Wednesday Journal

01/09/2026

Oak Park police staff grew by six sworn officers in back-half of 2025, but the department still has a ways to go to reach staffing target

The Oak Park Police Department made progress in officer staffing last year, but the force is still far from fully staffed.

01/09/2026

Bringing energy early in games is key, coaches say

The OPRF girls basketball team (4-12) went 1-3 at the Loyola Christmas Tournament. While the OPRF men's basketball team left with an 0-2 record.

01/09/2026

Goins scores 1,000th point at 2025 State Farm Holiday Classic

An overnight road trip can tell a team a lot about itself, but mostly how its off-court bonding activities translate to on-court success. Check that box for Trinity basketball.

01/09/2026

The Fenwick High School boys and girls basketball teams each went 2-2 over the holidays

The Fenwick High School boys and girls basketball teams each went 2-2 over the holidays. Here’s a recap of their respective tournaments.

01/08/2026

The year 2025 held its share of thrills and high points in local high school sports

The year 2025 held its share of thrills and high points in local high school sports. Read my take on the top five sports stories of 2025.

01/08/2026

Village providing Housing Forward shelter with additional funding after group misses out on state grants

Oak Park will provide over $645,000 in funding this year to cover operating costs for the new emergency overnight homeless shelter.

01/08/2026

Openlands grants greens nonprofit’s Maywood campus

At Way Back Inn, clients seek to overcome addiction with substance use and gambling. The nonprofit invests in their clients through a holistic treatment approach, partnership and community outreach.

01/08/2026

Emotions include happiness, shock, uncertainty, sadness, anxiety

Venezuelan immigrants in Oak Park share fear, hope and uncertainty following reports of Nicolas Maduro’s capture and tension in Venezuela.

01/07/2026

Complaints against DRB members dismissed

The River Forest Ethics Commission Jan. 5 took steps toward dismissing conflict of interest charges made in a complaint by a resident against four members of the village Development Review Board (DRB).

01/07/2026

Shift prompted by planned sale of St. Edmund School, home since early 2024

The Migrant Ministry of the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park has shifted its base of operations from St. Edmund School to the former school at St. Bernardine Parish in Forest Park.

01/07/2026

Haunting

01/07/2026

Zoning reform, next steps on big projects and hospital uncertainty will loom large this year

In 2026, zoning reform, next steps on big streetscape projects and hospital uncertainty will loom large in Oak Park