The Washington Informer - August 18, 2016

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2016 BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLEMENT

CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

VOL. 51, NO. 45 • AUGUST 18 - 24, 2016

District Mourns Death of Christopher Barry - Hot Topics, Page 4

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Center Section

GOP New Hires Ready to Court Black Vote

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Despite – or perhaps because of – unprecedented poor polling numbers in the African-American community, Republicans have ramped up their effort to court Black voters. The party has hired four new Black staff members in a move

which they hope will not only help GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump in the General Election, but they’re also viewing the moves as a long-term effort to gain support among African Americans, a voting community who for decades have mostly cast their ballots for Democrats.

NEW HIRES Page 8

Vincent Orange Officially Resigns from D.C. Council

Will Head City's Chamber of Commerce By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer

5Dozens of Prince George's County Public School students received free immunizations this summer at the Kaiser Permanente Camp Springs Medical Center before first day of school on Aug. 23. / Photo by William J. Ford

Free Immunizations Offered as School Deadline Nears

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Ronette Collins of Upper Marlboro said she couldn't get her 13-year-old son's immunizations done during the school year because he didn't turn in his form. Terrance Gibson of Camp Springs said he didn't receive any information about it for his 12-yearold twins until being told last week the immunizations are required before the first day of school on Tuesday in Prince George's County. Fortunately, Collins and Gibson took their children to receive free immunizations at Kaiser Per-

manente's Camp Springs Medical Center on Friday, Aug. 12, the last day the clinic offered them without a fee. Their names will be scratched off the list of 6,000 kindergartners, seventh-graders and repeating ninth-grade students still on file as being unvaccinated. "Called Drew Freeman Middle School [last week] regarding another issue and found out about the free clinic," Gibson said minutes before his daughter, Jael, got her vaccination shot. "We didn't have this type of free service growing up. Glad it's here now." Adrian Talley, executive director of student services for the county school system, said the 6,000 figure

from Friday should decrease when school nurses return this week to input immunization data. Talley said Prince George's tends to have a higher number of students than most counties in the state in getting immunizations done before a new school year begins. School and health department officials said some parents forget, or decide to wait until the summer to get their children vaccinated. "No one has smallpox anymore. Why? Because of immunization," Talley said. "By prevention disease, we ensure that children are in school, healthy, ready to learn. This

SCHOOLS Page 11

Vincent Orange officially bid farewell to the D.C. Council Monday, ceding to calls for him to resign from his at-large seat after causing an uproar with his plan to simultaneously head the city's Chamber of Commerce.

Orange addressed his critics during a news conference at the John A. Wilson Building, laying out his track record on business efforts and assuming his position as the chamber's president and chief executive officer. "I am a strong advocate for businesses," Orange said

ORANGE Page 23

5Vincent Orange exits the John A. Wilson Building in northwest D.C. after resigning from the city council on Aug. 15. Orange will now head the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. / Photo by Patricia Little

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