Chicago’s Dreadhead Cowboy Arrested
The Dreadhead Cowboy of Chicago, Adam Hollingsworth, was arrested Monday, September 21, after riding his horse down the Dan Ryan Expressway in protest for #kidslivesmatter. Hollingsworth will be facing multiple charges such as reckless conduct, aggravated animal cruelty, disobeying a police officer, criminal trespass and obstruction of traffic. According to WGN, Hollingsworth rode his horse down the expressway with a motorcycle escort to raise attention to young children injured or killed by gun violence. It was also said that Hollingsworth was first brought in to ride his horse around Chicago in July by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to spread the word of filling out the 2020 census. The mayor’s office spoke out against Hollingsworth’s actions saying there are right and wrong ways to bring light to issues, and this was wrong.
More than 276 Called in Sick Forcing Seven Public Schools to Stay Closed
More than 270 teachers of the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) called in sick, September 20, for the following school day. The reason for the absences is unknown; however, they are assumed to be prearranged. 20 percent of full time teachers in the district called in sick, forcing the KUSD to undergo virtual learning for the rest of the week. There is the possibility that the absences were in protest of the KUSD’s plan to start with in-person learning, even after seven students and three staff members had confirmed cases of COVID-19. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, around 1500 staff out of the district’s 1700 showed up ready to teach Monday September 21 as there was a push for in-person learning by students and families. KUSD was the largest district in Wisconsin to start the year with in-person learning.
Pritzker’s Family Exempt From Sports Ban
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has taken the liberty to ban most fall high school sports; however, his 18-year-old daughter has been permitted to compete in equestrian events across the country. Theodora ‘Teddy’ Pritzker and her mom have been traveling across the United States for equestrian competitions, despite Governor Pritzker’s ban on sports and travel and statewide lockdown. According to the Prairie State Wire, parents and student-athletes are outraged, with protests for a football season in Chicago and the state capital, Springfield. Prizker spent five million dollars on an advertisement to encourage Illinoisans to wear masks, even though there have been multiple reports of Pritzker and his family ignoring the campaign ideology of wearing masks.
Oldest Living Marine Turns 107
Dorothy ‘Dot’ Cole, one of few women to enter the Marine Corps in 1943, celebrated her 107th birthday on September 19, 2020. Cole revealed that women were allowed in the Marines; however, they were given clerical duties rather than flying planes or embarking on missions. That changed after the creation of the Women’s Reserves when women filled the gaps of the men. Cole served from 1943 to 1945 mainly as a news writer. According to the Independent Tribune, Cole was 29 when she enlisted in the Corps, at first entitled the oldest living female U.S Marine, now having the title of oldest living person to have served in the Marine Corps.
John Lennon’s Killer Apologizes 40 Years Later
Mark Chapman, the man who shot 40-year-old rockstar John Lennon in 1980, apologized to Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, 40 years after the event. Chapman was denied for parole for the eleventh time at a hearing in August. He describes his own actions as despicable, and is accepting of the fact he could be spending the rest of his life in prison. According to the New York Post, Chapman was a 25-year-old at the time of the murder, fascinated with the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” due to his connection with the main character’s loneliness and isolation, while also seeking ‘self-glory’ for killing a famous musician. Chapman reportedly has devoted his life to Christianity; however, he stated that if the death penalty was legal in New York, he deserves it.
Spanish Triathlete Redefines Sports Standards
On September 19, 2020, the Santander Triathlon was held across Madrid, Getxo and Barcelona, Spain. Spanish triathlete Diego Méntrida realized fellow competitor, British triathlete James Teagle, going the wrong way on the course and slowed down on the home stretch of the race to let Teagle pass him for his ‘earned third place’. In statements to Spanish news source El País, Méntrida said upon seeing the mistake he unconsciously made the decision to stop and let Teagle pass, because he was ahead of Méntrida the entire race up until he gave him the third place victory.
NASA Targets Mars As Next Space Mission
U.S. space officials have revealed that the moon could be the staging ground for future missions to Mars. In March, NASA announced their deadline for a return to the moon to happen by 2024, but President Trump signed a directive to order NASA to send astronauts to the moon, but instead with a specific goal of potentially reaching Mars. According to Space.com, NASA, while it is an accomplished organization, has teamed up with other agencies such as the Australian Space Agency to make the possibility of visiting Mars happen sooner.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies at 87
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RBG, the second woman to serve as a judge on the supreme court died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer on Saturday, September 19, leaving many across the U.S. in mourning. Ginsburg was a known liberal supreme court justice who was an activist for feminism, gender equality and more. According to the New York Times, Ginsburg was active in the transformation of men and women roles in the workplace, making her the icon for younger generations. There is debate as to who will fill her seat on the Supreme Court and if they can live up to the legacy Supreme Court Justice RBG left.
Kentucky Infectious Disease Specialist Dies of COVID-19
Dr. Rebecca Showden, a leading infectious disease specialist who urged the public to wear masks early on, died of COVID-19. Before contracting the virus in May, Showden led Med Center Health’s work in patients’ treatment of the virus, as part of the National Institute of Health’s clinical trials. According to the Washington Post, Showden stressed the importance of taking early action against the virus, as it does not discriminate. Kentucky legislators mourn her death, naming her as a “front line hero” in the fight against COVID-19.
19-Year-Old Pilot Fights California Wildfires
19-year-old Montana native, Ashli Blain, made a claim to fame after a photo of her piloting a plane to put out a wildfire was released. Blain issued her uncomfortability with the newly found attention, as false rumors circulated stating she did more than she should be credited for. According to the Billings Gazette, Blain only spent a day fighting fires in California; however, she has flown on search and rescue missions for the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s office, did commercial work and worked on wildfires over this past summer. Blain’s work has not gone unnoticed; Sheriffs, family and friends all detailed the professionality of Blain when she was in the air.
