🌱 Student Robbed On Way To School + Storm Knocks Down Trees

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Happy Wednesday. Yesterday's election results are not included in today’s newsletter because they were not yet official at press time. Local elections will be covered in an upcoming edition. Thanks! Now onto today’s news:

• OPRF High School is planning a safety conversation amid a rise in violence on campus.
• A Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School student was named Athlete of the Month.
• Earth Day events are planned all month long in Oak Park.

But first, today's weather: A few t-storms, some severe. High: 71 Low: 35.

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

1. An Oak Park student was robbed while riding his bike to school Monday morning in the 300 block of North Cuyler, the police department reports. Described as a juvenile, he was cut off by two people in a gray sedan who exited the vehicle, struck him and stole his cellphone, AirPods, laptop and other possessions. He told police one of the offenders said he had a gun, but the victim did not see it. (OPPD)

2. Clean-up continued Tuesday after a powerful storm downed several trees in Oak Park. Public works crews were working until dark to clear streets and other public places where trees crashed down, including at Austin Gardens. (VOP)

3. Oak Park and River Forest High School will host a safety conversation April 12. The board recently approved the hiring of six additional security guards after a spike in student fights and numerous safety concerns cited by teachers and staff. (Wednesday Journal)

4. A series of Earth Month events are planned in Oak Park in the coming weeks, beginning tonight with a virtual session on geothermal power. Several in-person events will be held at Oak Park venues, from a natural-soap making workshop to a walk with the village’s forestry superintendent. Film screenings, a paper-shredding event, gardening workshops and a community clean-up are also on the calendar. (Sustain Oak Park)

5. A local middle schooler was named NBC’s SportsEngine and Truesport Athlete of the Month earlier this year. Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School basketball player Taryn Draine told Wednesday Journal: “Seeing the WNBA and seeing other girls playing basketball, I thought I could do it too. So, I made that my goal, to go to the WNBA and play basketball.” (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Park District of Oak Park hosts a job fair at 218 Madison. Though open roles are available at the Community Recreation Center, the event is being held across the street, not at the CRC as stated in Monday’s newsletter. (1 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library hosts drop-in Earth Day crafts. (3 p.m.)
• See the newly installed recliner seats in Lake Theatre’s largest auditorium during screenings of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” (5:35 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Passover is this week, with Easter activities on the calendar for this weekend. An “Egg Dash and Scramble” is set for Saturday in Maple Park, along with a “Doggy Egg Scramble” presented by the park district and Animal Care League. Services and celebrations have been announced by local churches, and Carnival Grocery will also host an egg hunt and Easter crafts Saturday morning. (PDOP)
• Oak Park Public Library will cut the ribbon on its new creative studio space April 27. (Library)
• The historical society’s Spring House Walk returns May 7, featuring six local homes. (Museum)

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Featured events:

• Wedding Band Event at Bella Cosa Jewelers (April 15)
• A Charcuterie Happy Hour: Networking Event (April 19)
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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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.