School Mask Mandates Bring Political Divide; Pentagon Cop Funeral

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, Aug. 18, and here are a few things to know midweek: Masks have caused division among school officials and politicians, the Pentagon police officer who died is remembered, the Field of Dreams game will feature a different Chicago team next year, and high school sweethearts renewed their vows at their 65th wedding anniversary.

Partisan Mask Politics

As students in school districts across America gear up for their first day of school, one issue has dominated the discussion among administrators, teachers, parents and legislators: whether kids should wear masks amid the surge of delta variant coronavirus cases.

Political leaders in seven states have banned school districts from initiating mask mandates, leading to legal battles for districts that enact them anyway.

Experts say both teachers and kids will lose out from the politicization of the issue.

"School board meetings are being blown up, superintendents are being fired," Dr. Paul Hill, an education professor at the University of Washington, told Patch’s Megan VerHelst. "There are serious problems to be solved in schools right now — things that are really important and things you want school boards and superintendents to manage — but kids are simply being blown away by these political issues."

Read the full story on Across America Patch

Fallen Pentagon Cop Remembered

Pentagon Force Protection Agency Officer George Gonzalez “laid down his life” protecting the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner John Miller said during a memorial ceremony in New York City’s Queens borough.

"As we vow to #NeverForget, we have another responsibility — to stand with his brother, [NYPD] Officer Rodney Rubert," Miller said. Read more from the Arlington, Virginia, Patch

Afghanistan Latest

Taliban co-founder and de facto leader Abdul Ghani Baradar is back in Afghanistan for the first time in a decade after the Taliban regained rule of the country. U.S. and other Western forces continue the evacuation. Read the latest via The Washington Post

Fatal Overdose Victims Mourned

A silent crowd gathered at a New York park to remember six people who died from a batch of fentanyl-laced cocaine.

Reese Dunne, the vigil organizer, told Patch, “Just like our candles, their souls will continue to burn on.” Arms wrapped around one another for support, and faces were marked by pain.

Read more from Riverhead, New York, Patch

Field Of Dreams, Part II

The hit 1989 sports movie starring Kevin Costner didn’t get a sequel on the big screen, but last week’s baseball game played amid the Iowa corn will.

The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are scheduled to play next year at the iconic movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, according to a number of reports.

Last week’s game there between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox was the most-watched regular season Major League Baseball game since 2005.

Read more from Chicago Patch

Service Dogs For Vets With PTSD

President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation to reduce the number of veteran suicides. The PAWS Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a program to provide dog training and other services to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Read the full story on Across America Patch

House Porn: From movie theaters to subterranean garages, these mansions have amenities fit for movie stars, tech moguls, and other California luminaries.

More On ‘The Patch’

Ambulance Shortage Caused By COVID-19 Surge: Officials in a Florida county are asking residents who call 911 to be patient, as the county does not have enough ambulances amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the Sunshine State, via New Port Richey, Florida, Patch.

Teacher Battling Coronavirus On Life Support: A GoFundMe campaign for a beloved teacher fighting for her life after contracting COVID-19 has already raised thousands, via Homewood-Flossmoor, Illinois, Patch.

‘In Pursuit’ Seeks Wanted Woman: Caris Ayala is wanted in the 2012 death of a young boy, via Sandy Springs, Georgia, Patch.

Church Helps Haiti Earthquake Victims: Members of the Eglise Baptiste du Calvaire, the largest Haitian church organization in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, are gathering donations for their home country as Haiti reels from another catastrophic earthquake, via Bowie, Maryland, Patch.

High School Sweethearts Renew Vows: Sixty-five years, five kids and 10 grandchildren later, two Illinois high school sweethearts renewed their wedding vows, via Oak Lawn, Illinois, Patch.

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