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Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health will embark on a new partnership with the state of Georgia in increasing its public health resources to combat the COVID-19 crisis.

The Emory COVID-19 Response Collaborative (ECRC), established within Rollins, will provide ongoing, flexible and collaborative support to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) in four major areas:

• Planning coordination

• Outbreak response and evaluation

• Training and deployment of public health professionals throughout the state

• Surveillance, research and monitoring

“As Georgia continues to re-open commerce, travel and social engagement, ensuring that the citizens of Georgia are kept safe from disease and death is a public/private responsibility,” says Kathleen E. Toomey, MD, MPH, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “To be successful, there must be ample and accessible COVID-19 testing, extraordinary community engagement and an ability to trace contacts of new COVID-19 cases in order to forestall resurgent outbreaks. Expanding academic partnerships among Georgia’s public health system, Rollins and other Georgia-based schools of public health will benefit us now and in the future.”

“Achieving adequate COVID-19 testing, community participation and contact tracing will require unprecedented investments in technologies, people power and communications campaigns,” says James W. Curran, MD, MPH, dean of the Rollins School of Public Health. “We are eager to support the state of Georgia in this comprehensive public health initiative to help ensure the health and safety of all Georgians.”

The ECRC will be led by Allison Chamberlain, PhD, current director of Rollins’ Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research (CPHPR), which has a nearly 20-year history of managing programs and research that focus on helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from infectious disease, terrorism and other public health threats. 

The ECRC’s four focus areas will include:

• Participating in state strategic and program planning and identifying areas for immediate focus for assistance from faculty, alumni and students. This effort will be led by Chamberlain.

• Identifying and supporting RSPH faculty, students and staff to work in the field alongside practice partners to investigate and stem COVID-19 outbreaks as they arise throughout Georgia.

• Preparing and placing public health professionals throughout Georgia through creation of the Rollins COVID-19 Epidemiology Fellows Program. Conceived as a way to accelerate the hiring of additional epidemiologists, the inaugural cohort will aim to place one fellow in each of Georgia’s 18 health districts, with additional fellows assigned at DPH, the ECRC or in districts with unique needs or larger populations.

• Identifying key areas where rapid implementation, evaluation and research are needed and provide support through projects or other sources of funding. This includes conducting the nation’s first randomized statewide COVID-19 survey, modeled after an NIH-approved national survey, of 1,200 households across Georgia to understand the prevalence of COVID-19. The study will be directed by RSPH faculty members Patrick Sullivan and Aaron Siegler, two of the nation’s most renowned HIV and survey researchers.

The ECRC will launch with support from a gift of $7.8 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

“Our mission is to support activities that put the talented academic community at Rollins in the service of our public health partners during the COVID-19 crisis,” says Chamberlain. “We hope our work will help solidify and expand academic-public health partnerships among Georgia’s public health system, the RSPH and other Georgia-based schools of public health that will endure well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mobile farmers markets are rolling again in metro Atlanta to continue serving fresh produce and delivering nutrition education to communities through curbside pickups and digital content.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents and staff have modified the markets to reduce contact, loading mixed bags of produce like corn, onions, squash, potatoes, tomatoes and various fruit right into vehicles for citizens in Fulton and DeKalb counties to reach areas where fresh food can be hard to find or cost-prohibitive for some families.  

The Fulton Fresh mobile market runs from now until July 9 and again from July 14 to August 13. The new van, furnished by the county government, will make six stops a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the county.

The Fresh On DeK mobile farmers market will be held from now until September 18 and will make eight stops per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Both markets are open to the public, but preregistration online is preferred to assist with contactless pickup. Onsite registration is available for Fulton Fresh for citizens who are unable to register online.

In addition to produce, the markets provide recipe cards and information about online Extension resources to educate consumers about healthy preparation methods and lifestyles.

“The organizations we partner with are always excited to see us,” said Laurie Murrah-Hanson, a 4-H agent in Fulton County. “In the past, people really enjoyed the food demonstrations, and we still wanted to offer similar resources.”

Fulton Fresh, which began in 2012, started a dedicated, grant-funded Kids Market program this year to disseminate smaller bags of produce with recipes and at-home science experiments for youth. Videos of farm tours will be released on social media weekly in conjunction with the mobile market.

UGA Extension staff have also partnered with the Fulton County Library System to provide digital resource lists for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“I think stronger partnerships like this are going be a benefit that comes out of the current situation,” said Murrah-Hanson, who is coordinating the Kids Market.

Fresh on DeK, now in its sixth year of operation, has made updates to the market in sourcing and delivery by switching to a free pickup system rather than a walk-up, fee-based model.

“This year, we’re also partnering with a nonprofit called Global Growers to source culturally relevant food for our Clarkston community, which is one of the most diverse parts of the county,” Jamille Hawkins, a Family and Consumer Sciences agent and coordinator of the market.  

The mobile markets are an office-wide endeavor across Extension program areas, and support for the programs comes from county governments. Fresh on DeK was made possible with additional funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DeKalb County Board of Health.

For more information about Fulton Fresh and to preregister, visit extension.uga.edu/county-offices/fulton/fulton-fresh and follow on Facebook at facebook.com/UGAExtensionFultonCounty.

Connect with Fresh on Dek by visiting extension.uga.edu/county-offices/dekalb/fresh-on-dek, following on Facebook at facebook.com/FreshonDeK or calling 404-298-4080.  

Marches, rallies, and demonstrations continue to happen daily in Atlanta as the demands for an end to racial injustice grow in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks. On Tuesday, June 16, a march were held in Downtown from Centennial Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, while another demonstration was held outside the burned out Wendy’s where Brooks was shot and killed by police on June 12.

Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights will hold a rally, Take It Down – No More Monuments to White Supremacy, on the Decatur Square on Wednesday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m. The demand is to remove Confederate and Jim Crow-era monuments erected to preserve white supremacy located around the area of the DeKalb County courthouse. Encouraged by a court order from Judge Clarence Seeliger to remove the “Lost Cause” Confederate obelisk by June 26, the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights is holding the gathering to show support for the actions of the city of Decatur in filing the complaint and to urge DeKalb County to move ahead swiftly with the removal plans of a “nuisance” which is “manifestly injurious to the public health or safety.”

The reward has increased to $20,000 for information on two women suspected in the arson that destroyed the Wendy’s restaurant at 125 University Avenue during protests against the police shooting of Rayshard Brook on June 13. “We don’t want to allow peaceful voices and focus to be overshadowed by events such as this.” Atlanta Fire Chief Randall Slaughter said during at June 16 press conference. There are currently multiple suspects in the arson investigation, but there are only clear photos of two of the subjects, who both appear to be white females. Anyone with information is asked to call the Atlanta Fire Department at (404) 546-7000. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during a press conference on June 15 that the Wendy’s was minority-owned and 40 people were out of job.

OneRace Movement will host March on Atlanta on Friday, June 19, starting at 9 a.m. in Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown. The march will head to the State Capitol then return to the park for music and special remarks. More details are available at oneracemovement.com/marchonatlanta.

A large group of Black Lives Matter protesters marched from Buckhead to Downtown and back June 14 to spotlight racism and police brutality. The “Walk for Justice” drew more than 300 people, according to organizer Victoria Williams, and traveled a route symbolizing the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, which triggered nationwide and local protests. “I organized an 8.46-mile walk for the 8.46 minutes the officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd,” Williams said in a text message. Read more and see photos at our sister publication, Reporter Newspapers.

The post Protest Update: Decatur rally against ‘Lost Cause’ monument; $20k reward for Wendy’s arsonists; more marches appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

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As Atlanta Public Schools plans to start the new school year Aug. 10 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it is holding two town halls for input on what form reopening should take: virtual, in-person attendance or a hybrid of both.

The town halls are scheduled for June 18, noon, and June 22, 6 p.m. The June 18 town hall will be held in English and the June 22 town hall in both English and Spanish. Both will be held via Facebook Live video on the APS Facebook page at facebook.com/AtlantaPublicSchools.

Participants will include Lisa Herring, who starts as APS’s new superintendent on July 1, and members of the district’s COVID-19 Task Force.

APS says it intends to announce a reopening plan in mid-July.

The post Atlanta Public Schools to hold virtual town halls on reopening strategy appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Monday’s virtual Atlanta City Council meeting took place over a period of 11 hours and 45 minutes. As part of the meeting, 499 public comments were submitted, which were played and listened to by the council.

The Atlanta City Council approved legislation Monday, June 15, to add $88.4 million to the Fiscal Year 2020 budget as part of funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1362). The funds will be used to cover costs that are necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Other items approved Monday include:

* An ordinance to set the rate schedule for monthly water and sewer rates and charges at the current rates through June 30, 2024 (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1372). The legislation also authorizes the City to continue applying Municipal Optional Sales Tax (MOST) revenue to water and sewer projects and costs.

• An ordinance to amend the levy provisions of the Code of Ordinances for the purpose of changing the ad valorem tax rates for personal property, bond indebtedness, parks, school operations/debt and special tax districts, and provide that those rates remain fixed for one year in compliance with the City Code (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1318). The millage rate remains the same as the previous year until the receipt of the final tax digest.

• An ordinance to restrict the use of the Building Permit Fee Waiver Program to the growth areas as designated by the Atlanta City Design, a planning framework outlined in the City’s charter to accommodate desired population growth and employment in the city. The legislation is aimed at ensuring that growth is beneficial to Atlanta’s residents (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1427).

•  A resolution authorizing the mayor or her designee to accept the donation by the Atlanta Police Foundation of a study to be performed by the Georgia Institute of Technology concerning the feasibility of adding one or more zones to the City’s public safety coverage to ensure the safety of Atlanta residents (Legislative Reference No. 20-R-4011).

The Council also immediately approved:

• A resolution urging the City of Atlanta and the Georgia General Assembly to adopt policies to implement comprehensive police reform.

• A resolution that the Atlanta City Council respectfully request the Georgia General Assembly to enact House Bill 426 – the “Georgia Hate Crimes Act” – within the state of Georgia.

An item was introduced to be considered during a special called meeting scheduled for Friday, June 19 at 11 a.m. to consider and adopt the City of Atlanta’s 2021 Fiscal Year budget:

• A resolution declaring the intention of the Atlanta City Council to create the Public Safety and Community Support Restricted Fund and requesting that the chief operating officer produce a report of recommendations regarding the City’s approach to public safety, including recommendations for systematic changes in police policies, reinventing the culture of policing in the city and being a model for public safety for cities across the nation, to be provided to the Atlanta City Council by no later than Dec. 1, 2020.

Several items were also introduced to be considered in committee next, including:

• An ordinance to amend the City’s code of ordinances to increase membership and expand the authority of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.

• An ordinance to amend the City’s code of ordinances to decriminalize victimless minor offenses.

• An ordinance prohibiting the Atlanta Police Department from using military-style vehicles and ban the use of rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters.

• An ordinance to amend the Atlanta Police Department’s standard operating procedures to incorporate procedural changes regarding alternatives to the use of force.

• A resolution requesting the Department of Transportation Commissioner create a participatory engagement process with the community to select a street where a permanent “Black Lives Matter” mural commissioned by members of the Atlanta City Council may be installed to commemorate the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the city of Atlanta.

• A resolution approving a deployment plan for funds allocated for rental assistance through the consumer grant program in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The post Marathon Atlanta City Council meeting covers police reform, COVID-19, and 499 public comments appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Atlanta chefs, bakers and restaurant owners are banding together on June 21 to host a bake sale fundraiser in honor of George Floyd and to continue raising awareness for racial justice in Atlanta.

The event is the result of a collaboration – Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice – between chefs Lisa Maria Donovan (Nashville), Cheryl Day (Savannah), and Sarah O’Brien (Atlanta) on ways the restaurant community can provide support and help amplify black-led organizations who are actively working to dismantle systemic racism and oppression.

The Atlanta bake sale, spearheaded by chef-owner Anne Quatrano, will take place on Sunday, June 21, at Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall where guests can purchase $5 (pre-sealed) boxes of baked goods (bagels, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, tarts, rolls, biscuits, and more) and products from their favorite local chefs and purveyors with 100 percent of proceeds benefitting Color of Change.

Pre-orders and more details are available at this link.

Here’s the current list of participants:

• Aria
• Aziza
• Babs Midtown/Pookie Enterprises
• Bacchanalia
• Bantam + Biddy
• Bar Mercado
• Biltong Bar
• Bread & Butterfly
• Buttermilk Kitchen
• Chick-a-Biddy
• Colletta
• Cooks & Soldiers
• Cremalosa
• Double Zero
• El Ponce
• El Super Pan
• Electric Hospitality
• El Tesoro
• Empire State South
• Evergreen Butcher + Baker
• Fifth Group Restaurants
• Floataway Café
• Forza Storico
• Georgetown Cupcake (Buckhead)
• Hampton + Hudson
• Hen Mother Cookhouse
• Honeysuckle Gelato
• Hopkins & Co.
• Just Add Honey Tea Company
• Kimball House
• King of Pops
• Lazy Betty
• Legendary Events
• Little Tart Bakery
• Lyla Lila
• Miller Union
• Mission + Market
• Nina & Rafi
• O-Ku
• Oak Steakhouse
• Pancake Social
• Petit Chou
• Proof Bakeshop
• Proof of the Pudding
• Queen of Cream
• Recess
• Revival
• Rocket Farm Restaurants
• Ruby Chow’s
• Southern Belle
• Southern Proper Hospitality
• Spiller Park
• St. Germain French Bakery
• Staplehouse
• Star Provisions Market & Café
• Storico Fresco
• Sugo
• Sweet Auburn BBQ
• Taqueria del Sol
• The Expat (Athens)
• The General Muir
• The Iberian Pig Buckhead
• The Iberian Pig Decatur
• The Roof at Ponce City Market
• Tiny Lou’s
• Tip Top canned cocktails
• Ton Ton
• Umi
• W.H. Stiles Fish Camp
• Yen Jing Chinese Restaurant
• Yumbii

The post Local restaurants collaborate on June 21 bake sale event to benefit racial justice nonprofit appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.