Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How much more will Oak Park’s 2026 tax levy cost you?

And check out Meet & Greet Santa Clause on the Oak Park Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday December 13th Patch AM
Saturday December 13th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Morning Oak Park! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How much more will Oak Park’s 2026 tax levy cost you?
  • What led OPRF to expel two students after the pepper spray clash?

Also on today's calendar: Meet & Greet Santa Clause and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Oak Park-River Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Oak Park-River Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Snow and flurries, up to 1", with a high of 11 and low of -2 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Sunday: Bitterly cold with sunshine, temps: high: 11, low: 4.
  • Monday: Not as cold, with a high of 28 and low of 17 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Oak Park approves 2026 village tax increase (oakpark.com) — Oak Park’s village government property tax levy will rise 4.98% in 2026, following a Dec. 9 board vote approving the new budget. While village taxes are only about 15% of your total bill, the increase will boost funding for police and fire pensions, debt service, and general operations as officials also study costs for a new police station and Village Hall renovations.
   

• Two OPRF expulsions tied to Nov. pepper spray incident (oakpark.com) — Oak Park and River Forest High School has expelled two students through the end of the school year, with both set to continue studies via an alternative West 40 placement. Officials linked the decision to a serious mid-November pepper spray altercation and explained how OPRF’s restorative-focused Behavior Education Plan handles rare expulsions while aiming to keep students connected and, in some cases, eligible to return.
   

📸 Around Oak Park

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Oak Park

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Oak Park Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Oak Park PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Annual December Songs and food collection for Oak Park Food Pantry returns to Berwyn December 18 —Loretta Sawyer Read on Patch
  • Lost 15 year old Yorkie named Marley.
    Marley is chipped and walked out our backyard around 2:30pm Wednesday Dec 9th. Location 1200 N Austin Blvd and Division St. She’s very friendly,… (Nextdoor North East Oak Park)
  • Domino's Pizza posted a job opening for Assistant Manager in Training (01189) - $14.50/hour + Tips - Morning Hours Needed in Oak Park. Apply here.
  • Ferrara Candy Co posted a job opening for Inventory Controls Supervisor in Forest Park. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Oak Park here.

🗞 Nearby News

River Forest

  • Family's dream house becomes another buyer's opportunity due to job transfer (oakpark.com)

Forest Park

  • Slingshot Santa spreads holiday cheer in south suburbs (wgntv.com)

Berwyn

Ok Oak Park! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Oak Park-River Forest