April 9 - 15, 2020
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 www.nwobserver.com
Churches celebrate Easter in a COVID-19 world by ANNETTE JOYCE Barring the weather not cooperating, for the last 35 years Dr. James Webster has joined his congregation and visitors in Oak Ridge First Baptist Church’s cemetery every Easter morning to watch the sun rise and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
This sign at Union Grove Baptist Church in Oak Ridge sums up the impact of COVID-19 on local churches, which are encouraging everyone to pray for those in our community and our country.
Often the service was followed by a breakfast in the fellowship hall. Last year, First Baptist joined its neighbor across N.C. 150, Oak Ridge United Methodist Church, in a joint
Coping with COVID-19 As part of our series on how people are coping with COVID-19 and social distancing, for this issue we talked with a funeral director, a town clerk who’s keeping it “normal,” a municipal sales manager for a waste collection company, and a family who found a way to make their 4-year-old’s birthday special despite having to cancel her party.
by PATTI STOKES
Todd Harmon, Forbis & Dick STOKESDALE – Safety and well-being of staff and family members are one of the considerations Todd Harmon, manager and funeral director for Forbis & Dick in Stokesdale, says funeral homes are always mindful of, but all the
sunrise service which was so well-received that plans were in the works for another combined service this Easter. Because of COVID-19 and Gov. Roy Cooper’s ban on mass gatherings, however, that won’t be happening. Neither will any of the other services and activities that normally accompany Easter, leaving not only First Baptist, but all area churches, scrambling to determine how they will celebrate their most sacred season.
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IN THIS ISSUE
more so these days. “Every funeral home operates under universal precautions when handling a deceased person,” Harmon said. “In most every funeral home, the embalming room is probably the cleanest place anywhere, with constant cleaning and disinfecting done on a routine basis. With the virus going around, we have additional precautions and guidelines we are following should we get into that situation (with someone who has died from contracting COVID-19). “On the other side is the family, who I feel is limited by the governor’s orders and more so, restricted by the county’s orders. We can basically do private graveside services, limited to 10 people present,” Harmon said. “Most
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Towns finalizing PARTF applications .2 Homeowners file suit over runoff ......3 Your Questions ....................................4 Obituary ..............................................7 Before bright lights in Oak Ridge....10 Crime/Incident Report ....................14 Calendar Events ...............................14 NWO Kids’ Korner .............................15 Around Town Photos ........................16 Grins and Gripes ..............................18 Classifieds .........................................20 Index of Advertisers .........................23 NWO On The Go! / Staycation .......24