'A Statesman Like Few In Our History': Bob Dole Dead At 98

Good morning! It's Monday, Dec. 5, so it's time to shake off those weekend cobwebs and start the new week, right! To catch you up on the weekend, here's a collection of stories from across Patchland that we'll be sharing with you:

• Former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole died in his sleep early Sunday morning.
• The omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread as the first confirmed case in Wisconsin popped up over the weekend.
• School district officials released a letter detailing the events leading up to Tuesday's horrific shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan.
• Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced the pedestal that previously held a statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond will be removed.

Death Of A Statesman

Former Senate majority leader Bob Dole and presidential candidate Bob Dole died in his sleep Sunday morning, roughly 10 months after announcing he had stage 4 lung cancer in February. The World War II veteran and senator had a long track record in public service and championed important legislation and programs such as the Civil Rights Act of 1965, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

His impact was felt on all sides of the political spectrum as a bipartisan contingent of current and former lawmakers and politicians offered their condolences and shared stories and insights on the beloved senator.

• Bob Dole, Decorated World War II Vet And GOP Stalwart, Dies At 98, via Across America Patch
• Bob Dole Receives Bipartisan Tributes In Wake Of Death, via Across America Patch

A Puzzling Ending In Carolina

Having already changed quarterbacks multiple times in an attempt to jumpstart their offense, the Carolina Panthers turned to its offensive coordinator. Joe Brady and the team are parting ways, the team announced Sunday during its bye week.

Brady, who was co-offensive coordinator for the prolific LSU team that won the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship, is out with five games left in his second season with Carolina. The Panthers used four starting quarterbacks during that time, including three in 2021, even signing franchise icon Cam Newton off the street in an attempt to find a spark. >> Panthers, Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady Part Ways, via Charlotte, North Carolina, Patch

Omicron Continues Spread In United States

Wisconsin now has its first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 after the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported a man from Milwaukee County was confirmed to have it through genome sequencing. The man was fully vaccinated and had received a booster shot, and he had recently returned from a trip to South Africa.

Officials said the case is unrelated to a group of five people in California who are confirmed to have the omicron variant after attending a wedding in Wisconsin.

• 1st Wisconsin Omicron Variant Case Found In Milwaukee County, via Milwaukee Patch
• 5 More Californians Contract Omicron Linked To Travel, via San Francisco Patch
• 5 Omicron Cases Confirmed In Alameda County, via Fremont, California, Patch

School District Tells Its Side Of Oxford Shooting

Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne sent a letter to school district families detailing the events leading up to a shooting at Oxford High School that killed four students Tuesday.

School officials were not made aware that a gun had been purchased for 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, who is charged with four counts of murder, by his parents, who refused to take him home after a meeting with school officials the day of the shooting. Throne also called for a third-party investigation into the shooting. >> Oxford Shooting: School Unaware Shooter Owned Gun, Officials Say, via Rochester-Rochester Hills, Michigan, Patch

A Pedestal Without A Cause

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday the state's intent to remove a pedestal that previously held a 40-foot-tall statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond. The state also will transfer the land back to the city of Richmond in order to streamline maintenance and upkeep of the area.

It's a reversal of the governor's decision in September, when the statue was removed, for the pedestal to stay. A spokesperson from Northam's office said it was important to do this before Northam leaves office. >> Lee Statue Pedestal To Be Removed, Land Given To City: Northam, via Richmond, Virginia, Patch

When The Market Zigs, Zag

An iconic "ZigZag" house with a sawtooth roof in Sarasota, Florida, is on the market for $3 million. The house was designed by renowned architect Ralph Twitchell and completed in 1959 with award-winning renovations completed in 2020. >> Sarasota's Iconic ZigZag House Hits The Market For $3 Million, via Sarasota, Florida, Patch

This Day In History

Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as vice president of the United States, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who had resigned.

Around 'The Patch'

• Morris Co. School District Will Get A Day off To De-Stress, via Toms River, New Jersey, Patch
• Lee, Lee-Jackson Highway Renamings Recommended By Task Force, via Vienna, Virginia, Patch
• CNN Fires Chris Cuomo For Aiding Brother Andrew With Legal Woes, via Across America Patch
• National Safety Alert Issued Over Wheel Defect On DC Metro Trains, via Washington DC Patch
• Tomball Football Races Past Bridgeland In State Quarterfinals, via Houston Patch
• Rittenhouse Could Get Congressional Gold Medal If Bill Passes, via Grayslake, Illinois, Patch
• 'Christmas Comet': How To Watch For Leonard And See Its Long Tail, via Across America Patch

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