Community Tea

CDC’s COVID Data Tracker shows that, as of January 20, 2022, more than 209 million people have received their primary series* of a COVID-19 vaccine and are considered fully vaccinated. More than 82 million people are up to date on their vaccines, which means they have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.

As the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to infect record numbers of people across the United States, finding the best mask to help stop the spread is more important now than ever. While any mask is still better than none, doctors and public-health experts now recommend putting aside fabric masks in favor of those that offer higher filtration like KN95s, KF94s, and N95s

A jury of 18 people have been chosen for the federal trial of officers charged with depriving George Floyd of his civil rights as Derek Chauvin, who is white, used his knee to pin the Black man to the street. Jurors will hear the case against former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Kueng. The court declined to provide demographic information, but one juror appeared to be of Asian descent among the 12 jurors with all others appearing to be white.

A Middle Georgia deputy, Paul Urhahn, had been suspended earlier in the month after calling Arbery a criminal and saying he got the death penalty. He has since resigned from the force. The 20-year veteran of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office was suspended without pay on Jan. 10 after making a comment on Macon television station WGXA-TV’s Facebook post about Arbery’s killers being sentenced to life in prison in the high-profile case. “That criminal Arbery still got the death penalty though,” Urhahn wrote in the since-deleted comment. The backlash to his remark was swift, with scores of people sharing calling for the deputy’s firing. Houston County Sheriff Cullen “suspended Urhahn without pay pending termination” after an internal investigation found he violated multiple department policies governing employee conduct. The veteran deputy was given 10 days to appeal the decision but elected to resign instead. The question for concerned citizens calling for his termination, was he able to resign with his full pension?

Democrats were blocked from moving forward on voting rights legislation and failed to get 50 votes to change the Senate rules to move forward with the legislation with a simple majority. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought up a vote on a rules change to move the legislation forward with a one-time exemption, but it was fiercely opposed by Republicans and two members of his own party, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Democrats’ frustration with Manchin and Sinema was apparent, with Senator Bernie Sanders saying after the vote that Manchin and Sinema have “forced us to go through five months of discussions which have gotten absolutely nowhere.”

A Texas man, Chad Stark, 54, has been arrested after he was accused of threatening to kill several Georgia elections officials on the day before the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. According to the Department of Justice, Stark is accused of calling for “Georgia Patriots” to “put a bullet in” unnamed officials. He is the first person to be charged by the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, formed by Attorney General Merrick Garland last summer. The indictment filed against Stark alleges he created a Craigslist post on Jan. 5, 2021, titled, “Georgia Patriots it’s time to kill [Official A] the Chinese agent — $10,000.” Georgia election officials faced continued threats from supporters of Donald Trump, who falsely claimed the election had been stolen from the former president. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in particular, was the subject of threats on his life and family.

After the Supreme Court reversed the ruling on vaccinations, Starbucks quickly moved to nix vaccine mandates and is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a policy it announced earlier this month.

To tackle a dangerously low nationwide blood supply, the American Red Cross has joined forces with the NFL in hopes of encouraging people to donate blood. To incentivize donors during the month of January, those who give blood, platelet or plasma donations will have a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The winner will be gifted two tickets to the Super Bowl, in addition to entry into the official NFL Tailgate, round-trip airfare, a 3-night hotel stay and a $500 gift card to cover additional expenses. Donors will also be entered for a chance to win an at-home package, which includes a smart laser-projector, projector screen, soundbar, subwoofer and a $500 gift card, as well. Those who donate during January will automatically be entered to win both the tickets and also the Big Game at Home package. To find a local donation location head to Red Cross online

In the ever-moving roller coaster ride called the Cobb County School Board, members voted along party lines to change the public comment section of their meeting from online to in person. It was just last summer that the board voted to go to on-line instead of the in-person that had been in place because it would be more convenient to the public. Now the concern is that certain groups were signing up and consuming all the spots, per Superintendent Chris Ragsdale. Board member Dr. Jaha Howard, a Democrat, called the change a “major switch” in board policy, and took issue with what he said was a lack of public engagement on the issue. Howard cited the Cognia report and accused Ragsdale of “introducing a concept without time to really digest it or engage the public.” Ragsdale denied that characterization of the actions that were being taken.

Those enjoying Netflix will soon be hit with a higher bill. Customers in the United States and Canada will see their premiums rise as the entertainment giant confirmed it has raised its streaming subscription prices. Depending on the plan, subscribers can expect to see a $1 or $2 increase. Netflix occasionally raises prices, but the hikes haven’t displaced them from the top of the increasingly crowded streaming world. With 213.5 million subscribers, 74 million in the U.S. and Canada, Netflix remains the platform of choice for the majority of streamers. Competitors, like Disney Plus, HBO Max and others have seen their popularity grow in recent years.

Lawyer and television personality Star Jones has been appointed the judge of television’s longest-running court show, “Divorce Court.” Jones is slated to take the bench effective September 2022, providing judgment for all the cases brought to mediation on the program, ranging from divorce court proceedings to other domestic disputes.

Two lots of Lidl Frozen Chopped Spinach have been recalled from stores in nine states after routine testing found listeria in some 12-ounce bags. Manufacturer Frozen Food Development and the FDA announced the recall Wednesday. The recalled lots, Nos. R17742 and R17963 with an expiration date of 09/10/23, went to Lidl stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. If you have the recalled spinach, return it to the Lidl store of purchase for a refund. If you have questions, call Lidl at 844-747-5435, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time. Listeria kills about 260 of the 1,600 Americans infected each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Following reports of two infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using the Podster, Podster Plush, Bummzie and Podster Playtime (the “Podsters”) infant loungers manufactured by Leachco, Inc. of Ada, Oklahoma. The Commission has found that the public health and safety requires this notice to warn the public quickly of the hazard.

The city of Marietta will honor police chief Dan Flynn at a retirement reception Thursday. Flynn, 70, has served as the city’s chief of police since 2007 and will retire at the end of the month. The First United Methodist Church of Marietta will host the reception at its Family Life Center from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The family life center is at 56 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta

Sting Inc., a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization created in South Cobb County for the purpose of providing mentoring and enrichment programs for youth between the ages of 11-18, will have a Spring Break College Tour Road Trip and Washington DC Historical Trip April 2-9. The tour is for middle and high school students and parents. Tentative tours are Howard University, George Washington University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T University, Bennett College, Johnson C. Smith University and Clemson University. The organization’s goal is to make a difference in the lives of youth and encourage them to live productive and balanced lives. To register, visit stinginc.org. For more information, contact Geneva Vanderhorst at 404-625-6543 or Deborah Douglin at 678-522-134.

The Captain’s Boil, a seafood restaurant chain with success in Canada, has opened its first U.S. location in Cobb County. The restaurant, inspired by Louisiana-style seafood boils, hosted a ribbon-cutting and grand opening this month at Cumberland Mall.

Have a great week…