🌱 Porch Thefts Reported + Winterfest Held Downtown

Welcome to the weekend, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's Daily, find out about:

• Oak Park's new program for electric cars
• Local students traveling to Egypt for a climate conference
• Today's holiday lights show near Scoville Park

But first, today's weather: Mostly sunny; windy, colder. High: 32 Low: 24.

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Here are the top 4 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. Sixty people tested positive for COVID-19 in Oak Park this week, according to the village health department. The week of Thanksgiving saw 67 positive tests. (VOP)

2. Oak Park police are offering tips to prevent package thefts and pickpocketing during the holiday shopping season. Last week a “Rent the Runway” box valued at $1,000 was stolen from a front porch in the 600 block of North Kenilworth. Six Amazon packages were taken from a porch in the 500 block of South Humphrey Avenue, including a stroller and hair dryer totaling $700. (OPPD)

3. Oak Park and Maywood are among the 16 Chicagoland communities set to join ComEd’s EV Readiness Program. The initiative is designed to “help local governments prepare to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles.” Each community will be designated “EV Ready” at gold, silver or bronze levels within nine months. (ComEd)

4. Two OPRF High School students attended the United Nations climate change conference in Egypt last month, according to the Wednesday Journal. Local sustainability nonprofit Seven Generations Ahead sponsored the trip for Manolo Avalos and Victoria “Tori” Evans, who spoke with climate advocate Al Gore. (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• See a free screening of “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” at Lake Theatre. (10 a.m.)
• Downtown Oak Park hosts its signature Winterfest and Cookie Walk event. (11 a.m.)
• Check out the Holiday Art and Craft Fair at St. Giles Church, running through tomorrow afternoon. (11 a.m.)
• Take a history-inspired hike at Trailside Museum. (1:30 p.m.)
• Concordia University presents its annual Service of Lessons & Carols, with an additional service scheduled for tomorrow. (4 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
• Oak Park’s holiday lights show is held near Scoville Park. (4:45 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park is praising Illinois Democrats for their new plan to eliminate pandemic unemployment debt. (ISD)
• Holiday celebration “Midwinter’s Tales: Simple Gifts” will be held tomorrow at Grace Episcopal Church to raise funds for Oak Park Festival Theatre. (Wednesday Journal)
• The Fenwick Friars lost last week’s Prep Bowl in a 33-30 game against Simeon High School. (MaxPreps)
• Oak Park native Tavi Gevinson returns to “Gossip Girl” in season two of the series revival, now streaming on HBO Max. (IndieWire)
• Animal Care League's 37th Annual Holiday Bazaar wraps up at 3 p.m. today. (Chamber)

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Events:

• 8th Grade Entrance Exam (December 3)
• Hot Chocolate and a free Selleria Veneta $25 gift card with purchase 🎁 (December 3)
• Favorite Hymns of Fanny Crosby (Free Concert) (December 3)
• Crafts & Drafts Holiday Market (December 4)
• MIDWINTER'S TALES: Simple Gifts (December 4)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (December 8)
• Holiday Soirèe (December 9)
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That's all for this Saturday! Have a great weekend.

— Georgi

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.