Break Out The Mittens, Scarves: Another Winter Forecast Is Here

It’s Wednesday, Sept. 1. While a new month is ahead of us, here are a few things we’ll catch you up on as you start your day:

• President Joe Biden called the U.S. military evacuation of more than 120,000 people an "extraordinary success."
• A custom clothing designer draws his inspiration from his grandpa’s “Sunday best.”
• The unanswered questions behind the Bishop Sycamore football team’s national television debut.
• Devastating photos of California’s Caldor fire.

Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal

A defensive President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday, just 24 hours after the departure of the last American C-17 cargo plane from Kabul, Afghanistan. The president, who vigorously defended his decision to end America's longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline, called the U.S. military evacuation of more than 120,000 people an "extraordinary success."

"I was not going to extend this forever war," Biden said in an address from the White House State Dining Room. "And I was not going to extend a forever exit." » Biden Praises Evacuation, Defends Afghanistan Departure, via Across America Patch

Summer Camp Act ‘Reminiscent Of Lynching’

A white child at a summer camp on Martha's Vineyard reportedly placed a tent strap around the neck of a Black camper last month, an act a civil rights group representing the boy said is "reminiscent of lynching."

"You don't need a swastika or the n-word for it to be a racial incident," Lawyers for Civil Rights attorney Sophia Hall told The Associated Press. "There are other ways racism rears its ugly head. It's clear here that one of the few children of color at this camp was targeted." » White Child Put Strap On Black Child's Neck At Camp, via Martha’s Vineyard Patch

A 'Season Of Shivers'

Winter is coming, and this one could be among the longest and coldest that we've seen in years, according to a newly released forecast from the Old Farmer’s Almanac. In fact, the publication is predicting a "season of shivers" — a winter accompanied by brutally cold temperatures and lots and lots of snow. » Old Farmer's Almanac Winter 2021-22 Forecast: 'Season Of Shivers,’ via Across America

The Bishop Sycamore Football Mystery

IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is "the world's most prestigious sports, performance and educational institution," according to its website. So it was no surprise that ESPN wanted to feature the football powerhouse, and its multiple confirmed NCAA Division I recruits, in a game this season.

But the school selected to face IMG on national television Sunday afternoon is anything but a football powerhouse. And apparently it may be anything but an actual high school.

• Apparent Fake School Bishop Sycamore Got On IMG Academy Schedule, via Bradenton Patch
• Bishop Sycamore To Be Investigated By Ohio Officials: Gov. DeWine, via Cleveland Patch

South Lake Tahoe Ravaged By Fire

Residents of South Lake Tahoe, California, were forced to evacuate their homes earlier this week as the raging flames of the Caldor fire threatened their communities. See the photos chronicling the Caldor fire's three-day path of destruction. » PHOTOS: Caldor Fire Rages Through South Lake Tahoe, via Across California Patch

Grandpa’s ‘Sunday Best’ Inspires Fashion

Growing up in rural Georgia, Brandon Hosley's grandfather on Sundays traded workman's clothes for suits that hung perfectly on his thin frame and always got attention at church. That wardrobe is still getting attention today as Hosley, a custom clothing designer, prepares to release a signature shirt inspired by his grandfather, writes Patch columnist Mark Konkol. » Designer To Launch Collection Inspired By Grandpa's Sunday Best, via Buckhead Patch

Around ‘The Patch’

• Mike Richards Cut From 'Jeopardy!' And 'Wheel Of Fortune,' via Culver City Patch
• 19-Year-Old Lifeguard Killed By Lightning Strike On New Jersey Beach, via Berkeley Patch
• California Lawmakers Wait On Employee Vaccine Mandate Bill, via San Francisco Patch
• After GOP Refusal, Masks Will Be Required In All Pennsylvania Schools, via Across Pennsylvania Patch
• Brothers Not Charged After Telling Police Where Mother, Sister Were Buried, via La Grange Patch
• California's National Forests To Close Ahead Of Labor Day Weekend, via Los Angeles Patch

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