'Always Helped A Sister Out': Roe V. Wade Lawyer Dies At 76

Good morning! It's Monday, Dec. 27, and that means for many of you, it's back to work after a short Christmas break! To catch you up on the weekend, here's a collection of stories from across Patchland that we'll be sharing with you:

• Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who represented Norma McCorvey, known as "Jane Roe," in the landmark case Roe v. Wade, dies in her Austin home at age 76.

• Holiday sales in the United States are up a higher-than-expected 8.5 percent in 2021, the biggest increase in 17 years.

• Winter weather and the spread of the omicron variant are causing delays and cancellations for airlines across the United States.

• The coronavirus continues to alter the college football bowl season as two more bowls — Fenway and Military — announce cancellations because of COVID-19 outbreaks among their teams.

Women's Rights, Roe V. Wade Icon Dies

Sarah Weddington, who argued the winning side of the landmark case Roe v. Wade at age 26, died in her Austin, Texas, home Sunday at age 76. Weddington went on to serve three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, provide counsel to President Jimmy Carter and become a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her law degree. >> Roe V. Wade Lawyer Dies In Austin Home, via Austin Patch

Holiday Sales Undeterred By Omicron, Supply Issues

Despite supply chain issues remaining prevalent and the omicron variant spreading across the country, holiday sales saw their highest increase in 17 years, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse. The 8.5-percent increase across the country outperformed expectations of a 7.4-percent increase. >> Holiday Sales Up 8.5 Percent Despite Supply Issues, Omicron, via Across America Patch

Omicron, Winter Weather Causing Holiday Air Travel Issues

Thousands of air travelers in the United States are experiencing delays during the holidays thanks to winter weather in parts of the country as well as staffing issues caused by the spread of the omicron variant. Over 900 flights into, out of and within the United States were canceled by early afternoon Sunday with more expected Monday. >> More Than 900 U.S. Flights Canceled Due To Omicron, Weather, via Across America Patch

COVID-19 Concerns Nix 2 More Bowl Games

More teams with COVID-19-related roster shortages caused bowl officials to cancel two more bowl games scheduled for this week. The Fenway Bowl in Boston and the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, made the announcements Sunday because of outbreaks on football teams for Virginia and Boston College, respectively. They are the second and third bowl games to be canceled because of the coronavirus this season. >> Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl Canceled Because Of COVID-19, via Boston Patch

Waterfront Elegance In NC Lakehouse

Inspired by the Hamptons, this waterfront house is the picture of elegance on the shores of Lake Norman in North Carolina. >> Wow House: Check Out This $5 Million Waterfront Home, via Cornelius, North Carolina, Patch

This Day In History

Charles Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle in 1831, beginning the voyage on which he would formulate his theory of evolution.

Around 'The Patch'

• Christmas Day Shooting In Alabama: 22-Year-Old Dead, via Birmingham, Alabama, Patch

• How We Found Holiday Magic In Another Christmas, Disrupted, via North Fork, New York, Patch

• Paying It Forward On Christmas, Church Members Blessed In Return, via Palos, Illinois, Patch

• Most Memorable Pop Culture Moments of 2021, via Across America Patch

• Amidst Tragic Loss Of Dolphin, Florida Aquarium Finds Reason To Celebrate, via Clearwater, Florida, Patch

• 'A Very Generous Act': $1,000 Tip Left At New Jersey Restaurant, via Barnegat-Manahawkin, New Jersey, Patch

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This article originally appeared on the Across America Patch