Private funeral, public memorial later for Lowery

Associated Press

ATLANTA — A small, private funeral service for the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery will be held this week out of concerns about the coronavirus, but a large public memorial for the civil rights leader will be held this fall, family members said Tuesday.

This week’s private service will include 10 family members, Lowery’s daughter, Cheryl Lowery, said Tuesday. Specific details of the private service are not being made public.

Keeping people safe is the most important thing at this time as the world battles the coronavirus, said Cheryl Lowery, who is president and CEO of The Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute.

“Our family has just simply been blown away by the outpouring of love and support for my father and his legacy that has come from actually around the world,” Cheryl Lowery said.

Lowery, who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, died Friday. He was 98.

Once the nation gets through the virus crisis, a public memorial service is planned for Oct. 6, which would have been Lowery’s 99th birthday. Details are still being worked out.

“We know that our country and our world are going to get through these tragic times and when we do, we will honor Dr. Lowery and his legacy together as a community in a manner that he deserves,” Cheryl Lowery said.

Capitol Beat News Service

ATLANTA — The number of unemployment claims filed in Georgia grew exponentially last week as the coronavirus pandemic continued to cause massive job losses.

The Georgia Department of Labor processed 133,820 claims during the week of March 22 through March 28, an all-time high and significantly above the 12,140 claims filed during the previous week.

“People are anxious and worried about their health, their families and how they are going to continue to make it financially during these uncertain times,” Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday. “We are here to help. … Our team is working overtime, nights and weekends to process the tremendous volume.”

With a record number of claims being filed, the labor department dispersed more than $14.5 million in unemployment benefits to 64,022 Georgians during the week ending March 28.

The $2 trillion economic stimulus package Congress passed last week extends state unemployment benefits by 13 weeks and includes $600 per week in addition to regular state benefits.

The state labor department signed all of the necessary agreements last weekend to access funding for this program. The agency is still waiting to receive guidelines from the U.S. Department of Labor on how to administer the money on behalf of the federal government.

The state labor department also is continuing to work with employers to get Georgians back to work. More than 116,000 jobs are listed online at www.EmployGeorgia.com for Georgians to access.

Information on filing an unemployment claim, details on how employers must file partial claims, and resources for other reemployment assistance can be found on the agency’s webpage at www. gdol.ga.gov.