🌱 Pit Bull Attack + Emergency Blood Shortage + Biden In Chicago

Happy Wednesday, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's see what's making headlines today in your area.

First, today's weather: Clear throughout the day. High: 79, low: 60.

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

1. President Joe Biden is visiting Chicago today to promote the importance of COVID-19 vaccines and mandates for businesses. The president got his booster shot on Monday and tweeted: “If you got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February, or March — and you are over 65, have a medical condition, or work in a frontline job — you can go get your booster.” (Twitter)

2. Soccer teams from OPRF and Fenwick united in honor of an Oak Park 6 year old who died of a brain tumor last year. After their Saturday match, both teams walked from the Dominican Priory in River Forest to the house of Owen Petrzelka in Oak Park as part of the 2021 Run Tough for Owen virtual 5K. (Wednesday Journal)

3. A Franklin Park man is hospitalized after two pit bulls attacked him near the intersection of Scott and Grand on Sept. 19. Fabian Guzman, 47, has been at Loyola University Medical Center for more than 10 days with extensive wounds inflicted by the dogs, who also attacked a 12-year-old boy and another dog on the same day. (Paid source: Franklin Park Herald-Journal)

4. Officials at Riverside-Brookfield High School are asking parents to tell their students not to participate in a petty-theft TikTok challenge. Oak Park-River Forest High School issued a similar warning two weeks ago about the challenge, which encourages students to steal school items and vandalize bathrooms. (Landmark)

5. The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood and platelet shortage. Donors in Chicago and surrounding areas are desperately needed to help patients in need of transfusions. The Red Cross says it only takes an hour to give blood. (ABC7)

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Today in Oak Park and River Forest:

• Storytime in Barrie Park. (10 a.m.)
• Take a guided Women’s Walk in Thatcher Woods in honor of Women’s National Health and Fitness Day. (10 a.m.)
• Forest Park author Maui Jones discusses his children’s book series in Veterans’ Park. (10:30 a.m.)
• YogaSix Oak Park opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (12 p.m.)
• The Oak Park Public Library hosts the virtual event: “Community Circle: Understanding Trauma of Sexual Violence.” (4 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• The OPRF Chamber of Commerce is launching Wellness Wednesdays, a new publication to help the area’s health and wellness businesses recover from the pandemic. (Chamber)
• The Oak Park Art League will accept donations of clothing and household goods this weekend. (OPAL)
• Sinai Chicago is offering free transportation for patients seeking medical care. (Austin Weekly News)
• Dominican University is hosting a virtual career fair this week. (Facebook)
• Veteran and founder of Combat Flip Flops Matthew “Griff” Griffin will speak at Triton College Oct. 7. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

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That's the news for Sept. 29! See you back here tomorrow for more.

— Georgi Presecky

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