COVID-19, tornado among top stories of 2020

Dec. 31—The impact of COVID-19 on the Greater Dalton area topped this year's stories.

As of Thursday afternoon, the virus had killed 121 people with five probable deaths in Whitfield County, and killed 40 people with two probable deaths in Murray County, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Whitfield County had seen 524 hospitalizations, while Murray County had 153.

There had been 10,831 confirmed cases in Whitfield County and 2,654 in Murray.

On March 13, President Donald Trump proclaimed a state of emergency, noting that "the spread of COVID-19 within our nation's communities threatens to strain our nation's health care systems." The next day, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a public health emergency order, designating the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency as the lead agency for dealing with the pandemic.

On March 17, Hamilton Medical Center announced its first confirmed positive test for the virus. The next day, Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Lynn Laughter declared a local state of emergency because of the spread of COVID-19 into the county.

"We had our first confirmed case in Whitfield County," she said. "We expect to have more. Our Emergency Management Agency Director Claude Craig is on conference calls with the White House and with the governor's office, and this is what they are recommending. If communities do what they are asking us to do, we are hoping this can prevent a national quarantine."

On March 23, Kemp closed bars and nightclubs and banned gatherings of 10 or more unless it could be guaranteed that people would remain 6 feet apart. That same day, the city councils in Dalton, Tunnel Hill and Varnell and the Town of Cohutta issued a joint declaration of emergency, "limiting all voluntary social gatherings, dine-in restaurant services and exposure at nursing and retirement homes, and providing flexibility regarding the sale of alcohol for off-premises use and for other purposes."

Shelter in place

On April 2, Kemp issued a "shelter-in-place" order that mandated that people remain at home unless they were going to work at a job deemed essential or traveling for a necessary purpose, such as shopping for groceries. That same day, Murray County Sole Commissioner Greg Hogan, Chatsworth Mayor K.W. Gong and Eton Mayor Billy Cantrell signed a joint declaration of emergency banning on-premises dining at restaurants, public gatherings on county- or city-owned property and all gatherings of more than 10 people outside of households or living units, and requiring that businesses post signs reminding people to remain 6 feet apart and if they could not maintain that distance to allow no more than 10 people into the business at one time.

Local school systems shifted to virtual learning for the final weeks of the 2019-20 school year. They delayed the start of the 2020-21 school year and gave students the option of continuing with virtual learning rather than returning to classrooms.

Kemp's shelter-in-place order expired at midnight on April 30 and most other state and local restrictions have expired. But Kemp has continued to renew his original state of emergency and it remains in effect until Jan. 8 unless he renews it again.

One byproduct of the pandemic has been a debate about whether local governments should mandate that residents wear face coverings in public to combat the spread of COVID-19. Neither the city of Dalton nor Whitfield County put in place a general mask mandate, although county commissioners in December passed a resolution encouraging residents to wear a mask and mandated masks inside county facilities, and in November, Mayor David Pennington, in a statement on behalf of the City Council, noted that the council had mandated that everyone entering a city building must wear a mask.

"We urge the people of Dalton to take this seriously and wear your masks and keep your social distancing up. This isn't a political issue — it's about public health and keeping our economic recovery going," Pennington said.

The community steps up

Individuals and businesses filled the void when local first responders ran up against shortages of personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and other needed items early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said local law enforcement officers and firefighters are lucky to work in Dalton and Whitfield County.

"We always get a lot of support," he said. "That's one of the best things about working here, living here."

But he said that since the start of the pandemic that support, especially from local businesses "has gone beyond what we normally see."

"It's kind of like what happened after 9/11," he said, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on this country. "I guess we are on people's minds more now, and so they have reached out to us."

Marco's Pizza, Honey Baked Ham, Domino's Pizza, Outback Steakhouse and the Kroger on West Walnut Avenue donated food. Shaw Industries donated hand sanitizer and face masks. Mohawk Industries donated face shields. Dalton Distillery donated hand sanitizer. Textile Rubber and Chemical donated cleaning solution for patrol vehicles. And Solution Designed Products donated face masks.

Hamilton Medical Center said it received donations of food, personal protective equipment and other items from a number of local businesses.

"We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community," said Tara Skiffen, a critical care nurse. "The generous donations that we've received, which include a surplus of personal protective equipment, food and other support, have been greatly appreciated. We will never forget the kindness shown."

Easter carnage

Eight people died from injuries caused by an EF-2 tornado that roared through northern Murray County on Easter Sunday. The tornado had estimated peak winds of 135 mph that tore a 7.8-mile long path nearly half a mile wide through the county on the evening of April 12. The tornado began 4.3 miles northwest of Chatsworth at 9:45 p.m. and ended 10 minutes later 3.6 miles south/southwest of Cisco, according to the National Weather Service.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale measures the intensity of tornadoes and runs from EF-0 to EF-5, with EF-5 the most severe.

The tornado left 63 homes destroyed, 35 homes with major damage and hundreds of homes and businesses damaged.

Murray County Sole Commissioner Greg Hogan recalled a tornado from "when I was 12 or 13, back in the 1970s. We had a tornado come through that did some damage. But it was nothing like this. I have never seen this sort of devastation before."

Season of protest

They filled the south lawn of the Whitfield County courthouse on June 1, some 300 people kneeling in support of criminal justice reform.

"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," said Rashun Mack, a Dalton High School graduate and a board member of the Atlanta-based Southern Advocacy Group, which organized the protest.

Mack said the group organized the march "because of what is going on in the country right now," referring to the protests spurred by the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died in police custody on May 25.

"There's a focus on criminal justice issues right now," Mack said. "A lot of people are upset right now, but this is going to end, things like this are going to end. So we need to capitalize on the momentum while we can."

Exactly one week later, some 200 people marched from outside Harmon Field down Crawford Street to Thornton Avenue to Emery Street to Hamilton Street and to Waugh Street and then to City Hall, where the group issued a list of demands. Among other things, they called for increased funding for schools and for social services and for moving the statue of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston that has kept watch over downtown Dalton from the intersection of Hamilton Street and Crawford Street for more than a century to a "more appropriate place."

There was yet another protest march in Dalton on June 13. The focus of that march was to be A.L. McCamy, a Black man who was lynched and hanged in Dalton in 1936. However, the Johnston statue took center stage. Tensions ran high as protesters stopped across the street from the statue and were met by counter-protesters. On several occasions, members of the Dalton Police Department had to step in and separate members of the two groups.

A new home for Joe?

The Johnston statue wasn't on the agenda for the Dalton City Council's June 15 meeting, but people began lining up at City Hall more than an hour before the meeting began at 6 p.m., trying to get in to speak about the statue. Seating was limited to about two dozen people in the council's chamber because of social distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, so after some people spoke, they left to make room for others. The meeting lasted more than two hours.

From the start, it was clear the statue, which is on city property, means different things to different people.

"I've been living in Dalton all my life," said David Thomas. "The statue has always been for me a lot of frustration. Probably the biggest frustration is that we have not been heard. I want to thank y'all for listening to us today. Gen. Johnston, he symbolizes to black people misery, suffering, destruction and death."

Brad Bailey, another Dalton native, said when he was in high school the statue "was a rally point for us on Friday night. 'Meet you at the statue, and we'll head to Chattanooga. Meet you at the statue, and we'll get something to eat.'"

Bailey said the statue has been an important part of the lives of generations of Daltonians and he'd hate to see it moved.

Some City Council members said if the statue is moved the city should not pay for the relocation because it does not own the statue. It is owned by the Dalton chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), whose members have said they are willing to move the statue if that's what the City Council wants, and have identified the Huff House as a suitable place for it. The UDC would retain ownership of the statue if it is moved.

The Huff House is owned by the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. Historical Society President Ellen Thompson said the group's board members agreed they are interested in hosting the statue at the Huff House, which served as Johnston's headquarters when the Army of Tennessee spent the winter of 1863-64 in Dalton, if the City Council decides to move the statue. But she said the historical society cannot afford to pay to have the statue moved. The UDC also said it cannot afford to pay to have it moved.

Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia President David Aft said he had been approached by people interested in seeing the statue moved and said that if the relevant parties can agree upon a plan to move the statue, the Community Foundation would be willing to serve as "a financial conduit" to solicit donations.

Dalton attorney Robert Jenkins, who represents the UDC, said in December that efforts to get the statue moved are coming together "slowly but surely, progress is being made."

In memoriam

The Greater Dalton area suffered the loss of some of its leading citizens in 2020.

—Dalton businessman and noted philanthropist Jack Bandy passed away in March after being hospitalized at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta with COVID-19. He was 93. Bandy's parents, B.J. and Dicksie Bandy, helped found the bedspread industry, and Jack Bandy was a pioneer in the carpet industry, cofounding Coronet Industries in 1956 with the goal of having the "only all-wool tufting company." In 1970, electronics giant RCA Corp. bought Coronet for a reported $150 million. Coronet was later acquired by Beaulieu of America.

—Jeanne Burr, a long-time patron of the Creative Arts Guild and of the local arts community, passed away in May. She was 93. Three years ago, Burr provided a $1 million endowment to create the Burr Performing Arts Park in downtown Dalton and to fund programming for the park. In addition to her involvement with the arts, Burr was active with many community organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the American Red Cross and the United Way of Northwest Georgia.

—Roger Crossen, a member of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners since 2015 and a long-time director of the Whitfield County Parks and Recreation Department, passed away in November after a battle with COVID-19. A Dalton native, Crossen began working at the recreation department in 1985 and became the department's director in 1991, where he served until 2008.

—Hubert Marsh, a long-time employee of the North Georgia Health District, passed away in August.

"Hubert Marsh was a highly valued employee of the North Georgia Health District for over 30 years, and we are deeply mourning the loss of this very dear friend," said Health District Public Information Officer Jennifer King. "Hubert served as our health educator for many years before becoming director of our Teen Resource Center until his retirement. His faithful commitment to public health and to this community will have a long-lasting positive impact on many lives."

—Shaheen Shaheen, who cofounded World Carpets with his wife Piera, passed away in November at 92. In 1954, Shaheen decided to leave Katherine Chenilles, a successful family business. Shaheen traded his share in the company back to his relatives in return for a furloughed building on Green Street in Dalton, and he and Piera used their life savings to found World Carpets. The couple grew the business into one of the largest privately-owned carpet companies in the world and one of the first carpet companies to integrate manufacturing and distribution before selling it to Mohawk Industries.

—Peter Richman Spirer, a member of the World Floor Covering Association Hall of Fame, passed away in September. He was 89. Spirer took a job at Stitt and Howell, a major floorcovering distributor, in the 1950s and began making regular trips to Dalton to visit the many carpet mills. In 1961, he and his family moved to Dalton, where he started to work for Painter Carpet Mills as vice president of sales. He quickly rose to president. In 1970, Spirer started Tile Company of America, which sold carpet tiles. And in 1972, he founded Horizon, which he later sold to Mohawk Industries. He was also one of the founders of the Creative Arts Guild.

—Chang Bin Yim, who founded some 25 businesses, passed away in August. He was 82. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yim came to the United States in 1958 and earned bachelor of science degrees in chemistry and math from the University of Central Missouri State, and earned a master's in statistics from the University of Missouri. In 2002, Yim was awarded the South Korean government's highest honor, Mukkungwa, and in 2010, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which pays tribute to immigrants who come to the United States and excel.

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