Pictured from left to right: Pat Smith, East Cobb Quilters’ Guild Community Service Committee, Kristie Naylor, Volunteer Services Coordinator, Cobb County Senior Services, and Lynda Bussolar, East Cobb Quilters’ Guild Community Service Committee member .
Submitted information and photo:
East Cobb Quilters’ Guild has a long history of community service. Members give freely of their time and energy to create great quilts and other items for donation to area charities, including Meals on Wheels. This past year, the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild donated 597 placemats to Meals on Wheels.
March for Meals on Wheels is a nationwide month-long celebration of Meals on Wheels and the millions of seniors who rely on the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to remain independent at home.
Hundreds of older adults and disabled individuals are served by the Cobb County Meals on Wheels Program staffed by volunteer drivers. Lunch is a lot more fun with a pretty placemat, especially with all of the beautiful designs.
An additional note: The group delivered 76 placemats in January, 32 in February and 108 total thus far in 2020.
Let us know what you, your neighbors or others you know are doing to help one another and those in need in East Cobb.
Just e-mail us: [email protected] with text, photos and other relevant information, and we’ll share it with the community.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday that public K-12 schools in the state of Georgia will be closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.
He also said he would issue a statewide shelter-in-place order, effective Friday through April 13, to combat the spread of COVID-19.
UPDATED, Thursday, April 2: The details of the statewide shelter-in-place order can be found here, along with the extension of a state of emergency in Cobb County to April 24.
Shortly after Wednesday’s announcement, the Cobb County School District put out a notice that it would provide further academic guidance by the end of the day Thursday.
Cobb schools closed March 13, shortly before Kemp ordered a statewide closure at least through April 24.
The shelter-in-place order will formally be issued on Thursday, including more details about what those restrictions may entail.
Georgia is one of the few states that has not issued such an order. Other nearby states in the Southeast, including Florida, are starting to do so.
Earlier Wednesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners heard recommendations by the top two officials of Cobb and Douglas Public Health to continue an emergency declaration until April 24 (it’s set to expire April 15) and to close “personal touch” businesses, like hair salons, barber shops and and personal care salons.
The emergency declaration limits the hours of non-essential businesses. Cobb and Douglas Public Health leaders also urged Cobb to keep parks and pools closed for now.
The number of Georgia’s confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically over the last week, to 4,638 as of noon Wednesday, with 139 deaths. Cobb is reporting 293 cases and 15 deaths, the fourth-highest total in Georgia.
Earlier this week, Kemp activated the Georgia National Guard to nursing homes, senior-living facilities and long-term care homes where COVID-cases have been confirmed.
On Monday the Sterling Estates senior community in East Cobb announced one of its residents had tested positive, and that all residents there are on lockdown.
During his press conference Wednesday, Kemp said state tracking models showed major increases in the rate of community transmission.
The same trends trends were occurring in Cobb, said Dr. Janet Memark of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, at Wednesday’s commissioners’ meeting.
The governor has been reluctant to order all but essential businesses across the state, since some areas of Georgia don’t have that many cases of the virus.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Both Cazadores Mexican Restaurant (Johnson Ferry Road location only) and Mezza Luna Pasta and Seafood have reopened for takeout, curbside pickup and delivery.
Cazadores is open at 3165 Johnson Ferry Road from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., phone 770-641-8625. The Sandy Plains Road location is remaining closed for now.
Mezza Luna Pasta & Seafood (2100 Roswell Road) began takeout, curbside and delivery service Tuesday with a limited menu. Hours are Starting March 31, curbside pickup, takeout and delivery from a limited menu Monday-Saturday 5-10 p.m. and Sunday 12-9 p.m., call 678-214-5856;
On Friday, Marietta Coffee Company (1598 Roswell Road), will start walk-up and takeout orders daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., call 678-765-8885.
Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q was among the restaurants that has closed and was planning to reopen Tuesday, but is saying now that a mid-April “grand reopening” is being planned.
Send Us Your News!
If your business closed and is reopening, please e-mail us: [email protected] and we will place it in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory. We want to help local businesses get back on their feet with this free listing!
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A few April events we’d normally promote on our Events Calendar are being called off, and we expect more to come in.
Among them is the Walton Chorus Spring Concert scheduled for April 21. All public schools in Georgia are closed at least through April 24.
According to the Walton Chorus Facebook page:
“We are hopeful that we will still sing these pieces and perhaps make in-class videos of these great arrangements to share once we return to school. Our student officers did a terrific job of coming up with this year’s theme and with song ideas. Hopefully, we will still be able to make this concert a reality, but perhaps in a different format.”
The organizers of the Pope Band Recycling Event slated for April 25 sent us word that that event too, is being cancelled.
We’re going to temporarily suspend updating our Events Calendar for the time being, until public outings are allowed to resume.
But, we do want to know if you have cancellations/postponements/reschedulings of events, so we can share them with the community.
Please e-mail: [email protected] and we will post those changes in our news blog as part of our continuing coverage of our community’s response to the Coronavirus crisis.
If your business closed and is reopening, please e-mail us: [email protected] and we will place it in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory (see the link below). We want to help local businesses get back on their feet with this free listing!
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta announced13 of its locations across metro Atlanta stand ready to provide high-quality childcare services for first responders, hospital employees, police department staff and other frontline workers.
“Our childcare program is open to the brave individuals who are working to meet the needs of the community, including medical professionals, law enforcement, grocery workers, and others who cannot work from home at this time,” said Lauren Koontz, YMCA of Metro Atlanta president and CEO. “In many ways this is our moment to truly deliver on our promise of service to those who turn to us for community and to those who turn to us for survival.”
Childcare is available Monday through Friday from 5:30 am to 8 pm. at the below locations. Limited space is available. Those interested in enrolling their child can visit spiritonline.ymcaatlanta.org to login or register. Once a location has reached capacity, the registration system will indicate that it is full.
McCLESKEY-EAST COBB FAMILY YMCA
Ages 5–12
1055 East Piedmont Rd, Marietta, GA 30062
Parents are encouraged to drop off their child between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and pick them up between 5pm and 8 pm. No children will be allowed to be dropped off or picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., except in the case of an emergency. Safety protocols set forth by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be closely followed, and children and the person who drops them off daily will have their temperature checked upon arrival. Children with a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will not be allowed to stay.
Children are asked to bring a water bottle and their own peanut-free breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Children are also encouraged to bring books and homework to complete during the day. For more information, visit www.ymcaatlanta.org/firstresponders.
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On Monday Smita Daya delivered 45 meals she prepared for health care workers at the Wellstar East Cobb Health Park.
The owner of the Olea Oliva! gourmet shop at The Avenue East Cobb, is staying open for customers who want to shop for her variety of olive oils, vinegars, spices, teas and related artisanal products.
But she’s also donating her time and resources to give a boost to those who are working around the clock to tend to those sick with COVID-19.
Another East Cobb resident, Alison Estella, who runs Rua Marketing, a digital agency, is donating her services for a fundraising drive that also is helping to feed medical professionals, at Kennestone and elsewhere.
Her GoFundMe drive started last week with a goal of raising $5,000, and she told East Cobb News Monday the outreach has netted close to that.
On Tuesday, more than 40 meals were delivered to the Kennestone ICU.
Lunches provided by Smita Daya of Olea Oliva! to East Cobb Health Park workers.
But she’s not stopping now.
“We’re just trying to get Cobb County residents to donate,” said Estella, who’s also coordinated efforts to feed workers at the Wellstar North Fulton emergency unit and the Northside Forsyth Women’s Center.
The donations are used to place orders with several local restaurants, including Paradise Grill, XenGo Fusion Sushi and WZ Tavern in East Cobb (see video below).
When the meals are ready, Estella coordinates their deliveries to the medical locations.
“There’s a dual purpose here,” she said. Medical workers are fed, and “it keeps small businesses afloat. They need the business.”
Proceeds from the GoFundMe drive are also used to provide a 20 percent tip to the restaurant staffers.
“These guys are still alive, and they want to be able to pay their staff.”
What Estella ideally is looking for is not necessarily a few major donors, but many donors offering a few dollars in smaller amounts.
“This is so easy,” she said.
You can also nominate local essential medical facilities to receive the meals, and restuarants to prepare them.
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has launched what it calls its Operation Meal Plan, which also solicits donations. Restaurants provide meals to be delivered to various non-profit organizations around the county associated with the Cobb Community Foundation.
The selected restaurants include Kouzina Christos in East Cobb. Here’s more from the Chamber about how to get involved in that effort:
For restaurants interested in participating in Operation Meal Plan, contact Nate Futrell, with the Cobb Chamber, at [email protected] and include the following information: point of contact for the restaurant, contact information and what the restaurant’s capacity is per meal request.
For non-profits in need of food for their clients, contact Melanie Kagan, with the Center for Family Resources, at [email protected]. After non-profits and restaurants sign up to participate, Kagan will coordinate orders between the groups, scheduling all orders the day prior.
For community members, groups or organizations that would like to contribute to Operation Meal Plan, all contributions are made through the Cobb Community Foundation and are tax deductible. Contribute here: https://bit.ly/2QNq6aB. Upon service delivery, restaurants provide an invoice so the Cobb Community Foundation can reimburse the at-unit cost.
Send us your news!
Let us know what you, your neighbors or others you know are doing to help one another and those in need as part of the Coronavirus response.
Just e-mail us: [email protected] with text, photos and other relevant information, and we’ll share it with the community.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb County government is asking for the public’s help in collecting resources using its Geographic Information Service (GIS) mapping tools about grocery store inventories and open businesses during the Coronavirus crisis.
A message that’s been sent out explains the purpose, and asks that you submit what you see at grocery stores when you go shopping, or use an open restaurant for takeout/curbside/delivery service:
“We want to help as many Cobb businesses to survive as possible, and we’re using the power of the people to spread the word!
“Which restaurants are offering take out? Go to our special map and let others know which restaurants are cooking up take out orders. Visit it here.”
Other links to be found there include what customers are noticing in their stores from the previous 24 hours in terms of paper products, breads/foods, produce, and crowds/social distancing.
Thus far more than 400 people have filled out the survey, and results obviously will change frequently.
Here’s the link to survey about to available restaurant options, with answers also to be folded into a countywide data source.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
While deadlines have been extended for such things as income tax filings, the Cobb Tax Commissioner’s office is getting out word that the April 1 deadline for applying for a homestead exemption remains the same.
No fooling.
April 1 is Wednesday, and although the tax commissioners offices are closed due to a limited operations status in Cobb County, you can apply in the following ways:
Applying online for basic Homestead Exemption (only)
Downloading an application to apply for any and all Homestead Exemption types such as Age 62, State Senior, Veterans, etc.
Visiting one of our drop box locations to pick-up and complete a blank form
Visiting our East tag office to pick-up a blank form (available at the front door)
If you want to drop your application in the mail or at drop box locations around the county, here’s where and how to do that:
Mailing Address:
Cobb County Tax Commissioner PO Box 100127 Marietta, GA 30061
Drop Box Locations:
WEST PARK GOV’T CENTER 736 Whitlock Ave Marietta, GA 30068 Blank applications available at this location
SOUTH COBB GOV’T CENTER 4700 Austell Rd Austell, GA 30106 Blank applications available at this location
If you need to conduct other business with the Tax Commissioner’s office (including car tag renewals and property tax transactions, staff is addressing calls, e-mails and social media communications. For online options:
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb County government is getting out word this afternoon that the Board of Commissioners will be holding another special called meeting Wednesday for an update on the county’s response to COVID-19.
The meeting is at 2 p.m. in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government administration building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), but the public is encouraged to watch via the following outlets:
Last week commissioners meet in a special called meeting (above, observing social distancing guidelines) at which Chairman Mike Boyce outlined his intent to declare a state of emergency.
He did so later in the day, through April 15.
Monday’s message about the Wednesday meeting wasn’t any more specific than a general update, and nothing further has been posted yet to the commission’s meeting agenda page.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Sterling Estates senior living community on Lower Roswell in East Cobb is reporting that it has a positive test for Coronavirus.
The Sterling Estates website posted a message Monday saying that a resident who reported abdominal pain on Thursday but did not have a fever was tested “out of an abundance of caution” and that the person’s test for COVID-19 came back positive on Sunday.
That individual remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Sterling Estates management, which continued:
“We are in regular contact with the resident’s family. It is critically important that we treat this situation with the utmost confidentiality. We must adhere to patient privacy laws but will be as transparent as laws allow. Please be assured that we can and will take the necessary steps to prevent any virus spread while also adhering to these laws.”
The posting also indicated that any staff members with known exposure to the infected person are being asked to self-isolate. That individual’s apartment is being cleaned and common areas of Sterling Estates also will be cleaned.
Residents have been ordered to stay in their apartments until further notice. Their temperatures will be taken twice a day and they will be provided in-room meal services.
Staff members will be wearing gloves and masks and will have symptom screenings three times a day, including a temperature check.
Numerous senior living facilities in Cobb and elsewhere have been taking measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 because older people are more vulnerable to the disease.
The Solana East Cobb on Johnson Ferry Road has moved into “full apartment quarantine,” according to a message posted on its website Saturday.
The facility is owned by The Arbor Company, which has imposed a company-wide policy that includes cancelling group activities and classes and delivering meals to each resident’s apartment.
Senior living communities in Marietta also have had positive test results.
As of noon Monday, 245 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Cobb County, with nine deaths.
In Georgia there are 2,809 confirmed cases and 87 deaths. Only Dougherty County (17) and Fulton County (14) have more deaths than Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
In response to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily hours for availability of TutorATL’s online tutors expanded to 9 a.m.-11 p.m. TutorATL features personalized homework help and expert tutors in more than 50 subjects with bilingual offerings. On-demand access to tutors has doubled with morning and early afternoon sessions added.
Cobb County Public Library offers TutorATL for free to kindergarten-12th grade students with regular Cobb library cards or through Library Public Library Access for Student Success accounts. Library PASS accounts are offered to all Cobb County and Marietta City students. Student numbers are the keys to Library PASS access. For information, visit tutoratl.org.
Powered by Tutor.com, TutorATL is a service of ATL PBA and is made possible by the generous support of the Chick-fil-A Foundation.
Library PASS (Public Library Access for Student Success) accounts are offered to all Cobb County and Marietta City students. Student numbers are the keys to Library PASS access.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Kavita Kar, a sophomore at Wheeler High School, has gotten in touch to let the public now about a fundraising drive she’s started to purchase N95 masks for hospital workers in the Atlanta area treating those with COVID-19.
She’s set a fundraising goal of $6,300, and on Sunday morning told us she’s more than halfway there—with around $3,300 in pledges.
Kavita says the masks, which are coming from China, will be given to staffs at both Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta and Northside Hospital in Atlanta.
“We will be shipping the masks from the Guangzhou port. These masks will take 9 days to ship to our hospitals, and the sooner we can ship them, the sooner our doctors and nurses are able to use them.
Each mask costs $1.30 and $6,000 will help us provide for hospitals in our area. Each dollar that is raised will help a doctor or a nurse get through a day at work, a little bit safer than they were.”
Send us your news!
Let us know what you, your neighbors or others you know are doing to help one another and those in need as part of the Coronavirus response.
Just e-mail us: [email protected] with text, photos and other relevant information, and we’ll share it with the community.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced that all 6.9 million registered voters in the state will be mailed absentee ballot applications in response to COVID-19.
In a release sent out this week, Raffensperger said this is a temporary measure that applies only to the now-delayed May 19 primaries. Voters aged 65 and older and those with disabilities can apply to vote absentee through the primary and general elections and any runoffs during the 2020 election cycle.
A few more items to note from the Secretary of State’s release:
Poll workers will receive additional resources to clean the equipment regularly. In-person voters who show up to vote in person will be instructed to maintain a safe distance when waiting to vote.
These measures will protect poll workers as well. Understanding the extra risk Georgia’s generally elderly poll workers face, Raffensperger is working to help counties hire more and younger poll workers. Extra staff will allow those who feel sick to be absent from the polls without significantly impacting continuity while a younger pool of workers will increase resiliency in the face of the COVID-19 threat.
On Friday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston sent a letter to Raffensperger asking him to delay the primaries again, to a month or more, as the state grapples with a rising caseload of COVID-19 cases.
But Raffensperger has said the primary, which was to have taken place on Tuesday, will go on as rescheduled for May 19.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has started an Economic Recovery Taskforce to develop and implement a strategic approach to proactively drive our community’s economic recovery from COVID-19. Taskforce members will meet weekly via video conference starting on Monday, March 30th.
“Many businesses are struggling with the impact COVID-19 has had on their organizations and their employees,” said John Loud, 2020 Chairman of the Cobb Chamber’s Board of Directors and president of LOUD Security Systems. “We want to drive initiatives that will lead the recovery that this community needs.”
“The Cobb Chamber has been focused on providing resources, advocacy and support to help our businesses and community through this difficult time,” said Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber President & CEO. “This taskforce will help us take additional steps for a proactive strategy for economic recovery.”
Cobb Chamber Chair-Elect Britt Fleck will serve as the Chair of the Cobb Chamber’s Economic Recovery Taskforce. “We have brought together a diverse group for this taskforce that represents different organizations and industries in our community, especially sectors most impacted by COVID-19,” said Britt Fleck, Cobb Chamber Chair-Elect and Regional Director for Georgia Power. “We look forward to working with this taskforce for a strategic and thoughtful approach for overcoming this.”
In addition its kick-off meeting on March 30th, the taskforce’s first program is a webinar, “How To: Business Recovery from COVID-19” on Tuesday, March 31st at 10:30 a.m. Any business is welcome to join this free webinar by registering through the Cobb Chamber’s website at cobbchamber.org/events. There are up to 500 attendee spots available.
The March 31st webinar will be moderated by 2020 Chairman John Loud and with participants, such as Georgia Small Business Development Center Area Director Drew Tonsmeire. The webinar will focus on walking businesses through the recovery resources available, including the Small Business Administration loan application process, the federal stimulus CARES act and more.
And here are the task force members:
· John Loud, Cobb Chamber 2020 Chairman & LOUD Security Systems President
· Britt Fleck, Taskforce Chair, Cobb Chamber Chair-Elect, Georgia Power Regional Director
Don’t forget to support local businesses in East Cobb that are remaining open. Many of those listed in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory are restaurants, and many are adapting on the fly to provide takeout/curbside services.
We’re constantly adding to this listing, so if you’d like to add yours please e-mail us the information: [email protected]. Please include links to your website, social media platforms, etc.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity found a pallet of more than 1,000 N95 masks used in Habitat house construction in the affiliates’ Smyrna warehouse. Today, they were able to donate and deliver them to Cobb & Douglas Public Health today to help with their shortages!
Pictured is Bonnie Willis, from the affiliate’s construction team.
Send us your news!
Let us know what you, your neighbors or others you know are doing to help one another and those in need as part of the Coronavirus response.
Just e-mail us: [email protected] with text, photos and other relevant information, and we’ll share it with the community.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The number of positive Coronavirus cases in Georgia surpassed the 2,000 mark on Friday, or nearly one in five people who have been tested for COVID-19.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of noon Friday 2,001 people have tested positive, with 566 hospitalized. There have been 64 deaths in the state attributed to COVID-19.
The number of cases Thursday night was over 1,600. Currently 9,865 people have been tested across the state.
In a town hall meeting Thursday night, Gov. Brian Kemp the state is working with data that’s two weeks old, so the caseload is expected to continue to surge.
During the town hall, which was aired on radio and television outlets across Georgia, Kemp defended his decision not to impose a statewide lockdown, as has been the case in other states.
He has issued a shelter-in-place order for vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, and stressed that they should stay home. He referenced his own mother.
While there are high population areas and cities—especially Albany—where high numbers of cases are being reported, Kemp said “I have to balance that” with rural counties who don’t have any at all.
He said that “we’ve targeted areas that we need to target.”
In Friday’s update, 24 counties reported their first positive cases. In all, 103 of Georgia’s 159 counties now have positive test results.
Fulton County leads the way with 307, followed by Dougherty (where Albany is located) with 193, then DeKalb (181) and Cobb. Most of the other counties with the most cases are in metro Atlanta, as well as Athens, Gainesville and Rome:
Gwinnett
102
Bartow
98
Carroll
55
Cherokee
46
Clayton
46
Henry
40
Lee
35
Clarke
32
Douglas
27
Hall
24
Floyd
20
Friday’s update doesn’t have a county-by-county breakdown of deaths. Earlier this week, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, told Cobb commissioners there had been five deaths in Cobb County.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Cobb County School District on Friday issued its own updated Coronavirus guidelinesaccordingly, to note that digital learning will continue through the extended closure period.
The exception is the regularly scheduled week of spring break (April 2-6), and here are a couple of bullet points the district is emphasizing for those digital learning days:
All students will be considered present (no students should be marked absent);
No permanent grades should be posted while Cobb Schools are closed. Ongoing feedback, monitoring, and assessment of student progress is encouraged and can be used once Cobb Schools are re-opened and have been provided for all students.
On Wednesday, the Cobb Schools Foundation announced a fundraising drive to purchase digital learning devices for around 1,000 students who need them.
On Thursday night during a town hall meeting aired across Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said he’s extending the closure period because “we want people to be comfortable sending their kids back to school” and “we want teachers to be comfortable being in that environment.”
Georgia’s number of positive Coronavirus cases has exceed 1,600, with 546 deaths. Cobb County has 110 positive cases, as of Thursday night.
Several states have cancelled classes for the rest of the year, including Alabama. In his order Thursday, Kemp said he would be making a decision about the fate of the school year in Georgia before the April 24 closure period ends.
Also on Thursday, the Georgia Board of Education approved recommendations by state school superintendent Richard Woods for waivers for local school districts from a number of requirements, including testing, teacher evaluations and course curricula.
The state also has suspended assessment windows for the Georgia Milestones and other mandated tests until further notice.
Cobb’s update Friday stated that “There are still many details regarding these issues that are unanswered at this time. The final resolution of some of those issues will likely need to wait until schools resume normal operation.”
Cobb schools also are continuing weekly student meal pick-up at eight of its campuses, including East Cobb Middle School.
Those pick-up times are Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include five days of breakfast and lunch for students, who must be present tor receive the food.
Food distribution will continue the week of spring break.
Read Cobb’s updating guidelines by clicking here. The school district also has a resource page for helping families in need.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
While many businesses have closed during the response to COVID-19, we’re keeping an updated list of those that are staying open and have changed their hours and services to serve the public.
Our East Cobb Open for Business Directory can be found here, and we welcome your submissions. E-mail us at: [email protected] and we’ll add it to our directory.
We want East Cobb News readers to connect with local businesses that are working hard during this unprecedented time to keep their doors open.
Many of those businesses listed are restaurants, since they’ve had to adapt on the fly to the closure of dining rooms during the Cobb state of emergency.
But we’ll list all types of locally-run businesses as a community service to bring awareness for part of the vibrant backbone of our community during a time of great duress.
We’ll keep this going during the Cobb state of emergency and beyond, as this recovery will last for many weeks and months.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Distance learning will continue for students in the Cobb County School District and elsewhere in the state.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday extended his K-12 public school closure in Georgia through April 24.
He said in a release issued shortly before noon that while schools may be able to open on April 27, “we ask for continued patience and flexibility since circumstances may change, but we encourage families to stay strong and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local leaders in the weeks ahead.”
On March 12, Cobb schools announced they would be closing, the day after a positive Coronavirus test was reported at Kincaid Elementary School.
Kemp initially urged schools to closed without a mandate, but then declared a statewide shutdown through March 31.
Public colleges and universities in Georgia have closed for the rest of the spring semester.
The Georgia Department of Public Health totals of Coronavirus cases in Georgia was at 1,525 as of noon Thursday, with 48 deaths and 473 hospitalizations.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
We’re keeping a running update on businesses—especially restaurants and retail—that are closing during the newly declared state of emergency in Cobb and/or are changing their hours and services.
Some that are closed are offering a drive-through pickup at designated times, and we’ll probably be seeing more of those, especially since this is a three-week emergency declaration.
As we have in recent days, we’ll add your submissions as well. Just e-mail us: [email protected] and we’ll share it with the community.
Before ordering, you’re advised to call ahead since plans/services/offers are changing quickly:
Asahi Japanese Steakhouse: Open for curbside and takeout from 4-8:30 p.m. daily;
Book Exchange: Open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and curbside service is available;
Book Miser: Open regular hours, online ordering and curbside pickup available;
Bradley’s Bar & Grill: Open for takeout/curbside service daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m;
Brewsters Neighborhood Bar & Grill: Takeout and curbside delivery only, starting Tuesday through April 6;
Camp’s Kitchen & Bar: Open for takeout/curbside pickup daily from 4-9 p.m.;
Catfish Hox: New hours 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and drive-through service only;
East Cobb Barbershop: Closed until April 15;
East Cobb Foot & Ankle Care: Closed for 2 weeks as of March 25, phone calls will be answered between 9am-4pm Monday thru Friday;
Eggs Up Grill: Open for takeout/curbside during regular opening hours, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m;
The Freakin’ Incan: Closed until further notice;
Fuji Hana East Cobb: Open for takeout/delivery from 4-9 p.m.
Intrigue Salon: Offering a Color Survival Kit (info here) for drive-through pickup Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
J. Christopher’s: Delivery available via UberEats at Woodlawn Square, East Lake and Powers Ferry locations;
J J’s Pizzeria: Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for takeout, curbside pickup and free delivery;
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q: Curbside pickup is available;
Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant: Reopening Friday March 27 with dinner menu items only from 12-2:30 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. for takeout;
Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant: Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for takeout and delivery via DoorDash, daily specials also available;
Marietta Coffee Company: Closed until April 15, possibly opening for takeout TBA;
Montana’s Bar & Grill: Open for delivery and takeout from 4-9 p.m. from full menu;
Nancy’s Salon: Closed until further notice;
Roll On In Sushi Burrito: Takeout/delivery service, BOGO orders with free delivery via UberEats through March 30;
Rosa’s Pizza: Open for takeout/delivery 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily;
Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors: Closed to foot traffic March 26-April 6. Posting sale items on social media platforms, processing online orders with pickup after reopening at: [email protected];
Sakura Japanese Sushi Bar: Open for takeout;
Taqueria Tsunami East Cobb: Takeout and curbside delivery only, 4-9 p.m. daily;
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