In the wake of Easter weekend’s devastating tornadoes, AT&T is donating $10,000 to the Red Cross of Chattanooga and $10,000 to the Salvation Army of Bradley County.
The telephone giant said the local agencies are working to help those who have suffered the loss of life or property from the seven tornadoes that ripped through Chattanooga April 12-13 with winds of up to 145 miles an hour.
“At AT&T, we are committed to providing communication resources needed every day and especially so in times like these,” said Alan Hill, AT&T’s regional director of external and legislative affairs in Tennessee. “We are also committed to doing what we can to help residents recover from this disaster, including helping them stay in touch with loved ones when they need to most.”
SmartBank net income down 60%
The parent company of SmartBank said Tuesday that its first quarter net income fell by more than 60% from a year ago to $2.7 million, or 19 cents per share.
Net operating earnings, excluding one-time items and merger-related expenses from its purchase of Progressive Financial Group in March, totaled $4.3 million, or 30 cents per share. That was down only 34.8% from comparable results a year earlier.
“We are pleased to report another very solid quarter during what has proven to be a difficult and uncertain environment for many of our clients,” said Billy Carroll, president and CEO for Smart Financial Corp. “We mobilized our team to successfully process approximately 1,700 applications totaling over $239 million of loans through the month of April, in round one of the Paycheck Protection Program, and as we look forward to our economy’s ‘restart,’ we are well positioned for the future.”
Starbucks sales fall in quarter
Starbucks said Tuesday that its global sales plunged in the first three months of the year as coronavirus-related shutdowns crippled its global operations.
The Seattle-based coffee giant said 98% of its stores in China have reopened, but many are operating with reduced hours and seating. In the U.S., the company has temporarily closed half of its 8,000 company-owned stores, while 75% of stores in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada are shuttered.
The company said sales at its established stores fell 10% in the January-March period. It expects conditions to worsen in its fiscal third quarter before moderating later this year. It said it is withdrawing most 2020 financial guidance as a result.
Starbucks’ revenue fell 5% to $6 billion in its fiscal second quarter. That still beat analysts’ estimate of $5.9 billion, according to FactSet.
JetBlue airline to require masks on flights
JetBlue will require passengers to wear face coverings starting next week, becoming the first major American airline to compel its customers to cover their noses and mouths since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
The policy, which takes effect Monday, covers the duration of a passenger’s flight, from check-in through boarding and deplaning, the airline said.
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting those around you,” Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes, but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others.”
JetBlue already had been requiring its crew members to wear face coverings while on duty. The airline said it modeled its new policy on a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people cover their noses and mouths in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
UPS to use drones for deliveries to retirement community in Florida
UPS plans to use drones for deliveries of prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages retirement community in Florida.
The shipping giant said the service by its drone-subsidiary UPS Flight Forward will support social-distancing efforts and allow faster same-day delivery of medicines as an alternative to visiting a pharmacy.
At the start, the service will combine the use of drones and regular delivery vehicles. The first flights will be less than a half-mile long to a location near The Villages, then a ground vehicle will deliver the prescription to the resident’s door.
UPS said it will start the service in early May using Matternet M2 drones in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, with authority to operate through the pandemic and “explore ongoing needs as they arise after that period.”
The Villages is the largest retirement community in the country, with more than 135,000 residents on about 32 square miles across three counties in central Florida.