates by five percent beginning June 20. “Elmwood Park gets its water from the city of Chicago,” Village Manager Paul Volpe said. “We are simply passing along a five percent increase that Chicago is imposing on June 1.” (Paid source: Elm Leaves)

3. Cook County Health recently celebrated the milestone of administering 1 million COVID-19 vaccines. As of last week, 86 percent of suburban Cook County’s population had received at least one dose of the vaccine. (Landmark)

4. Irving Elementary School held a tree-planting ceremony in honor of Principal John Hodge, who will retire in June after more than 30 years at District 97. “There’s a softness, a tenderness that you see out of a large white oak that you don’t see on other oaks,” event organizer Doug Chien said. “To me, that speaks to Mr. Hodge.” (Wednesday Journal)

5. Three Oak Park teens are producing an upcoming production of “Spring Awakening” at Ovation Academy for the Performing Arts. The group told Pioneer Press the show will tackle adult themes in a new way. Performances will be held May 6-7 at Madison Street Theater. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Join bird watchers in Austin Gardens. (9 a.m.)
• “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” opens at Lake Theatre. (3 p.m.)
• Celebrate Cinco de “Maya” with live music and specials at Maya del Sol. (4 p.m.)
• Beer Shop hosts a Cinco de Mayo Bottle Share and “Bring Your Own Vinyl” night. (6 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library presents an evening of poetry with acclaimed poet Keith Jarrett and members of the OPRFHS Spoken Word Club. (7 p.m.)
• Check out the Triton College Student Jazz Concert. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Theatre of Western Springs will host a Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland-themed Mother’s Day concert on May 7. (Paid source: Pioneer Press)
• Repair Cafe will be held on May 7 to help residents fix broken household items. (PDOP)
• Nominations are now open for the River Forest Historic Preservation Awards. The deadline to submit a nominee is July 29. (VRF)
• Celebrating Seniors Week begins May 12. (River Forest Park District)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In the Village — (Visit website)
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Events:

• Free comic book day 2022 (May 7)
• Spirito Singers Spring Concert ~ May 15, 2022 (May 7)
• Hire A Pro to Tackle Mom's To-Do List (May 8)
• Sertoma Big Event Heroes Cook-off (May 14)
• Oak Brook Artisan Market — Sunday, May 15 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) (May 15)
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Job listings:

• Residential Leasing Agent with Oak Park Residence Corp. (Details)
• Accounting Assistant with OPRC (Details)
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That's all for today, Oak Park and River Forest. See you tomorrow for the Friday 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