The new school year for Hall County students starts on Friday. Superintendent William Schofield discusses Hall County Schools' back-to-school plan and what’s being done to keep teachers, staff and students safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plus, Brandy Hall, a landscape designer and the founder of Shades of Green, discusses permaculture and the benefits of homeowners revamping their yards into self-sustaining ecosystems.

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Georgia State Senator Burt Jones recently sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp calling for a ban on mask mandates in schools. For the ban to be considered, Gov. Kemp would have to hold a special legislative session. Georgia State Senate Kim Jackson, who represents Senate District 41, joins “Closer Look” to respond to Jones’ request.

Plus, Jen Wade, the grants manager at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, discusses how money from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund will be disbursed and how Georgians can apply.

Lastly, Rev. Bronson Woods, the assistant pastor of outreach and young adult ministries at Ebenezer Baptist Church, discusses Manna Mondays, a new initiative to provide food to individuals and families amid the pandemic.

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Fulton County Schools students are scheduled to return to school for face-to-face learning next week. Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney discusses updated safety measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Plus, after the pandemic stopped her plans to hike the tallest mountain in Europe, Atlanta businesswoman Lisa Simmons is gearing up to take on Machu Picchu. Simmons and Dawn Churi, the executive director of Blaze Sports America, discuss the Paralympics and Simmons’ upcoming adventure to Peru. 

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Dan Carroll, the director of Media Engagement at Dragon Con, discusses the in-person return of Dragon Con and new safety measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the convention.

Georgia Tech Professor Tim Lieuwen discusses Georgia Tech and Georgia Power’s new partnership to test out a 1.4-megawatt microgrid in Tech Square to bring power to Midtown.

Plus, Will Johnston and Kim Morrison of the MicroLife Institute discuss the new Cottages on Vaughan development in Clarkston.

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Corporal Tracey Reed with the Gwinnett Police Behavioral Health Unit, and Pejman Mahdavi, a licensed clinical social worker at View Point Health, discuss the Police Mental Health Collaboration program. The new pilot program pairs a Gwinnett police officer and a mental health professional together to respond to crisis behavioral health situations.

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WABE health reporter and host of the podcast "Did You Wash Your Hands?" Sam Whitehead joins “Closer Look” to discuss several coronavirus-related topics, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest change in mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people. 

Plus, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office recently launched a mentoring and community-building initiative. Sheriff Melody Maddox discusses the goals and importance of the Boys To Men Summer Camp. 

Lastly, Dr. Christopher Edwards is the chairman of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. He discusses the commission's recent move to select six private companies to sell and manufacture low-THC cannabis for medical use and what this will mean for Georgians.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s extended moratorium on evictions will expire at the end of the month. Elora Raymond, an assistant professor of City & Regional Planning at Georgia Tech, discusses what this will mean for people in Georgia.

LaVonda Reed was recently appointed as the seventh dean of the Georgia State College of Law. She joins “Closer Look” to reflect on her career journey and share her vision for the law school.

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For many local school districts, summer break is coming to an end, and students are gearing up to return to school for the new school year. Clayton County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Morcease Beasley returns to “Closer Look” to discuss his district’s back-to-school plans.

Latisha Springer, the founder Free99Fridge, reflects on how her local mutual aid initiative has expanded to feed more families and individuals across metro Atlanta amid the pandemic. Plus, Vanessa Riley, an Atlanta-based award-winning author, discusses plans for her latest historical fiction novel, “Island Queen,”  to be adapted into a film.

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Dr. Andi Shane, a pediatric infectious disease expert, discusses the rise in Respiratory Syncytial Virus cases in children amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Plus, Gayle Hunter Holloman, the executive director of the Fulton County Library System, the role of libraries amid and post-pandemic and shares updates on the reopening of several Fulton County libraries.

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Every year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation produces the KIDS Count Data Book. The annual report sheds light on the overall well-being of children in each state. Rebecca Rice, Georgia's KIDS COUNT manager, discusses what indicators led Georgia to be ranked 38.

It’s been one year since Congressman John Lewis’ passing. His life lessons and reflections are the focus of his latest book. Kabir Sehgal, who helped co-write Lewis’ new biography, "Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation," discusses the overarching message Lewis has now and for generations to come.

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