Closer Look: Tybee Island Mayor On Why Gov. Kemp Should Close Beaches; Atlanta Legal Aid Responds To Rise In Need; A Conversation With The Founder Of The Meal Bridge

Grace Walker •
Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions joins “Closer Look” to share why she wants Governor Kemp to keep beaches closed, and the effect tourism is having on her community during the pandemic.
Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions joins “Closer Look” to share why she wants Governor Kemp to keep beaches closed, and the effect tourism is having on her community during the pandemic.
Credit Stephen B. Morton / WABE
Audio version of this story here.
  • 00:00: Rose Scott reports on the latest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, hospitalization and deaths in Georgia as of noon today, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
  • Meanwhile, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms updated the city council on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city’s budget yesterday.
  • And finally, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is set to receive more than $300 million in federal aid to help pay workers and keep operations maintained.
  • 02:53: Because the governor’s shelter-in-place order supersedes all local ordinances, some of Georgia’s beaches reopened after local leaders closed them. Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions joins “Closer Look” to share why she wants Governor Kemp to keep beaches closed, and the effect tourism is having on her community during the pandemic.
  • 18:46: As more Georgians face financial crises during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for free legal services is in high demand. Steve Gottlieb, the executive director of the Atlanta Legal Aid, joins “Closer Look” to share how his organization is responding to the pandemic.
  • 36:08: Grey Cohen, a sophomore at Druid Hills High School and the founder of The Meal Bridge, joins “Closer Look” to share how her newly-formed organization helps deliver free meals to healthcare workers during their shifts.
  • Courtesy of Grey Cohen
    Grey Cohen, a sophomore at Druid Hills High School recently started her own organization, called the Meal Bridge, which helps deliver free meals to healthcare workers during their shifts. (Courtesy of Grey Cohen)
  • Meal Bridge
    Grey Cohen, a sophomore at Druid Hills High School recently started her own organization, called the Meal Bridge, which helps deliver free meals to healthcare workers during their shifts. (Courtesy of Grey Cohen)
  • Meal Bridge
    Grey Cohen, a sophomore at Druid Hills High School recently started her own organization, called the Meal Bridge, which helps deliver free meals to healthcare workers during their shifts. (Courtesy of Grey Cohen)
  • Grey Cohen
    High school student Grey Cohen joined “Closer Look” to share how her newly formed organization helps deliver free meals to health care workers. (Courtesy of The Meal Bridge)

“Closer Look” is produced by Grace Walker and LaShawn Hudson.