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Atlanta Healthcare Professionals - Please Note the October UAPRN Healthcare Summit Has Been Rescheduled for May 13-14, 2022

United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Georgia (UAPRN), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare for Georgians, has moved the date of its annual United for Healthcare Summit and closing Gala from Oct. 22-23, 2021 to May 13-14, 2022. The location will remain the same: the Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort at Stone Mountain. The schedule change was made due to a concern for the health and safety of attendees, speakers and guests, and the continued strain on healthcare workers due to the high case loads of COVID-19 patients in Georgia hospitals. www.uaprnofga.org/unityconf

"As healthcare professionals, our number one concern is always the health and safety of our peers and those with whom we interact, especially as the COVID pandemic continues," said UAPRN of Georgia State president Michelle Nelson, Ph.D., RN, FNP-BC. "Also, at this time, the Summit's attendees and participants continue to be deeply involved in patient care. Although we had planned a hybrid event in October with both in-person and virtual events, and with all COVID safety protocols in place, the reality is that COVID infections are still a serious risk in our state, plus our members, sponsors, vendors and other potential attendees simply cannot take the time away from their professional duties right now to participate in the Summit. I am not surprised Georgia's nurses and healthcare workers are once again putting the welfare of their patients at the top of their priority list, and we want to honor and recognize their ongoing dedication to their work by holding the Summit and Gala at what we hope will be a safer and more convenient time for those who wish to participate."

Sponsored by The Georgia Commission on Women, Black Women Leaders in Nursing, Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) and The Haitian American Nurses Association, the annual Summit is designed for nurses, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), physician assistants, lab technicians, occupational and physical therapists and other healthcare professionals who want to learn new skills and hear presentations on the latest topics and legislative efforts affecting the medical profession in Georgia. There is also content for healthcare students, including undergraduate and graduate students.

Registration remains open at this time and current registrations will be honored for the May 13-14 event. Summit tickets range from $75-$300, excluding accommodations Those who retain their October registrations will avoid any potential fee increase for the spring event. Additional information regarding registrations or refunds may be found at [email protected]. Information on participating at the May event as a sponsor, vendor or exhibitor may be found at www.uaprnofga.org/unityconf/vendors.

The Summit's keynote speaker will be Brandon P. Fleming, CEO of Harvard University's Diversity Project and author of Miseducated, who will speak on Social Justice. Additional speakers will address such topics as:

The two-day event will feature both in-person and virtual presentations and workshops. Skills classes will be in-person only, and will include EKG Interpretation, Basic Suturing, Lab Interpretation, Advance Suturing and IUD Insertion. Those who attend the various healthcare lectures can earn CME (Continuing Medical Education) credits. The vendor exhibit hall will offer opportunities for attendees to network with healthcare partners from across the state. All in-person attendees will have access to the virtual lectures following the Summit.

On Friday, May 13, UAPRN will host its annual "Transitions Day" for RNs who have completed their APRN training and are transitioning to new roles that will impact their practice and scope. New APRNs will hear from various healthcare professionals and practice managers, and will also have the opportunity to polish their résumés and take new headshots. While there is a registration fee to attend the other Healthcare Summit programs, there is no fee to participate in Transitions Day.

"Our conference theme is "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion", said Dr. Nelson. "Because nurses and nursing students encompass diverse backgrounds, ages, genders, races and nationalities, it is crucial that we listen to and learn from different viewpoints and experiences. Members of the medical profession at all levels have been united this past year, perhaps as never before, as we face the sometimes overwhelming challenges of caring for our patients during the COVID crisis. UAPRN of Georgia is excited to bring our members together May 13-14, 2022 to share our experiences, learn from each other, consider differing perspectives and celebrate our accomplishments together. The Summit is designed for a statewide audience, and we expect our attendance to exceed 400."

About UAPRN of Georgia

United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Georgia is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare for the citizens of Georgia. The organization's members support the advancement of the role APRNs play in the healthcare system by addressing and promoting legislative and practice issues and also provides professional role identification and mentorship to nursing colleagues, students and new APRNs. UAPRN has chapters throughout the state of Georgia, where members enjoy access to continuing education opportunities, networking, information on available jobs and much more. www.uaprnofga.org

The video starts right after Georgia State Patrol tried to pull over a man for not wearing a seatbelt.

ATLANTA — A viral video showing a Georgia state trooper kicking a man on the ground in Atlanta has some people questioning if the use of force was necessary.

The video starts right after a trooper with Georgia State Patrol tried to pull over a man for not wearing a seatbelt. GSP said the man drove off, then got out of the car and ran, and that’s where the video, posted on ATL Uncensored's Instagram account, picks up.

In the video, from Oct. 3, a man is seen running from a trooper near Edgewood Avenue. Two pops from the trooper's taser can be heard before the man falls to the ground. At that point, the trooper kicks the man twice, appearing to stomp him as he laid on the ground.

“At first it concerned me," said Charles Rambo, a former Fulton County deputy. "Because, the trooper was striking his heel, like out of excitement or out of something that the saw suspect.”

In a statement, GSP said the trooper did see something suspect: a gun.

"During the foot pursuit, the trooper observed a handgun fall from the driver’s waistband. The trooper did not see where the firearm fell. The driver fell to the ground and failed to display his hands. The driver was given verbal commands but refused to show his right hand. The trooper was unaware if the driver was still armed," the statement read.

Rambo, who now trains law enforcement officer and sat on use of force boards in Fulton County, said although the video looks shocking, the use of force may have been reasonable given what the trooper believed at the time.

“The trooper acted in good faith and was not malicious in what he was doing, if he legitimately saw a firearm, which they say was recovered, and was potentially stolen," Rambo explained.

GSP’s use of force policy states a trooper can use non-lethal force “reasonably, to overcome resistance, control a subject or protect themselves or others from injury.”

It also reads “the evaluation of a member’s use of force will be undertaken from the perspective of a reasonable member on the scene -- not through …hindsight.”

The trooper eventually found the gun on the sidewalk, after placing the man in handcuffs. GSP said they will review the use of force.

Rambo believes the trooper acted with restraint, by using his taser and foot strikes, to get the man in handcuffs

“I would have hate to see that officer or that trooper use his service weapon, so in my humble opinion he did act with reasonableness.”

GSP said the 27-year-old man is on probation for assault, and has an active warrant for simple battery. He was charged with fleeing, obstruction, possession of a firearm with altered serial number, and six other crimes.

Georgia billionaires join Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Larry Page on The Forbes 400.

GEORGIA — America's billionaires are richer than they've ever been, Forbes said with Tuesday's release of The Forbes 400, its annual list of the 400 richest U.S. billionaires. Ten people from Georgia made the cut.

In Georgia, The Forbes 400 billionaires are:

Jeff Bezos, the founder of the e-commerce giant Amazon, again topped The Forbes 400 list. His net worth was $189.8 billion, according to Forbes' real-time wealth tracker. Bezos has topped the list for four consecutive years.

Rounding out the top five and the size of their fortunes at the end of trading Monday are Tesla founder Elon Musk ($190.5 billion), Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($134.5 billion), Microsoft founder Bill Gates ($134 billion) and Google executive Larry Page ($123 billion).

Forbes said that though the pandemic made 2020 a terrible year for many, the wealthiest Americans continued to enjoy good economic times. Collectively, the personal fortunes of the 400 richest billionaires increased 40 percent over the past year to $4.5 trillion, up from $3.2 trillion the year prior.

Nearly all are richer than they were a year ago, Forbes said, and the top 20 are worth $1.8 trillion.

Forbes calculated the net worth of those on the list using stock prices at Wall Street's closing bell on Sept. 3, which was close to a record high close for U.S. stock indices such as the S&P 500.

Among the 44 people who fell off the list was former President Donald Trump, who had been among the 400 richest Americans for 25 years. He continues to be a billionaire. He is as wealthy as he was a year ago, when he ranked 339, but he's lost $600 million since the start of the pandemic, Forbes noted. Big-city properties, which make up the bulk of the real estate mogul's holdings, have languished during the pandemic

Newcomers to The Forbes 400 include cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried, who at 29 is the youngest person on the list. He's worth $22.5 billion, ranks 32nd and is among seven cryptocurrency entrepreneurs on the list.

There are 56 women on the list, the same number as a year ago. Oprah Winfrey and Gap cofounder Doris Fisher fell off the list, but new to the list are Melinda French Gates, following her divorce from Bill Gates; and Miriam Adelson, heir to her late husband Sheldon Adelson's stake in the Los Vegas Sands casino empire.

Alice Walton remains the richest woman in America for the seventh year. The Walmart heir is worth $67.9 billion.

In all, 282 people on the list are self-made billionaires.

Mayor’s Office of Communications 55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303

City of Atlanta’s New Policy to Allow Urban Farms to Sell Directly to Consumers Adoption of farm stand ordinance will increase access to fresh and affordable food

ATLANTA – Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced urban farms in Atlanta will sell fresh, affordable food directly to consumers in residential zoned areas of the city. Prior to this development, the City’s Code prevented many of the city’s urban farms from operating farm stands that sell produce grown on-site directly to consumers.

"Access to healthy food options should be a right for all Atlanta residents," said Mayor Bottoms. "Thank you to the Office of Resilience, Department of Planning and others for their efforts to ensure that our vision for One Atlanta includes food security for all communities--regardless of zip code."

The Fresh Food Access report released in June 2021 identified that 75 percent of city residents lived within half a mile of fresh food in 2020. With the new ordinance, many of the Atlanta’s 28 urban farms will now be able serve as fresh food access points in their neighborhoods. Most urban farms in Atlanta are in USDA-designated Low-Income, Low-Access (LILA) neighborhoods. The adoption of the Farm Stand Ordinance also advances the Administration’s goal to ensure at least 85 percent of Atlanta residents live within a half-mile of fresh food by 2022.

In addition to expanding fresh food access for residents, the potential benefits of the Farm Stand Ordinance include:

“Urban farms are a key component to establishing a healthier and more resilient city,” said J. Olu Baiyewu, the City’s Urban Agriculture Director. “The Farm Stand Ordinance will foster a more equitable distribution of fresh food access for residents and visitors across Atlanta and expand economic opportunities for our urban farmers.”

The 2021 Farm Stand Ordinance was developed by the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience. To learn more about the City of Atlanta’s Urban Agriculture initiatives, including urban farms, visit https://www.aglanta.org/.

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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta.

Forecasters are predicting 3 to 6 inches of rainfall in North Georgia and parts of Middle Georgia from Tuesday to Thursday morning.

GEORGIA — A flash flood watch was issued Monday evening for much of north Georgia and the northern portion of middle Georgia along the I-85 corridor, the National Weather Service is reporting.

The flash flood watch is expected to last from early Tuesday morning to early Thursday morning stemming from a National Weather Service Atlanta forecast predicting between 3 and 6 inches of steady rain.

NWS forecasters' greatest concerns are locally heavier downpours that may contribute to flooding.

Metro Atlanta counties in the flash flood watch include: Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Paulding, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Douglas, and DeKalb.

Cities under the watch include Cartersville, Marietta, Atlanta, Decatur, Peachtree City, Athens, Lawrenceville and Douglasville.

Forecasters also said there may be some thunderstorms that could produce lightning and gusty winds.

The watch extends from the southernmost border along a northeasterly line from Columbus in the west to Athens in the east — just southeast of the I-85 corridor — to the northern borders of the state, according to NWS models. Weather will dissipate southeast of that southernmost line.

Here's the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:

Monday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 71. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 66. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 75. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 66. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 76. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Thursday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9pm. Low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.

Friday night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 9am. Sunny, with a high near 78.

Patch will continue to monitor the flash flood watch and post updates on weather and its impact.