Pants Off For Dad Who Wants Masks On In The Schools

Good morning! It’s Friday, Aug. 27, and here are a few things to know as we head into one of the final weekends of summer:

• The American death toll continued to rise throughout the day from the attacks at the Kabul airport.
• Two people were killed in a shooting outside a courthouse in Illinois.
• A dad removed his pants at a school board meeting in Texas to show his support for students wearing masks.
• A 13-year-old begins college, studying aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech University.

Pro-Mask Dad Takes Pants Off

Some parents in Texas aren’t happy with Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates, with one taking an unusual tack in trying to convince his local school board to ignore the ban.

James Akers took off his clothing while making the point at a recent Dripping Springs Independent School District meeting. Akers stripped down to a pair of swim trunks while reeling off sarcastic comments on other measures to protect the public.

"At work, they make me wear this jacket. I hate it. They make me wear this shirt and tie. I hate it," he said as the clothing came off. "On the way over here, I ran three stop signs and four red lights.

"I almost killed somebody out there. But, by God, it's my roads, too. So I have every right to drive as fast as I want to." Read the full story on Austin, Texas, Patch

More New Mask Mandates: School districts and government entities continue to re-establish mask mandates as the coronavirus’s delta variant surge continues.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday issued a statewide indoor mask mandate for anyone age 2 and up. Teachers, from kindergarten through college, will also soon be required to either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or submit to weekly virus testing, Pritzker said.

In Maryland, a 180-day mask mandate has been issued for all K-12 students, staff and school visitors.

Latest On Afghanistan

At least a dozen U.S. service members were killed when two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Kabul airport as the evacuation following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan continues. » See the latest via The Washington Post

2 Dead In Shooting Outside Courthouse

Two people were killed and a third was injured in what authorities have called a “targeted” attack outside a courthouse in suburban Chicago. Schools in Kankakee and Bourbonnais were put on lockdown for hours, and authorities said “several” people were taken into custody.
» Read more from Chicago Patch

Tropical Storm Headed For Gulf

Tropical Depression Nine has developed into Tropical Storm Ida as it continues to strengthen on its northwestern path in the Caribbean Sea, according to the National Hurricane Center. » Read more from Houston Patch

RFK Assassin Could Be Freed

Sirhan B. Sirhan, the man convicted in the 1968 assassination of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, could soon become a free man. He’s up for parole on Friday, and prosecutors have no plans to object to his release. » Read more from Across America Patch

Live In Henry Kissinger’s Former Home

The former residence of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood offers open living on five finished levels, according to a Redfin listing. » Read more from the Washington, D.C., Patch

More On 'The Patch'

• 13-Year-Old Begins Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Program, via Atlanta Patch
• High School Students Walkout To Protest Mask Mandate, via Yorkville, Illinois, Patch
• America’s First Axe-Throwing Venue Adds New Location, via Park Slope, New York, Patch
• Women Burned In Attack Will Skydive To Mark 1-Year Anniversary, via Waukesha, Wisconsin, Patch
• Teen Wins Gold In Tokyo Paralympics, via Garden City, New Jersey, Patch
• Navy SEAL In Bin Laden Raid To Attend Beer Tasting, via Annapolis, Maryland, Patch
• Grant From NOAA Supports Climate Change Curriculum, via Elliott City, Maryland, Patch

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