🌱 Residential Burglaries Reported + New Website For Oak Parkers

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

• Fellow police support an injured Oak Park officer
• OPRF High School postpones plans to convert to geothermal
• A new mural at an Austin school is a "gift to the community"

But first, today's weather: Cloudy. High: 40 Low: 36.

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

1. A Chicago man was sentenced this month for the attempted murder of an Oak Park police officer in 2021. According to Village Manager Kevin Jackson, “Numerous members of the Oak Park Police Department attended the hearing in solidarity and support of Officer Ken Tworek, who was injured in the shooting.” (VOP)

2. Three residential burglaries were reported in Oak Park over the weekend. An offender stole $800 worth of power tools from a garage in the 700 block of North Lombard. Two homes were broken into in the 500 block of South Ridgeland and the 400 block of South Maple. Xbox devices were stolen from both homes, along with pairs of shoes. (OPPD)

3. Oak Park and River Forest High School is postponing its plans to convert to geothermal energy. The school board voted to bump the planned conversion from this summer to 2024 due to high costs. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The Village of Oak Park launched a new “engagement” website this week for residents to offer input and exchange ideas about local issues. Engageoakpark.com provides “opportunities to ask questions or provide general feedback,” according to the village manager’s weekly report. The village is also expected to revamp its main website later this year. (VOP)

5. St. Angela School unveiled a new mural on the side of its building this winter, celebrating students past and present. Artist Ally Braden spent five weeks creating the mural at 1332 N. Massasoit Ave. (AWN)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Oak Park Public Library hosts a virtual presentation on the history of Carole King. (2 p.m.)
• Forest Park Public Library hosts Grilled Cheese & Trivia. (4 p.m.)
• OPRF High School plays Trinity in basketball. (6:30 p.m.)
• Brian Thomas Swimme, PhD, gives an online presentation on Cosmogenesis through Dominican University. (6:30 p.m.)
• Attend Nature Center Night at Austin Gardens. (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A car stolen from a Forest Park gas station in early January was found in Oak Park with a damaged front end. (Review)
• Lake Theatre will host two special screenings of “The Fugitive” today. The Chicago-set film is celebrating its 30th anniversary. (Classic Cinemas)
• Elmwood Park High School graduate Tony Ocean is being lauded by the Tribune this week as one of the “hardest-working men in old school showbiz.” The singer from Cicero marked 30 years of performances in 2022. (Paid source: Tribune)

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That's all for today! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— 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.