🌱 Target Thefts Continue + Soul City Corridor + New Theater Director

Good morning! In today's Daily:

• Oak Park police say Saturday's shooting was likely targeted
• A new community center is set to open in Austin
• The River Forest Public Library will be closed tomorrow

But first, today's weather: Plenty of sunshine. High: 32 Low: 2.

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Here are the top 4 stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. Three thefts in three days occurred at the Target on Lake Street this week. Items were stolen from three different people between Sunday and Tuesday, including cosmetic products and electronics. (OPPD)

2. After a man was shot and killed in Oak Park over the weekend, local police say there is “no reason to believe that there is any threat to the community.” Rayshawn Hudgins, 31, was killed Saturday morning at Chicago and Lombard avenues. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

3. A “Soul City Corridor” is coming to a stretch of Chicago Avenue in 2024, Austin Weekly News reports. The city project aims to promote local businesses between Austin Boulevard and Cicero Avenue near Chicago's border with Oak Park. (AWN)

4. Oak Park Festival Theatre has named a new artistic director. Peter G. Andersen is a Steppenwolf alum who told Growing Community Media he is “really interested in the history of Oak Park and in how integrated it is, which is unique not just to Chicago but to the country as a whole.” (Review)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Park District of Oak Park hosts a virtual session on “Cellphones and Parenting.” (Noon)
• The North Austin Community Center is set to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (1 p.m.)
• Trailside Museum hosts a Groundhog Day celebration. (1:30 p.m.)
• Kids can make cardboard snowflakes at Oak Park Public Library. (4 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library continues its retirement series. (7 p.m.)
• Coleen Dieker performs at Oak Park Temple. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Three “incidents” involving firearms have been reported at Ehlert Park in Brookfield over the past six weeks. (Landmark)
• The River Forest Public Library will be closed tomorrow for staff training. (Library)
• Oak Park Catholics can weigh in on plans for a new Center for Learning and Faith. (Wednesday Journal)
• Hines VA Hospital completed its 100th kidney transplant in December. (The Chicago Crusader)

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You're all caught up! See you tomorrow for the Friday edition.

— 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.