State reps discuss legislative change to address racism
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Long lines, equipment malfunctions plague Georgia election day By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Stories of long lines to vote are far from unheard of in metro Atlanta, but paired with new voting equipment and a pandemic, Georgia has received national criticism for its June 9 election. Because of COVID-19, about 30 polling places in DeKalb County were moved or combined, creating confusion and long waits for some, even as hundreds of thousands of voters made use of early or absentee voting. Furthermore, for most poll workers June 9 was the first time operating the state’s new voting machines. A number of sites experienced technical challenges throughout the day. The Superior Court of DeKalb County ordered the extension
of voting hours from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. throughout the county, and at one location in Decatur to 10:10 p.m. In a statement, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond called the election day malfunctions “an attack on the democratic process” and voter disenfranchisement. “The Secretary of State’s office has alleged these issues resulted from a failure of county leadership,” Thurmond stated. “If there was a failure of leadership, it starts where the buck should stop, at the top. The eradication of any ‘learning curve’ rests squarely at the feet of the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his office.” Thurmond called for a comprehensive investigation of voting issues and the Secretary of State’s administration.
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Signs redirect voters from Kingsland United Methodist Church to Dunwoody High School, one of several voting sites changed because of COVID-19.
Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber hosts series on returning to work By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com
open during these unpredictable times, the chamber thinks it’s imperative to discuss what rebuilding after a pandemDUNWOODY, Ga. —The Dunwoody ic entails across industries,” Chamber Chamber has been working to President and CEO Stephanie Freeman 6 66 66 6Perimeter 66 6 get the community back to work with a said. “We hope that series will serve as a series of virtual events discussing how valuable resource to local businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed they strategize what reopening will look the Perimeter workforce. like for them individually.” Each video of the Return to the The first event looked at how technolPerimeter series features a panel of ogy will shape workflow moving forward. industry experts focusing on an aspect The next featured a panel of some of the of returning to work and rebuilding the Perimeter’s biggest employers: Perimeter post-coronavirus economy. The events Mall, State Farm and Cox Enterprises. are live on the chamber’s The most recent event focused on the @ @ @ streamed @ healthcare industry, with representa@ @ Facebook page, where viewers can also 1 13/4/19 Page11 03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout 3/4/1911:16 11:16 AM AM Page @ @ access @ 03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout past events for free.03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout tives from Northside Emory 1 3/4/19 11:16 AM Page 11:16 1 Hospital, 1 3/4/19 AM Page 1 @ “As the03-06-19_HAbannerBlue.qxp_Layout state of Georgia works to reSaint Joseph’s Hospital and Morehouse @ @ @ @
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Cancer Health Equity Institute Director School of Medicine. Brian Rivers explained how the pandemThe three experts agreed that COVID-19, both the disease itself and its ic had shifted medical education and rebroader impact, was unlike anything search to a mostly virtual environment. they had ever seen before. “A lot of the processes were able to Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital CEO be converted to the virtual platform with Heather Dextor described how in the the same level of integrity that we would early days of the pandemic there was not have if we were working in person,” Rivenough testing or supplies. ers said. “But there was a difference, “In the initial days of seeing COVID and it definitely took some adjustment, patients, we had a very hard time sourcespecially as it relates to really engaging patients in the clinical setting.” ing what we needed for our caregivers,” she > > Northside Hospital’s Dr. Kathleen said. “We couldn’t find personal protective > >> > said that collaboration between equipment, so we had to start looking for > Funk > >our alternatives, and ultimately care- > hospitals and doctors across the globe > > >> asking > > >was crucial to adapting to the unprecgivers to reuse items >that were > intended > >not > > challenges.” for reuse. Those were> huge > > > > > Medicine > Morehouse School of See CHAMBER, Page 12 > >
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