Bottoms Inaugurated as 60th Atlanta Mayor
Keisha Lance Bottoms was sworn in as Atlanta’s 60th mayor Jan. 2 after her opponent, Mary Norwood (74C), who requested a recount and challenged the results of the runoff election, conceded Dec. 20, 2017. Bottoms declared victory immediately after the Dec. 5 runoff election when initial results showed her leading by 759 votes. “I am thrilled to serve as only the second woman mayor of our great city,” Bottoms said at her inauguration, promising to prioritize affordability and equity. Norwood considered filing legal action after her campaign team reviewed voting data and discovered that some of the votes came from recently annexed areas whose residents should not have been allowed to vote in the election, her attorney Vincent Russo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Norwood had a Dec. 21 deadline to follow through with a lawsuit related to the election. The DeKalb and Fulton counties’ election boards certified results Dec. 11 for the runoff election, giving Bottoms an 832 vote-margin win, according to the AJC. — Richard Chess
Slice & Pint Shuts Doors
Slice & Pint in Emory Village closed Dec. 30, 2017 because it did not renew its lease agreement. “We sincerely appreciate all the love and support we have received over the last 5 years,” a Dec. 18 Facebook Slice & Pint post reads. Slice & Pint’s lease agreement continues through February 2018, so it is unlikely that a new tenant will arrive until at least March 2018, property owner Stuart Meddin told the Wheel in a Dec. 28 email. Meddin wrote that he was sorry to see the restaurant leave but noted that his company, The Meddin Company, will try to select a new tenant “that will give great food and service to the community.” Commenters on Facebook expressed their disappointment at the news. “Basically since I moved to Atlanta, Slice & Pint has been part of the all the major events within our little Atlanta group,” wrote Lara Suzanne Martin, Manager of Education and Programs at Center for Humanitarian Emergencies at Rollins School of Public Health. “I wish [Slice & Pint] all the best and hope to see maybe a brewery or something fantastic come out of this experience sometime in the future.” — Richard Chess
Emory Healthcare Patient Information Compromised
Personal information of approximately 24,000 Emory Healthcare patients was compromised, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A former Emory doctor, who now works for the University of Arizona, uploaded the information of patients who received radiology services at Emory Healthcare from 2004 to 2014 onto a University of Arizona College of Medicine OneDrive account without Emory’s consent. The information may have been accessed by some individuals with a University of Arizona email account, according to a Dec. 26 Emory Healthcare statement emailed to the Wheel. Director of Media Relations for Emory Healthcare Janet Christenbury declined to provide the name of the doctor. The information included patients’ names, and in some cases dates of birth, dates of service at Emory Healthcare, provider names, medical record numbers, diagnostic/treatment information and treatment locations. Emory Healthcare found no indication that anyone outside Emory Healthcare or some University of Arizona staff accessed the materials, the statement says. The University of Arizona “took immediate action” and deleted the information from the account, the statement says. Patients whose information was compromised will receive a letter in the mail that includes suggestions about how to protect against identity theft and fraud, according to the statement. — Richard Chess
New Restaurant to Open at Emory Point
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is preparing to open at Emory Point, according to a window sign outside a business location that used to be operated by BurgerFi, which closed March 2017. Desta Ethiopian Kitchen opened its first and only other location on Briarcliff Road in 2006 by Ash Nega and Titi Demissie, according to its website. It is unclear when the Emory Point location will open. The restaurant did not respond to the Wheel’s request for an interview. — Richard Chess
Emory Elects Suntrust CEO to Board of Trustees
William H. Rogers Jr., chairman and CEO for SunTrust Banks, Inc., has been selected to join Emory’s Board of Trustees, according to a Dec. 5, 2017 Emory press release. Rogers has led the company through consecutive years of development and has supported the company’s sponsorship of SunTrust Park, the new stadium for the Atlanta Braves, according to the release. Rogers has served on the boards of various other organizations, including Achieve Atlanta and Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. He was one of 10 CEOs in 2016 to receive an Atlanta Business Chronicle “Readers’ Choice” CEO award, according to Atlanta Business Chronicle. Rogers also served on the Emory Board of Visitors. Associate Director for Media Relations Elaine Justice did not respond to the Wheel’s request for an interview with Rogers. — Emily Sullivan
FCC Reverses Decision on 2015 Net Neutrality Ruling
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed net neutrality rules that were previously implemented in 2015 in a 3-2 vote Dec. 14, 2017, according to The New York Times. The reversal will not occur for several weeks and reallows broadband companies to regulate internet traffic. The FCC also reversed its classification of internet service by no longer calling it a utility, like telephone service. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who voted for the repeal, said this change would benefit customers by providing more service options. — Richard Chess
Undocumented Students Share Experiences at Undocumented Truth Event
Undocumented students spoke Nov. 30, 2017, about their experiences in the United States in light of President Donald J. Trump’s September statement about his plans to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Emory College Council and student group Undocumented Students of America (USA) hosted the colloquium-style event, titled,“The Undocumented Truth,” during which seven undocumented students shared personal stories and some Emory professors read students’ written accounts. The students spoke about times when they encountered discrimination, frustration from feeling powerless and the desire to continue living in the U.S. Senior Lecturer in the Department of French and Italian Christine Ristaino read one student’s story. “I know I have more opportunities in the states,” the student had written. “They call us dreamers for a reason. We have dreams.” — Emily Sullivan. Molly Ball contributed reporting.
Emory Sports Medicine Complex Opens
The Emory Sports Medicine Complex opened to patients Dec. 4, 2017, according to a Dec. 4 University press release. Emory announced in April 2016 that the 90,000-square foot space would hold both Emory’s Sports Medicine Center and the Hawks’ Basketball Operations Department, fostering collaboration between doctors and players, the Wheel previously reported. The facility offers Hawks players on-site access to Emory physicians, physical therapists and medical evaluation equipment, including a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, according to the release. The two groups will also partner to host community engagement events, according to the release. — Emily Sullivan.
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