Village Encourages Vaccines + COVID Deaths Reach New Low

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest!

In today’s Daily, a true-crime documentary is drawing attention to an Oak Park lawsuit, an OPRF High School student is the youngest member of a new state program, and the U.S. reaches an encouraging milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, today’s weather: Clear throughout the day, with a high of 74 and low of 61.

Here are the top five stories in Oak Park today:

1. The Village of Oak Park is partnering with the Cook County Department of Public Health to encourage higher vaccination rates to slow the spread of COVID-19. Vaccinated residents are asked to share the story of “why you’re taking your shot” using the social media hashtag #MyShotCookCounty. As of June 16, about 29,300 residents have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Oak Park Department of Public Health. (VOP Facebook)

2. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” director Elizabeth Wolff is speaking out about the experience of filming documentary interviews in Oak Park last winter at the height of a global pandemic. A special episode of the series is now streaming on HBO Max, revisiting the investigation into the 1984 murder of Kathy Lombardo, whose family is currently suing the Village for access to case records. “A judge will decide if the case is active and make a decision about whether case files can be released or not,” at a July 1 court hearing, Wolff said. (TV Insider)

3. An Oak Park and River Forest High School senior is the youngest member of the new Illinois Commission on the Social Status of Black Males. At a Juneteenth event in Aurora over the weekend, Dawson Pickens called on other young men to join the group, encouraging his peers “to make the best choices even when the odds are stacked against us.” (Daily Herald)

4. Repairs are being made to the exterior of the former Associated Tire & Battery building, according to Oak Park Development Customer Services Director Tammie Grossman. The business at 6208 Roosevelt Road is now closed, and there are no current plans to develop it. (Wednesday Journal)

5. The Village of River Forest is seeking community input on its Stormwater Master Plan. Residents are invited to a neighborhood meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at Village Hall to help “identify areas of need related to the Village’s sewer system and establish future improvement projects.” (Village of River Forest)

Today in Oak Park:

• Magical Minds Studio offers arts and crafts day camps for kids. (8 a.m.)
• Donate blood at an American Red Cross blood drive at Oak Park Temple. (1 - 6 p.m.)
• Young professionals can join the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce for a wine tasting at Anfora Wine Merchants. (5:30 p.m.)
• RUN Oak Park™ offers a summer group training session. (6:30 p.m.)
• The Oak Park Art League kicks off a month-long advanced drawing class. (7 p.m.)

Oak Park Patch Notebook

• Several longtime Chicago Tribune reporters are bidding farewell after taking buyouts from Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund company that acquired the newspaper in May. The acquisition included Pioneer Press, which publishes Oak Park’s oldest newspaper, Oak Leaves. (Chicago Tribune)
• A tornado swept through Darien, Naperville, and Woodridge late Sunday night, injuring five people and leaving one in critical condition. (Patch)
• More than 50 people were shot this weekend in Chicago. At least five were killed, with one injury in the South Austin neighborhood being treated at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. (CBS2)
• COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are down to 300 a day for the first time since March 2020. According to the Associated Press, 150 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. (AP)
• Local high school sports are officially over for the season. The pandemic-shortened year ended this weekend for boys track teams at Fenwick High School and Oak Park and River Forest High School. (Wednesday Journal)

That’s all for the June 22 edition of the Daily. My inbox is always open at georgi.presecky@patch.com.

Onward,
Georgi