Here’s a quick look at business news happening in our community.

– Planet Fitness recently announced the grand opening of its new Kirkwood location. The gym is located at 1599 Memorial Drive, according to a press release.

“New members can join now for just $1 down, then $10 per month or $1 down and $19.99 per month (typically $22.99 a month) for a PF Black Card, with no commitment until January 15,” a press rlease from the company says.

The company says it is, “committed to opening the new club in a safe and responsible way.”

“Planet Fitness has taken several steps to enhance cleanliness policies and procedures to protect the health and wellness of members, employees and the local community,” the press release says. “Enhancements include daily temperature checks for all employees, thorough cleanings using disinfectant effective against COVID-19, increased sanitization stations available throughout the gym floor, touchless check-in and crowd meter via the free Planet Fitness app, mask mandate, select cardio equipment temporarily marked out of use to enable Social Fitnessing™ and additional distance measures between members.”

The company says that physical fitness is an important part of keeping COVID-19 at bay.

“Exercise is a critical part of the health and wellness equation. COVID-19 shutdowns have already led to a 32% reduction in physical activity amongst individuals who were previously active and 53% of adults in the U.S. have reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted,” the press release says. “The new club looks forward to providing safe and affordable access to exercise for everyone.”

– Decatur’s Alexandra “Sachi” Cole was recently named a partner at Penn Law. 

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Alexandra “Sachi” Cole. Photo provided to Decaturish

“Since joining the firm in 2017, Cole has been instrumental in cases involving the Boy Scouts of America, Amazon and the Catholic Church. She specializes in complex civil litigation focusing on cases involving product liability, medical malpractice, childhood sexual abuse and employment law,” a press release from Penn Law said. “She also worked on important legislation including the Child Victim Act.”

She was named one of the Daily Report’s attorneys “On the Rise” for the 2020 class and as one of the state’s most promising lawyers Under 40. She’s been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star four times by Super Lawyers and Atlanta magazine, the press release says.

Here is the full announcement:

ATLANTA, January 6, 2021 — Penn Law is proud to announce Alexandra “Sachi” Cole has been named partner. Since joining the firm in 2017, Cole has been instrumental in cases involving the Boy Scouts of America, Amazon and the Catholic Church. She specializes in complex civil litigation focusing on cases involving product liability, medical malpractice, childhood sexual abuse and employment law. She also worked on important legislation including the Child Victim Act.

Cole was named to the Daily Report’s attorneys “On the Rise” for the Class of 2020 as one of Georgia’s most promising lawyers under 40. She has also been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star four times by Super Lawyers and Atlanta magazine.

“We are proud to name Sachi Cole as a partner at Penn Law, in recognition of the work she has done, and what she will bring to our team moving forward,” says Darren Penn.

She began her career in the non-profit sector working for a number of organizations including the Legal Aid Society of New York, the Federal Defenders for the Northern District of Georgia, and the ACLU of Georgia.

Cole was previously at Parks, Chesin & Walbert, P.C. in Atlanta where she represented employees who had been discriminated against by their employer. She specialized in whistleblower, sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination suits.

She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and the Atlanta Bar Association. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and participated in leadership programs with the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and the National Employment Lawyers Association. Cole is admitted to the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia as well as the Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court.

Cole is involved in her local community and currently serves as a board member of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy , which provides no-cost services to childhood victims of sexual abuse in the Atlanta area.

She graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where she double-majored in Philosophy and Rhetoric. She earned her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law and lives in Decatur.

About Penn Law

Penn Law LLC specializes in complex civil litigation, including catastrophic injury, trucking and auto accidents, products liability, medical malpractice, premises liability and workplace incidents, and business and commercial disputes. The firm also has a strong focus on cases involving child molestation and sexual predators.

Our lawyers handle each case from investigation through trial, working to protect those who have been mentally or physically harmed by the actions or negligence of companies, organizations and individuals. Penn Law is located at 4200 Northside Parkway, NW, Building One, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30327. For more information, visit www.pennlawgroup.com or call  (404) 961-7655.

– Baoky Vu, a member of the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections, was recently reappointed to the board of the Technical College System of Georgia by Gov. Brian Kemp. 

                                                Baoky Vu. Image provided to Decaturish

He’s served on the board since 2015.

According to the Decide DeKalb Development Authority, where Vu is treasurer, Vu is a principal at Silverberry Capital, a strategic advisory boutique.

Here’s his full biography, from the Decide DeKalb Development Authority website:

Vu is a principal at Silverberry Capital, a strategic advisory boutique.

Prior to 2016, he served as vice president of VetConnexx LLC, a veteran-owned small business that offers customer care solutions to the telecommunications, financial service and health care industries.

In 2015, he was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve as the Fourth Congressional District Board member of the Technical College System of Georgia. He also currently serves as vice-chair of the DeKalb County Board of Voter Registration and Elections and a board member of the Visiting Nurse Health System. He was a presidential appointee under former President George W. Bush.

Vu earned his bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s in business from Georgetown University. Term: 2015 – 2020

– Tucker Restaurants will be featured in the city’s Inaugural Restaurant Week

Here’s the full announcement from the city of Tucker:

TUCKER, Ga. (January 7, 2021) – Restaurants across the City of Tucker are preparing to welcome patrons for a new tradition, the inaugural Tucker Restaurant Week. The five-day event will take place February 24-28 at more than a dozen of Tucker’s best eateries. It is being organized by the City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, Discover DeKalb.

“One of the things we’ve found that drives local tourism around metro Atlanta is food,” said Discover DeKalb Executive Director and CEO James Tsismanakis. “Tucker has some restaurants that have been staples in the area for decades and others that are among the newest and hottest on the Atlanta foodie scene. It’s a diverse restaurant climate that folks are going to love to explore.”

“We’re always excited to invite folks to explore Tucker, and Restaurant Week is just another way to extend that hospitality,” added Tucker Mayor Frank Auman. “Whether you’re coming from Smyrna or Suwanee, Dunwoody or Doraville, we’re glad to have you and think you’re in for a real treat.”

Various restaurant promotions and menus will be announced via social media closer to the event. You can find out more about participating restaurants at www.tuckerrestaurantweek.com.

– VillageMD is growing in the Atlanta area and there will be a new Decatur location.

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Here is the full announcement:

ATLANTA & CHICAGO – Jan. 12, 2021 – VillageMD announced today it is growing in Atlanta, opening four more Village Medical clinics in the area, led by local physicians, Dr. James Morrow and Dr. Clyde Watkins. Together, the practices boast nine primary care providers and will serve patients in DeKalb and Forsyth counties. These openings mark the fourth Village Medical clinics in the Atlanta area and the 40^th clinic for the brand, including practices in Austin, Houston, Phoenix, and Murray, Ky.  Village Medical offers comprehensive primary care across a broad range of physician services, along with 24/7 care through telehealth and virtual care.

“We’re excited to grow in the Atlanta area and add two experienced primary care physician leaders to Village Medical. Both Drs. Morrow and Watkins share our vision of delivering an excellent patient experience while driving better care outcomes,” said Brent Asplin, M.D., president of Village Medical. “Both physicians will continue offering exceptional care, complemented now with our high-tech, high-touch primary care model to more patients in the Atlanta area.”

Village Medical offers a comprehensive suite of primary care services including preventative care, treatment for illness and injury, and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. Atlanta-area patients can learn more about the practice here.

“I’m thrilled to join Village Medical and continue the high-quality healthcare we provide our patients in the Atlanta area. I’m looking forward to introducing our longtime patients to the enhanced experience with Village Medical’s state-of-the-art technology,” said James Morrow, M.D., an award-winning physician, including “Best of North Atlanta” and “Best of Forsyth.”

Village Medical patients will have access to same-day appointments and virtual health visits with a Village Medical provider. Additionally, Village Medical patients can take advantage of Village Medical at Home, which provides in-home primary care visits with experienced primary care providers. Village Medical patients also benefit from VillageMD’s patent-pending docOS™ operating platform, which integrates data and technology to give physicians a 360-degree view of their patients’ health profiles and can help identify gaps in care.

Village Medical opened its first Georgia location November 2020 in Stone Mountain, Ga. Dr. Watkins will lead two Village Medical locations at 465 Winn Way, Suite 100 in Decatur, Ga., and at 2745 DeKalb Medical Parkway, Suite 200 in Lithonia, Ga. Dr. Morrow will lead two practices at 3970 Deputy Bill Cantrell Memorial Road, Suite 150 in Cumming, Ga., and 12970 Highway 9 in Milton, Ga.

Village Medical also offers full-service, primary care in Austin, Houston, Murray, Ky., and Phoenix and will enter several new markets this year. To learn more, make an appointment or view all Village Medical locations, please visit www.villagemedical.com.

About VillageMD

VillageMD, through its subsidiary Village Medical, is a leading, national provider of value-based primary care services. VillageMD partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. The Village Medical brand provides primary care for patients at traditional free-standing clinics, Village Medical at Walgreens clinics, at home and via virtual visits. VillageMD and Village Medical have grown to include more than 2,800 physicians across nine markets, are responsible for approximately 600,000 lives and manage $4 billion in total medical spend in value-based contracts. To learn more, please visit www.villageMD.com.

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