🌱 Pritzker Paid Leave + Sculpture Artists Needed + Best Corned Beef

You're halfway through the week, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's five-minute guide to the latest local news:

• Elmwood Park is one of many Chicagoland schools to face hoax threats in recent weeks.
• Oak Park officials named a chief sustainability officer.
• A local teacher talks Black Studies with Chalkbeat.

But first, today's weather: Milder; breezy in the p.m. High: 50 Low: 40.

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

1. School threats are on the rise nationwide, including in the Chicagoland region. The FBI’s Chicago office has received about 30 incident reports at local schools so far this year. In the past month alone, hoax threats have led police to schools in Elmwood Park, Elgin, Wheaton and Chicago. (Paid source: Tribune)

2. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law this week requiring Illinois employers to provide paid time off “for any reason.” The legislation goes into effect Jan. 1. (AP)

3. Oak Park’s sustainability coordinator has been promoted, Village Manager Kevin Jackson announced Tuesday. After nearly two years of leading the Climate Ready Oak Park project, Marcella Bondie Keenan will now serve as Chief Sustainability Officer. (VOP)

4. Oak Park Elementary School teacher Ashley Kannan spoke to Chalkbeat this week about designing his own Black studies course for eighth graders. The longtime educator said the supportive school district made it easier for him to create the curriculum, which has been a requirement in Illinois since 1990 but has few concrete guidelines from the state. (Chalkbeat)

5. It’s the final day to sign up for electronic waste collection in River Forest. The free service is available twice per year and residents can recycle up to seven items, including cell phones, computer monitors, printers and DVD players. (VRF)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Oak Park Public Library hosts “Words on Wednesday.” (1 p.m.)
• Take a guided senior fitness walk in Thatcher Woods. (1 p.m.)
• L’Institut français d’Oak Park hosts an Open House. (6 p.m.)
• Documentary historian Greg Cooke virtually discusses his film “Invisible Warriors” in a statewide program offered through both Oak Park and River Forest libraries. (7 p.m.)
• See a special screening of “Citizen Kane” at Lake Theatre. (1 p.m. and 7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Oak Park Area Arts Council is seeking artists to participate in the outdoor sculpture walk this May. The deadline to apply is March 31. (OPAAC)
• The senior services department of Oak Park and River Forest Townships is offering help for seniors who need budget assistance. (Wednesday Journal)
• The Tribune released a ranking of the 25 best corned beef sandwiches in Chicagoland as St. Patrick’s Day approaches. Oak Park establishments The Onion Roll and Fritzi’s Delicatessen made the list this year. (Paid source: Tribune)

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Featured events:

• Music to Dine by with Doug Lalli (March 18)
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You're all caught up for today. Thanks for staying up to date on the news in Oak Park and River Forest.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.