Racial Disparity Reported At OPRF + Last Concert In The Park

Happy Sunday, OPRF! Thanks for starting your day with the Patch Daily.

First, today's weather: Rain in the evening. High: 89 Low: 68.

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

1. An ABC7 investigation found “stark racial disparity” in disciplinary measures at Oak Park River Forest High School. Data shows OPRF has “the second-highest disparity rate statewide in exclusionary discipline.” The report cites that 86 percent of suspensions in the 2019-2020 school year were students of color. (ABC7)

2. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park responded to critics of the legislature’s ethics reform bill, drafted to combat corruption in the state. “There are organizations that raise money to criticize us, and then criticize us to raise money,” Harmon said. (Paid source: Chicago Tribune)

3. Oak Park native and Pezband drummer Michael "Mick Rain" Ruane died this week at age 68 due to COVID-19 complications. Ruane was fully-vaccinated but was undergoing treatment for blood cancer. (Chicago Sun-Times)

4. At least 37 counties in Illinois are at a “warning level” for availability of ICU beds as COVID-19 surges across the state. 101 of Illinois’ 102 counties are seeing high levels of COVID-19 transmission, prompting new mandates for masks and vaccines. (NBC5)

5. At an Austin Community and Police Town Hall this week, Police Superintendent David Brown addressed residents’ concerns about crime. Brown discussed gun violence, carjackings and how the pandemic has affected community-police relations. (Austin Weekly News)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest

• Rehearsals begin for Ovation Academy’s fall production. (9 a.m.)
• Take a sign language workshop at Dole Center. (1 p.m.)
• The Teen Drawing Club meets at Magical Minds Studio. (1 p.m.)
• Oak Park resident Jaime Clay sings blues and R&B at summer's final Concert in the Park.(6 p.m.)
• Anfora Wine Merchants hosts a Carnivore wine dinner. (6:30 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• Nominations for Oak Park’s Green Awards are being accepted through Oct. 15. (VOP)
• The OPRF High School Huskies football team returned to the field Friday night, losing the home opener to Wheaton-Warrenville South 42-28. (Wednesday Journal)
• The Happy Apple’s chocolate chess pie was named "Best Pie in Illinois." (Wednesday Journal)
• Some Cook County residents say they are baffled and frustrated by higher property taxes in the region. (ABC7)
• World Relief Chicagoland is discussing how Illinoisans can help Afghan refugees. (WGN Radio)

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That's all for today! Looking forward to another week of curating news for you.

— 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.