COVID-19

Boyce: ‘No intention’ to close Cobb businesses; parks staying open

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In a video message Friday, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said he’s not inclined to declare a state of emergency in the county, even though two Cobb cities have done that.

The City of Smyrna has declared a state of emergency starting at 8 p.m. Friday until April 3, prohibiting gatherings of 10 people or more, ordering certain businesses to close and forbidding restaurants from providing dining room service.

The City of Kennesaw also has declared a state of emergency, though no businesses are being forced to close.

The day after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he will not ask businesses to close, or to impose a statewide curfew or quarantine, Boyce echoed the same sentiments for Cobb County.

“I have no intention of asking the board [county commission] to get together to require businesses to close,” he said. “If we give you the facts as to what this virus does and what we need to do to mitigate it, you’ll take the necessary measures to do that.

“I don’t think we have to close businesses for business owners to see that they have to make necessary adjustments to do things like takeout service, or to spread out the distance between customers so they don’t interact with each other.

“If in fact we think the virus is transmitted in a way that requires us to totally close the businesses, that’s something the governor will probably institute, or the president of the United States.”

Boyce said they have access to more information than he does, and urged citizens to get behind them.

He also said Cobb parks will be remaining open. It’s one of the few components of county government that isn’t being closed or limited to due to “limited operations status” that went into effect on Wednesday.

“People are simply going to use those parks,” he said. “That’s just human nature. They’re going to get out of their houses, they’re getting cabin fever. They want to go somewhere, at least for a little while, where they can have some comfort.”

He said if something should happen at a park, “we would have a presence there” to address whatever the issue might be.

Cobb commissioners meetings for Monday and Tuesday have been postponed, and Cobb zoning meetings for April have been postponed to May.

Cobb’s positive Coronavirus case total is now at 47, with one of 14 deaths in the state, as Georgia’s case number jumped to 485, nearly 50 percent higher than Thursday.

As for testing for the Coronavirus locally, Boyce said Cobb doesn’t have the number of test kits available to match the number of people who may have the virus. He didn’t specify a figure.

In his update on Thursday, Kemp said the emphasis would be on testing elderly and ill citizens, those who’ve shown symptoms and health care and medical professionals.

Boyce urged Cobb citizens to “take personal responsibility” to mitigate the spread of the virus, including social distancing, staying home if they’re sick and following other hygiene guidelines.

He said starting Monday he would be working from a Cobb emergency management operations venue to coordinate responses to the Coronavirus outbreak.

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Cobb Community Foundation launches COVID-19 response fund

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Cobb Community Foundation response fund

Submitted information:

Cobb Community Foundation (CCF), today announced it is establishing the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund. This charitable fund will provide flexible resources to non-profit organizations serving Cobb and meeting critical needs either arising from or exacerbated by the novel coronavirus. According to President and CEO, Shari Martin, the organization’s previous focus on fundraising for Cobb Community Opportunity Grants, inspired by the results of last year’s Cobb Human Services Needs Assessment commissioned by CCF, is taking a back seat to the current crisis.

“We are all in unchartered territory. We don’t know what’s ahead, but we know that as a community foundation, it’s our role to build and deploy resources to help our community get through this relatively unscathed, or at least as unscathed as possible,” she says.  CCF has shared on its blog, throughout social media, and in its newsletter information about many of the organizations that are at the forefront of caring for Cobb’s most vulnerable populations in the midst of COVID-19. Martin says, “For many in our community, those and many other organizations are that domino that keeps all of the others from falling, and because more of our community will need their help, now more than ever, these organizations will need our help.”

Board member, Kim Gresh, agrees. “There’s no doubt that this is the right thing to do.”  Gresh, owner of S.A. White Oil Company, First Vice Chair of the Foundation’s board and chair of the organization’s Events Committee, says that the Foundation has decided to cancel this year’s Partners in Philanthropy event, opting instead to focus the budgeted money where it will be most needed. “In the environment we are in, it just makes more sense to use that money to help the organizations that are out there helping people in our community stay afloat.” Martin agrees. “The grant checks are much more important to grant recipients than the fanfare.”

Al Martin, Regional External Affairs Manager for Georgia Power Company, serves on the board of Cobb Community Foundation and also chairs its Grants and Scholarships Committee. “Anyone can give to this Fund and know that, other than credit card fees which don’t come to us, 100% of their contribution will be distributed to non-profits meeting critical needs.” According to Mr. Martin, the process to receive a grant is going to be quick and painless. “These organizations have enough to take care of without having to fill out some long application.”

In addition to offering an opportunity to contribute to the Fund, CCF is also urging its own donors to look for opportunities to support local nonprofits currently addressing critical needs, organizations such as Sweetwater Mission, MUST Ministries, Center for Family Resources, Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, The Zone, and others, by making direct contributions. General contributions provide the greatest amount of flexibility for non-profits, which is particularly important at a time when needs are rapidly changing.

“Non-profits are not only dealing with more clients with more needs, they are also having to deal with postponed events,” Shari Martin says. “They are having to handle more with much less. The Cobb COVID-19 Response Fund will help to replace those lost revenues, and then some.”

Details on how nonprofits might request and access general operating resources from the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund will be announced in the coming days. For more information and to donate, go to cobbfoundation.org.

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Georgia Coronavirus cases swell to 430 with 13 deaths

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Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

Here’s Friday’s daily status report from the Georgia Department of Public Health (it’s updated twice daily at 12 and 7 p.m.), and it bears out what Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday: The number of Coronavirus cases is going to continue to jump.

UPDATED, 7:50 P.M.: The number of Georgia cases is now 480, with 14 deaths; Cobb’s total is 48 cases and one death.

On Friday afternoon that number was 430, up from 287 on Thursday, and the number of deaths rose by three, from 10 to 13 in a 24-hour period.

Cobb County has the second-largest number of cases in Georgia. Friday’s total was 45, up from 37 on Thursday.

Another 500 or so test results statewide are part of those figures, according to DPH: 2,386 as of noon Friday, compared to 1,861.

Readers have been asking where specifically in counties these cases are taking place, but the DPH numbers aren’t that granular. As soon as we get more information like that, we’ll pass that along.

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East Cobb Coronavirus Update 3.20.20: Closings, town hall, more

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U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

We’re going to start compiling a catch-all list of closings, cancellations, postponements and other events related to the Coronavirus outbreak and community response to it as they happen and publish them during the mornings for the time being.

Like everything related to this virus and the local/state/federal and even global response to it, it’s all fluid, so bear with us. We’re trying not to overwhelm you with information but there’s so much that’s happening on the fly and that’s how we’re trying to share it with you as best we can.

First of all, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath is having a telephone town hall meeting Friday (tonight) at 7 p.m., and her office says the event will feature local health experts.

You can register at McBath.House.Gov/Live and you’ll get phone call when it gets underway.

A few event cancellations have come in since Thursday, and while they’re not immediate, we’ll mention them here in case you’ve bookmarked them:

  • Taste of East Cobb: Scheduled for May 2, postponed to a date TBA;
  • Taste of Marietta: Scheduled for April 26, also postponed until further notice;
  • Cobb County Master Gardener Volunteers: The organization’s signature events, the Annual Plant Sale and Expo (April 17-18) and Annual Garden Tour (May 9) have been cancelled until further notices, and reschedulings will be considered once health restrictions have been lifted;
  • Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center: All scheduled programming through April 30 has been cancelled;
  • The Art Place: All scheduled programming through March is cancelled, as is the April Gallery Show;
  • Wright Environmental Education Center: April 2 Open Garden and Bird-Watching event is cancelled.

Closings (temporary)

  • Intrigue Salon: Closed by the end of business Friday;
  • European Wax Salon: Closed as of Friday;
  • Frenchies Nail Care: Closed as of 3 p.m. Friday;
  • Orangetheory Fitness: Both Merchants Festival and Sandy Plains locations are closed as of Thursday;
  • Red Sky Tapas & Bar: Closed as of Sunday;
  • The Freakin’ Incan: Closed as of Friday;
  • Bay Breeze Restaurant: Closed as of Friday;
  • Three-13 Salon & Spa: Closed at the end of business Saturday.

Previous closings: We rounded up earlier this week.

Coming later Friday and into the weekend, two things we think will help better organize all this information, and give you a chance to help out local businesses: Updates on restaurant takeout/delivery/curbside services, and a landing page for all East Cobb News and other content related to Coronavirus.

How you can help

  • Cobb schools and MUST Ministries will be providing breakfasts and lunches for students needing them starting Monday at selected schools, including East Cobb Middle School. They need volunteers: Info and details here.
  • Mt. Bethel UMC and Johnson Ferry Baptist are coming together for a food drive to benefit MUST and Mosiac, a church and community resource center in South Cobb. They need donations: Info and details here.

Send us your news!

If you’ve got information to share about Coronavirus-related closings, cancellations, postponements or other changes, please e-mail us at editor@eastcobbnews.com:

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Cobb schools to pay temporary employees through end of May

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Cobb school board teleconference meeting
Cobb school board members and top district officials met via teleconference Thursday.

Cobb County School District temporary employees who are out of work during the Coronavirus-prompted school closure will be getting paid through the end of May.

Those are what the district calls “non-permanent” workers—in the nutrition department and after-school program as well as substitute teachers.

The Cobb Board of Education voted Thursday to spend $3.4 million to cover payroll costs for around 2,500 of those workers, who are paid through a different part of the district’s $1.1 billion budget than other employees.

All of the district’s 18,000 salaried and hourly employees—teachers, administrators, bus drivers, nurses, counselors, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals and others—also are being paid during the school closure, as their pay has already been budgeted in fiscal year 2020, which ends June 30.

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the substitute teachers eligible for the pay have been on board for the last three months.

“We have the ability to take care of our team members and our families and our communities,” he said.

He said district officials are not “taking knee-jerk action” in response to addressing the needs of those who work for the public schools, regardless of their employment status.

Having any sizable number of them without income would have a greater economic impact, since the district is Cobb County’s largest employer.

“I had zero hesitation about this,” Ragsdale said.

He was applauded by school board members who voted later in a 7-0 vote to approve the funding, which will come from the district’s general fund reserves.

The district has a $117 million reserve fund, and it’s not recommended to go below a month’s reserve, which is around $100 milllion.

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Kemp: No plans to close businesses, impose curfew/quarantine

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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday afternoon he has no plans—at least for now— to force businesses to close, or to impose mandatory curfew or quarantine statewide to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

In prepared remarks and in answering selected media questions from his office, Kemp said he is leaving it up to local officials “to take appropriate actions for their communities.”

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has forced restaurants to close off dining room service, allowing them to provide only pickup and takeout services. She’s also cancelled any event with 10 or more people, following public health guidance.

State and local officials in other states are also taking similar measures, especially in high population areas, to combat Coronavirus, or COVID-19.

Kemp said he’s reluctant to do that, not just because of the economic consequences, but also because he said Georgians were heeding public health messages to practice social distancing, wash hands and take other precautionary measures.

His announcement comes as the number of cases in Georgia skyrocketed on Thursday, from 287 confirmed cases, up from 146 on Wednesday.

The death count also jumped in the last day, from three to 10. Four of those deaths have taken place in Dougherty County, where four people died at a hospital there.

Only one death, the first in Georgia, has taken place in Cobb, at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Kemp also urged churches and other faith communities to conduct their services online. A Cartersville church has been linked to 18 COVID-19 cases due to having in-house worship. On Thursday, news outlets in Northwest Georgia reported that a member of the Church at Liberty Square, a 65-year-old woman, died at a hospital in Rome from respiratory failure.

Another member of that church, a school principal in Cave Spring, near Rome, was hospitalized, and his wife was on life support at Emory Hospital in Atlanta.

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In response to a media question, Kemp was asked if he expects the number of cases to go “way up.”

“I absolutely do,” he said, noting that the more people are tested, the more positive tests will result.

He also stressed what his office has been saying for the last few days—that testing for Coronavirus for now will be prioritized for vulnerable groups as well as health care providers and first responders.

“The best way to serve the public is to protect those who are protecting us,” he said.

He said state officials are trying to get more test kits in Georgia.

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the Georgia Department of Public Health commissioner, said currently the state has 500 test kits, and that we’ll be getting “a large number” of additional test kits.

A private lab has been conducting about two-thirds of the 1,800 tests done in Georgia thus far, with DPH doing the rest.

The Georgia DPH also has set up a new hotline for Coronavirus at 1-844-442-4681.

DPH is getting ready to open satellite test centers across the state, similar to a spot that opened at Jim Miller Park in Cobb County on Wednesday.

That drive-up service is available only to those who have been pre-approved for the tests.

The state is setting up a separate facility in middle Georgia as a quarantine spot for patients who test positive.

Kemp said 209 passengers of a cruise ship that had been stationed off the San Francisco coast are still being quarantined at Dobbins Air Reserve in Cobb. A total of 487 passengers were transported there; the governor said those remaining will be able to go home when it is deemed safe for them to do so.

Another location being used for quarantine purposes is the former Radisson Hotel on the South Marietta Parkway at I-75. Patients going there are those from metro Atlanta who have tested positive for COVID-19 but don’t require medical attention.

“Despite all of the unknowns, we are preparing for any scenario,” Kemp said.

 

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Cobb Coronavirus cases climb to 37; 10 deaths reported in Georgia

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Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

Nine more cases of Coronavirus were reported in Cobb County on Thursday, with the count moving up from 28 on Wednesday to 37.

The Georgia Department of Public Health updated its daily status report shortly after noon Thursday, and across the state there are now 287 confirmed cases.

On Wednesday, the statewide total was 197 cases and three deaths. Seven more deaths were included in Thursday’s revised figures, pushing the total to 10.

Those are the largest rises in confirmed cases and deaths in a 24-hour period since the weekend.

Emory Healthcare reported a death at one of its medical facilities but didn’t say where; the locations of the six other new deaths weren’t immediately available.

Georgia’ death rate now is 3.48 percent. The first three deaths were a 67-year-old man at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, and a 69-year-old woman and a 42-year-old woman, both of whom were hospitalized in Albany.

Georgia DPH said all three had other medical conditions, but Thursday’s update didn’t provide any information about the circumstances behind the newly reported deaths.

Fulton has 66 Coronavirus cases, the highest for a county in Georgia, followed by Cobb. Bartow has 26 cases, 22 are in DeKalb, 20 in Dougherty (Albany), 16 in Cherokee and 12 in Gwinnett.

The number of Georgians tested for Coronavirus is 1,831, and Georgia DPH was expanding testing to health care providers, first responders and those at high risk or who had shown symptoms of the disease and had been referred by physicians.

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Cobb schools to provide student meals for rest of school year

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New East Cobb Middle School

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced Thursday that the Cobb County School District is working with MUST Ministries to provide breakfasts and lunches to any students who need them for the rest of the school year.

During a teleconferenced school board work session, Ragsdale said that students may pick up a week’s worth of those meals each Monday, starting this coming Monday, March 23, at one of eight schools in the district, including East Cobb Middle School.

Only the student will be provided the food, and each student must be present to receive the meals. Ragsdale said students will not have to show their IDs.

The meals will be prepared by the school district’s food services staff, and MUST Ministries volunteers will deliver the food boxes on a drive-through basis in front of the school buildings.

The pickup times are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the following locations:

  • Acworth Elementary School (4220 Cantrell Road, Acworth)
  • Bryant Elementary School (6800 Factory Shoals Road, Mableton)
  • Campbell HS (5265 Ward Street, Smyrna)
  • Compton Elementary School (3450 New Macland Road, Powder Springs)
  • East Cobb Middle School (825 Terrell Mill Road, Marietta)
  • Garrett Middle School (5235 Austell-Powder Springs Road, Austell)
  • Osborne High (2451 Favor Road, Marietta)
  • Riverside Intermediate School (285 South Gordon Road, Mableton)

Those schools have more than 50 percent of their students receiving reduced or free lunches.

Future pickups will continue to take place each Monday at those same locations and during those same hours.

Cobb and other public school districts and universities in Georgia are closed until March 31 at the order of Gov. Brian Kemp.

During Thursday’s work session, there was no discussion about how long the closures may last beyond that.

But Cobb school officials are clearly preparing for it to be much longer.

Later Thursday the school board was being asked to spend $3.4 million from the general fund to pay after-school program and nutritional workers and substitute teachers through the end of May, when the Cobb academic year ends.

As for the upcoming student meal provisions, Ragsdale said Cobb schools food service workers will be in kitchens with 10 or fewer people, per CDC guidelines on social distancing. MUST volunteers will pick up the food at the cafeteria doors, then provide them to students curbside.

Volunteers for the school meal program are needed, and you can sign up here on the MUST Ministries website.

The food service program is a continuation of a partnership between Cobb schools and MUST Ministries, which have set up times for special family food boxes to be picked this week at several locations.

That food comes from 29 school pantries, which were open starting Wednesday.

On Friday, those needing food may come by the following locations in East Cobb between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.:

  • 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).

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Cobb Police limiting certain call responses; closing some offices

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Cobb Police said Wednesday that they’re making some policy changes as county government goes into “limited operations status” due to the Coronavirus outbreak.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

A release issued by Cobb Police said that while they’ll still respond to calls from the public that require the presence of officers, those that don’t will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

“In such cases residents may, after making an initial 911 call, get a call back from a police supervisor or an officer to make a report over the phone,” Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said in the release.

He also said the police department’s record’s office will be open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at headquarters (140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta).

The lobby also will stay open, but citizens are asked that if they need to get copies of accident or incident reports to use the department’s website or call 770-499-3900 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The department’s permit office is closed until further notice, and anyone wishing to or eligible to obtain an employment permit cannot get one until it reopens. Information is available by clicking here or by calling 770-499-3932 Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also closed is the Cobb Police evidence unit, which will reopen on April 7. For any items that may be needed due to an emergency (medication, currency, house/car keys, etc.) the number to call is 770-499-4128 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In Precinct 4, two Cobb Police Coffee With a Cop sessions have been cancelled: Thursday at the Janice Overbeck Real Estate office, and on March 26 at The Art Place.

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Georgia Coronavirus cases grow to nearly 200; 28 in Cobb

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Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

As the number of positive Coronavirus cases in Cobb County and Georgia grows, so do questions about the availability of test kits throughout the state.

Shortly after noon Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported a big jump in the number of positive tests since Tuesday, from 146 to 197.

In Cobb, there are now 28 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, or COVID-19; there were 25 on Tuesday and 22 on Monday.

Also on Wednesday, two more deaths in Georgia were reported, patients at a hospital in Albany. The first death, a patient at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, was reported on March 7.

According to Georgia Health News, no information on those new deaths was made available, but the report said around 300 people in the Albany area have been tested and are waiting for results.

The Georgia DPH daily status report shows that around 1,500 people have been tested in Georgia thus far, more than 1,000 in commercial labs and the rest by the DPH.

Cobb’s 28 positive tests are the second-most for any county in Georgia. Fulton has 49, followed by Bartow with 19 and DeKalb with 18.

The DPH isn’t breaking down how those with positive test results are contracting the virus, nor giving a county-by-county count on how many people are being tested.

On Wednesday, Cobb and Douglas Public Health began offering drive-up testing for pre-approved people in what it termed high-risk groups, including health care providers and first responders, as well as those deemed vulnerable to getting Coronavirus or who have shown symptoms.

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At Jim Miller Park, where that service was being made available, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce urged the public not to come to that location.

“We have a shortage of test kits,” he said in a videotaped message. “I don’t know how many are on the way, but I am sure of this. This is America. We’re going to produce those test kits.”

For now, he said, the available test kits need to go to those considered at the greatest risk for COVID-19.

“We’re going to have more people who have the virus in the county, that’s a guarantee,” he said.

He said those who are sick should stay home, and those who have mild symptoms should wait 72 hours. After that, they should contact their health care provider. Anyone who shows up at Jim Miller Park or other drive-up locations set up around Georgia by DPH and who has not been approved to be tested will be turned away.

Boyce also urged citizens not to got to a hospital and potentially overwhelm medical professionals there. He said he’s reluctant to declare a state of emergency if something like that were to happen: “I don’t want to use that option.”

The City of South Fulton was put under a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon, banning public gatherings of 10 or more and issuing a curfew. All non-essential businesses—beyond those serving medical and pharmaceutical needs—must close by 9 p.m. each day until further notice.

Residents there should also be in their homes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Cobb County government has set up a COVID-19 resource hub and a hotline to call for questions at 844-442-2681.

More about COVID-19 here from Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

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Cobb school board to hold public meetings via teleconference

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While the Cobb Board of Commissioners and other county elected and appointed bodies are postponing or rescheduling public meetings in the wake of the Coronavirus response, the Cobb Board of Education is carrying on with its scheduled monthly meetings on Thursday.

But they will be held remotely, via teleconference, for board members, Cobb County School District officials and the public.

The district has posted a message on its website that a virtual work session, followed by an executive session and a virtual voting meeting, will begin Thursday starting at 10 a.m.

You can follow the meetings on the CCSD livestream by clicking here.

Late Wednesday afternoon the district posted an agenda that includes a proposal to pay non-permanent employees (school bus drivers, cafeteria workers and the like) through the end of May due to the Coronavirus crisis.

Cobb schools closed on Monday and per Gov. Brian Kemp all public schools in Georgia are closed at least until March 31.

The agenda item, which will be discussed at the work session and voted on in the regular meeting, would use $3.4 million in general funding reserves.

The payroll supplements would include $1.675 million for defined active temporary employees, $1.5 million for the district’s after-school program workers and $225,000 for the school nutrition program.

The full agenda for Thursday’s meetings can be found here.

During typical in-person school board meetings members of the public also have a chance to make public comments to board members, but that will not be the case Thursday.

A district spokeswoman told East Cobb News that “given federal and state guidance about avoiding groups larger than ten and the meeting happening virtually, public comment will not be available.”

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More East Cobb business closings: Restaurants, theaters, retail

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Merchants Walk Cinema, East Cobb business closings

Following the news last evening that Seed/Stem/Drift are closing temporarily, here are some more East business closings and changes that have been announced since then.

If you’ve got information to share, please e-mail us at editor@eastcobbnews.com:

As we did yesterday, we’ll keep updating this throughout the day:

  • Aspens Signature Steaks and Seafood: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • Chicago’s Steak and Seafood: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • Williamson Bros. BBQ: All locations closed as of Tuesday until March 31;
  • Mezza Luna Pasta & Seafood: Closed as of Wednesday;
  • Merchants Walk Cinema: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • Park 12 Cobb Cinema: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • The Movie Tavern Roswell: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • Picture Show at Merchants Exchange: Closed as of Tuesday;
  • Ivy Lane Boutique: Closed as of Tuesday until March 29; online shopping availability coming soon;
  • Mansouri Dental Care: Closed until April 1;
  • K Squared Jewelry: Closed until April 1;
  • Kasha’s Hair Salon: Closed as of Wednesday;
  • LA Fitness: All clubs closed until April 1, including East Cobb locations on Roswell Road, Powers Ferry Road and East Piedmont Road.

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East Cobb restaurant update: Seed/Stem/Drift temporarily closing

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Seed Kitchen & Bar

Owner Doug Turbush just sent out this message:

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.

 

Here are some other community closings we posted earlier today, including Stockyard Burgers & Bones. Other East Cobb restaurants were scrambling to add delivery and curbside pickup services.

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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Johnson Ferry Baptist, Mt. Bethel UMC team up for food drive

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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 Mt. Bethel food drive

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.

MUST has begun an emergency food drive and will be opening up several food pantries at schools this week (Brumby ES, Lassiter HS, McCleskey MS, Lassiter HS), and and other locations, including Mt. Bethel UMC.

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:

  • Boxed macaroni and cheese
  • Dried pasta or rice
  • Boxed potatoes
  • Boxed cereal/oatmeal
  • Jelly (plastic jars)
  • Cornbread mix/meal
  • Beans
  • Small peanut butter
  • Flour/sugar
  • Canned pasta with meat sauce
  • Canned meat (tuna/chicken)
  • Canned Chunky soup/beef stew
  • Canned condensed soup
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned fruit
  • Canned tomato products
  • Ramen noodles
  • Crackers
  • Tea/coffee

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Cobb Schools and MUST Ministries to open food pantries

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New Brumby Elementary School

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).

The full list can be found here.

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.

If you’re interested in volunteering for this effort, you can sign up here. If you want to donate financially to MUST, you can do so here.

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:

MUST Food Rapid Response

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.

The CCSD also has set up a page called Resources for Our Families in Need. 

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Updated East Cobb closings: Businesses, YMCA, churches and more

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Stoclyard Burgers, East Cobb food scores

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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Cobb public health to offer limited Coronavirus testing

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Cobb coronavirus statement

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 government to go into ‘limited operations status’

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Cobb County Chairman Boyce
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.

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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.

In East Cobb, some restaurant owners were offering additional delivery and pickup options and changing their opening hours.

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.

On Saturday, he declared a public health emergency in Georgia.

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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Georgia Milestones, other state school testing suspended

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Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Scholars East Cobb

Submitted information:

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.

The Georgia Department of Education will seek the maximum authority and waivers afforded by the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies to accommodate this ever-evolving situation. Click here for the most recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education regarding assessment and accountability during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Other COVID-19 Updates

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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Coronavirus response: East Cobb restaurants add curbside services

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Johnny's Pizza, East Cobb restaurants Coronavirus

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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