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Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and local health officials are concerned that the ongoing protests over the killing of George Floyd could cause a spike in COVID-19 cases. Thousands of people have converged on the city for the past four days, making social distancing impossible. “If you’re out there protesting, then you need to go get a COVID-19 test this week,” Mayor Bottoms said during a weekend press conference. “There’s still a pandemic in America killing black and brown people at a higher rate.” As of 1 p.m. on June 1, there were 47,618 confirmed cases in the state and the death toll stands at 2,074.

The state’s bars and nightclubs are officially allowed to open today, June 1, after Gov. Brian Kemp eased restrictions last week. Nightspots are allowed to reopen if they follow mandatory measures to “ensure patron well-being,” including limiting the number of customers to 25 people at a time or 35 percent of their total occupancy space. Many bars and restaurants – including popular spots like Dark Horse Tavern, MJQ, Mary’s, Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, and Trader Vic’s – are waiting a little longer until they can increase occupancy. Be sure to check your favorite watering hole’s website or social media before going out for drinks.

The Georgia Department of Education and Department of Public Health has released guidance for public schools to reopen this fall. The 10-page report, Georgia’s Path to Recovery for K-12 Schools, are not rules – since each school system operates independently under the state constitution – but offer recommendations for superintendents on how to interpret advice from local state health officials.

The post Coronavirus Update: Mayor urges testing after protests; bars and nightclubs reopen; school reopening report appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Are you struggling with marketing your real estate business during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic the traditional way? With the slowdown in buying and selling activities and the shelter in place…

While both real estate investors and agents are facing new challenges as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this doesn’t mean buying your first investment property is…

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has extended the curfew for a third night, June 1, ahead of planned protests in Downtown this evening. The curfew will go into effect at 9 p.m. and continue until sunrise on Tuesday, June 2.

Protesters rallied at Atlanta City Hall this afternoon before marching to to the jail and other parts of Downtown. A larger protest is planned for this evening, starting at 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Site and marching to Centennial Park.

Atlanta Police made 292 arrests over the weekend as protests over the killing of a George Floyd by Minnesota police rocked the city and nation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

 

The post BREAKING NEWS: Curfew extended for a third night ahead of protests appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

While the state has loosened restrictions and many dining rooms have reopened, Intown restaurants are still navigating the decidedly abnormal “new normal” as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.

Experts believe that the “stay at home” mandate and fear of catching the virus has forever changed dining at restaurants. The ease of delivery, takeout and curbside pickup has become ingrained over the last few months, and many diners may only occasional return to actually eat in the dining rooms of their favorite restaurants.

Agave managing partner Tim Pinkham said the Cabbagetown restaurant, famed for its Southwestern fare, didn’t even offer delivery before the pandemic.

“We had to change our business model,” Pinkham said. “We thought our food didn’t travel well for delivery, but we quickly secured partnerships with DoorDash and Grubhub and our customer base made the transition.”

Agave has built a loyal fanbase over its 20 years and kept in contact with regulars through Facebook and Instagram, who were happy to pick up their cayenne fried chicken and margarita kits curbside or delivered straight to their door.

To keep its staff employed and keep up revenue flow, Agave also opened a weekend “fresh market” in its parking lot where customers can order online, drive up, and get fresh meats and vegetables.

Agave reopened its dining room with limited seating on June 1, so reservations are a must. Visit agaverestaurant.com to make a reservation and see safety guidelines for the restaurant.

“Dining out habits are going to change, and I think people will be enjoying food from their favorite restaurants at home more often, so we have to adapt for that,” Pinkham said.

Joseph Hsiao, who co-owns breakfast/brunch mainstay Flying Biscuit in Candler Park and Midtown, said both locations shifted immediately to takeout, curbside and delivery.
“We already had partnerships with UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates, and we saw a surge in delivery orders.”

Hsiao had to layoff 80 percent of his staff but brought them all back in mid-May as it geared up to reopen its dining rooms. He said diners would likely be surprised when they return not only to Flying Biscuit but any restaurant due to social distancing rules. Both locations of Flying Biscuit and Hsaio’s Flip Burger Boutique on the Westside have all reopened for dine-in service.

“It’s a different experience with the spacing of tables. We won’t be packing them in,” Hsiao said. “I think we’re going to continue to see more takeout and delivery for now, and those who do come out will be more cautious.”

In Buckhead, Café Posh owner Simona Edery echoed Hsiao’s thoughts on how customers are likely to react to changes restaurants must make. She said ambience is a main draw to Café Posh and it is decidedly different for now.

“I think people will be shocked to see some of the restrictions,” Edery said. “My main concern is keeping the food consistent and making our regular customers feel happy and safe.”

Edery said she believed many of her customers would continue to opt for takeout, delivery or curbside, which helped the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fusion spot keep its staff during the weeks of shelter-in-place.

Sean Yeremyan, who owns Lazy Llama in Midtown and Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern in Brookhaven and Dunwoody, said all restaurants are operating at a loss now. “Anyone who tells you they are making money isn’t being truthful,” he said.

Like others, Yeremyan switched over to takeout and delivery, but he said that’s not a sustainable business model for a dine-in restaurant. However, he believes takeout and delivery will continue to grow in popularity and all restaurants will have to adapt.

Yeremyan, who plans to open additional Hobnob locations this year at Atlantic Station and in Alpharetta, said he’s taking extra social distancing steps in his dining rooms by letting customers pay from their cell phones or using at-table credit card readers.

The post Learning to Adapt: Restaurants navigate the new normal of operating during a pandemic appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

The Atlanta Police Department made 64 arrests during Sunday night’s George Floyd protests, bringing the weekend total to 292.

Bolstered by National Guard troops and Georgia State Patrol officers, APD made quick work clearing the streets on Sunday night to enforce the 9 p.m. curfew issued by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Protesters shot fireworks and smoke bombs at police officers and used construction fencing and other debris to erect barricades along Centennial Park Drive. However, law enforcement deployed tear gas, made arrests, and moved in formation to mostly disperse the crowds by midnight.

APD spokesman Sgt. John Chaffee released this statement: “As of midnight, we made 64 arrests during Sunday’s protests and there were no major incidents. While we are pleased with the progress made today, we will remain ready for more issues as we enter into the workweek.”

Two APD officers were terminated on Sunday after using excessive force to arrest two college students Downtown, while Motors Officer Maximilian Brewer, who was on duty during the protests in Downtown on May 30, is recovering in ICU at Grady Hospital after being struck by an ATV. The driver of the ATV has been identified as Avery Goggans, 42 He has been charged with DUI, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and several other traffic charges.

One big question that remains is who exactly were the “disruptors,” “agitators,” and “anarchists” that this weekend’s looting, vandalism, arson, and violence was blamed on by law enforcement, officials, and the media?

Mayor Bottoms said the weekend’s violence was not protest, but chaos orchestrated by “disruptors” and “anarchists” who came to “destroy this city.”

Similarly, APD Chief Erika Shields called those who incited violence a “highly calculated terrorist organization” embedded inside peaceful protests.

“We know the organizers of protests in the city, but we didn’t know these people and the organizers didn’t know them either. These people weren’t here to fight for civil rights, they were here to destroy Atlanta.”

Former Ambassador Andrew Young said in an interview with WSB-TV on Sunday that agitators from white supremacist groups, far-right extremists, and ANTIFA (now labeled a domestic terror organization by the United States) had come to the city to create chaos and division. “The destruction I saw are not people from Atlanta,” Young said. “They have to be run out of town.”

Media on the ground witnessed protesters arriving and leaving flashpoints with out-of-state or obscured license plates. Social media was buzzing, not only in Atlanta but around the country, that agitators were embedding themselves into peaceful protests then committing many of the acts of looting, vandalism, and arson. Loud fireworks and incendiary devices launched into crowds and at police appeared designed to scare and agitate the situation.

Comments on INtown’s own social media platforms suggested that many of the agitators were white people dressed in black and wearing face coverings.

Around 150 to 200 vehicles — many with obscured or out-of-state license plates — were peacefully “escorted” by police away from Perimeter Mall area early on May 30 as rioters looted malls and shopping centers in Buckhead.

Dunwoody Police spokesperson Sgt. Robert Parsons said many of the vehicles were “packed with multiple occupants” and had covered-up or missing license plates. Among the vehicles with visible tags, “almost all of them were from out of state,” Parsons said.

Minnesota officials blamed outsiders for the violent protests in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, but later walked back the statements after it was shown most of those arrested were from Minnesota.

The post Police arrest 64 during Sunday protests as questions linger about ‘agitators’ and ‘disruptors’ appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

On Wednesday, the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID) and the Town Center CID received notice Zagster will no longer be providing services to their markets. Based in Boston, Zagster managed and operated both of the CIDs’ bike-share programs.

According to an email from Zagster, the closure is due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on business.

Zagster will remove all bikes and stations from both areas between May 28 and June 12. Zagster stated they plan to communicate more information to members via their app and social media platforms this week. There are currently six stations in Cumberland and six stations in Town Center.

“We were surprised by this news and are exploring the implications of this decision for our bike-share users,” said Tracy Rathbone Styf, Executive Director of the Town Center CID. “At this time, Zagster has not responded to our requests for more information, but we know that this pandemic has hit many businesses hard. We plan to share additional information as it is becomes available.”

While Zagster’s decision is beyond the control of the CIDs, both organizations are committed to providing valuable mobility options for their communities. Thousands of members have recorded hundreds of rides every week in each CID bike-share program.

“Bike-share programs have been extremely successful in the Cumberland and Town Center communities,” said Kim Menefee, Executive Director of the Cumberland CID. “Our shared goal will always be to improve our communities as we continue to strengthen our partnerships and regional connectivity.”

For additional questions regarding Zagster’s closure plan, please contact partner_questions@zagster.com.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is pleased to announce that She Leads, his office’s women’s investor education program, will be hosting another tele-town hall titled, “Making Money Moves.” The hour long event will take place on Wednesday, June 3^rd at 11 am.

Making Money Moves is a conversation about optimally managing finances through banking, debt management, and investment practices. This event is free and open to all Georgians.

“As a father and small business owner, I understand the financial responsibilities that come with having a family and a business,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “Since a growing number of Georgia women are in business owners, I want to empower them to take the lead on investment and money management.”

She Leads is partnering with The Investor Protection Trust (ITP) and The Investor Protection Institute (IPI) to present the Making Money Moves tele-town hall. The June teleconference will feature some of Georgia’s brightest financial leaders who will be ready to answer attendees’ top investment and debt management questions.

“I am proud of our She Leads initiative. Now more than ever, Georgia’s business women should take advantage of She Leads,” said Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs. “I encourage all women, regardless of where you are in life, to use this incredible financial resource.”

Speakers for the event include Shardea M. Ages, CFP, Partner and Wealth Advisor at Greenwood Wealth Management, Kristin M. Pugh, CFP and Senior Wealth Advisor at TrueWealth, LLC, and Dawnita McCain, Managing Director of Corporate Banking, Credit Products, Enterprise Valuation, and Lending at Regions Bank. Making Money Moves will be hosted by GPB Lawmakers’ Donna Lowry.

She Leads is a women’s financial empowerment seminar series hosted by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of his multi-faceted financial literacy platform administered through the Securities and Charities Division. These free tele-town halls feature industry leaders to help increase attendees’ knowledge about money, their own personal relationship to money, and financial issues and strategies for growing their wealth.

The office of the Secretary of State invites all Georgia women to attend this free and informational event.

To learn more about She Leads, click HERE.

To register for this free event, click HERE.

To stay informed on all things She Leads, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter by using the handle, @SheLeadsGA

Welcome to a new edition of Partners Update Digest from the Atlanta Fed. This edition includes articles that reveal recent findings from the Federal Reserve’s national survey on COVID-19’s impact on communities, highlight a new data tool that shares timely, comprehensive insight on unemployment insurance claims, provide perspective on protecting vulnerable communities from COVID-19, and consider the potential financial assistance that a hypothetical laid-off worker would receive in two cities in the Southeast.

How has COVID-19 affected community-based organizations?
Nearly 4,000 people working in low-income communities tell us that COVID-19 disruption is significant, and recovery will take over a year. Two-thirds of these community organizations are seeing increased demand for their services; at the same time, over half noted a corresponding decrease in their ability to provide needed services. These are pressing issues challenging the economic resilience of communities. Tracking and sharing information about these challenges is the intent of a new Federal Reserve System survey. Perspectives from Main Street: The Impact of COVID-19 on Communities and the Entities Serving Them is the first report summarizing findings from this survey of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other community organizations. The survey will be conducted every eight weeks, with findings released soon after. To learn more, contact Karen Leone de Nie.
 
Understanding unemployment insurance claims
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unparalleled economic slowdown and record numbers of layoffs. Even casual economic observers have seen reports of millions of workers filing claims for unemployment insurance, but what exactly does this mean for unemployment? To explore this question, the Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic created the Unemployment Claims Monitor. This data tool allows users to better track who has filed unemployment insurance claims and the geographic, demographic, and industrial concentrations of job losses. Updated weekly with U.S. Department of Labor data, the tool provides timely, comprehensive insight on trends in unemployment. For more information, contact Stuart Andreason or Mels de Zeeuw.
 
Protecting vulnerable communities from COVID-19
COVID-19 is having disproportionate health and economic impacts on racial and ethnic minority, low-income, low-wealth, and rural residents. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that almost 41 percent of all adults (16 million) in states within the Atlanta Fed’s District are at risk of complications from an infection due to preexisting health conditions, a higher share than the United States at large (38 percent). A recent Partners Update article examines research on tracking the virus’s spread to explore the practices and policies that might mitigate the financial and health risks to disadvantaged populations. For more information, contact Ann Carpenter.
 
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, a tale of two southeastern cities
Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)and other legislation to help workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. This Partners Update article shows how this new assistance supplements the preexisting social safety net. Specifically, the authors ask how the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCR Act), the CARES Act, and the social safety net financially support a hypothetical displaced restaurant worker. The authors present a case study in two locations: Birmingham, Alabama, and Miami, Florida. For more information, contact Alexander Ruder.
 
COVID-19 resources and events
For the full set of related resources from the Atlanta Fed, visit our new hub where you can learn about monetary policy actions, how to avoid scams, and more. The page is updated regularly with new information, so check back often.

We want this Digest to stimulate and work for you, so please give us feedback by emailing Digest editor Jen Staley.

Georgia Power remains committed to providing its 2.6 million customers safe and reliable service, while offering important safety tips and storm resources as the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season arrives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The official start of hurricane season is June 1, and while the National Weather Service predicts an above average storm season, it only takes one major storm to disrupt daily activities and cause extensive damage to communities.     

Georgia Power reminds customers to keep safety first during hurricane season and offers the following storm tips:   

• Before a Storm:  Know your risks of storm surge and tropical storm or hurricane strength winds. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power.

• During a Storm: Have several ways to receive emergency notifications and weather updates. If your area is under an evacuation order, follow safety orders from local officials immediately.

• After a Storm: Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off power lines or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Additionally, do not walk or drive through standing water as it may conceal live wires brought down by the storm. 

Before severe weather strikes, customers are encouraged to become familiar with Georgia Power’s Outage Map onwww.georgiapower.com that makes tracking and reporting outage information on the go even easier. The Outage Map automatically adjusts to function on any desktop, handheld or mobile device and has direct access to Georgia Power’s social media channels for quick engagement with customer service representatives. Additionally, users have greater search capabilities with concise alert information relating to their specific outage. 

Additional Georgia Power Tools You Can Use

• Outage Alerts: Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message.

• Outage & Storm Center: At www.georgiapower.com/storm, customers can sign up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.

• Georgia Power Mobile App: Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go.

• @GeorgiaPower on Twitter: Follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.

Storm Response Pandemic Preparations

Georgia Power constantly monitors changing weather conditions and is prepared to respond to service interruptions that might occur because of severe weather while taking proactive actions including special “distancing” and other precautions to help protect customers and employees from the spread of the virus.

The company’s investments in Smart Grid technology and increased automation in recent years mean an increased ability to more quickly isolate outages to smaller numbers of customers and reroute power remotely for improved reliability. In addition, the company’s comprehensive pandemic plans help ensure readiness of the critical personnel and facilities necessary to continue providing the safe and reliable energy customers expect and deserve. 

In the field, the power restoration process includes these key steps:

• Assessing Conditions – Responding crews – or in major storms, damage assessment teams – work to identify trouble spots and the resources needed to fix them, which could involve coming onto customers’ property. Crews will employ appropriate distancing efforts and customers are asked to keep children and pets indoors and maintain safe distances from crew members as well.

• Making Repairs – Georgia Power crews focus on repairs that return power to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time.

Ways you can help keep workers safe while they work in the field:

• If you see utility crews, please stay back a minimum of six feet – much more if they are working.

• Please, no cookies or treats for workers during this time. Give a wave or thumbs up to workers you see. They’ll understand your gratitude as they work to keep the lights on.

• Don’t touch utility trucks or equipment. Electric providers are operating under modified conditions to keep workers safe, which includes additional cleaning and sanitation of tools and equipment.