🌱 Vaccine Clinic At Oak Park Temple + Alley Improvements Begin

Welcome to February! Let's get to the news for Tuesday.

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First, today's weather: A bit of afternoon rain. High: 42 Low: 23.

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

1. Two juveniles were charged this week with separate carjackings in Oak Park last August. Both are 14 years old and face aggravated vehicular hijacking charges. (OPPD)

2. The Department of Public Health is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic today at Oak Park Temple. Another clinic is set for Thursday at Cheney Mansion. First doses and booster doses of all three vaccine options will be available. (VOP)

3. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon weighed in on tax relief possibilities last week on an Illinois Public Media podcast. The Oak Park Democrat said potentially lifting the sales tax on groceries “wouldn’t provide a lot of relief for struggling families.” (Paid source: Tribune)

4. River Forest plans to reconstruct 14 alleys in the village by summer 2023. Work on three will begin this winter, with eight more scheduled for summer and fall. (Wednesday Journal)

5. Students from Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School won honors at this year’s Junior Theater Festival Atlanta. The school’s theater program “BRAVO!” won Outstanding Production for “Matilda The Musical, Jr.” It is the 10th time the school has won the award. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Join Oak Park Public Library for a virtual midday meditation. (Noon)
• Celebrate Chinese New Year at Dancing Krow Studio. (3 p.m.)
• Learn about Groundhog Day at the Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center. (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. Oak Park Public Library has a list of curated titles and upcoming events to honor Black history and culture. (OPPL)
• Tomorrow is the final day to submit entries to River Forest Public Library’s winter photo contest. (RFPL)
• The "Small Business BIG Sale" will take place this weekend in downtown Oak Park. (DOP)

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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.