9/11 Hero's Spirit To Live On Forever In New York City Garden

Good morning! It’s Friday, Sept. 10. Here are a few things to catch up on as the work week comes to an end.

• The U.S. Justice Department has sued Texas over the state’s controversial abortion law.
• A U.S. Senator has beef with the beef industry.
• The Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, has been removed, but a mystery at the site lives on.
• An Army veteran returns to West Point after walking 1,800 miles across a dozen states to promote suicide prevention.
• A 9/11 hero will be remembered forever at a community garden in New York City.

9/11 Hero’s Spirit Lives On

The World Trade Center and George Washington Bridge were just about as far from each other as possible in New York City’s Manhattan borough. It’s 11 miles from the World Trade Center site near Battery Park to the bridge that connects Upper Manhattan and New Jersey.

That distance didn’t stop Bruce Reynolds, a Port Authority police officer, from rushing from the bridge to the World Trade Center to save as many as he could on 9/11.

Reynolds, the 41-year-old father of two young children died while sacrificing his life for others.

On the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Reynolds’ "spirit" is still firmly planted and growing in the form of a community garden in NYC’s Inwood neighborhood.

"His and his family's spirit fills every corner with their beautiful garden," Aaron Scott, director of volunteers at Bruce’s Garden, told Patch. Read the full story from Washington Heights-Inwood, New York, Patch

Biden Orders Vaccinations

In President Joe Biden's most forceful action in pushing coronavirus vaccines, he mandated Thursday that all employers with 100 or more workers must require their employees either get vaccinated or tested for the virus weekly. It's an order that could impact up to 100 million Americans.

Biden emotionally laid into the roughly 80 million eligible Americans who are not yet vaccinated, despite months of availability and incentives, while speaking at the White House Thursday afternoon.

"We've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us," he said.

The unvaccinated minority "can cause a lot of damage, and they are." Read more from Across America Patch

Justice Dept. Sues Texas Over Abortion Law

Texas’ controversial abortion law will now be tested in court, after the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday it is suing the state over the law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott that went into effect last week.

Senate Bill 8, the nation’s most restrictive abortion law since Roe v. Wade in 1973, prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity. In many cases, that’s around six weeks, befor some women know they’re pregnant.

The Justice Department argues that the law was enacted "in open defiance of the Constitution," and asks a federal judge to declare it invalid. Read more from Austin, Texas, Patch

‘Eyes Of Texas’ Complaint

The Texas NAACP chapter and a group of University of Texas students have filed a civil rights complaint due to the university’s Longhorn Band being required to play “The Eyes of Texas” song, which many have said has serious racial overtones.

The song was written in the early 20th century, with a history of performances taking place at minstrel shows with musicians often in blackface.

"It's like slave owners making slaves buck dance for their entertainment," Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP said. Read more from Austin, Texas, Patch

Soldier Trekking Barefoot

Army Major Chris Brannigan on Great Britain is raising money and awareness for his nine-year-old daughter, Hasti, by walking barefoot from Maine to North Carolina.

Hasti was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, in 2018.

Brannigan trotted through New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday. The next state he’s scheduled to go through is Massachusetts. Read more from Hampton-Northampton, New Hampshire, Patch

Booker’s Beef With Beef

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker released details about a bill he and several peers have dubbed the “American Beef Labeling Act,” which would reinstate a mandatory country of origin labeling for beed.

"Americans should know exactly where their beef is coming from, but current USDA labeling practices allow big meatpacking companies to falsely label imported beef as being a product of the USA," Booker, a known vegan, said Thursday. Read more from Newark, New Jersey, Patch

Confederate Time Capsule Mystery

The search for a time capsule from the late 19th century, thought to be buried inside the pedestal under the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, has officials scratching their heads.

They couldn’t find it after the statue was taken down on Wednesday. Read more from Richmond, Virginia, Patch

House Porn: Got $2 million? California has quite a few homes going for that amount, including a 15.5-acre estate that has its own vineyard.

More On ‘The Patch’

• Rutgers’ Athletic Debt Is ‘Quite Concerning,’ Governor Says, via New Brunswick, New Jersey, Patch
• Gang Takedown Nets 48 Indictments, via Harlem, New York, Patch
• Martial Arts Coach Beats Up Judge At Kickboxing Tournament: Lawsuit, via Astoria-Long Island City, New York, Patch
• Veteran Completes 1,800-Mile Walk For Suicide Prevention On 9/11, via Across America Patch
• Mexican National Pleads Guilty To Laundering Drug Cartel’s Money, via Tampa, Florida, Patch

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