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March 23 2020 T H E P O S T
FROM PAGE 1: Post and Herald combining FROM PAGE 1: BOE feeding all schoolkids
newly christened Post-Herald are expected to include the following: Legal Ease by Shane Givens; Common Sense by Pete Riehm; From the Pulpit (monthly) by Rev. Gary Hardin; The Weekly Fix (Tweet of the Week, By the Numbers and Associated Press Odd News); and a section reserved for free classified ads. The new Post-Herald will continue to contain most current features from The Herald. Facebook presence The Herald Facebook page will soon be rebranded as the Post-Herald Facebook page. The Post Facebook page will remain as-is and be dedicated completely to coronavirus- related local, state and national news for the foreseeable future. Each page has around Display advertising and classified listings Local businesses that advertise in The Post will be contacted by staff members in the coming days to discuss options for remaining in the new Post-Herald. As mentioned, a separate page of free classified listings will remain a part of the new Post-Herald. Free listings -
Wednesday, school Superintendent Mitchell Guice was at Centre Middle School helping with lunches. School bus drivers in Spring Garden delivered meals on their routes and a school resource officer was delivering meals in the Gaylesville and Cedar Bluff communities. Lee said the school system also may use the FEMA Building in Leesburg as a drop-off point. "We'll do what we have to do to feed our kids," Lee said. "We want to get the word out to parents that it's free for everybody." The United States Department of Agriculture funds the program and will reimburse Cherokee County schools for the cost of the meals. Lee said the response to providing the meals has been amazing. "People started calling and texting wanting to know what they could do to help. It restores your faith. We are
including most items for sale by individuals, with the exception of services, real estate and pets that cost $50 or more - can be left on the existing hotline. The number is 256-927-POST (4476). "This is something that was part of the plan all along, since our publisher, David Crawford, purchased The Herald from News Publishing Services of Rome, Georgia in August 2017," said Managing Editor Scott Wright. "We all know the world is changing rapidly these days - sometimes by the minute - and we felt like this was the right time to complete a task David set for us almost three years ago. It's time to convert The Post, which I love and have enjoyed helping to create for the past 20 years - into the Post- Herald." Wright said he would miss the challenge of creating two papers each week, but said he and his staff are looking forward to the challenge of turning the new Post-Herald into something the community will be proud of for years to come. "We are going to do all we can to make sure we have a smooth transition, and make everyone in Cherokee County who still enjoys reading their local news proud in the process."
showing what child nutrition can do," she said. The first meals - more than 800 - were handed out on Tuesday and it was a bit chaotic, but CNP has quickly set up a system to get food to as many children as possible. "We're in uncharted territory here," Lee said. "Our system showed how much they care for our students." Lee said she is planning ahead in the event school is out of session longer than two weeks. "If we do it longer, I hope we can do hot meals. I know we're going to feed as long as we are able," she said. As a safety precaution, the schools are working with a one-person kitchen and pre- packaged foods. Delivery on-site is drive-through style at the front of the main entrance to the schools. Lee said she is also shifting supplies to the feeding sites to make it as easy as possible to prepare meals.
It's absolutely amazing that just a little more than two months ago few people had ever heard of the coronavirus, but in recent weeks, the virus is shutting down practically the entire world. People around the planet are stunned not by the speed the virus is spreading, but by the speed panic is spreading. Any pandemic of a contagious infectious disease should cause serious concern and sober measures to contain it, so people and nations want to be cautious and safeguard the public health. But how much caution is prudent and at what point is it paranoia? Viral pandemics are not new. In just the past couple decades, we have witnessed and more importantly survived SARs, MERs, and the swine flu. It's still early, but so far the Wuhan strain of the coronavirus numbers are a tiny fraction of those previous pandemics. In the USA, the swine flu reached 60.8 million cases in 2009-10. As of this writing, there are about 3,500 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, so it has to get about 17,000 times worse to match the swine flu. Make no mistake, it will get worse and continue to spread most likely a lot more. Perhaps it will ultimately be even worse than the swine flu that claimed over 12,000 American lives (to date, coronavirus has claimed some 40 Americans); at this point, we don't know. However, we must wonder why the swine flu did not cause the same intense reaction. It took almost six months to be declared a national emergency and nothing was cancelled. Is the current overwhelming response what we learned from the swine flu or do the authorities and scientists believe the Wuhan virus could be much more dangerous? Or will we look back and realize our incompetent media sensationalized this certain health threat into an overblown crisis for ratings? Unfortunately, this is like the first major hurricane of the season. You know it could be dangerous if it hits your area, but you won't know for sure until it hits. So you have no choice but to prepare and perhaps even evacuate. Coastal folks know they may evacuate for nothing, but if it was necessary, it could save your life. So we have no choice now but to take every precaution because no one particularly elected officials want to risk not doing enough. The greatest fear is the unknown and though we don't know how bad this pandemic will get yet, there are things we do know. We do know how to treat viral infections and so far the survival rate is at least 97%. We also know like most viruses the elderly and anyone with other health issues are more vulnerable, so those people should take extra precautions. Everyone else should keep washing their hands and avoid exposure to large groups. The travel bans, cancelled large events, and suspended schools will certainly impede the spread because we are being forced to reduce public contact. Despite some continued partisan sniping by presidential candidates and the Washington swamp, there is bipartisanship -- particularly at the state level -- as hard-hit states are working well with the federal government to combat the coronavirus. So we can take some reassurance when a perceived real threat emerges, we do have some leaders that will come together for the good of all Americans. While we must press ahead with these onerous steps that will affect everyone's lives, there is no need to panic. The government is taking this seriously and acting swiftly, so we can have confidence the government is not ignoring it. The private sector is stepping up fast-laning tests and vaccines, and Congress recently passed wide- ranging measures to help businesses and workers cope with economic interruptions. All of the cancellations and people just avoiding public contact will slow down our economy, but it won't come to a complete standstill. Life will go on and our otherwise healthy economy will recover, hopefully quickly and vigorously. Panic is certainly not warranted and we may eventually learn our response was excessive, but we have learned some valuable lessons on how to handle such threats and the Wuhan virus exposed our dreadful over dependence on China for pharmaceuticals, particularly antibiotics. Some 80-90% of our antibiotics are manufactured in China; we must bring that manufacturing back home. Americans will hunker down and meet this head on, but let's not overreact and do more economic damage than necessary. We can and will beat this. Despite some withering criticism, President Trump is doing everything possible and everything the best scientists in America have recommended. So remain calm, wash your hands, pray, and this too shall pass. "In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation." -- Isaiah 26:1
Pete Riehm is the host of "Common Sense Radio" heard at 8 p.m. every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Contact him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or on Twitter @PeteRiehm or visit www.peteriehm.com.
Is coronavirus March madness?
CONSERVATIVE CORNER
by Mark Tatulli
The private sector is stepping up fast-laning tests and vaccines, and Congress recently passed wide- ranging measures to help businesses and workers cope with economic interruptions. All of the cancellations and people just avoiding public contact will slow down our economy, but it won't come to a complete standstill.
No Foolin'.
Cherokee POST-HERALD
Beginning locally owned Tortuga Publishing, which has owned The Post since 1998 and The Herald since 2017, will be combining the two papers into the Wednesday, April 1
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