🌱 Police Standoff Ends Safely + Irish Shop Closing + Cemetery Walk

Hello, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's Daily:

• The OPRF girls' flag football team is playoff-bound
• Renovations are on the way for River Forest Public Library

But first, today's weather: Cool with clouds and sun. High: 54 Low: 42.

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

1. An 18-hour standoff ended Friday morning between Oak Park police and an armed resident. Police said the situation was resolved “safely” around 5:20 a.m. and the offender was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and River Forest police were also on the scene in the 1100 block of N. Harlem Avenue. (ABC)

2. The Oak Park Department of Public Health reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 in the village this week. Ages range from 13 to 99 years old, according to the weekly update. (VOP)

3. The Irish Shop will close in December after more than 30 years on Oak Park Avenue. Owners Anne and Jim August will retire after Christmas. “We’ve had many families come through here with their grandmother, their mother, their kids,” Anne told the Wednesday Journal. “Oak Park has been very good to us.” (Wednesday Journal)

4. Oak Park and River Forest High School’s flag football team will compete in the first round of the playoffs today on their home field. The team is part of a new girls’ league sponsored by Nike and the Chicago Bears, with the hopes of becoming an IHSA-official sport. (Wednesday Journal)

5. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning issued a report this week with ideas to ease traffic congestion on the city’s expressways. One proposal suggests converting some areas into “toll expressed lanes” which commuters would have to pay to use. (WGN)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Only two weeks remain of the Oak Park Farmers Market. (7 a.m.)
• The Open House Chicago architectural festival comes to Oak Park. (10 a.m.)
• The first-ever “Bags, Beer & BBQ” Tournament is held in Berwyn’s Depot District. (Noon)
• Take a harvest floral workshop at Cherishable Moments. (1 p.m.)
• Learn about wildlife at Trailside Museum. (1:30 p.m.)
• Anfora Wine Merchants host a wine class. (2 p.m.)
• Ascension Catholic Church hosts a food drive. (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The River Forest Public Library is set to begin the first phase of renovating its mechanical room for public use. (Patch)
• More than 80 businesses have applied for licenses in Oak Park so far this year, according to Village Manager Kevin Jackson’s weekly report. (VOP)
• Annual events return to the area tomorrow, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Races and “Tales of the Tombstones” Cemetery Walk. (OPRF Museum)

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Events:

• Festival of Hymns & Anthems (October 15)
• Chicago Artisan Market — Sunday, Oct. 16 at Morgan MFG (Fall Market) (October 16)
• Trinity High School Open House (October 16)
• Tale of the Tombstones (October 16)
• Jazz Prayer (October 21)
• Add your event

That's all for Oct. 15. See you tomorrow for another 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 Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.