Northeast Georgia News
Reporting from Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison, Oconee and surrounding counties.
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Rent Forgiveness, Grocery Donations Offer Relief to Members of Restaurant Industry
Restaurant servers never imagined a day where there would be no demand for their jobs. “What’s funny to me is there was a time not that long ago where I thought, ‘Well, there’s always restaurant work for me to do,”’ Erica Strout, a former employee of LRG Provisions said. “Yeah,…
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Small Farms Come To Rescue During Pandemic
First the chicken, then the eggs. These were some of the products (after toilet paper) to fly off the shelves of corporate grocery stores when the panic hit. In the midst of a global pandemic, when many stores were experiencing supply shortages, a local farm-share program teamed up with the…
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Campus Career Communication: On-Campus Work Goes Online to Nonexistent in Midst of Pandemic
On an early morning in February 2020, the Market at Tate shop was a hub for student workers and those who wanted to purchase a snack between classes. With campus left deserted after Spring Break, on-campus jobs that were normally occupied by student workers have been left vacant due to…
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We’re Home: An Essential Worker, An Elderly Woman, A Child and COVID-19
When COVID-19 began shutting down schools, people flooded grocery stores, buying up essential items like toilet paper. Many companies started encouraging employees to work from home, but not everyone got that luxury. Publix customer service staff member Sara Hammond lives at home with her son, Davis Hammond, 10,…
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Some Local Athens Restaurants Face Extinction During Pandemic
COVID-19 has forced Mimi Maumus, the owner of Home.made in Athens, to commit what her friend refers to as a “mercy killing.” Maumus has had to lay off 21 employees in order to keep her restaurant alive during the pandemic, or at least what is left of it being that…
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Athens Service Industry Looks to Online Donations to Survive COVID-19
Four weeks ago, Evan Adams, a server at a restaurant on East Clayton Street in Athens, Georgia added her name to the Athens Virtual Tip Jar. Since then, she has received six online donations — and she’s not alone. Adams has not been able to work since the Athens-Clarke County…
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Community Service in a Pandemic: Local Meals on Wheels Chapter Works to Ease COVID-19 Impact on Older Population
The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a culture of uncertainty, prompting questions like “Can I go to the grocery store?,” “If I go outside, will I get sick,” or “When will I be able to see my family and friends again?” For the older population, these questions hold…
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Athens Tourism Takes A Hit During COVID-19
With COVID-19 keeping the masses at home, the Athens hospitality and tourism industry has come to a stand still. Stay-at-home orders and bans on large gatherings have led to the cancellation of all events, leaving hotels empty and businesses scrambling to adapt. On March 16, Athens-Clarke County introduced a ban…
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COVID-19 Tumbles UGA’s Competition Cheer Club
Elizabeth Cummings was in Jamaica on a spring break mission trip when she first heard of the school and sports cancellations due to the coronavirus. Immediately, she began thinking about what this would mean for UGA’s club cheer program. “The second week of April, we go to NCA College Nationals,…
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Athens-Area Churches Transition to Online Services
There are two holidays in which Christian churches can count on peak engagement—Easter and Christmas. But this year, due to imposed social-distancing measures, church buildings across Georgia remained empty. Athens-area churches have adapted, using online services to engage remotely. Although they are thankful to meet, conducting services and congressional communication…