Here at Seed Hospitality Group, our core purpose is to provide a place for people to celebrate, create memories and escape from their busy lives. This core purpose has proven itself nearly impossible in recent days, and we are faced with the most difficult decision we have ever had to make.
Due to the ongoing crisis regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it is no longer safe or financially possible to remain open for business. Effective today, we are temporarily ceasing operations at Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar. The community of East Cobb is our home and has rallied together in times of both celebration and turmoil. I expect this community to do nothing but grow stronger as a result of this hardship, and we can’t wait to be there for you when things settle down.
Rest assured, we will do the best we can to take care of our team and make sure they have a safe place to land once this terrible pandemic has passed. Stay tuned to our social media pages and website for updates on a reopening date, ways we will help, and ways you can help. On behalf of the entire team here at Seed Hospitality Group, we can’t thank you enough for your support over the past eight and a half years, and our teams look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Not long ago we posted this Q & A with Turbush, who celebrated eight years of Seed and last month, four years of Drift.
Also closing temporarily, and getting the word out tonight, is Aspens Signature Steaks and Seafood, which pledged that “we will be back to serving you, just as soon as we can.”
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With numerous organizations mobilizing to feed needy families during the Coronavirus shutdowns, two large East Cobb churches are joining forces to help out.
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church are partnering for a food drive.
Both churches sent out messages today that they’ll begin taking collections starting Wednesday through April 1 (weekdays only) to be distributed to MUST Ministries and Mosaic Church Marietta.
Mosiac is a church and community resource center in Austell that has partnered with Johnson Ferry Baptist on previous ministry projects.
The initiative includes volunteer opportunities to pack and distribute food boxes with Mosiac (you can sign up here).
The collection times for the Johnson Ferry-Mt. Bethel food drive are from 9-5 Monday-Friday, through Friday, April 1. Food items can be dropped off at the portico entrance of Johnson Ferry Baptist (955 Johnson Ferry Road).
Here’s a list of the food items (non-perishable only) they’ll be needing:
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A total of 29 pantries will open as early as Wednesday at Cobb County School District and other locations, as part of the MUST Ministries Food Rapid Response Program.
That program was put together when the schools closed over the Coronavirus outbreak; CCSD also made food donations to MUST to help get it started.
(MUST and CCSD have been teaming up to open food pantries at a number of schools, including at Brumby Elementary School, which opened in late 2018.)
Since schools will be closed at least through March 31 (per an order issued Monday by Gov. Brian Kemp), this is going to be a long-haul effort, and here’s how the pantry schedule will start out.
In East Cobb, pantries will open on Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following locations:
Brumby ES (815 Terrell Mill Road);
Lassiter HS (2601 Shallowford Road);
McCleskey MS (4080 Maybreeze Road);
Sprayberry HS (2525 Sandy Plains Road);
Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road).
Rev. Ike Reighard of Piedmont Church, also the CEO of MUST Minstries, said that “we are grateful to have access to the food in our 29 Cobb County Schools pantries and be able to establish a base for distribution. Hungry families from throughout the county – even if their students attend a school without a pantry – will be welcomed to pick up a food box to last about two weeks.”
He said the food boxes will feed a family for two weeks, and that boxes also can be picked up Friday 10-2 at MUST locations at 1407 Cobb Parkway North in Marietta and 460 Pat Mell Road in Smyrna.
The Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road) also is accepting food donations on Tuesdays, between 3-7 p.m.
The needs are snacks, pasta, cereal, bread, peanut butter, jelly, rice, canned vegetables, oatmeal, spaghetti sauce, water and other non-perishable foods.
The public can bring food boxes from 9-5 Tuesday-Saturday at the MUST Donation Center (1280 Cobb Parkway North), and below is a list of what’s needed the most:
A couple other things passed along by Cobb schools as part of this effort. Its non-profit partner, the Cobb Schools Foundation, is also setting up to help families in need during this period of “social distancing.” Details can be found here.
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We’re doing a daily roundup of businesses, restaurants, organizations and other closings as those are coming in at a rapid pace.
For now, we won’t be reporting on who’s staying open, unless they change their hours and services.
Here’s what’s closing or changing in East Cobb, and if you’ve got information to share, please e-mail us at editor@eastcobbnews.com:
East Cobb YMCA and Northeast Cobb YMCA: Closed as of Tuesday;
Stockyard Burgers & Bones: Closed as of Tuesday;
Dentistry at East Piedmont: Closed except for emergencies;
Episcopal and Catholic Churches: The respective Atlanta archdioceses have announced online-only worship (Episcopal until further notice, Catholic through April 5);
Atlanta Swim Academy: Closed as of Monday;
barre 3 Studio: Closed as of Monday;
CycleBar: Closed as of Monday;
NaNa Thai Eatery: Closed as of Tuesday, except for takeout and delivery;
The Hutch (rec center at Eastside Baptist): Closed as of Monday;
East Cobb Barber Shop: Open 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8-2 Saturday, no beard and mustache trims for now, per the Georgia Board of Barbers;
Merchants Walk Dental: Closed as of Tuesday, available for emergencies;
Piedmont Church of Christ: Online worship only for the next two weeks;
Adamark’s Jewelers & Silversmiths: Closed as of Tuesday;
Aspens Signature Steaks and Seafood: Closed as of Tuesday.
We posted this separately Tuesday evening, when Seed/Stem/Drift owner Doug Turbush notified customers that his trio of restaurants, known as the Seed Hospitality Group, was closing temporarily.
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The top Cobb public health official reiterated Monday that her agency is not testing the general public for Coronavirus.
At a special Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, Dr. Janet Memark said Cobb and Douglas Public Health is planning a drive-through testing facility at Jim Miller Park for high-risk individuals only.
She said those people would be, in addition to those in vulnerable groups (the elderly and sick), health care providers, teachers, those working in senior living facilities and first responders.
Those individuals were pre-approved for testing because of their high-risk status and after being referred by a physician.
The number of those being tested is not known at this time.
From a CDPH statement issued Monday night:
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath) or have been directly exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, please isolate at home. If your condition worsens, call your primary care doctor, an urgent care clinic, your local federally qualified healthcare center or in extreme cases, call 911. Please do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or health care facility.
The State of Georgia also has a new COVID-19 hotline for more information. The hotline number is (844) 442-2681.
Health care providers are asked to report the disease to 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584) and ask for a medical epidemiologist.
Memark said the drive-through testing plans are being finalized this week.
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Cobb Commission Chairman Boyce said mandating business closures would be a “last-step” measure. (ECN file)
Starting Wednesday, Cobb County government will transition to what’s being called “limited operations status,” closing most of its facilities to the public and having non-essential employees work from home.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners approved an emergency closure policy Monday at a special called meeting.
The commissioners also postponed their monthly zoning hearing, which was to have taken place on Tuesday. That has been pushed back to an indefinite date; an April 7 Cobb Planning Commission meeting and April 15 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting also have been postponed.
Department heads and public health officials updated commissioners about their preparations in response to the Coronavirus outbreak, which has hit Cobb County especially hard.
As of noon Monday, Cobb had 22 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, and Georgia’s total has risen to 121. Fulton has the most cases of any county in the state, with 27, followed by Cobb.
The new status for Cobb government goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and will end when County Manager Rob Hosack deems it safe to do so.
Most lobbies in county government buildings that are open to the public will be closed. Departments that accept payments will be making arrangements to collect via other methods.
Here’s what else will be changing starting Wednesday, per a release issued by Cobb government:
Lobbies that must stay open will limit access to indoor spaces and require a six-foot buffer between employees and other patrons;
Libraries, senior centers and recreational facilities will remain closed throughout this period. Outdoor parks will remain accessible, and any restroom facilities at those parks will undergo cleaning at regular intervals;
Cobb County’s administration building at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta will be closed to the public with access by essential employees only;
Cobb County courthouses will remain open to handle essential matters to ensure due process and to protect the community.
Department heads in Cobb government are to determine which employees are essential and which will be teleworking.
The zoning hearing agenda included 10 full cases to be heard, excluding consent items.
“These are public hearings and we can’t tell people to stay home,” commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb said. “We’re denying them their due process to speak if they’re uncomfortable coming.”
Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb said he’s heard from individuals who feel the same way, and Chairman Mike Boyce said having a public meeting while the county government acts to restrict public access runs counter to efforts to mitigate the spread of the disease.
A motion to postpone the zoning hearing passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote.
County services will continue to be provided, and Cobb public safety operations will continue to be fully staffed.
Also continuing is the Meals on Wheels program provided by Cobb Senior Services, according to William Tanks, Director of Public Services.
He was asked by Birrell about cleaning efforts at county facilities, which currently is done twice a year.
“This would be a good opportunity to do a deep cleaning,” he said.
Sharon Stanley, Director of Support Services, said senior centers are being cleaned daily, with a deep cleaning on the weekends and a “misting” of common areas.
Deep cleaning is being done when there’s a facility with a suspected exposure, as was the case last week at the West Cobb Regional Library.
She said that if there’s a confirmed exposure, a third-party vendor will perform a cleaning according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for Coronavirus.
When South Cobb Commissioner Lisa Cupid asked if there have been any confirmed cases at Cobb government facilities, Stanley said “we’ve had contacts” but no confirmed cases.
The Cobb Community Development Department is continuing with inspections but is sending code enforcement violations via mail and is delaying fines for business licenses not renewed on time.
At the end of the meeting, Boyce said he would be reluctant to act now on mandated closings of businesses.
“It’s something we don’t want to do, and we shouldn’t do it without close consultation”[from other commissioners],” he said.
Not long after he spoke, the mayor of Atlanta and DeKalb County CEO were considering mandates to close restaurants, as has been done in other states.
The Georgia legislature on Monday approved measures in a special session to give Gov. Brian Kemp increased powers to address the Coronavirus outbreak, but he has not called for any mandated business closings.
Late Monday afternoon, Kemp signed an executive order mandating that public K-12 and secondary schools be closed until March 31.
Cobb schools announced last week it would be closing, starting Monday, until further notice.
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As the COVID-19 outbreak continues and many public schools are closed to ensure the safety of students and staff, State School Superintendent Richard Woods is suspending the following until further notice:
State assessment window/administration (including Georgia Milestones EOGs and EOCs, the Georgia Alternate Assessment/GAA 2.0, and all other required testing
Teacher and leader evaluation (TKES/LKES) requirements and reporting
State-level attendance-related consequences (including CCRPI, TKES/LKES, School Climate Star Rating, and make-up day requirements)
“Right now, schools’ focus needs to be on the safety of their students and staff,” Superintendent Woods said. “The focus should be first and foremost on health and safety, then on flexible and creative ways to keep learning and growing. It’s common sense: testing and accountability requirements should not place an additional burden on students, parents, and educators during this time, and they will not in Georgia.”
At the State Board of Education meeting on March 27 (which will be conducted via teleconference), Superintendent Woods will recommend the approval of a package of waivers, including suspension of the 20% course grade requirement for the Georgia Milestones EOC.
GaDOE previously announced that Georgia received waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend meal service flexibility, allowing schools to serve students’ meals through USDA-approved meal service options at state-approved sites within the community – similar to the way schools and districts offer student meals during the summer months. As of Monday morning, 102 school district applications had been approved by GaDOE’s school nutrition staff. Please check local school district websites and social media sources for information on how to access local sites.
We continue to post updated information, including student learning resources and a tracking tool for school closures, to gadoe.org/coronavirus.
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As the response to the Coronavirus outbreak ramps up, some East Cobb restaurants are doing what they can to keep business going.
Anticipating mandatory dining room closures that have already been ordered in other states, some local restaurants and eateries are offering takeout and curbside pickup and boosting delivery services.
All Chick-fil-A restaurants are now drive-through only, after the Atlanta-based fast food chain ordered dining room service closed.
Johnny’s New York Style Pizza announced over the weekend it is delivering within a 3-mile radius of its location at Parkaire Landing Shopping Center, and that UberEATS and DoorDash service is available beyond that.
Johnny’s also has added curbside service for customers who come to the restaurant.
That’s a service that other restaurants have begun as well. One of them is Righteous Que, located in the Piedmont Crossing Shopping Center, across from the East Cobb YMCA.
Seed Kitchen & Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar said it’s offering delivery services via DoorDash.
Rosa’s Pizza, located at the Highland Plaza Shopping Center (Sandy Plains at Shallowford), is offering a 10 percent discount for takeout and delivery orders, and is waiving the delivery fee for UberEATS orders.
The three Moxie Burger locations in East Cobb will be open from 12-8 p.m. until further notice, offers UberEATS and DoorDash delivery options and is providing curbside service.
Bradley’s Bar & Grill on Lower Roswell Road said Monday afternoon that “we will stay open until the law closes us down” and offers takeout and delivery services.
“Be patient,” Bradley’s said on its Facebook page. “We’ll get through this.”
Montana’s Bar and Grill on Johnson Ferry Road is continuing with its scheduled Crab Night promotion Monday night and St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday.
Brewster’s Neighborhood Bar and Grille on Canton Road said it is still open for business, and will carry on with its planned St. Patrick’s Day celebration Tuesday.
Catfish Hox on Sandy Plains Road is encouraging customers to order takeout or have food delivered, and is implementing a “social distancing” policy of spreading out diners who choose to eat in.
Workers there will be wearing disposable gloves during customer interactions, including any exchange of cash. The restaurant is asking that customers pay via credit card instead.
The Freakin’ Incan restaurant at Sandy Plains Village also is keeping its dining room open for now, according to owner Mikiel Arnold, “until we are told to close, but would prefer if our guests made the choice to order delivery or to go.”
Like many restaurant and small business owners facing dire circumstances in the wake of the Coronavirus response, Arnold urged the public to “please continue to support local small business so they can continue during these tough times.”
That message was echoed at AJ’s Famous Seafood & Po’Boys at the Pavilions at East Lake on Roswell Road, which also remains open and is offering takeout service:
“I would like to encourage our fellow neighbors to join us in supporting our local businesses. The impact this health crisis is making on our community runs deep— from our local businesses to the college students and friends waiting tables working their way through school to our local hotels and their staff just to name a few. Please keep in mind our local businesses. Shop and eat local—- support our community.”
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Cobb government officials said Sunday evening they’re closing a number of county facilities, including libraries, senior centers and recreational and community centers, in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The closures will be effective Monday, and coincides with decisions by local school districts to close.
In a release, the county said that “county leaders will monitor the situation and listen to public health officials before deciding when to reopen these facilities.”
Cobb Public Services Director William Tanks said that “our public health partners have made it clear that increasing measures are needed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We thought it prudent to take this action. It is our belief that leaving these facilities open while schools are closed will defeat the purpose of impeding the spread of the Covid-19 virus.”
The closings won’t include outdoor parks, which “cannot be effectively closed off to the public and will remain open for use.”
County administrative, public safety and judicial buildings will remain open, and in the case of the latter only for essential court proceedings. Jury trials are being suspended for 30 days.
Cobb commissioners will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday for an update on the county’s response to Coronavirus.
That meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. and can be seen on the county’s YouTubeand Facebook pages and Website, and CobbTV, Channel 23 on Comcast cable.
Cobb’s confirmed case number is now 19, with Fulton leading the state with 20 cases.
The only death in Georgia thus far was a patient at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
The Cobb County Public Library System put out its own announcement with more details, saying that patrons should not return items during the closure (including outside book drops).
Loan periods will be extended and fines will not accrue while the libraries are closed.
You can download e-books, magazines, streaming videos and other resources from Cobb libraries by clicking here.
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Some readers have wondered why there isn’t more information than raw numbers being reported, and that simply putting out those numbers alone is just alarming people.
We’re not trying to do that, but passing along the information that is being provided.
Some of the Georgia DPH updates have included how those people testing positive for the disease may have gotten it—travel overseas, etc.—but the figures in those daily status reports don’t contain that.
When we get more of those details, we will include them, and will try to explain them and put them into context as best we can. Bear with this; this is new and uncharted territory for government agencies, health experts, the public, the news media and everyone else, and it’s fast-moving.
Our purpose isn’t to do a daily report with just the new case numbers and nothing else, but to illustrate how fast that total is climbing, and what public health officials and government agencies are doing in response.
As the number of people being tested grows, so will the number of confirmed cases. We still aren’t being told how many people are being tested in Georgia, only that state health labs have the capacity to process 100 specimens a day.
The goal by the end of that week is 200 specimens a day, but without a better understanding of how widespread the testing is, those numbers don’t mean much.
There’s still so much about Coronavirus that we don’t understand and are trying to grapple with on the fly. At East Cobb News we do a lot of real-time reporting and updates and have every intent to expand on the raw numbers and latest developments.
Our main objective is help our community better understand what is happening, and how to navigate what’s becoming a dramatic new normal for all of us, and for some time to come.
Per Gov. Brian Kemp’s address on Saturday, Georgia is in a public health emergency. He has asked the legislature to convene Monday for a special session to ratify executive orders to address the crisis, including calling up the Georgia National Guard.
Also on Monday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will be holding a special meeting to be briefed on the county’s response. That meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. and can be seen on the county’s YouTubeand Facebook pages and Website, and CobbTV, Channel 23 on Comcast cable.
We’ll be reporting on that, and in the coming days we’ll be updating other community responses, including how you can help those in need during this crisis, what’s happening to those people who think they may have Coronavirus, how local businesses are faring and how citizens, families and organizations are practicing “social distancing.”
If you have any questions, suggestions or news tips related to covering Coronavirus as it affects us here in East Cobb and the larger Cobb community, please get in touch: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Georgia’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak has prompted a delay in the state’s presidential primary.
Early voting has been underway since March 2 for the March 24 primary, which has now been pushed back to May 19.
That announcement was made Saturday by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (here’s his full statement).
May 19 is the date of Georgia’s general primary, which includes all other federal, state and local candidates.
“Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, their families, and the community at large,” Raffensperger said. “Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend the voting in the Presidential Preference Primary, and the local elections associated with them, and roll them into the already scheduled May 19 General Primary.”
Raffensperger said early voting would be halted for now.
He said one of the main concerns is conducting elections with a high number of poll workers 70 and older, and who are considered in a high-risk group because of their age.
On Saturday, Louisiana’s presidential primary, scheduled for April 4, was delayed to June 20.
The decision to delay the Georgia presidential primary came hours after Gov. Brian Kemp declared a public health emergency in the state. He also issued an executive order to call up as many as 2,000 Georgia National Guard troops in response to the situation.
Georgia’s positive tests for Coronavirus jumped from 42 on Friday to 66 Saturday; and Cobb’s nearly doubled in that time, from 8 to 15, the highest number of cases for any county in the state.
Cobb also has Georgia’s only Coronavirus-related death, a 67-year-old man who was being treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital and had other medical issues.
Early voting in Cobb was to have expanded beyond the Cobb Elections main office in Marietta next week, including polling locations at the East Cobb Government Service Center, the Tim D. Lee Senior Center and Noonday Baptist Church.
Early voting did take place Saturday at the East Cobb Government Service Center, located on Lower Roswell Road.
According to Cobb Elections, 8,223 people have voted in Cobb during the early voting period through Thursday, 6,623 in the Democratic primary, and 1,600 in the Republican primary.
Another 5,461 absentee ballots have been issued, with 2,367 returned. Most of those ballots also have been Democratic.
Incumbent President Donald Trump is the only name on the Georgia GOP ballot, and former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are the only remaining major candidates still vying for the Democratic nomination.
Since winning the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29, Biden has won 14 other state primaries, including North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, and leads Sanders 890-736 in the delegate count.
The Georgia ballot includes several candidates who have suspended their campaigns, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Bloomberg have endorsed Biden.
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Gov. Brian Kemp said that the number of Coronavirus cases in Georgia jumped from 42 on Friday to 64 Saturday morning, and that Cobb County has the highest number of cases in the state.
UPDATE: That number is now at 66.
That’s the single-biggest 24-hour increase in Coronavirus cases that have been recorded thus far.
Cobb’s 15 positive Coronavirus cases nearly doubled overnight, from the eight cases that had been reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health on Friday.
Cobb also has the only Coronavirus-related death in Georgia, a 67-year-old man with other medical issues who was being treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
In prepared remarks read from his ceremonial office Saturday morning, Kemp declared a public health emergency in Georgia and called an emergency session of the General Assembly to meet at 8 a.m. Monday to ratify his executive order.
He also said he would ask legislators for $100 million in emergency funding to battle the spread of Coronavirus, mostly for public health and emergency operations.
His measures also would authorize DPH to direct actions “in extraordinary situations” to combat the viral disease, and would allow nurses from other states to be certified to assist in Georgia.
He also wants to lift regulations on truckers to streamline deliveries of food and other daily living supplies to stores.
His proposals would allow him to suspend laws and regulations and take over civil forces, even mandating evacuations.
Kemp’s actions follow a national state of emergency declared Friday by President Donald Trump, who’s calling for $50 billion for emergency Coronavirus measures.
In calling the present crisis an “unprecedented” situation, Kemp repeated calls for Georgians to take preventative measures to stall the spread of Coronavirus and enable the work of public health, emergency and medical professionals.
Earlier this week he called for the closures of schools. On Saturday, he urged churches and faith communities to cancel worship services or hold them online, and is asking Georgia employers to consider teleworking options.
“Georgians need to incorporate social distancing into their everyday lives,” Kemp said. Otherwise we risk a run on critical resources for the sickest patients in our state. Now is the time to act.”
Kemp said Georgia health labs are currently processing around 100 Coronavirus test specimens a day, and he wants to be able to double that figure to 200 by the end of the week.
Georgia Coronavirus cases by County
Cobb—15
Fulton—13
DeKalb—8
Bartow—7
Cherokee—5
Fayette—4
Floyd—3
Gordon, Coweta, Gwinnett—2
Lee, Henry, Lowndes, Polk, Charlton—1
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A judicial emergency was declared to suspend jury trials in Cobb for 30 days, starting Friday, by Reuben Green, Chief Judge of the Cobb Superior Court, in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
His order, which was handed down late Friday afternoon, applies to all jury trials in Superior Court and Cobb State Court.
That means jurors called for jury duty do not have to appear and that “only parties, attorneys and necessary witnesses should appear for hearings that are going forward.”
Court and legal proceedings deemed to be essential will be going on, and they are detailed in his order (You can read it here).
Jury weeks for the rest of March and all of April have been cancelled.
Green wrote in his order that while “the court will remain open for the public, they are encouraged to stay home.”
Anyone making a court appearance is asked to leave behind “non-essential people” to that proceeding, including family members, children “and, especially the elderly.”
Green also wrote that inmates at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center summoned to appear in court “will not be transported unless specifically requested by the Judge’s chambers, District Attorney, or Defense Attorney.”
Green wrote that anyone who doesn’t feel well should not come to court, and that parties involved in any case should contact the appropriate judge’s office to get an excused absence.
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The Cobb County School District sent out this statement Friday afternoon:
To continue to support Cobb students while schools are closed, the Cobb County School District is pleased to announce that the District is partnering with MUST Ministries to provide food to our students in need.
By partnering with MUST Ministries, Cobb Schools will be able to extend the support to the entire family, not just those students who attend Cobb Schools.
“We are thankful for this additional opportunity to partner with MUST Ministries. Partnering to help our Cobb families in need is truly an example of the community coming together,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale. “During this unprecedented time, there may be more families in need than just those who receive free and reduced lunches. By partnering with MUST, we will also be able to help those families.”
The Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services kitchens are making large food donations to MUST Ministries, which MUST will use to feed Cobb families.
“We are always honored to partner with Cobb County Schools year-round when it comes to taking care of at-risk children and their families. Currently, we serve 70 schools through 32 Cobb County school locations called MUST Neighborhood Pantries,” said Dr. Ike Reighard, President, and CEO of MUST Ministries. “With the schools closing and no access to the pantries, we have created the MUST Food Rapid Response effort to continue to meet the needs and expand to other families in need. We anticipate partnering with satellite locations to distribute family food boxes. While this is a work in progress, we hope to have locations and times settled by early next week.”
Currently, MUST serves 1,500 families a month through Neighborhood Pantries and three main pantry locations. The MUST Food Rapid Response program will expand that reach.
For more information about the MUST Food Rapid Response program including pick-up locations, times, and other details will be available on the MUST Ministries website next week.
MUST has put together a list of what it’s going to need in particular while school’s out:
Beef stew
canned green beans
dry milk (carton)
pinto or baked beans
canned pasta
pasta bags
canned carrots
canned tuna
Chunky soup
canned corn
other beans;
canned potatoes
canned tomatoes
mac & cheese boxes
canned mixed vegetables
canned peaches and fruit
oatmeal bag/rice bag
These non-perishable food donations at 1280 Field Parkway in Marietta; you can also give financially by going to mustministries.com/give-help.
You can also buy food on the MUST list from Amazon by clicking here.
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Mt Zion United Methodist Church is among the East Cobb churches cancelling Sunday services.
We’re starting to get word about closings, cancellations and changes to the service and activity schedules at East Cobb churches and faith communities.
The following is a running list that will be continuously updated. If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community (religious or otherwise), let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.
Be advised that this information is subject to change; many of the following faith communities frequently update their Facebook pages:
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church: Sunday, March 15 services will continue, but without communion, except by individual request; services also will be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel; Sunday school classes are cancelled for March 15 and 22;
Catholic Church of St. Ann: Only Masses, weddings, funerals and reconciliation will take place through the end of March; live-streaming is available for 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday Masses;
Chattahoochee Baptist Church: Online services only March 15 and 22; group activities and meetings cancelled through March 27;
Chestnut Ridge Christian Church: In-person services are cancelled through the end of March; live-streaming is available for the 11 a.m. Sunday service;
Christ Orthodox Presbyterian: Sunday services are cancelled for March 15;
Congregation Etz Chaim: Shabbat Sasson service scheduled for Friday, March 13 is scheduled to take place, but a Shabbat Sasson dinner to follow has been cancelled; the preschool will be closed starting Monday until further notice;
East Cobb Church of Christ: All Sunday services cancelled March 15 and Wednesday services and activities are cancelled until further notice;
East Cobb Islamic Center: Jumu’ah prayer and all other programs cancelled indefinitely;
East Cobb UMC: Sunday worship services March 15 and activities next week are cancelled;
Eastminster Presbyterian Church: Worship services for March 15 have been cancelled;
Eastside Baptist Church: Regular Sunday worship services on Sunday, March 15, will be held, but members are encouraged to watch online; preschool and weekday activities cancelled;
Emerson Universalist Unitarian Congregation: All services and gatherings are suspended until further notice;
Faith Lutheran Church: All services and activities are cancelled for March 15;
Holy Family Catholic Church: Lenten Fish Fry for Friday, March 13 is cancelled; all faith formation classes are cancelled; Mass services will continue as schedule on Sunday, March 15;
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church: This Sunday’s worship services will be held as scheduled, but Sunday school classes are cancelled;
Hope Presbyterian Church: 11 a.m. Sunday worship service is on, but Sunday school and Sunday evening worship is cancelled for March 15 and 22;
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church: Two services will be available online this Sunday, March 15, 8:30 a.m. traditional in the sanctuary and 9:50 a.m. modern in the Activities Center. Both services will be live-streamed; preschool Bible study will go on at the same times. No adult, student or children’s Sunday Bible studies and no Kids Church. Starting Monday, all other regularly scheduled ministry and programming events will be suspended until further notice;
Lutheran Church of the Incarnation: Sunday, March 15 service is still scheduled; future services and activities to be determined;
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection: Sunday services for March 15 and 22 have been cancelled; all meetings and group activities are cancelled through March 28;
Mt. Bethel UMC: Services will be online only on March 15 and 22 and will be streamed starting at 11 a.m.;
Mt. Paran North Church of God: Online service only on Sunday, March 15, at 11:15 a.m.;
Mt. Zion UMC: All activities and March 15 Sunday worship services are cancelled;
Piedmont Church: Sunday online services only this Sunday, March 15, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. are streamed on the church’s Facebook page;
Pilgrimage United Church of Christ: A modified service will be live-streamed Sunday, March 15, at 10 a.m.;
Powers Ferry Road Church of Christ: Sunday and Wednesday services cancelled;
St. Andrew UMC: All Sunday worship services and Sunday classes are cancelled March 15 and 22;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal: All church and preschool activities are cancelled until further notice; daily evening prayer at 8 p.m. and one Sunday service at 10 a.m. will be streamed on church’s Facebook page;
Sandy Plains Baptist Church: All services and activities are cancelled until further notice;
Temple Kol Emeth: Services and Purim Spiel on Friday, March 13, will only be available as a live-stream event. No in-person programming on Friday; All other programming scheduled in the building for Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16, is being postponed or held online;
Transfiguration Catholic Church: All parish activities cancelled, including Saturday Seder meal; Masses, Stations of the Cross, and Adoration will continue as scheduled;
Unity North Church: Sunday worship services cancelled for March 15 and 22;
Wesley Chapel UMC: Sunday services March 15 and 22 and most other activities are cancelled.
On Monday the Cobb Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting to discuss the county’s response to Coronavirus.
That meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.
Earlier this week commissioners heard an overview of response plans, including the formation of a task force to include public safety, health and other administrative leaders.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and Cobb Public and Douglas Health Director Dr. Janice Memark later provided an update (below).
Georgia’s first Coronavirus death this week was a patient at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and Cobb has eight positive cases, including an individual at Kincaid Elementary School in East Cobb.
Those eight cases are the most in the state, along with eight in Fulton County, as Georgia’s count has surpassed 40.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday asked schools to close, and many did.
Private schools also are closing, in accordance with the Cobb closure, and the state university system and many private colleges also are closing.
More planes carrying San Francisco cruise ship passengers arrived late Thursday and early Friday at Dobbins Air Base in Cobb, where they are undergoing quarantine.
The first two planes totalled nearly 250; it’s unclear now how many individuals in all are being housed at Dobbins.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to declare a national state of emergency.
Cobb government has made a number of cancellation and closure announcements this week, and other events in Cobb also have been called off. Here’s the most updated list the county is sending out for now:
The Cat Art Show at the Art Place-Mountain View scheduled for March 28 has been cancelled;
The Bellpoint Gem Show organizer has canceled March 13-15 shows at the Cobb Civic Center;
Peach State Roller Derby opening matches on March 28 at the Cobb Civic Center are cancelled;
Georgia Ballet’s production of COPPELIA at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre March 19-22 has been canceled.
The SPLOST Oversight Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 19 has been cancelled;
The 2020 Cobb Spring Book Sale scheduled for March 13-15, at the Cobb Civic Center has been cancelled;
Spring Arts Fest scheduled for Saturday, March 21 has been cancelled;
The “Airplanes and Aircrews” event on March 21 at the Aviation Wing has been postponed until June 6;
Cobb Library events are cancelled through March 31, and community room use by outside organizations at Cobb libraries are also cancelled;
Commissioner Ott cancels town halls scheduled for March 17 at Chestnut Ridge Christian Church and April 21 at East Cobb Library;
SPLOST Open Houses canceled through March 31. Public meetings will resume in April.
If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.
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The following East Cobb food scores from March 9-13 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for details of the inspection:
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The Cobb County School District announced late Thursday that all classes and activities will be cancelled starting on Monday as the second-largest school district in Georgia will be closing due to the Coronavirus outbreak “until further notice.”
The decision was announced at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, not long after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urged public school districts and the state’s public universities to close for two weeks.
He said at a press conference that it wouldn’t be a mandate.
Marietta City Schools and Atlanta Public Schools announced Thursday that those systems would be closing for two weeks, also starting on Monday.
The Walker School announced earlier Thursday it would be closing, and East Cobb private schools Mt. Bethel Christian Academy and Eastside Christian School also are closing, in accordance with CCSD.
The Georgia General Assembly was also suspending the current legislative session.
Those closures comes on the same day that the state announced the first Georgia Coronavirus-related death, a 67-year-old man at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.
The Cobb schools announcement reads as follows, and this story will be updated:
The school closures include all school building activities, athletics/sports, extracurricular school activities, and trips.
While our school buildings will be closed, the education process will not stop. All staff will work remotely to best support students, including delivering digital and physical instructional resources to students while they’re at home.
We know that you may have questions regarding how the school closure will impact you, and we will work to provide you the answers.
We will continue to keep our community updated on the next steps during the school closure process as we turn to our digital learning resources.
More information will be communicated on Friday, March 13 to all our families and staff. Please continue to stay updated on www.cobbk12.org/covid/.
If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News
All programs and events at Cobb library branches are cancelled until the end of March.
A wide variety of cancellations and other measures relating to the Coronavirus response have been announced on Thursday in Cobb County.
The Walker School, a private school on Cobb Parkway and Allgood Road, announced Thursday it would be closing Friday “until further notice.”
A message released by the school said there were no Coronavirus cases there, but said the decision was made “based on our top priority to protect the health and safety of our students, families and employees and by our communal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Friday and Monday are professional development days for faculty and staff at Walker, which has nearly 900 K-12 students.
The Walker message further stressed, in all bold lettering, that “school closures will not be effective unless they are accompanied by social distancing strategies.”
Georgia’s first death due to Coronavirus was a 67-year-old man who had been treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.
State health officials said the man had other medical issues, and people like that, along with the elderly, are high-risk for contracting Coronavirus.
At The Solana East Cobb, a new senior living facility on Johnson Ferry Road, no visitors are permitted until further notice, with only limited exceptions or in the case of an emergency.
Health care providers coming there will be screened before being allowed on the premises, and residents must remain on the grounds except to receive medical care.
United Military Care, a veterans’ assistance organization on Old Canton Road, said Thursday that they aren’t taking walk-in clients for the time being since some of them are older and have “fragile medical conditions.”
A veteran with an emergency can contact the agency at 770-973-0014 and leave a voicemail with a return telephone number. UMC’s e-mail address is info@unitedmilitarycare.org.
“Our Veterans are precious to us; We do not want to facilitate the transmission of any potentially harmful viruses to those with underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems,” said a UMC message.
“Please listen to medical experts on how to manage this virus and do not fall prey to rumors and unfounded nonsense.”
Faith communities respond
Several places of worship in East Cobb are communicating with their members about precautions they’re taking.
Starting Sunday at the East Cobb Church of Christ, “we will not be passing anything during communion.” Instead, worshippers can pick up a container when they enter that has a wafer and plastic cup of juice. “These will be used during communion until the fear of virus is over.” the church’s message stated. “Members will deposit the used cups in the holders on the back of the pews.”
Collection plates also will not be passed around, but will be available for deposits in the front foyer. The church is also making available sanitized wipes at various entries.
In his press conference Thursday, Gov. Kemp asked that elderly people not attend worship services for the time being.
Library events cancelled
The Cobb County Public Library System announced that starting Friday and continuing through the end of March, all programs and events at its branches will be cancelled.
This weekend’s Cobb Library Foundation book sale at the Cobb Civic Center and Census events at libraries also have been called off.
School events on hold
Some East Cobb schools have cancelled extracurricular events.
Thursday’s Magnet Accepted Student Showcase at Wheeler High School was cancelled. There are no known Coronavirus cases at Wheeler, but the decision was cautionary.
So was the cancellation of the March Madness Parents Night Out March 26 at Lassiter High School. The event was for parents to see a showing of the Lassiter Drama Club’s production of “Sweeney Todd,” while students entertained their kids.
A forum for candidates running for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education is still on, and will take place Sunday afternoon at Pope High School.
For those who can’t go due to self-isolation or other issues, a recording will be available later at this link.
Questions may be submitted as late as 10 p.m. Saturday by e-mailing popehscouncil@gmail.com.
Absentee ballot applications
Cobb Elections is encouraging voters concerned about Coronavirus to apply for an absentee ballot, which will be mailed to your home.
Complete an absentee ballot application at CobbElections.org, print it out and send an attached image of the application and e-mail it to: absentee@cobbcounty.org.
Send us your news!
If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Black Swan Tavern in East Cobb has closed permanently, according to an executive with the restaurant’s ownership group.
Andra Galteri, a vice president with the Dunwoody Restaurant Group, told East Cobb News Thursday that the tavern closed its doors on Feb. 27.
She said she couldn’t say why because “we’re in a legal battle with the landlord.”
There is no sign or notice on the outside of the restaurant to indicate that it has closed. Inside, the tavern’s furnishings remain.
Black Swan Tavern opened in November 2017 at the Merchants Festival Shopping Center (1401 Johnson Ferry Road) in what had been the longtime space for Churchill’s Pub.
Two other restaurants occupied that space briefly after Churchill’s closed.
Galteri said business had been good at the Black Swan Tavern, but she would not elaborate on the nature of the legal matter.
A calendar item still on the tavern’s website indicated a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Tuesday, and other promotional flyers remained in windows.
The Dunwoody Restaurant Group operates eight English-style pubs in metro Atlanta.
A Pier 1 Imports store at Merchants Festival also closed recently as part of several hundred store closings by the retailer, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Merchants Festival, managed by Ackerman Retail, includes a Target store. Other restaurants there include Jason’s Deli and a Which Wich sandwich shop.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
