🌱 Thieves Steal $10,000 From Residence + Fenwick Football Wins Big

Hello, Oak Park and River Forest! In this weekend edition of the Daily:

• Respiratory illnesses surge statewide
• Hemingway's Oak Park roots are honored on local TV news
• A prolific mystery author visits Forest Park

But first, today's weather: Afternoon flurries; very cold. High: 29 Low: 15.

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

1. Chicago health officials are encouraging an increase in mask-wearing as a surge of respiratory viruses affects residents statewide. Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health said she continues to wear a mask in certain indoor settings “where I want to show my care for others.” Click here to see the latest COVID-19 numbers in Oak Park. (NBC)

2. Three thieves stole $10,000 in gold and jewelry from an Oak Park residence Nov. 7, the Oak Leaves reports. According to the police department, two offenders distracted the homeowner while the third stole the items from an upstairs office in the 700 block of Augusta Street. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

3. Ernest Hemingway Foundation Program Manager Carla Mayer appeared on WGN this week to discuss the author’s connections to his hometown. Mayer said in the hometown section that “to really understand Hemingway, you really need to understand where he came from in Oak Park.” (WGN)

4. Prolific Illinois author Raymond Benson will visit Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore next weekend for a book discussion. Rick Kogan at the Tribune writes that Benson’s latest novel “The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way” is “fine and inventive… peppered with compelling characters amid a satisfyingly knotty mystery.” (Paid source: Tribune)

5. The Village of River Forest will lift its overnight parking ban next week to accommodate Thanksgiving visitors. Overnight parking will be allowed beginning at midnight Nov. 22. (VRF)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Make collages at Dole Center. (10 a.m.)
• Stop by the Oak Park Art League gallery to see a fall exhibition. (1 p.m.)
• Ascension-St. Edmund hosts a food drive to benefit St. Martin de Porres food pantry. (5 p.m.)
• A fall benefit concert for Beyond Hunger is held at FitzGeralds. (7 p.m.)
• Stand-up comics perform at Salerno’s Pizza. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• ComEd opened a new power substation at its Franklin Park data center. (Paid source: Herald-Journal)
• The Cook County Board just approved an $8.8 billion budget for next year, featuring “no new taxes or tax hikes.” (WBEZ)
• Rush Oak Park Hospital received an “A” safety grade in new rankings from the Leapfrog Group. (NBC)
• The Fenwick High School football team defeated St. Laurence Thursday and now heads to the Illinois Prep Bowl. (MaxPreps)
• The first in-person “Great Chefs” event in three years raised more than $20,000 for Proviso students. (Review)
• Living Fresh Market is hosting a special “In Time For the Holidays” campaign today in the Forest Park store. (PRNW)

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• Noon Whistle Artisan Market #3 (November 20)
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• The Chicago Tribune Names Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago the No. 1 Top Workplace for 2022 (Details)
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That's all for Nov. 19! See you tomorrow for a Sunday edition of the Daily.

— Georgi

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.