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I2J OUR REGION
Nate McCullough | News Editor
770-718-3431 | news@gainesvilletimes.com
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Lawsuit seeks to block new abortion law
Federal action says legislation which becomes enforceable Jan. 1,2020, is unconstitutional
BY KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press
A federal lawsuit filed Friday in
Atlanta is the latest effort by abor
tion providers and advocacy groups
to challenge a wave of restrictive
abortion laws passed in conserva
tive-controlled state legislatures.
Lawyers with the American
Civil Liberties Union, Planned
Parenthood and the Center for
Reproductive Rights filed the law
suit challenging a new Georgia
law that effectively bans abortions
about six weeks into a pregnancy.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of
Georgia abortion providers and
an advocacy group, asks a judge
to prevent the law from taking
effect and to declare it unconstitu
tional. Otherwise, the law becomes
enforceable Jan. 1.
The lawsuit aims “to ensure that
everyone has the freedom to make
their own health care decisions
without politicians looking over
their shoulder and the freedom to
decide for themselves when to start
or expand a family,” ACLU of Geor
gia legal director Sean Young said.
The so-called heartbeat law bans
abortion once a fetal heartbeat can
be detected, which can occur as early
as six weeks, before many women
know they’re pregnant. It’s one of
a spate of laws passed recently by
Republican-controlled legislatures
in an attack on the U.S. Supreme
Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that
legalized abortion nationwide.
The publicity surrounding the laws
has created confusion, abortion pro
viders say. Staci Fox, president and
CEO of Planned Parenthood South
east, reminded people that abortion
remains legal in every state.
“Every day, our collective doors
stay open so that you can access
the quality, compassionate, non-
judgmental health care that you
deserve, and that includes access to
safe and legal abortion,” Fox said.
The Georgia legislation makes
exceptions in the case of rape and
incest, if the woman files a police
report first. It also allows for abor
tions when the life of the woman
is at risk or when a fetus is deter
mined not to be viable because of a
serious medical condition.
Additionally, it declares an
embryo or fetus a “natural per
son” once cardiac activity can be
detected, saying that is the point
where “the full value of a child
begins.” That would make the fetus
a dependent minor for tax purposes
and trigger child support obligations.
“We will not accept any law that
dehumanizes us in an attempt to
assign humanity to cells that are
growing inside of us,” said Kwaje-
lyn Jackson, executive director of
Feminist Women’s Health Center,
one of the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit targeted Georgia
Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney Gen
eral Chris Carr, state health offi
cials and six district attorneys
whose jurisdictions include the
areas where the abortion provid
ers who brought the suit practice.
Kemp’s office referred requests
for comment to Carr’s office.
“I realize that some may chal
lenge it in the court of law,” Kemp
said when he signed the law in May.
“We will not back down. We will
always continue to fight for life.”
New Salvation Army leaders unpack,
reach out to Gainesville community
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Lieutenant’s Debora, left, and Andre Pereira, new corps officers at the Salvation Army in Gainesville, speak Wednesday, June 26.
Andre and Debora Pereira come from organizations branch in Augusta
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
A festival last weekend at Longwood
Park in Gainesville, which aimed to edu
cate the public about how to access hous
ing assistance and other social services,
was about as good an introduction to the
local community as Andre and Debora
Pereira could have hoped to receive.
The couple are the new corps officers
and leaders of the Salvation Army’s
Gainesville branch on Dorsey Street,
and they had just moved into the city in
mid-June.
“People didn’t feel like strangers,”
Debora said of her experience at the
festival. “It was just amazing to see”
these groups “work together to make a
difference in the community.”
The Salvation Army, with support
from a local church, was able to assist a
few homeless families who attended the
festival and provide them emergency
housing at its shelter on Dorsey Street.
The Pereira’s said the sense of part
nership and collaboration they felt was
both reassuring and exciting.
“We’re firm believers that there’s
not one organization that can do it all,”
Andre said about serving those in need.
The Salvation Army, among its many
services, provides rent and utility assis
tance, operates an annual Christmas toy
drive, and runs a thrift store on Atlanta
Highway that provides clothing vouch
ers to those unable to afford such a need.
And it’s these services Andre said he
hopes to raise awareness about locally.
“Our mission is always to preach the
Gospel of Jesus Christ ... without dis
crimination,” he said.
But, he added, “We really want to get
out there. I think there’s so much we offer
that I don’t think people know about.”
Every three to four years, on aver
age, the Salvation Army rotates its
mission leaders among the nonprofit’s
established social service sites.
After five years in Gainesville, that
time came for Lt. Arnaldo Pena and
Lt. Niurka Pena, who have now transi
tioned to Dalton.
And after four years in Augusta, the
Pereira’s were moved to Gainesville,
just the latest in a series of transforma
tive moves the couple have made since
2011.
The Pereira’s moved to the United
States from their native Portugal with
plans to live and work here for three
years. That first move was mostly
inspired by their love of travel and
desire to experience new places, people
and things.
They worked in Washington, D.C.,
before beginning a two-year training
program in Atlanta to become corps
officers with the Salvation Army.
“Things just worked out,” Andre said.
“God seemed to be working all that out.
So, we stayed.”
In Augusta, the couple’s first place
ment at a Salvation Army site, the
Pereira’s worked as pastors at a com
munity resource center that included a
gymnasium and swimming pool as part
of its amenities to support community
programs.
“We were able, through the church,
to connect to the community and so we
were able to bring children in and give
them an opportunity to learn how to
swim, to learn new skills like art, and
things like that,” Debora said.
Andre described it as a “great experi
ence,” which made leaving difficult.
But there’s some solace to be taken
from that feeling.
“I think you’re doing something
wrong if you ever get to the point where
you leave a place and it’s not hard to
leave,” Andre said.
Debora echoed those sentiments.
“It’s hard to leave those faces because
they become a part of your family,” she
said.
The bittersweet emotions of leav
ing Augusta, however, have been tem
pered by the response the Pereira’s
have received upon their arrival in
Gainesville.
“One of the things we realized really
quick is that Gainesville wants to help,”
Andre said. “That was a blessing for us,
walking in and feeling that.”
While the Pereira’s have much to
unpack — literally, as moving boxes
still harbor space on their office floors,
and metaphorically, as they learn more
and more about the local community
— the uniqueness of Gainesville has
impressed and excited them already.
“The biggest difference (compared
with Augusta) is that multi-cultural
touch,” Andre said of Gainesville,
which has a minority-majority popula
tion. “We really feel that different cul
tures ... bring a richness to a city and a
community.”
Longstreet Clinic joins NGHS in adopting Epic records system
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
The Longstreet Clinic will
start using a new records sys
tem on Monday, July 1 that
will allow patient’s records
to be shared with other pro
viders in the area, including
the Northeast Georgia Health
System.
The Northeast Georgia
Health System started using
Epic in October 2017. Long
street decided to switch to
the system in December 2017.
Since then, Longstreet’s staff
members have spent more
than 30,000 hours in training
and preparation.
“At Longstreet Clinic, our
patients are at the center of all
that we do,” Mimi Collins, CEO
of Longstreet, said in a state
ment. “That is why our team
spent quite literally years on
this project. I could not be
prouder of the level of pro
fessionalism, enthusiasm and
dedication that each and every
staff member has displayed
implementing Epic. This pro
cess is intense, and our team
worked around the clock.”
Longstreet hired nine
Lanier Technical College stu
dents to get the clinic ready
for the change.
“In an effort to test every
desktop, laptop, printer, scan
ner and beyond - Longstreet
Clinic and the Lanier Techni
cal College students had to
touch and test every device
to make sure every aspect of
the technology worked as it
should,” Loren Funk, chief
operating officer at Longstreet,
said in a statement. “A true
community-wide effort, these
students have provided invalu
able manpower during our
conversion process proactively
helping to identify any possible
technical disruptions to our
patient flow prior to launch.”
The switch to Epic will
allow providers with NGHS
to see the records of a Long
street patient they’re treat
ing, and Longstreet providers
could also see the records
of patients who have been
treated by a NGHS provider
at a medical office or hospital.
Longstreet’s move to the
Epic system will also give
patients access to MyChart,
an online portal where they
can access their own records,
make appointments, commu
nicate with providers’ offices
and pay bills.
“MyChart is the patient por
tal platform already in use
by NGHS that helps connect
patients to their doctor or pro
vider to manage their health,”
Dr. Chad Copper, co-chair of
Longstreet’s Epic project, said
in a statement. “When Long
street Clinic goes live on July
1, it will sync our records in
MyChart as well. So, patients
of Longstreet Clinic who are
already MyChart users through
the Health System will auto
matically see our Longstreet
providers and health informa
tion load to their accounts. And
for new users, it will be an easy
sign up process.”
Carol Burrell, president
and CEO of NGHS, said the
partnership would provide
more continuity for patients
and help them access records
more easily.
“Not only does our Epic part
nership improve the health
of our community by giving
patients more access to infor
mation about their care, it also
creates a foundation for NGHS
and Longstreet Clinic to con
tinue working together to pro
vide services that our patients
and community need,” Burrell
said in a statement.
Longstreet’s pediatrics went
live with electronic records
in 2001, then the whole clinic
had gone digital by 2005.
Compiled from Longstreet Clinic
press release
BADGE AND BAR
Man charged with
meth trafficking after
Lula traffic stop
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
A Hall County man was charged with traf
ficking methamphetamine after being stopped
Tuesday, June 25, in Lula.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Scott Ware
said the 56-year-old man was stopped and was
allegedly driving with a suspended license.
“He was arrested without incident and found
in possession with more than one ounce of
methamphetamine, scales, packaging materi
als, a meth pipe and less than one ounce of mar
ijuana,” Ware wrote in a news release.
The man’s passenger had two outstanding
warrants, while the meth in the car had an esti
mated street value of $2,800.
The man was also charged with possession of
methamphetamine with the intent to distribute,
possession of marijuana, possession of drug-
related objects, failure to maintain lane and
suspended license.
Both people were booked in to the Hall
County Jail.
Authorities: Man allegedly
threatened to cut wife’s throat
Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies were
called out Sunday to a domestic-violence inci
dent, where a Gainesville man had allegedly
threatened to cut his wife’s throat.
Lt. Scott Ware said the 45-year-old man was
armed with a knife around 11 p.m. Sunday at a
residence on Meadow Lane in Gainesville.
Deputies arrested the man and charged him
with aggravated assault under the Family Vio
lence Act. He was booked into the Hall County
Jail, where he remains.
The case is still under investigation.
Police: Man attempted to grab
13-year-old patient at hospital
A Madison man allegedly tried to touch the
inner thigh of a 13-year-old patient at Northeast
Georgia Medical Center, police said.
The man was charged with attempted sexual
battery of a child under the age of 16.
According to the warrant, the man allegedly
attempted “to touch the inner thigh (of the girl)
without her consent while she was a patient by
reaching for her thigh as he went by and com
menting that he liked it.”
The incident allegedly took place June 17. The
warrant lists the hospital’s Spring Street address.
Gainesville Police Cpl. Jessica Van said it was
determined the man was another patient.
He was booked into the Hall County Jail and
is being held on a bond.
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Logan Simmons, 19, a manager at Chick-fil-A
off Spout Springs Road, fills a drink.
HERO
■ Continued from 1A
immediately like, ‘Hey, are you OK?’ He was
crying then, and I knew he was breathing per
fectly fine if he could cry.”
Once Simmons knew the boy was safe, he went
back inside through the restaurant door. By the
time he got back to work, the customer was gone,
but she did call the restaurant about an hour later
to thank him, and Simmons said she brought a
thank you note to the restaurant Friday.
He said he had to think quickly.
“That was instinct,” he said.
Simmons has worked at the Chick-fil-A for
two years. He said the restaurant’s staff is a
close-knit team.
“We’re all family. I love every single one of
them,” he said. “I know they would do anything
for me, and I would do anything for them.”
Simmons is working to get his real estate
license, a decision inspired by a family friend
and his love of following the real estate market
and looking at homes.
“I do like watching HGTV all the time. I
watch that, and I thought, why don’t I be a real
estate agent?” he said.