OCG News Fri., March 13, 2020

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MARCH 13, 2020 Stay connected

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State officials confirm Georgia’s first COVID-19 death, residents brace for pandemic

A

Ronnie Juval Miller

Conyers man arrested in murder of Tic Toc food mart owner Ronnie Juval Miller, one of three suspects wanted for the Feb. 19 murder of the owner of the Tic Toc food mart on Evans Mill Road, has been arrested.

Miller, 42, of Conyers, was arrested on March 12 in connection with the death of 57-year-old Tesfaye Birru, who was found fatally shot outside his store shortly before 10:30 p.m. as he closed for the night on Feb. 19. Police have said they believe robbery was the motive. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit, with the assistance of the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, arrested Miller without an incident in a parking lot on Old Covington Highway in Conyers. He was charged with felony murder.

“Surveillance video showed that Miller and two other individuals were involved in the shooting and that Miller made initial contact with Mr. Birru,” DeKalb County Police spokesperson Michaela N. Vincent said in a statement on March 12.

Vincent said that tips came in after the video was released and Birru’s family held a press conference on March 3, pleading for help with identifying the suspects.

“Tips received after the press conference led to the identification of Ronnie Miller and ultimately his arrest,” Vincent said.

Police are still looking for the other two suspects, Vincent said.

Anyone with information about the two remaining suspects is urged to contact DeKalb police.

Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.

s state officials confirmed Georgia’s first COVID-19 death, local residents stepped up their preparations for the global pandemic.

People headed to grocery stores to stock up to stay home, heeding federal, state and county officials’ advice to get ready.

There were long lines at a Kroger store in Rockdale County, where shoppers filled their buggies with groceries, bottled water and other goods on Thursday evening (March 12).

LaShawn Glover hedged her bet on Walgreen’s and CVS drugstore.

“There was no toilet paper, paper towels or

SEE COVID-19 page 7

Shoppers packed the Kroger grocery store off of Highway 138 in Conyers. The lines snaked from the store’s pharmacy to the check-out registers at the front of the stores on March 12. Photo by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News

Family-owned Sugar Bowl Bakery to create 400 jobs in Tucker

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ugar Bowl Bakery, founded in 1984 by five immigrant brothers as a neighborhood coffee shop in San Francisco, one of the leading minority-owned bakeries in America, will locate its first East Coast location in DeKalb County. The company will create approximately 400 new jobs and invest $37 million over the next five years in its new Tucker facility.

“Sugar Bowl Bakery is one of the great American success stories, and we’re excited to welcome this internationally known, familyowned bakery to Georgia,” said Gov. Brian Kemp, who announced the company’s expansion into DeKalb County. “Through our outstanding workforce and logistics network, Sugar Bowl Bakery will be able to better serve their growing customer base, and I’m glad that the hardworking Georgians in Tucker will benefit from this fine addition to their community.”

Sugar Bowl Bakery has been in operation since its founding by the Ly family as a neighborhood coffee shop in 1984. Today, the company is a national, minority-certified bakery whose products include palmiers, madeleines, brownie bites, fritters, and more.

Headquartered in the San

Francisco Bay Area, Sugar Bowl Bakery’s premium baked goods are sold in the grocery and club channels at many major retailers domestically and internationally. This expansion will enable the company’s continued growth with regional distribution partners.

“Sugar Bowl Bakery is excited to be expanding to Georgia in order to better serve our customers and to bring jobs to the City of Tucker and DeKalb County,” said Andrew Ly, co-founder and CEO of Sugar Bowl Bakery. “Sugar Bowl Bakery has

had much growth and transformation since my brothers and I decided to pursue our American Dream in San Francisco 36 years ago. This is another major milestone in allowing Sugar Bowl Bakery to fulfill its mission of bringing people joy through our delicious foods. We thank Governor Kemp and many other state, county, and city officials for helping make our decision to move to Georgia quite simple!”

Georgia Quick Start, the nation's top-ranked workforce training program, will assist in workforce training for the new facility, which will be located at 3301 Montreal Industrial Way in Tucker. The new positions available will include bakery management, production, quality assurance, maintenance, warehousing, and sanitation.

“We are pleased to welcome Sugar Bowl Bakery to DeKalb County,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael L. Thurmond. “We are grateful that the Ly family’s new facility will be in our community that welcomes people from around the world. DeKalb County’s highly trained, diverse workforce make our community a great place for business.”

“We’re thrilled that Sugar Bowl Bakery has made the decision to

SEE BAKERY page 7

PAGE 2 • MARCH 13, 2020

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MARCH 13, 2020 • PAGE 3

PUBLISHER Glenn L. Morgan

gmorgan1@ocgnews.com

EDITOR Valerie J. Morgan

editor@ocgnews.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill

richardhill@ocgnews.com

STAFF WRITER Mackenzie N. Morgan

mackenzie@ocgnews.com

On Common Ground News is published weekly by On Common Ground, Inc. The newspaper serves DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Henry counties.

The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or the newspaper’s advertisers.

No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

We reserve the right to reject material and advertisements we deem inappropriate.

On Common Ground News P.O. Box 904 Lithonia, GA 30058 770-679-5607 www.ocgnews.com

City of Stonecrest Economic Development Director Clarence Boone; Stonecrest Development Authority member Julius Lee; Stonecrest Development Authority Chair Antonio Render and Mayor Jason Lary. Photo provided.

Members of the Stonecrest Housing Authority Edwina Clanton, Bill Bruckner, Mayor Jason Lary, Marty Garrison, and Dennis Dae.

City of Stonecrest receives first checks for new developments

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tonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and the members of the Stonecrest Housing Authority and the Stonecrest Development Authority are heading to the bank with their first checks. Last year, the Authorities respectively adopted bond inducement resolutions paving the way for a $70 million senior citizen housing community and a $700 million commercial development.

This week, the city received two checks for bond servicing fees totaling more than $100,000 from the Beverly Searles Foundation and Allen Family Stonecrest LLC. Beverly Searles Foundation

recently began clearing land to build a 238-unit senior housing facility at 6757 Covington Highway with 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms. Allen Family Stonecrest LLC’s is slated to develop the 300 acres surrounding The Mall at Stonecrest with a hotel, convention center and mix-use developments.

The mayor said he believes this is another good sign for the city’s growth.

“I am especially committed to providing a great quality of life for our seniors, many of whom, have sacrificed so much for us. The check today lets us know that Beverly Searles is moving forward with

Stormwater entering wastewater system causes 6.9-million gallon sewer spill Heavy rainfalls during the week of March 2 flooded the DeKalb County sewer system with an extraordinary amount of stormwater causing a 6.9-million-gallon spill on Meadow Creek Path. In February, a 9.2-milliongallon spill occurred at this site that also was due to stormwater intrusion into the wastewater system.

Stormwater intrusion occurs when rainwater enters the wastewater system from a structural defect, such as broken or damaged sewer lines, root intrusion and aging infrastructure. Identifying the location of the stormwater intrusion can be challenging because the actual source of stormwater intrusion could be located miles away from the actual spill site.

DeKalb’s wastewater system is comprised of 2,600 miles of pipes— farther than the distance from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Additionally, the system has 70,000 manholes. During last week’s continued rainfalls and resulting stormwater intrusion, 16 of these 70,000 manholes spilled.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond has established identifying the source or sources of stormwater intrusion that caused the spills along Meadow Creek Path as a top priority. The county is using the following detection methods: • Helicopter flyovers • Drones flight investigations • Ultrasonic tracking • Sonar testing • Visual observations while walking miles of sewer pipes during storms • Flow monitoring • Smoke testing Prior to rain events, DeKalb crews are engaged in proactively monitoring the system, securing resources, and preparing mobile response units. After all sewer spills, DeKalb crews work to mitigate health concerns and protect the environment by: • Placing signs in the immediate area to notify the public of the spill.

• Assessing and determining a cleanup response plan.

• Removing any debris around the site.

• Disinfecting the spill area.

• Re-inspecting the site before removing signs to determine if additional cleanup steps are needed, such as soil removal.

• Monitoring the waterways for water quality.

DeKalb County is in the third year of its 10-year plan to fix its wastewater system. Since 2017, the county has spent more than $301 million in capital improvements that include wastewater treatment plant upgrades, sewer pipe rehabilitation and upsizing, manhole repairs and replacement, and lift station renovations.

a center that will provide quality, affordable housing, and amenities for our seniors,” Lary said. “Members of the Allen Family Stonecrest LLC have been in constant contact with the city and are moving as scheduled with their commercial developments as well. As I have said in the past, our future is bright and you won’t recognize this place in four years because of the exponential growth that will take place,” he added.

The authorities can use the funds in several ways such as investing in other properties, legal fees, or to hire consultants for future growth incentives and initiatives.

LAW TOPIC SPEAKER SERIES Rockdale Clerk of Courts & Conyers Rockdale Library

NANCY GUINN CONYERSROCKDALE LIBRARY 864 Green St SW, Conyers, GA 30012

CRIMINAL DEFENSE March 28, 2020 10:30 AM

! t n e v E Free For additional information call the Clerk of Courts Law Library Intern at 770.278.7903

ATTORNEYS WENDI ARMSTRONG & VILLY STOLPER

PAGE 4 • MARCH 13, 2020

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ELECTION 2020

Qualifying results for Rockdale County candidates

DeKalb Census Carnival draws a crowd

By Mackenzie N. Morgan

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson said that he is determined to get a complete count for the 2020 Census—even if it means hosting free carnivals. An estimated 600 people attended one such carnival hosted by Johnson and DeKalb County’s Department of Human Services on March 7 as a reminder that the census is approaching. Invitations to respond to the census are being delivered in the mail March 12-20. Responses can be made online, by phone or by mail.

Families from all over DeKalb attended the Census Carnival, which was held in the parking lot of The Gallery at South DeKalb Mall. The carnival, blessed with sunshine, featured free food, entertainment, performances, giveaways and vendor tables, as well as a vast array of community resources.

Children enjoyed dance contests, complimentary face painting, inflatables and games.

Several DeKalb County departments were in attendance including Human Services, the Board of Health, DeKalb Police, representatives from the library system, Workforce Development, the Tax Commissioner’s office as well as representatives from Emory’s Department of Health, the Census Fair Count Committee, the DeKalb NAACP, the Caribbean

community, Census Bureau and MARTA. Elected officials including DeKalb Police Chief Mirtha Ramos and Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson, stopped by to say hello and encouraged citizens to make sure they get counted in the 2020 Census.

Commissioner Johnson is urging the public to make sure every household gets counted. The Census, he said, is critical not only in obtaining billions of federal dollars for vital county resources but also affects the distribution of political power.

“The Census directly impacts political representation and determines how political boundaries are drawn. Additionally, the census count determines where federal dollars will be spent. Money used for schools, libraries, health care, affordable housing, transportation and many services we use on a daily basis are affected by Census results,” said Johnson.

Johnson said that the census information is not only a way to obtain federal dollars for communities but also a great resource to leave behind for future generations so they will know who their family members were, where they lived and provide clues about one’s family legacy.

For updates and more information, visit www. dekalbcounts2020.org.

Vote

kyle

Jones dekalb county sheriff

END THE

CORRUPTION WWW.Votekylejones.com

The qualifying period for candidates seeking offices in Rockdale County ended on Friday, March 6, with six unopposed races already decided in the May 19 primary.

The incumbents who will face no challengers and will retain their seats are: State Court Judge Nancy Bills; Tax Commissioner Tisa Smart Washington; Coroner George Levett; Rockdale Board of Education Post 1 member Mandy North; Rockdale Board of Education, Post 3 member Wales Barksdale; and Rockdale Board of Education, Post 4 member Heather Duncan.

Meanwhile, the Rockdale Sheriff’s race will have more candidates than any local contest on the ballot. Sheriff Eric Levett is facing four opponents in the May 19 Democratic primary.

In other local Rockdale races, Chairman, Oz Nesbitt, Sr., who serves as the county’s chief executive, will face two challengers. Three candidates also are seeking to succeed Clerk of Superior Courts Ruth Wilson, who is retiring this month.

Here’s a look at all of the candidates seeking local offices. No Republicans are running for the following seats: Sheriff Eric Levett, Incumbent J. Charles Burris Donald Ferguson Corey Hambrick) Moses Perdue Board of Commissioners, Chair Oz Nesbitt, Incumbent Brian Jenkins Katrina McCollum Young Board of Commissioners, Post 1 Sherri Washington, Incumbent Takela Levett Renee Simpson Clerk of Superior Court Sharif Fulcher Mallory Minor Janice Morris Chief Magistrate Judge DEM Phinia Aten, Incumbent Justin Kinney Probate Court Judge DEM Clarence Cuthpert, Incumbent Kathy Harvey State Court Judge* Nancy Bills, Incumbent

Tax Commissioner* Tisa Smart Washington, Incumbent Coroner* George Levett, Incumbent The following candidates qualified in the non-partisan races: Rockdale Board of Education, Post 1* Mandy North, Incumbent Rockdale Board of Education, Post 2 Pam Brown, Incumbent Thadeus Darby Rockdale Board of Education, Post 3* Wales Barksdale, Incumbent Rockdale Board of Education, Post 4* Heather Duncan, Incumbent Rockdale Board of Education, Post 5 (to succeed incumbent Tony Dowdy) Akita Parker Lara Parker Albert Murray (*) Denotes incumbents who will face no challengers in the upcoming elections and therefore are the winners.

ROCKDALE - Career clerk and community volunteer Mallory Minor qualified on Thursday, March 5th in the election for Rockdale Superior Court Clerk. Minor will appear on the May 19th General Primary Ballot.

Lifelong resident of Rockdale County, Mallory Minor brings with her over 15 years of legislative and judicial administration experience.

“Experience matters! I am excited for the opportunity to bring my experience, commitment, efficiency and skill set to the Superior and State Courts of Rockdale County. I will approach my responsibilities as Clerk of Courts with a focus on access to the courts, transparency, innovation, and focus on serving all of Rockdale’s citizens and court users, regardless of their background.”

Minor started her career as a Paralegal. She went on to hold the position as the Legislative Clerk’s Assistant with the Georgia General Assembly, where she worked closely with Clerk Robbie Rivers and the Georgia House. Minor continued her public service with the Magistrate Court of Rockdale County, where Chief Magistrate Judge Phinia Aten appointed her as the Magistrate Clerk of Court. This historic appointment placed Minor as the 1st African American Woman Magistrate Clerk of Court in Rockdale History! With the Court, Ms. Minor connected with the Court’s innovative court-to-community programs projected in video series, “Smart Justice,” and mentorship of high school, college and law students. Under Minor’s clerkship, the Magistrate Court ranked Top 5 of 159 Counties for Caseload Efficiency and Management. She later went on to serve Athens-Clarke County and the City of Porterdale. Minor is now the City Clerk of Stone Mountain, where she was unanimously appointed

by Mayor and Council.

In addition to her clerking, Minor has served on multiple committees, including District Four Representative of the Council of Magistrate Court Clerks, Inc., Editor of the Reporter’s Notebook, Rockdale County Juvenile Court Mentor, and a member of Leadership Rockdale Class of 2016. She is actively involved with several professional and civic organizations, including her appointment as an alternate member of the Rockdale County Board of Equalization.

She earned her B.S. in Legal Studies, A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, and American Bar Association Approved Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Clayton State University. She is presently working towards her Master’s in Professional Studies at Tennessee State University and Georgia Certified Clerk Certification at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institution of Government.

Paid by the Committee to Elect Mallory Minor

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MARCH 13, 2020 • PAGE 5

State Rep. Viola Davis honors Linda Clark with Yellow Rose Leadership Award

Pictured left to right are Sarah Adams, Xenia Delgado, Congressman Hank Johnson, Mena Perry and David Moreno.

Congressman Johnson announces 2020 art competition winners Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced the winners of his 2020 Congressional Arts Competition and awarded four college scholarships worth a total of $35,000 on March 7 at the Art Station in Stone Mountain.

In this year’s competition, there were 40 entries from eight high schools throughout the Fourth District.

The Grand Prize Winner was Sarah Adams, a senior at South Gwinnett High School. She won a $12,000 scholarship to The Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) for her work “Nourish.”

Adams will travel to Washington, D.C., in June to see her art displayed in the Capitol, where it will hang with other award winners from around the country for a year. Adams also won two roundtrip airline tickets from Southwest Airlines to Washington, D.C., for the National Recognition Ceremony.

First runner up was David Moreno, a senior from South Gwinnett High School. He won

a $12,000 scholarship to The Art Institute of Atlanta for his work “Immigrant.” His work will be displayed in Congressman Johnson’s District office for a year.

Second runner-up went to Mena Perry, also a senior at South Gwinnett High School, for her work “Trash.” She earned a $7,500 scholarship to The Art Institute of Atlanta.

Third runner-up was Xenia Delgado, a sophomore at Miller Grove High School in DeKalb.

She earned a $3,500 scholarship to The Art Institute of Atlanta for her work “Owl.” Since 2007, Johnson has awarded more than $500,000 in arts scholarships to Fourth District students.

The judges for Rep. Johnson’s 2020 Art Competition were: DeKalb Sheriff Melody Maddox, Visual Artist Marietta Murton, Kris 10 Photography Founder Kristen Kinder, Artist Elmer Kinder and Chamblee High School Student Body Secretary Kieran Ferguson.

State Rep. Viola Davis recently honored Tucker resident Linda Clark with the Yellow Rose/Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award.

Davis described Clark, a longtime resident of the Peters Park Community, as a “one-woman force that has unified the community to combat and fight the growing deterioration of the neighborhood.”

Davis said Clark has a long history of serving the Peters Park Community with dedication and devotion.

Clark took the lead in a community cleanup, motivating more than 75 volunteers from all over Tucker to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to restore Peters Park. The army of volunteers carted off 138 bags of garbage, 39 tires, and five truckloads of waste.

Clark was selected by the City of Tucker as its Citizen of the Month in June 2018. She integrated Brockett Elementary in 1966 and was appointed by the Board of Commissioner (BOC) to the Citizen Advisory Board.

Clark has two adult sons, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

“Linda Clark is heroic, fearless and courageous. She is the ultimate example of the reason we award champions like Linda the Yellow Rose Award,” Davis said.

This notice shall serve as public notice that, in anticipation of Federal Funding, Decatur Church of Christ Senior Housing (DCCSH) is seeking Lump Sum (Guaranteed Maximum Cost) bid proposals for a storm water mitigation and parking renovation project at 1438 Church Street, Decatur GA 30030.

The bidder is asked to pay special attention to the Federal Regulations included in the bid package. These regulations include The Davis-Bacon Act, Section 3, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, the Copeland (Anti-Kickback Act), and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Bids will be received at the offices of DCCSH until 2:00 PM EST Legal Local Time, April 3rd, after which bids will be publicly opened and announced.

Documents titled Decatur Christian Towers Storm Water Mitigation and Parking Renovation dated Jan. 4, 2020 prepared by the organization in partnership with Atwell Group LLC may be obtained by emailing john.byerley@christiantowers.com.

PAGE 6 • MARCH 13, 2020

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Drunk driver gets 50 years for hit-and-run fatalities of 3 headed to church in DeKalb DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in connection with a fatal crash nearly five years ago that claimed the lives of three people headed to church .

Jurors returned guilty verdicts against Marvin Lynch, 32, of Marietta, on March 6 on charges of vehicular homicide in the first degree (six counts), hit and run (two counts), and Marvin Lynch driving under the Influence.

Authorities said Lynch fatally struck Vernon Hatley, 67, of Raleigh, N.C.; his wife, Willie Mae Hatley, 65; and their friend, Cora Rhodes Lyles, 65, of Stone Mountain.

Lynch was sentenced to 50 years in prison by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Shondeana Morris, who presided over the trial.

The fatal incident happened around 7 a.m. on July 5, 2015. Evidence showed that Lynch spent the Independence Day weekend “drinking and partying all night,” by Lynch’s own admission, and that he was intoxicated when he ran a red light at the intersection of Marbut Road and Lithonia Industrial Boulevard in Lithonia. Lynch was traveling in excess of the posted 45-mile-per-hour speed limit when he struck the vehicle carrying Vernon and Willie Mae Hatley and their friend, Cora Lyles. The impact of the crash propelled the victims’ vehicle more than 90 feet into a nearby wooded area, ejecting one passenger. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The Hatleys were in town for the holiday weekend visiting the Lyles family. The three were en route to early Sunday service at Saint Philip AME church, where Cora Lyles and her husband were members, when they were struck and killed.

Lynch survived the crash. After slamming into a utility pole, he attempted to flee the scene in the vehicle of a passerby who pulled over to help. When he was prevented from escaping, Lynch attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended by police. Analysis of his blood revealed a blood alcohol content greater than the legal limit nearly six hours after the collision.

Lynch was sentenced to 50 years in prison by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Shondeana Morris, who presided over the trial.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashley O’Neal with assistance from Senior ADA Heather Waters, DA Investigator Alex Malone, and Victim Advocate Lexi Markova.

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MARCH 13, 2020 • PAGE 7

COVID-19 continued from page 1 hand sanitizer, and no bread on any of the shelves,” said Glover.

In DeKalb County, grocery stores and Wal-Mart checkout lanes also were beehives of activity.

Jazzmeen Brewer, a Lithonia resident, said she had to go to three stores before she was able to find some of the items she needed at WalMart. Brewer, who has a new baby, needed bottle soap and other baby essentials, as well as toothpaste, paper towels and toilet paper.

“It was ridiculous. There was no tissue. There were long lines and empty shelves,” said Brewer, who said she still needed to buy groceries. She said she planned to pre-order the groceries and do a store pickup.

“I’m really hoping that I don’t have to deal with the long lines and crowds,” Brewer said.

During an early afternoon news conference on March 12, Gov. Brian Kemp urged citizens to buy what they needed but said they didn’t have to take the last loaf of bread, reassuring them not to panic, to save some for neighbors.

Kemp said that families should begin planning for their elderly loved ones, those who have chronic underlying health conditions and those who have suppressed immune systems because they run a higher risk of getting sick. He said families should make sure that those at the greatest risk have groceries, prescriptions and other supplies that they need. He said the goal is to dramatically limit their “exposure to the public for the foreseeable future.”

“Health officials are now telling us that these vulnerable populations need to avoid mass gatherings and locations with high-traffic counts of people—even faith-based services or events...We cannot be too cautious in this area and I would urge all of you to do the same,” Kemp said.

Kemp said the 67-year-old Georgia man who died from the coronavirus had underlying medical conditions. The individual was hospitalized at WellStar Kennestone since testing positive for COVID-19 on March 7.

"Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the family and loved ones of this individual during this incredibly difficult time," said Gov. Kemp. "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."

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this individual, and the hospital staff who cared for him,” said DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey, MD, MPH. “Governor Kemp, DPH, the Coronavirus Task Force, and federal partners continue to work together around the clock to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia."

During the press conference, Kemp also announced that while he was not shutting down state government for Georgia’s Capitol, he was immediately

suspending non-essential travel and implementing tele-work policies for most state employees to help mitigate health risks and prevent substantial disruption of services.

The governor said he was also suspending visitation for family and friends at the Departments Behavioral Health, Corrections, Developmental Disabilities, Juvenile Justice and Veteran Services. Only next next of kin in end-of-life situations would be permitted at the facilities. The suspension will be in place until April 10.

“These populations are in close contact--some with underlying health conditions that if exposed to coronavirus, could result in a serious medical problem or cause widespread infection,” Kemp said.

Meanwhile, DeKalb County’s CEO Michael Thurmond held a two-hour virtual town hall on March 11 with DeKalb’s top officials. The public had been invited to attend the town hall but those plans were scrapped to protect the public’s health.

The panel of officials, which included Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, DeKalb County’s District Health Director and interim Fulton County District Health Director, and Ramona Tyson, interim superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, among others answered online questions from the public regarding COVID-19.

Several school districts including DeKalb, Cobb and Fulton counties have announced that schools would remain closed

“until further notice.” Rockdale announced that schools would be closed March 16-27 but the district would implement Independent Learning Days with students using their school-issued laptops in grades 3-12. For students in pre K through second grades, at-home assignments will be posted their school websites.

Parents are urged to follow social media and check text message and e-mails from their schooldistricts to get updates. City Schools of Decatur said schools would shift online “indefinitely.”

Some school districts said they planned to have students learn online during the closings.

In addition to the school districts closing, numerous community events and public meetings were cancelled as agencies across the metro Atlanta area provided updates concerning COVID-19. The video was posted to the county’s Facebook page: It’s In DeKalb.

The World Health Organization said the number of countries impacted by the pandemic tripled in two weeks, with more than 118,000 cases and 4,290 deaths worldwide. In the U.S., all but six states had reported coronavirus cases as of March 12. The death toll was climbing with at least 30 in Washington state, four in California, two in Florida, one in New Jersey, one in S.D. and one in Georgia.

President Donald Trump said he was suspending all travel from Europe into the U.S. for a month for foreign nationals.

BAKERY continued from page 1 invest in Tucker,” said Mayor Frank Auman of Tucker. “They’ve seen in Tucker the same things that thousands of other business owners have embraced: a friendly, welcoming community, a location that can’t be beat, and a strong work force that’s ready to go. We’re going to bring all our resources to bear to help them be successful.”

“Congratulations to Sugar Bowl Bakery for their new location in metro Atlanta. They are a great addition to our region’s diverse industry ecosystem,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “It’s exciting to see a family-owned and operated company using the latest technology to grow their business and benefiting from metro

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Atlanta’s abundant resources, including our skilled talent pool.”

Georgia ranks fifth in the U.S. in food and beverage manufacturing employment. In addition to the more than 30,000 workers currently in food-specific production occupations, Georgia has nearly 160,000 workers in the integral roles of packaging and filling machine operators, packers and packagers, and movers of freight, stock, and materials.

Assistant Director Hank Evans of Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness and Food team represented the department’s Global Commerce Division on this competitive project in partnership with Decide DeKalb, the City of

Tucker, Georgia EMC, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

“Georgia is a national leader in the food industry, and our Georgia workforce and distribution network help drive its success,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “We are so glad to welcome Sugar Bowl Bakery to our food industry family and will continue working with our local economic development partners to ensure the company has all the ingredients they need to continue to rise to the top.”

Those interested in pursuing career opportunities with Sugar Bowl Bakery may download a job application online or send resumes to Tucker_Jobs@sugarbowlbakery.com.

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BIBLE CLASSES: Sunday Mornings 9am to 9:45am Wednesday Nights 7pm to 8pm Thursday mornings 10 am to 11am

The community is invited to our Black History Program Saturday February 29th from 1:30 to 5:00 pm. Guest speaker Major General Tetila Crosland the

PAGE 8 • MARCH 13, 2020

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