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The CHAMPION
The official legal organ of Malb County, EA. Seiving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookbaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain, | 50$
SEPTEMBER 22 - 28, 2022 www.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.com VOL 32 • NO. 13
Wellstar officials announced that Atlanta Medical Center will be closing in November. The level 1 trauma
center serves patients from metro-Atlanta, including DeKalb County. File Photo
Thurmond discusses impact of Atlanta Medical
Center closure, funds allotment to Grady
BY CHRISTINE FONVILLE
CHRISTINE@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond
was one of multiple metro-Atlanta leaders
to make a statement about Wellstar Atlanta
Medical Center's closing on Nov. 1 as well
as Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to permanently
increase Grady Memorial Hospital's
capacity.
Thurmond was with the governor at
Kemp's press conference on Sept. 15 during
which Kemp announced that approximately
$130 million of the state's allotted American
Rescue Plan (ARP) funds will go toward
funding 200 additional beds at Grady
Memorial Hospital (Grady).
"The closure of the Atlanta Medical
Center (AMC) presents a sudden and
complicated challenge to the healthcare
infrastructure of metro-Atlanta," said Kemp.
Defined as a comprehensive level 1
trauma center, Wellstar officials announced
the November closure of AMC earlier this
month, citing "years of decreasing revenue
and increasing costs for staff and supplies
due to soaring inflation," as the reasons for
the closure.
AMC's closure will leave Grady as the
only remaining level 1 trauma center in
Atlanta to provide "24-hour in-house
coverage by general surgeons, and prompt
availability of care in specialties such
DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond spoke at a press
conference held by Gov. Brian Kemp about the
allotment of $130 million of ARP funds to Grady
Hospital. File Photo
as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery,
anesthesiology, emergency medicine,
radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery,
oral and maxillofacial, pediatric and critical
care," for metro-Atlanta residents, according
to the American Trauma Society's website.
During Kemp's press conference,
Thurmond called the appropriation of funds
"a critical reprieve, not a bailout."
"What I ask is to take this opportunity
to reopen lines of communication and
to recognize that this new normal is not
normal," said Thurmond. "As we move
forward into what we believe will be a
serious economic downturn, there will be
tens of thousands of Georgians that find
themselves unemployed and uninsured.
SEE CLOSURE ON PAGE 6
The annual cookoff gives chili lovers a chance to sample a wide variety of
chili types, but it’s also a family-friendly party. Photo provided
Chili days ahead—Atlanta
prepares for annual Chili Cook Off
BY KATHY MITCHELL
FREELANCE REPORTER
For many, the iconic taste and smell of fall is the
ubiquitous pumpkin spice, but for others the pungent,
savory taste and smell of chili says fall has returned. In the
Atlanta area this popular stew—made with a wide variety
of ingredients but always in a sauce flavored with chili
peppers—is celebrated at the annual Atlanta Chili Cook
Off—this year scheduled for Oct. 1 at the newly renovated
SEE CHILI ON PAGE 6
New COVID-19 booster arrives in DeKalb,
offers protection against latest variants
BY CHRISTINE FONVILLE
CHRISTINE@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
DeKalb Department of Health officials are
recommending residents get the latest COVID-19 booster as
shipments of the vaccine begin to arrive.
Known as the bivalent booster, the latest vaccine
contains the genetic recipes for two versions of COVID-19;
the original strain, plus the omicron subvariants BA.4
and BA.5, offering better protection against the currently
circulating coronavirus variants, stated DeKalb Department
of Health (DDH) officials.
According to the latest CDC data, BA. 5 is now the
predominant strain of COVID-19. More than 89 percent of
newly reported positive COVID-19 cases are caused by the
BA.5 variant, stated officials.
Georgia is currently seeing an average of 3,000 cases
of COVID reported a week, but hospitalizations and
deaths from COVID continue to decrease across the state,
SEE BOOSTER ON PAGE 6
AFFORDABLE HOUSING GROUP RECEIVES
FESTIVALS ONE OF THE
FUNDING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
HIGHLIGHTS OF FALL
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