🌱 Severe Winter Storm + Village Hall Reopens + Freight Traffic

Georgi Presecky
Updated ·4 min read
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Happy Wednesday, Oak Park and River Forest! Let's get to the latest local news.

First, today's weather: Windy with snow, 2-4 inches. High: 24 Low: 23.

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

1. Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a disaster declaration ahead of today’s snowstorm. Most local schools are closed today due to the extreme winter weather, including Concordia and Dominican Universities, Trinity, Fenwick and OPRF High Schools and all of District 97. Between five and 11 inches of snow are expected in much of Cook County, the National Weather Service reports. (Patch)

2. Oak Park Village Hall is expected to reopen today after more than a month of being closed due to COVID-19. In-person services will be available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through Feb. 11 “to gradually transition back into the workplace.” Staffing will still be limited, and residents are encouraged to continue using online services. (VOP)

3. Nonprofits and local restaurants are partnering to serve people in need at Rush Oak Park’s warming center. Takeout 25, Housing Forward, Delivery First and more are running a six-week program to provide meals for those seeking shelter. (Wednesday Journal)

4. Pritzker is also expected to announce a major tax relief plan today which will “save taxpayers nearly $1 billion in the next year,” according to Patch. His State of the State Address is set for noon at the State Capitol. (Patch)

5. Leaders in Elmwood Park and Franklin Park say they are concerned about how a railroad merger will impact freight traffic through their villages. The deal to combine the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads could increase the number of daily trains from three to 11 in the suburbs. (Paid source: Herald-Tribune)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

  • Join the “Groundhog Day Celebration” at Trailside Museum. (1:30 p.m.)

  • Discuss “Just Mercy” with River Forest Public Library’s evening book club. (7 p.m.)

  • Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago offers a public talk on “learning to love wisely.” (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • The Illinois Legislature canceled this week’s sessions due to the snowstorm. (NBC)

  • Latonia Baker is the new executive director of the Oak Park Education Foundation. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

  • It’s the final day to order a Valentine’s Day gift box from the park district in support of River Forest small businesses. (Park District)

  • The Winter Olympics kick off tomorrow in Beijing, with 14 Illinois athletes representing team USA. (Patch)

  • Dominican President Glena Temple spoke to University Business Magazine about first-generation college students this week. (UB)

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Events:

  • Protect yourself & Family-Illinois Concealed Carry Classes / 3 Hour CCL renewals & a Free law class (February 5)

  • Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 8)

  • Social Security Seminar (February 10)

  • Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 10)

  • Chicago Artisan Market (Love & Local) in Ravenswood — Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 12-13 (February 12)

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That's all for today, OPRF! Stay warm and safe, and 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.

This article originally appeared on the Oak Park-River Forest Patch