🌱 OPRF Student Faces Charges After School Fight + Weekend Events

Happy Sunday, Oak Park and River Forest. Let's get to today's local news.

But first, today's weather: Times of clouds and sun. High: 48 Low: 42.

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

1. An Oak Park and River Forest High School student has been charged with aggravated battery in connection with a fight at school last month. The 16-year-old turned himself in to Oak Park police Thursday, CBS Chicago reports. A security guard was injured while trying to break up the fight on Feb. 9. (CBS)

2. Nine out of 10 Oak Park residents would recommend the village as a place to live, according to the results of this year’s National Community Survey. A Wednesday Journal recap of the annual survey results showed a 15 percent decrease in feelings of overall safety from 2021, with only six out of 10 respondents selecting a “good to excellent” view of safety. (Wednesday Journal)

3. A virtual community meeting will be held March 7 for residents to provide feedback on the mental health crisis response in the village. The Oak Park Alternative Response Task Force will also host an in-person engagement session on the subject March 16 at the District 97 Administration Building. (Engage Oak Park)

4. River Forest Public Library is accepting submissions for a short story writing contest. Entrants must be at least 10 years old and stories cannot exceed 2,500 words. The deadline is March 31. (Library)

5. Three concerts will be performed this afternoon at area churches. Working In Concert presents an International Women’s Day performance at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (2:30 p.m.), the final Handel Week concert is held at Pilgrim Congregational Church. (3 p.m.) and Chicago a cappella presents “From Behind Closed Doors” at Grace Lutheran Church (4 p.m.).

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Ascension-St. Edmund hosts a diaper drive. (8 a.m.)
• A “Makin’ Music Bluegrass Jam” is held at Thatcher Pavilion. (1 p.m.)
• River Forest Public Library presents “Julia Child: A Living History Portrayal by Leslie Goddard.” (2 p.m.)
• History Gregory S. Cooke introduces his film “Invisible Warriors” virtually through the Oak Park Public Library. (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A new officer joined the River Forest Police Department this week. Officer Lissette Barcenas is a city native and graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago, according to a village press release. (VRF)
• St. Ignatius defeated the Fenwick basketball team Friday night in the IHSA 3A sectional final. (Twitter)
• The Oak Park Public Library is celebrating Youth Art Month with a new display from student artists in District 97. (OPPL)
• Dominican University suspended online ticket sales for its events after a security breach at its third party ticket vendor. (DU)
• Registration is open for Spring Break camps at River Forest Park District. (Park District)

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Featured events:

• 2nd Annual International Women’s Day Concert - A Tribute to Women in the Arts (March 5)
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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at OakPark@Patch.com