🌱 Retail Theft Spike + Teachers Needed + Community Voices Event

Good morning! Thanks for spending some of your Wednesday with Patch. Let's get to today's Oak Park-River Forest Daily.

First, today's weather: Hot; a strong p.m. t-storm. High: 93 Low: 74.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

Are you a parent in Oak Park looking for summer activities for your child? Magical Minds Studio hosts a series of week-long summer art camps for children from PreK through middle school, from June 13 to Aug. 19. Programs include puppet making, Legos, ceramics, clay, painting, photography and Outdoor Adventure for middle schoolers. Enroll by May 15 with the code PATCH2022 and receive a 10 percent discount. To learn more and to see this summer’s schedule visit Magical Minds Studio today.

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

1. Police are seeking public help in the murder investigation of 22-year-old Dyanla Rainey, a former Marshall Metro High School basketball star who was killed in Maywood late last month. A new police photograph shows a 2003 Buick Regal approaching Rainey outside her home on July 24. (Patch)

2. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has declared monkeypox a public health emergency in Illinois. The state health department will now assist with prevention efforts and vaccine distribution. (CBS)

3. Several retail thefts occurred this week in Oak Park. Alcohol and baby formula were stolen from the Jewel at 438 Madison St.; an iPhone was taken from a case at T-Mobile at 1130 Lake St. According to the latest Oak Park Police Department crime report, local Walgreens and Target stores were also targeted over the weekend. (OPPD)

4. Beginning Friday, back-to-school shopping will be tax-free for 10 days in Illinois. Eligible items include clothing, backpacks, lunch boxes and notebooks, according to a recent guide issued by Senate President Don Harmon. (Twitter)

5. Second installment property tax bills will be delayed this year due to a computer compatibility problem, Wednesday Journal reports. Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar could not say exactly when bills will be distributed, but he hopes it’s within the year. (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation hosts a virtual “community voices” event. (6 p.m.)
• Check out a free concert on the Dominican University quad. (7 p.m.)
• River Forest Public Library hosts campfire stories for kids on the lawn. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• OPRF High School is seeking substitute teachers ahead of the fall semester. (OPRFHS)
• Taste of Elmwood Park begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday. (Taste)
• Oak Park-based nonprofit YEMBA recently completed its first summer youth program, mentoring 16 local eighth grade graduates as they transition to high school. (Wednesday Journal)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In the Village — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Spirito Singers Auditions (August 4)
• Elmhurst Brewing Crafts & Drafts Market! (August 7)
• One-of-A-Kind Meerkat Experience Coming to Oakbrook Center (August 30)
• Add your event

You're all caught up! 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.