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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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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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.
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Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday afternoon that Georgia’s first Coronavirus death was a man who had been at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
The man, who was 67 years old, tested positive for the virus on March 7, and had underlying medical conditions, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Health.
“Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the family and loved ones of this individual during this incredibly difficult time,” Kemp said in the statement. “I know the medical professionals on site did everything that they could, and I greatly appreciate their efforts. As our state continues to address this pandemic, I urge Georgians to remain calm and support their neighbors and communities. We are in this fight together.”
Older people and those with medical conditions are considered at high-risk for contracting Coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,600 lives, around 40 in the United States, and infected more than 125,000 people in nearly 100 countries.
Those in those high-risk groups—including people with heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease—are being asked to prepare to stay at home for an extended time to limit their exposure to the virus.
Georgia DPH is recommending that they have two weeks’ worth of household items, groceries, water and extra supplies of medications.
The agency also urged all Georgians to continue to take preventatiive measures, including regularly washing hands with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick and staying home if sick.
Citizens are also asked to regularly clean and disinfect objects and surface they frequently use.
On Wednesday the Georgia Department of Health updated its Coronavirus statistics to indicate 31 presumed or confirmed cases of the viral disease in the state.
Of those cases, 12 are confirmed, and 19 are presumed positive.
Cobb County has the most overall cases in Georgia, with a total of nine of the 31. There has been a second confirmed case in the county, while six more are presumed positive.
Presumed positive cases require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
An individual at Kincaid Elementary School has tested positive for Coronavirus, prompting a 14-day shutdown and cleaning of the school, starting today.
UPDATED, 2 P.M.:
WellStar Health System sent out this message:
Out of an abundance of caution for current concerns about COVID-19, Wellstar has assembled a team of infectious disease and infection prevention specialists from across Wellstar Health System who communicate daily to stay up to date on the latest developments and prepare for patient care.
All of our Wellstar’s facilities are open and operating under normal business hours.
Additionally, for the health and safety of our patients/team members, and following CDC guidelines, Wellstar has begun screening visitors at all of our locations for symptoms related to COVID-19, effective immediately.
Visitors should expect to have their temperature taken, have any potential symptoms reviewed, and will be asked about their travel history. Visitors who do not pass the screening will be requested to refrain from visiting patients until they have been self-quarantined for 14 days or all symptoms have been resolved. No visitors will be allowed for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have recently traveled from regions with widespread community spread of the disease. This process is temporary and is designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
Although there is still a very low risk for people to contract the virus, Wellstar is well-prepared to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve.
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The Cobb County School District said Wednesday it is closing Kincaid Elementary School in Northeast Cobb for 14 days, starting Thursday, due to a positive case of Coronavirus at the school.
The district statement did not indicate if the individual is a student, teacher or staff member at the school, and said it would not discuss specifics due to federal privacy laws and at the request of the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Nan Kiel, a district spokeswoman, said that within 48 hours of the closure at Kincaid, ”Cobb staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize the entire campus, including buses.”
She said that no other Cobb schools will be closed at this time. The Kincaid closure is the first in the Cobb district, which has 112 schools and is the second largest school districg in Georgia with nearly 112,000 students.
Kincaid is in the Sprayberry High School cluster, and other feeder schools include Daniell Middle School, Simpson Middle School, Dodgen Middle School and Walton High School.
In its statement Cobb schools didn’t mention whether other schools in the cluster or feeder schools that use the same buses as those serving Kincaid may be affected.
Kiel said that Kincaid students will be getting online instruction from their teachers “using a variety of digital platforms and tools.”
Piedmont Church in Northeast Cobb, whose members include families in the nearby Kincaid attendance zone, cancelled its Wednesday night activities.
Fulton County schools, with 94,000 students, have been closed since Tuesday due to a positive case of Coronavirus of a teacher at one of its schools. All but two schools in that district—two middle schools in south Fulton—will be open on Thursday.
More than 125,000 cases have been confirmed around the world, and more than 4,600 deaths, around half of those in China.
In the U.S., more than 1,100 cases have been confirmed, with 37 deaths, 24 alone in Washington state. Georgia has six confirmed cases, including one in Cobb. The number of “presumptive positive” tests has grown to 16, with six in Cobb.
Those test results still must be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
More than 100 passengers of a cruise liner off the coast of San Francisco have been flown to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb for quarantine, and more are expected. Cobb officials have said none of those individuals have tested positive for Coronavirus.
Also on Wednesday, changes were made involving many sporting events around North America. Among them are the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, which will be played, but fans other than family members will be banned.
The men’s Final Four scheduled for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta April 3-5 may be relocated to a smaller arena in the metro area.
The popular St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah also has been cancelled.
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Concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted Cobb government officials to cancel some events and announce other related measures.
Commissioner Bob Ott (above) said Wednesday afternoon that two upcoming town hall meetings he had scheduled in East Cobb are being cancelled “out of an abundance of caution.”
They were to have taken place next Tuesday at the Chestnut Ridge Christian Church and April 21 at the East Cobb Library.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has cancelled six upcoming SPLOST open houses for the rest of March, due to concerns over large crowds. The open houses began last week, and those scheduled for April and early May are still on for now, according to a release issued by the county Wednesday afternoon.
“Boyce considered this a prudent move based on concerns of residents and the desire to help staff focus primarily on protecting our community by handling other issues as they develop,” according to the county statement.
The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday and remains closed until further notice after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.
The county release said all senior centers, including the Tim D. Lee Center on Sandy Plains Road in East Cobb, will be cleaned on the weekends. Seniors are considered a high-risk group for contracting Coronavirus.
The county has issued travel guidelines for employees and established a task force that is meeting daily, composed of health, public safety and other administrators to address the continuing Coronavirus situation.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship near San Francisco have been brought to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb to begin a 14-day quarantine period under the auspices of federal health officials.
Another plane with cruise ship passengers is expected to arrive at Dobbins shortly.
There are six confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including one in Cobb County. That individual, who is in home isolation, recently traveled to Italy, which is on a nationwide lockdown and has had hundreds of Coronavirus-related deaths.
Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.
Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The county is asking anyone needing information or having questions about its Coronavirus response to visit its resource page or the CDC website.
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Fields at Fullers Park, where the East Side Baseball Association plays. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
Rainy weather postponed the start of the spring season for the East Side Baseball Association, but concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted the organization to put a hold on its opening day celebrations for now.
President Marc Glickman told East Cobb News that this wasn’t a typical opening day event, but was a celebration to mark East Side Baseball’s 50th anniversary.
The event was to have taken place this Saturday, after weather issues postponed it last weekend. The opening day event, he said, typically draws several hundred people.
“We’re still playing baseball games, but we felt it was the right decision,” he said. “We didn’t take it lightly, and it was a difficult decision, but we don’t have to have that ceremony to play baseball.”
The celebration was to have taken place at Fullers Park. East Side Baseball has between 700 to 800 youths from ages 4-16 who play there in various recreation and travel leagues.
There are six confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including one in Cobb County. That individual, who is in home isolation, recently traveled to Italy, which is on a nationwide lockdown and has had hundreds of Coronavirus-related deaths.
Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.
Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The three new individuals in Cobb County who are presumptive positive cases are hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. One of the Cobb individuals has a travel history outside the U.S.; the other sources of infection are unknown.
The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.
County spokesman Ross Cavitt said the library worker was sent home and the library branch, located on Dennis Kemp Lane in Kennesaw, is undergoing a deep cleaning remains closed for the time being.
County officials said Tuesday they’re forming a Coronavirus task force to coordinate preparations for a possible shutdown of county government. The plans would call for some county employees to work remotely and other considerations would include child care arrangements in the case of school closures and safety measures for first responders.
A child care center in Acworth also was closed after a teacher there had a presumptive positive test.
In a note to East Side parents sent earlier this week, Glickman said that “while the odds of contracting the virus remain extremely low, moving forward with a gathering event that is not considered essential to the main purpose of our league does not feel like the right thing to do. Our focus at this point in time as it relates to ESBA is to try to play as much baseball as we can and that’s what we will plan to do.”
Games have begun, and Glickman said a no-handshake policy is going into effect after games. Parents are being allowed to visit dugouts during games to wipe down their kids’ equipment and gear.
He said he’s received “very favorable feedback” from parents about the precautionary measures and that nobody’s pulled their children out due to concerns about Coronavirus.
The 50th anniversary celebration was to have included music, food, raffle prizes and other festivities. Glickman said a decision about whether to have that event will be made at a later time.
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When we asked a Publix Atlanta regional official a couple weeks ago about a new store opening at the East Cobb Crossing Shopping Center, she said she couldn’t comment because she didn’t have any information.
But a representative for the retail center’s owner, East Cobb Crossing LLC, is confirming that the supermarket chain is adding what will be a seventh store in East Cobb.
The Shopping Center Group didn’t give an opening date for the new Publix, at the northeast corner of Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road, and next to Dick’s Sporting Goods. The company’s website indicates a fall opening.
For now, there’s still a For Lease sign in the front window. The same goes for a nearby freestanding building that had been a Del Taco and will be a Five Guys burger place (below).
East Cobb Crossing got county approval for site plan changes for the Five Guys last fall. The Shopping Center Group indicated that renovations will begin soon, also with estimated opening date in the fall.
Publix has two other stores in the Johnson Ferry corridor: At Woodlawn Pointe Shopping Center and at Shallowford Corners Shopping Center.
“This new location is really well-positioned in East Cobb to fortify Publix’ overall foothold in the market,” Brett Fuller, senior leasing advisor and associate broker for The Shopping Center Group, said in a statement. “The Woodlawn Pointe and Shallowford Publix locations book-end this new Publix location.”
The Shopping Center Group, based in Atlanta, represents shopping center owners across the country, including Parkaire Landing, Providence Square, an outparcel at Merchant’s Walk and Village East in East Cobb.
Changes at Olde Mill Shopping Center
An East Cobb location of Atos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is headed for the Olde Mill Shopping Center at Roswell Road and Old Canton Road.
The opening is in April, and the academy includes age-group instruction for kids, a women’s only class, as well as adult classes based on experience level. There are also open mat sessions, camps and private lessons.
In the same shopping center, the McDonald’s that fronts Roswell Road looks like it’s closed due to a building overhaul.
There’s no indoor ordering or dining, but the drivethru remains open for the next several weeks while the renovations continue.
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More than two years after Cafe 33 closed near Sprayberry High School, a similar establishment is planning to open in the same space.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday granted an alcohol license to Siamak Mistaly, owner of the forthcoming Prestige Cafe (2595 East Piedmont Road, in the Sprayberry Collection Shopping Center).
There’s been a yellow sign in the vacant spot, a notice of appeal for an alcohol license that had previously been denied by the Cobb County License Review Board.
The denial was routine, given that the cafe location is within 600 feet of a school, park, library or place of worship, the minimum distance under county code for alcohol sales.
In this case, Prestige Cafe would sit 461 feet from the Masjid Ibad-Ur Rahman, a mosque at the adjacent Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.
Appeals of those denials are heard by commissioners, and at a public hearing at Tuesday’s commission meeting, commissioner JoAnn Birrell noted there wasn’t an objection to the cafe’s alcohol license from the mosque.
Several other businesses that sell alcohol are nearby, including Catfish Hox, Zama Mexican Cuisine, Willie Jewell’s barbecue, Kumo Hibachi Sushi, a Shell convenience store and the Sprayberry Bottle Shop.
Birrell also wanted to get more information about the Prestige Cafe’s hours.
Mistaly said the restaurant would be similar to Cafe 33 in the nature of its food offerings and will have more bakery-type items. In the evenings, it will be a hookah bar with live entertainment.
The hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Documents filed with the county indicate that the establishment intends to derive 60 percent of its revenues from food sales, and that IDs will be checked in the evenings after 8 p.m. for adult-only admission to the bar.
Mistaly said the establishment is a family-style operation that is family-owned, with the proprietors experienced in the coffee shop, bakery and bar business.
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Tony Waybright, a civic and school activist in the Smyrna/Vinings area, is the new District 2 appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission.
District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott formalized the appointment at Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting.
The vacancy occurred when Planning Commission member Andy Smith of East Cobb resigned last week. He’s running for the District 2 seat after Ott announced his retirement last month.
Planning Commission members hearing zoning cases and make advisory recommendations to county commissioners.
District 2 includes some of East Cobb and the Smyrna/Cumberland/Vinings area.
Waybright is active in the Campbell High School Community, having served as a member and chairman of the school council and being involved with other school-related organizations.
He also was the CEO of the West Vinings Civic Association and has spoken before public bodies, including the Planning Commission and county commission, on behalf of the Oakdale Alliance, a civic group in the Smyrna area.
Waybright will begin his duties in April. The Planning Commission has another new member in Alice Summerour, a former member of the Cobb SPLOST Citizens Oversight Committee and a civic leader in Marietta. She was appointed by chairman Mike Boyce and began in February.
The five-member planning board, appointed by commissioners, also will have a new chairman.
Galt Porter, who has represented District 4 from South Cobb, will be the new chairman. He succeeds Judy Williams of Northeast Cobb, who has stepped aside as chairwoman but remains the District 3 member.
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Temple Kol Emeth, a Reform synagogue in East Cobb, announced Monday that Rabbi Lawrence “Larry” Sernovitz has been chosen to succeed the retiring Rabbi Steven Lebow, effective July 1.
Sernovitz comes from Cherry Hill, N.J., where he was the founding rabbi of Nafshenu, an egalitarian Jewish community catering to non-affiliated Jews. He also was a chaplain for the Cherry Hill Police Department.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Rabbi Sernovitz to lead the next chapter of Temple Kol Emeth’s rich history,” Rachel Barich, President of the Board of Trustees for the synagogue, said in a statement.
Lebow, who became Kol Emeth’s first full-time rabbi in 1986, announced his retirement last fall. In November, he presided over his final Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, which he began as an interfaith community effort in the wake of 9/11.
“Temple Kol Emeth is an important part of the East Cobb community,” Sernovitz in a statement issued by the synagogue. “Rabbi Lebow has built an inclusive Jewish community that truly stands for something, and I’m eager to help existing members and new unaffiliated families find spirituality, connect and help to repair the world.”
Lebow’s community activities included protesting against an anti-gay resolution by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in 1993. He was honored for his community service and social change efforts by the Cobb Citizens Coalition, Creative Loafing magazine, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the State of Georgia Holocaust Commission.
Sernovitz has been named a recipient of the Camden County MLK Freedom Medal for his efforts to bring South Jersey communities together following the fatal shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Lebow will become the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Kol Emeth, conducting occasional sermons at the synagogue. He also plans to continue service through teaching, writing and lending his rabbinic expertise to smaller regional congregations.
Kol Emeth will have a farewell celebration for Lebow in April.
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Another day, another Coronavirus update from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who said Sunday morning that Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb will be a quarantine venue for California cruise passengers as soon as Monday.
He said after late briefings Saturday night, 34 Georgians and other passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship are headed here, and that they will be “securely transferred.”
The release didn’t indicate how many more people will be coming beyond the 34, and how long they’ll be quarantined.
The ship was not allowed to port in San Francisco and was being detained offshore after two passengers were confirmed to have Coronavirus.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said Sunday he’s been in touch with the White House and the governor’s office about the arrival of the Grand Princess passengers and reiterated that “they are not people who have the virus.”
In a video presentation with several county health and public safety officials, Boyce said the Dobbins setup is “a contingency that has been planned for several weeks.”
Dr. Janet Memark, the Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said the quarantine at Dobbins is a “low-risk operation” and added that 80 percent of those who have been diagnosed are having “very mild” health issues.
She urged citizens to stay home if they’re not sick or feeling well and to take other precautionary measures such as regular hand-washing.
She also said the Georgia Department of Public Health has set up a Coronavirus hotline for anyone with questions. They can call 866-782-4584 to get more information, and the agency has provided this information and prevention tip sheet.
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After losing a big lead and some of their poise, the Wheeler Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.
Facing the 30-1 Grayson Rams, who had beaten them earlier this season and were ranked No. 2 in a national poll, the Wildcats climbed back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Macon Coliseum.
Then, with one second remaining on the game clock, they got the clinching point they needed, on a free throw by Sam Hines Jr., to earn the seventh state championship in school history with a 60-59 win in the Class 7A finals.
Hines scored 28 points in a brilliant finish to his high school career, as he made 11 of 12 shots from the field, sank 6 of 8 free throws and pulled down nine rebounds.
The biggest of those points and the biggest of those rebounds came in the waning seconds.
He had made two free throws with 26 seconds to play to give Wheeler a 59-56 lead. But Grayson’s Toneari Lane tied the game with 10 seconds left on a long 3-point basket.
The Wildcats played for the final shot, as point guard Nash Kelly drove to the basket. He missed, but Hines grabbed the ball and was fouled.
Hines made the first free throw for a 60-59 score, but missed the second after Grayson called timeout.
Grayson’s Caleb Murphy heaved a long shot at the buzzer but it wasn’t close.
Wheeler’s comeback exemplified much of its play in the post-season. The Wildcats dug out a second-round win over highly-regarded Shiloh, held off Berkmar in the quarterfinals and cruised over Milton in the semifinals.
The Wildcats led 42-31 in the third quarter when Hines scored a basket. The Rams then went on a 15-2 run that extended into the fourth quarter, as Wheeler looked sapped of energy and couldn’t get the ball to Hines.
He hit a jump shot from the free throw line to cut Grayson’s lead to 54-48, then teammate Ja’Heim Hudsom scored on a three-point play to make it a 55-51 game.
Another basket by Hines and two free throws by Prince Davies tied the score at 55-55, part of a 14-5 closing run by the Wildcats.
Grayson retook the lead 56-55 on a free throw, and Hines lost the ball out of bounds closing to the basket on Wheeler’s next possession.
The Rams missed two free throws on the other end, giving Wheeler a glimmer of hope in the final minute.
Kelly was fouled and made two free throws, and Grayson missed an easy shot underneath the basket with a chance to go ahead.
Hines was fouled on the rebound, and made two free throws.
Even after Lane’s heroics looked like the game might head to overtime, Wheeler (23-7) found a way to win its first title since 2015.
The title was the first for third-year head coach Larry Thompson, who won two Class A private school state titles at Greenforest Christian Academy in DeKalb County and succeeded Doug Lipscomb, the architect of Wheeler’s powerhouse program.
Thompson’s mantra for Wheeler in the playoffs was defense, and trying to hold opponents under 50 points. While the Wildcats couldn’t do that against Grayson, they did just enough to bring back another trophy to East Cobb.
It’s also the sixth state title thus far in the school year for East Cobb high schools, as the Wildcats join Walton volleyball, Pope softball, Walton boys cross country, Pope duals wrestling and Lassiter girls swimming.
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Calls from public health officials to wash hands and keep counter surfaces clean have prompted a run on handwipes, including this Publix in East Cobb. (ECN photo)
Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that three additional cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia, including the first in Cobb County.
The governor’s office sent out a news release Saturday morning saying that the state’s confirmed cases now total five, following the first two confirmations earlier this week.
According to Saturday’s release, the Cobb County patient was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Italy, and is in isolation at home.
Another new case concerns an individual who is hospitalized, with an unclear source of exposure.
Those two individuals were tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
State officials also are awaiting further results from a possible positive test for Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Gwinnett County. The Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed it tested an individual diagnosed with Coronavirus in Floyd County, and that patient also is in the hospital, according to Saturday’s release.
The release (you can read it here) did not indicate how many individuals have been tested in Georgia. It did state that “the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low and there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Georgia at this time.”
Coronavirus is a highly contagious viral disease that originated in Wuhan, China and was first identified in December.
Since then, it’s spread across the globe to more than 80 countries, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.
Most of those have been in China, but South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy also have been inundated with cases and fatalities.
As of Saturday morning, 17 deaths have occurred in the United States, including two in Florida. Those were the first deaths in the Eastern U.S.; the majority of deaths and cases has been in the Seattle area.
The Cobb and Gwinnett cases were like the first Georgia cases, following travel to Italy. Nearly 200 people have died in Italy from Coronavirus, including nearly 50 in a 24-hour period, and there are nearly 5,000 confirmed cases there.
On Friday, President Donald Trump visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, after initially cancelling the trip.
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Kell’s sensational freshman point guard Crystal Henderson did nearly everything she could to lift the Lady Longhorns to their first Georgia state basketball title on Friday.
Weaving up and down the court all night at the Macon Coliseum, Henderson was a handful for one of the state’s best girls basketball programs around.
When she buried a 3-point basket with nine seconds to play in the game, Kell had cut Buford’s lead to 65-63. Kell then fouled Buford’s star player, Tate Walters, who made one of two free throws.
That left the door open for Kell and Henderson, who launched a long shot at the buzzer.
This time, it didn’t go in, and what had been a dream season for the Lady Longhorns ended with their only loss of the season.
Kell was 32-0 coming into the Georgia High School Association Class 5A championship against a team that had been there many times before.
Buford had won seven previous state titles, and was aiming for a fourth in a row.
The Lady Wolves got off to a hot start and led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Kell went on a big streak in the second quarter, led by Henderson, who scored 15 points in the first half.
After Mikyah Favors hit a 3, Henderson stole a pass and scored to give the Lady Longhorns at 26-18 lead.
The teams were tied 29-29 at halftime, and Buford regained momentum in the third quarter.
Henderson had been checked offensively until late in the fourth quarter, when she hit a jumper to trim Buford’s lead to 59-54.
She knocked down another 3 with 1:47 to play as Kell pulled to within 61-57.
With 29 seconds to play, Henderson was fouled shooting a 3-point shot and made all three free throws as Kell trailed 63-60.
Buford made two free throws on the other end, then Henderson connected on yet another 3 with nine seconds to play.
Those would be the final points for her and Kell, as she finished with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
While Buford (31-1) celebrated yet another state title, Kell figures to have a bright future.
In addition to Henderson, the Lady Longhorns will have back most of their top players under coach Tony Ingle Jr., who in his second season lifted them from a 11-15 record to the brink of a state championship.
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