Items

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  2020-10-22

  No Hocus Pocus Door to Door

  The Mayor of Columbus, MS, Robert Smith, and his office issued a public notice on October 22, 2020 that there should be no door to door trick or treating. In place of door to door trick or treating the city and fellow organizers have planned events for trick or treating throughout the city. This action is helpful and thoughtful for all citizens involved. It allows the citizens to remain safe in their homes if they so wish or it gives citizens the opportunity to celebrate Halloween during the pandemic. Of course social distancing will be practiced for all Halloween events. This is important for children to celebrate a fun holiday while practicing social distancing. Also important to realize the safety and health conditions for others that are at high risk for Covid 19.
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  2020-07-10

  Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Trip with Friends

  On July 10, 2020 my best friend, Lauren Ash and her boyfriend, drove up from Marietta, Ohio to Columbus to go to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium with my boyfriend and I. We purchased the tickets right before the Zoo re-opened in early June. The Columbus Zoo is very popular, usually having thousands of visitors a day. However, because of COVID19, they were forced to limit the number of visitors each day and at specific times. So, in order to go, you must buy a ticket in advance for a specific date and time range. From there, they can limit the number of people inside the zoo at a time. We hadn't seen each other since January and missed both of our birthdays during mass shutdowns, so we decided the Zoo would be an easy and safer way to meet up and see each other briefly. Because of some sanitation concerns and social distancing, the zoo was different. Many drink and food stations were closed. All glass had signs on them to "Keep 6 feet apart" (as seen in some photographs) as well as ropes preventing visitors from getting close enough to touch any glass (also seen in some photographs). Paw prints or circles were painted/laid on the ground in front of viewing areas to help people keep 6 feet distance. Some activities were shut down entirely, like some animal identification games in the Africa exhibit (seen in a photograph). The boat ride that winds through the park was closed with tarps over their seats while the boats kept eerily floating through their paths (as seen in the video). Walkways that in the past were usually packed with people going any direction were empty, with signs and painted lines to move traffic in ways that would keep visitors from passing each other too closely. On top of that, there were sanitizer and hand-washing stations scattered around the zoo that had not been there before COVID19. While face masks were only required to wear indoors at the zoo, many people did not wear them at all. My group decided to wear them the entire time, and we took a couple of selfies along the way. Overall, it was a fun and relatively safe trip. I'm glad I got to leave the house for a bit and spend some time with my best friend!
• 
  03/30/2020

  LaTonja Crowder Oral History, 2020/03/30

  Description from the interviewer: LaTonja Crowder reveals how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted society and her day-to-day life. The interview also reflects how LaTonja witnessed other catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina and refugees migrating to Columbus. Subject Heading(s): Family Life, Food & Drink, Social Issues, Business & Industry Tags: Non-Profit, Walmart, Hurricane Katrina This submission is in partial fulfillment of course requirements for Dr. Rebecca Wingo at the University of Cincinnati.
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  2020-06-06

  Sarah Grossman Killed by Teargas

  This lovely lady was demonstrating in the recent protests. She was killed by the police's use of teargas on the crowd. One report said that she had asthma, but a later report said that she did not. I looked at her picture, and felt so sad for the loss of a beautiful soul.
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  2020-04-28

  Local Coffee Shop Extends Delivery Service

  Instagram page @lifeincolumbus shares photograph of masked coffee delivery from local shop Jennings Java Coffee Roasters
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  2020-04-24

  Ohio Extends Foster Care Service for those "Aging Out" Amid COVID19

  Amid COVID19 shelter in place orders, Governor Mike DeWine announces that the 200+ Ohioians that would "age out" of foster care (by turning 18) May-July 2020 would be able to stay in their foster homes. The state would cover the costs to keep these citizens in place.
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  2020-03-10

  Many People Aren't Social Distancing

  I work at a Starbucks in Columbus, GA. Before the pandemic began we were already one of the busiest stores in our area, after the pandemic began it only got worse. Everyday we had lines double wrapped around our building, with people waiting 25 minutes or more. I didn't realize how "essential" we were until we were presented with situations like this on a daily basis.
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  2020-03-14

  Guarding the Water

  The stores have been packed, so I went to the grocery store this morning at 6 am. They had a security guard standing with the water to ensure nobody took too many.