Morning Reads for Tuesday, August 4

Good morning!

• Today is the first day of (virtual) school for many children in my area; their district, Marietta City Schools, announced that at least 5 staffers tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier this summer, MCS Superintendent Grand Rivera was clear that unless we have widespread testing and contact tracing in Georgia, schools could not safely open.
• Meanwhile, yesterday was the first day of (in-person) school in Cherokee County, land of the optional masks. The annual senior photo (which – is that really all the seniors? Not likely, says I!) at Etowah High School hit Twitter and gathered a bit of viral attention.
• Because, obviously, one can only be familiar with a civil rights icon and 33-year member of Congress if they came to your inauguration, Trump said yesterday that he really can’t say anything either way about the legacy of John Lewis. He then emphasized again that “Nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have.”
• Here’s the latest on Tropical Storm Isaias, which drenched the Carolinas following a brush with the Georgia coast.
• Here’s the UGA A.D. on what to expect at Sanford Stadium this fall.
• Three-quarters of respondents in a recent national survey support statewide mask mandates as a way to diminish the spread of COVID-19.
• Floyd County is getting a winery!