Final hours for Goody's; final weeks for Circuit City, Office Depot
The effects of the recession on Northwest Georgia businesses get even clearer this week as one retailer exits the market and two others prepare to do the same:
>Goody's closing three stores here: Goody's will shutter its location at Midtown Crossing in Rome on Thursday, joining other shops that helped make up the regional chain based in Knoxville. The Cartersville store at Main Street Shopping Center also closes Thursday while the Calhoun store on Ga. 53 will close Friday.
>Circuit City: We counted four people lining Martha Berry Highway on Saturday, holding vertical signs about Circuit City's ongoing liquidation sale. Their efforts were effective as the parking lot outside the store adjoining Mount Berry Square was packed. A story from Reuters last week reported the $1.7 billion inventory sale for the bankrupt retailer was going better than expected with remaining stores expected to close within a few weeks. A Rome employee said Sunday that no target date is set but he believes it will be around March 15. Perhaps that is fitting, being the Ides of March.
>The Office Depot store on East Main in Cartersville is expected to close in late March. The Rome store on Shorter Avenue closed in mid-December.
>The bottom line: With these retailers closing or about to close, the 10-county Coosa Valley region will see even higher jobless rates. The region includes Floyd, Bartow, Gordon, Polk, Chattooga, Catoosa, Dade, Haralson, Paulding and Walker counties.
On the plus side: New CVS is hiring: With the new store opening at Berry Crossing (Bypass and Martha Berry) within a few weeks, those interested in working for the chain are urged to apply online by clicking Here
>Still to come at Berry Crossing: Nearly 20,000 square feet of additional retail space, joining Wachovia and CVS. Some of the basic foundation work is under way even as the new drug store is prepped for grand opening. Click Berry Crossing.
Helping others fight one of the state's top killers: Suicide
By Natalie Simms
natsimms76@gmail.com
Even in a bull market, suicide takes a much too large toll on Georgians. Each year, around 850 people take their own lives--far higher than the 717 people murdered in the state in 2007.
Another 17,000 Georgians seek medical help from injuries sustained while attempting to kill themselves, according to the state Department of Human Resources.
Today, we're in anything but normal times. Many people are out of work and more families are without a home. The troubling economy puts more stress on marriages, families and individuals--so much so that one could slip into depression and even darker thoughts of suicide.
While local health leaders say the economy is taking a mental toll on the community overall, they've yet to see an increase in calls for assistance.
"We average 400 mental health assessments a month," says Janette Barker, administrator at Floyd Behavioral Health Center. "We've always seen depression related to financial issues but we have not seen any significant increase in work-related or financial issues right now."
Floyd has staff available around-the-clock to answer crisis calls and assist with immediate help through its main phone line at 706-509-3500.
"We get quite a few crisis calls," says Barker. "We provide immediate response and complete an assessment form. If the person is at imminent risk for self harm, we will see if there is someone there that can get them to the E.R. or we keep them on the phone until we get 911 to respond and get to the patient."
Signs of someone in need: Officials say that if anyone is talking about suicide or death, they need to go straight to the Emergency Room where physicians can put them under watch and get them mental health assistance. But what are some signs to look for in loved ones who might be exhibiting severe depression and thoughts of suicide?
The main thing to look for is changes in behavior, says Curtis Heyward, a licensed professional counselor with Crossroads Christian Counseling, an independent counseling agency that works with the Floyd County Baptist Association.
"Any changes in behavior, such as lack of sleep because it can be tough to sleep with a lot on your mind," Heyward says. "Or even hypersomnia, where they sleep too much."
Other changes include over or under eating, lack of interest in things that used to give them pleasure, angering easily, edginess, loss of self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness and excess worry or anxiousness.
"We all have certain compulsions but when they get out of hand, that is when we need to seek counseling," he says. "We can assess the patient and see what the best course of treatment is. They may need to see a psychiatrist for medications or maybe inpatient stay.
"The economy has affected a lot of people," he adds. "There is a lot of uncertainty, job losses" and loss of income. "Financial issues bring a lot to a family. So, I tell patients, we will deal with what is and what is to come."
Crossroads Christian Counseling leases space inside the Floyd County Baptist Association office at 17 Burnett Ferry Road. The office can be reached at 706-291-9992. Heyward says he offers his service as a ministry and works with the family for what they can afford for services, noting his highest cost is $60.
Support groups and training to spot suicidal signs:
Another local service offering free support groups and education is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The group offers weekly support groups for both family members and those dealing with mental illness. The groups meet on Mondays from 6-7:30 p.m. at Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave.
"Many people we come in contact with have a serious and profound mental illness," says Jim Moore with the Rome NAMI chapter. "They are not able to work and many live with their parents. They have been dealing with it for years. But, we also see those with severe depression, bipolar disorder and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)."
To help get local communities active in preventing suicide, NAMI is hosting a free suicide prevention training program on Monday, Feb. 23 from 6-7 p.m. at Rome First United Methodist Church.
"We want to help people recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help before it is too late," Moore says.
Reservations for the program can be made by calling 706-232-4607. NAMI plans to offer the program again in the future. For more information, visit Rome NAMI.
In addition to local services, there is a statewide Georgia Crisis and Access Line that can assist with any mental health need. Counselors are on-staff 24/7 to assist callers through the crisis line at 1-800-715-4225. You also can get more information online at www.mygcal.org.
THREE-DOT BUZZ . . . :
Rome's Wright Bagby among panel commenting on city/state cooperation:
This month's Georgia Trend features comments from seven majors about their communities' ties to the state, our economy and what to expect from the General Assembly. Says Bagby: "The two things that have kept us in good shape for a long time are education and medicine." Click Georgia Trend
How Pancake Day 2009 stacks up: IHOP once again is offering three free 
pancakes to visitors on Tuesday in hopes you'll leave a few dollars to help the Children's Miracle Network. It seems pancakes on "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras--the day before the start of Lent--dates back several centuries. IHOP again is using the day to raise funds with this year's goal set at $1 million> Details
'Fat Tuesday' pancakes, jazz celebration set: First Baptist Church of Rome will present "Pancakes and Jazz" on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 24. Live music from "Pollard Greens" and a pancake meal sponsored by the Youth Ministry will take place in the Fellowship Hall from 5 until 7 p.m. Donations to help the youth in summer mission projects will be accepted. Details: Keith Reaves, 706-291-6950.
Cajun-style Mardi Gras Tuesday night: The region's best known Cajun cookery, Henry's Louisiana Grill in Acworth, is celebrating Mardi Gras with a costume contest, drinks and entertainment> Details
Berry College hooks up with Twitter: Berry College's public relations 
department is now on Twitter, the red-hot "real-time short messaging service" (Twitter's definition). Berry's first release posted on Twitter was about the recent $4 million pledge from Audrey B. Morgan. We hear others on campus will join, too.
>On Twitter? Let us know; we'll share with our viewers: Hometown is creating a quick reference spot for local businesses/groups on Twitter. If your company or group welcomes "followers," Twitter us at Hometown or click E-mail.
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to Tellus museum: The new science center in Cartersville welcomed 15,000 guests in its first month and expects to see 23,000 students by the time classes end this spring. Tellus is a wonderful resource for students and the curious, and the warm, early reception shows why. Click Tellus
Peak to those seven-digit numbers: Twice last week, you heard about major fund-raising goals and pledges. The first was a $4 million gift to Berry College from Audrey B. Morgan, designated for scholarships and The Cage Center. A day later, the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce announced the second Partners in Prosperity campaign to raise $2.5 million to assist the 26 projects outlined in 20/20 Part II. In this economy, the use of seven-digit numbers is rare. Both headlines are indeed signs of better days to come.
Valley to continuing education cuts in Rome: We understand and certainly don't dispute the mathematics behind the decision to curtail continuing education classes offered in Rome by Georgia Highlands College. We just fret over long-term implications as local small businesses and entrepreneurs lose another vital educational and training package. Relief is on the way, in part with the Small Business curriculum the chamber is offering. But in this economy, help is needed more than ever--as are the dollars to fund such programs.
Heart of the Community Walk is still planned, rain or shine: It begins at 9:30 a.m. behind Citizens First Bank in downtown Rome. Participants are encouraged to bring rain gear as rain is in the forecast. While the Heart of the Community Walk is a rain or shine event, in the case of severe weather, such as thunder and lightning, the walk will be canceled to ensure everyone's safety. However, in the event the Walk is canceled, the mission of the Walk remains and funds raised will still be used towards heart health projects in our community. Alternate methods for turning in contributions for the Heart of the Community Walk: 
-Laredo's name gone: As reported last week, Laredo's at RiverWalk now bears the name of Las Palmas, the chain of Mexican restaurants that already has a shop in Rome in Midtown Crossing as well as Cartersville's Main Street Shopping Center.Will Rome be able to support two Las Palmas a few miles apart? 
In separate forecasts for the nation and Georgia/metro Atlanta, Dr. Rajeev Dhawan--who directs GSU's Economic Forecasting Center--says we've not hit bottom just yet. "Toxic debt" will continue to be a problem for banks, he says. As for the state: Look for the jobless rate to rise above 10 percent Dhawan is the keynote speaker at Berry College's 
-Leadership nominees, winner credit CVTC for their success: At a luncheon designed to honor them, the four GOAL nominees from Coosa Valley Technical College instead praised the school and their instructors for helping each achieve goals of their own. This year's winner: Claudia Miller (right)> 
-Big night as the DeSoto as new vestibule premieres: You'll find a series of photographers taken by Megan Keating showcasing Thursday night's grand reception for the newly restored vestibule at the DeSoto Theatre. 
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