Statewide News Archives - South Fulton Observer

Early Voting Begins Today, Six Sites Available in South Fulton

2May

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Elections, Government, Politics, Statewide News

Early Voting Begins Today, Six Sites Available in South Fulton

Early voting in Georgia for the May 24 Primary Election begins today. 30 polling sites are available in Fulton County. Residents will be able to vote from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily, including weekend voting on Saturdays and Sundays. Early voting will end on Friday, May 20.During early voting, absentee ballot drop boxes will be available at seven early voting locations, including Wolf Creek Library. Drop boxes are located inside early voting locations and are only accessible during early voting hours. Among the high profile contests on the ballot include races for Georgia governor and U.S. senate. Gov. Brian Kemp faces Stacey Abrams again, among others. And Sen. Raphael Warnock is hard at work to hold on to his new seat. Former South Fulton City Councilmember Mark Baker w...

Citizen Group Opposes Charter Changes, State Legislators Announce Town Hall

3Aug

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Statewide News

Citizen Group Opposes Charter Changes, State Legislators Announce Town Hall

Controversy continues to swirl around HB 921 and HB 1019. The bills, sponsored by members of the South Fulton legislative delegation, make several changes to City of South Fulton's charter. A group of citizens, including ethics board member Jewel Johnson and former mayoral candidate Benny Crane, held a press conference on Friday to oppose the legislation. "Our city has been hijacked by our state legislators," said Johnson, who was a strong supporter of cityhood. "The citizens made this city. We wanted to chart our destination as to how we want to be. The citizens have been taken out of the picture." The city charter calls for a five-year review by committee. Johnson's group is calling for legislators to wait until review takes place before making changes. They are also wri...

Elected Officials Urge Residents to Stay Home, Avoid Camp Creek Marketplace

24Apr

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Business, Government, Statewide News

Elected Officials Urge Residents to Stay Home, Avoid Camp Creek Marketplace

A coalition of nearly a dozen South Fulton County elected officials are speaking out against Governor Brian Kemp’s decision to begin reopening some businesses today. They are urging residents to stay at home and stay safe. “We need to stay the course, not jump onto a collision course” said East Point Councilmember Stephanie Gordon, and South Fulton Regional Elected Officials coalition member. Under Kemp's new order, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools, and massage therapists can all reopen their doors today. Theaters, private social clubs, and restaurant dine-in services will be allowed to resume business on Monday. According to Gordon and her colleagues, the s...

Raffensperger Pushes Primary back to June 9

9Apr

By cosfobserverNo Comments

Elections, Statewide News

Raffensperger Pushes Primary back to June 9

Georgia's elections have been pushed back for the second time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced today that the Statewide General Primary/ Presidential Preference Primary Election will be postponed until June 9, 2020. “Due to the Governor’s extension of the state of emergency through a time period that includes almost every day of in-person voting for an election on May 19, and after careful consideration, I am now comfortable exercising the authority vested in me by Georgia law to postpone the primary election until June 9,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting...

Gov. Kemp Extends Shelter-in-Place Order, Issues New Orders for Long-Term Care Facilities and Vacation Rentals

8Apr

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Statewide News

Gov. Kemp Extends Shelter-in-Place Order, Issues New Orders for Long-Term Care Facilities and Vacation Rentals

Georgians will have to shelter-in-place a little longer following announcements by Governor Brian Kemp today. This morning, Gov. Kemp announced that he is extending the public health state of emergency through May 13, 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This afternoon, he followed up by extending the shelter-in-place order until April 30. So far, 9,901 coronavirus cases have been reported in Georgia, and 362 Georgians have died as a result of COVID-19. According to Gov. Kemp, long-term care facilities have been particularly hard hit. "The Georgia Department of Public Health has determined that COVID-19 is spreading through nursing homes, inpatient hospice, assisted living communities, personal care homes, intermediate care homes, community living arrangements, and communit...

Gov. Kemp to Extend State of Emergency through May 13

8Apr

By cosfobserverNo Comments

Statewide News

Gov. Kemp to Extend State of Emergency through May 13

Update: At a press conference at 4 p.m. today, Governor Kemp announced that he is extending Georgia's shelter-in-place order until April 30. Governor Brian Kemp is extending the public health state of emergency through May 13, 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The executive order was previously set to expire on April 13. The declaration, first issued on March 14, facilitates the deployment of all available resources for the mitigation and treatment of COVID-19. It also allows the Department of Public Health to direct specific healthcare action in extraordinary circumstances. Governor Kemp's shelter-in-place mandate, also set to expire on April 13, has not been extended yet. However, his staff told WSB-TV that an extension is likely. “To ensure the health and well-bein...

State and City Officials Announce Upcoming Virtual Townhall Dates

26Mar

By cosfobserverNo Comments

Government, Public Notice, Statewide News

State and City Officials Announce Upcoming Virtual Townhall Dates

While state and city leaders have cancelled their public meetings for the unforeseeable future, they are filling the gaps with virtual townhall meetings and teleconferences. Governor Brian Kemp, the South Fulton House Delegation and Councilmembers Helen Willis and Corey Reeves have all announced upcoming meeting dates. Tonight at 8 p.m., Governor Brian P. Kemp will participate in a live town hall on Georgia's response to the spread of COVID-19. This broadcast will also feature interviews with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson, and Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King. "Georgians are eager to hear d...

Governor Brian Kemp Declares Public Health Emergency, Issues Statement

14Mar

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Statewide News

Governor Brian Kemp Declares Public Health Emergency, Issues Statement

Update: Since Governor Brian Kemp issued his statement, additional confirmed cases of coronavirus have been identified in Fulton County. A daily status report is available through the Georgia Department of Public Health. Today, in an unprecedented move, Governor Brian Kemp signed a public health state of emergency to address novel coronavirus and COVID-19 in Georgia. The declaration will facilitate the deployment of all available resources for the mitigation and treatment of COVID-19. If necessary, unlike other states of emergency, this declaration will allow the Department of Public Health to direct specific healthcare action in extraordinary circumstances. The declaration also suspends restrictions on hours of commercial vehicle operation and vehicle height, weight, and length ...

New COVID-19 Cases Identified, Health Officials to Answer Questions at Cliftondale Park

7Mar

By cosfobserverNo Comments

Health, National News, Statewide News

New COVID-19 Cases Identified, Health Officials to Answer Questions at Cliftondale Park

Since Georgia health officials announced earlier this week that the state's first two cases of COVID-19 were identified in Fulton County, three additional cases have been identified. One individual is from Cobb County after recently returning from Italy and is isolated at home. The second individual is from Fulton County and is hospitalized. The source of this individual’s exposure is unclear at this time. Testing for these two cases was done solely by the CDC, prior to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) having the capacity to test for COVID-19. CDC testing has confirmed the presumptive positive test for COVID-19 in a resident of Floyd County. The original testing was done by GPHL on March 5. The individual is hospitalized. Additionally, the Georgia Department of Public ...

Coronavirus: Local Health Officials Emphasize Prevention over Panic

5Mar

By cosfobserverNo Comments

Fulton County News, Health, Statewide News

Coronavirus: Local Health Officials Emphasize Prevention over Panic

On March 2, state officials and the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed the first local cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) involving two residents of Fulton County who live in the same household. One, a 56-year old male, had recently been in Milan, Italy for a conference. Upon returning to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport he was asymptomatic. But days later both he and his 15-year old son began to show signs of the illness. They visited their physician who then alerted the CDC. After testing positive, both have been isolated in their home and have since shown improvement. A spouse and younger child are also in the home and are being monitored. Both children are homeschooled, and are not believed to have put any other children at risk. Dr. San...

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