Armed Carjacking Reported + Westlake Hospital Could Reopen

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Patch newsletter.

In today’s Daily, an Uber driver in Oak Park reports an armed carjacking, plans are underway to potentially reopen Westlake Hospital, and the community mourns the loss of some special residents.

First, today’s weather: Rain starts in the afternoon, with temps between 70 and 80 throughout the day.

Here are the top five stories today in Oak Park:

1. A Chicago Uber driver told police he was carjacked at gunpoint at 7:30 p.m. on June 21 in Oak Park. The suspect allegedly displayed a handgun when the ride share driver arrived at the 500 block of Highland Avenue, and proceeded to steal the driver’s 2017 Hyundai Sonata and drove East on Madison Street. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Oak Park Police Department. (Oak Leaves)

2. Westlake Hospital could reopen as Woodlake Specialty Hospital, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. New Jersey-based Woodlake Pacific Holdings is seeking state approval to reopen the healthcare center at 1225 W. Lake St. in Melrose Park, which closed in 2019. The new facility would hold 230 beds. (Wednesday Journal)

3. Oak Park is mourning the loss of several community members who leave behind a lasting impact. This week’s Wednesday Journal obituaries remember the lives of OPRF baseball star Joe Citari, volunteer and mom Carrie Bankes, library director Julia Faust, performer and counselor Alice Clark Brown, and musician Shawn Gilley. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The Illinois Arts Council Agency has named Oak Park’s Mary Anne Mohanraj as a 2021 Artist Fellowship Award recipient. The annual awards of $15,000 will go to 24 Illinois artists for their “outstanding work and commitment within the arts.” Mohanraj is being awarded in the Prose category. (IACA)

5. The Oak Park Public Library will begin testing a new format for its SWAN library catalog July 12. The original “classic” catalog will still be available to use, but Oak Park and six other libraries in Illinois are beta testing a new “Aspen” software. Cardholders are encouraged to share their feedback about the new catalog by emailing the library. (OPPL)

Today in Oak Park:

• A “mini" chess tournament will be held at Dole Center. (1 p.m.)
• Wild Tied Onion House hosts a vegan beer dinner. (4:30 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library plans a virtual “No Shush Salon.” (6:30 p.m.)
• Oak Park and River Forest High School’s board of education will meet. (6:30 p.m.)
• Director Frances Causey will virtually discuss the film “The Long Shadow” with River Forest Public Library and several other participating libraries, including Oak Park. (7 p.m.)

Oak Park Patch Notebook

• Kids ages 3 through rising ninth graders can sign up for Oak Park Public Library’s summer reading program, which focuses on the joy of reading. (OPPL)
• Fenwick High School wide receiver Eian Pugh is making headlines for being recruited by several universities in Illinois, Ohio and Iowa. (Fansided)
• This week in Oak Park history: the OPRF Museum remembers a local love story from 1919. (OPRF Museum)
• Reservations are no longer required at Brookfield Zoo. (Chicago Zoological Society)
• Metra announced the extension of its popular $10 all-day pass through Sept. 30. (Metra)

You're all caught up on the latest news in Oak Park and River Forest! Thanks for reading, and see you back here tomorrow.

-Georgi