Theft At CVS + Concordia Earns Top Honors

Good morning, OPRF! Let's get to the news for Tuesday, Sept. 14.

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First, today's weather: Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 85, low: 62.

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

1. Separate incidents of battery and retail theft occurred at the CVS Pharmacy at 345 Madison St. last week, according to the latest Oak Park Police Department crime report. One offender stole an undetermined quantity of items Sept. 3; the next day, a patron reportedly stole a beer, punched a person and fled northbound on Ridgeland Avenue. (OPPD)

2. Oak Park Police are promoting a program that offers police escorts to residents who feel unsafe walking to their destinations at night. "Any resident uneasy about walking to or from a public transit stop, public garage or other site in the community” should call the police department for more information. (VOP)

3. Oak Park’s Historic Preservation Commission gave positive feedback on the plans to improve the intersection of Forest Avenue and Ontario Street. Commissioner Lou Garapolo said the preservation project would be "a great addition to the area." (Wednesday Journal)

4. River Forest is also looking to improve traffic safety at its upcoming commission meeting. The Sept. 15 discussion will “focus on solutions for the cut-through traffic in the northeast corner of the Village.” (VRF)

5. Concordia University in River Forest was ranked as a "Best Regional University" in the Midwest in the newest U.S. News & World Report rankings released Sept. 13. Concordia was also honored for its tuition value and ethnic diversity. (CUC)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Oak Park Township hosts a "Fall Get Together Health Talk." (12 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library offers virtual chair yoga. (12 p.m.)
• The Village Board of Health (5:30 p.m.) and Oak Park Public Library Board (6:30 p.m.) host meetings.
• Oak Park's Transportation Commission and Township Board also meet tonight. (7 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• More than 50 people were wounded over the weekend in Chicago-area gun violence. A 24-year-old man was treated for a gunshot wound early Sunday at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. (CBS)
• The Oak Park Public Library is offering recording kits to help patrons preserve stories told by loved ones. (OPPL)
• Forest Park veterans are reflecting on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Forest Park Review)
• The Oak Park Area Arts Council is encouraging local artists to enter the University of Illinois Presidential Initiative Project honoring Abraham Lincoln. (OPAAC)
• The Oak Park Country Club made history on this date in 1919 when it named a female caddy master, Mathilda Eggener. (OPRF Museum)

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That's all for today, OPRF. I'll be back tomorrow for the Wednesday edition of the Patch Daily.

— Georgi Presecky

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