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The Official Legal Organ of DeKafb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Ctiamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doravi lie, Dun woody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
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SECTION A: VOL 25 NO. 22
NOVEMBER 26 - DECEMBER 2,2015
500
County leaders discuss
dysfunction with pastors
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
A group of DeKalb County
pastors met with the
Board of Commission
ers and interim CEO and urged
them to “bury the hatchet.”
“All of y’all are injured by
one another, so every time you
sit down.. .and when somebody
starts talking, all kinds of stuff
starts moving inside and auto
matically we’ve got a war going
on before we get the facts on
the table because you called
See Leaders on Page 13A
DeKalb County commissioners join hands during a prayer for DeKalb County’s government. Photo by
Andrew Cauthen
Heart patient volunteers to show gratitude
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
A lthough 28-year-
old Austin Harris
has had eight heart
surgeries since he was 4
years old, he’s grateful.
“I think we just should
be grateful for every day we
are given,” Harris said. “I
think we should be grateful
for what we have and what
we’re given. Some of us are
given more than others.
Some of us are given less,
but everyone needs to give
back in some way, I think,
and we all need to take care
of each other. In the end,
that’s all we have.”
Harris, who is autistic,
gives back by volunteering
with the nonprofit Spirit of
Autism.
“We go out and teach
law enforcement, EMS,
fire rescue personnel and
hospital staff and security
staff how to interact with
autistic persons.. .and how
to respond appropriately
to them in an emergency
situation,” Harris said about
the organization.
The Brookhaven
resident also volunteers
with DeKalb County Fire
Rescue Reserve, DeKalb
County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service and as
an instructor for DeKalb
County’s Community
Emergency Response Team
(CERT).
“All I’ve ever wanted
to do was serve in public
safety,” Harris said. But his
heart surgeries prevented
him from pursuing a career
in public safety. “I was given
this opportunity when I
[went through] the CERT
program in 2009 and I
jumped right into it.”
With CERT, Harris
teaches topics such as
disaster preparedness,
small fire suppression, light
search and rescue, disaster
psychology, and basic
disaster medical operations.
Harris has been in and
out of hospitals much of his
life.
“I was born with
a congenital heart
condition.. .and had valve
problems,” he said. “I’m
currently diagnosed as
having subvalvular aortic
stenosis.
See Volunteer on Page 13A
Austin Harris volunteers to show his gratitude for surviving eight heart surgeries. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
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