In-Person Meetings Resume + West Nile Virus Detected

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! In case you're just joining us, this is Patch's daily rundown of the latest headlines in the area. My inbox is always open at georgi.presecky@patch.com if you'd like to get in touch!

First, today's weather: Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 86, low: 71.

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

1. The family of Dajuan Gates is reportedly suing police departments in Oak Park and Forest Park. Gates died in police custody last August. Attorneys claim he asked for medical help while under arrest, but none was rendered. (FOX32)

2. The Village of Oak Park will return to in-person meetings after 16 months of meeting virtually. Beginning July 26, all public bodies will meet in person at Village Hall. Meetings will continue to stream live online for public viewing. (Oak Leaves)

3. A proposed ordinance could assist the Village in regulating Airbnb and other short-term rentals in Oak Park. Excessive noise complaints, parking issues and a shooting at an Airbnb in May all contributed to the idea of regulation. (Oak Leaves)

4. The Archdiocese of Chicago announced that Catholic schools plan to “return to near-normal, pre-pandemic operations for the upcoming academic year.” Masses and extracurricular activities will resume and masks will not be required for vaccinated students or staff. (Archdiocese of Chicago)

5. The Oak Park Department of Public Health is urging residents to answer contact tracing calls as COVID-19 cases increase in the village. Calls will likely come from a phone number with the prefix 708.358.xxxx. (VOP Facebook)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest

• Learn the benefits of nature journaling at Trailside Museum. (6 p.m.)
• The Oak Park and River Forest High School board meets. (6 p.m.)
• The Forest Preserves of Cook County teaches gardeners how to plant to support monarch butterflies. (7 p.m.)
• The HPC Architectural Review Committee meets virtually. (7:30 p.m.)
• Comedians take the stage at Oak Park Brewing Company. (8 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• The Book Table is offering free book delivery to Oak Park senior facilities. (The Book Table)
• Dominican University graduate Jen Jazwinski won $60,000 in recent appearances on “Jeopardy!” (Dominican)
• A Berwyn resident won $100,000 in the Illinois vaccine lottery. (NBC5)
• West Nile Virus has been detected in area mosquitoes, according to the Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District. Residents are encouraged to follow these tips. (Village of River Forest)
• The Olympic Games officially kick off tomorrow! At the 1964 games in Tokyo, River Forest resident and Fenwick High School graduate Kenneth Sitzberger became the youngest person to win the gold medal in three -meter springboard diving. (OPRF Museum)

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Thanks for reading today's Daily!

Until the Friday edition,

Georgi

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based reporter with seven years of experience writing for entertainment-based publications. She represented FF2 Media for five years at film festivals across the U.S., from Sundance to Austin. 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 campus newspaper, she earned honors from The Associated Collegiate Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association. She began working for Patch in 2019.