The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One family’s painful COVID-19 loss
First Asian American on Atlanta City Council named to key position. Doug Shipman files papers to begin raising funds for campaign.
My urgent hope is that more people will be tested and take the vaccine. I don’t know if taking the vaccine would have changed the outcome of my daughter’s life, but I pray that other families are open-minded enough to take advantage of the only option we have.
My name is Josephine Thompson. Nicole was the second-oldest of my three children, and the oldest daughter. As my heart breaks from the death January 14 of my daughter from COVID-19, I think of all the mothers, wives, daughters, sons, fathers, grandparents and other family members who are gone too soon.
My loss leaves me angry and sad. As the days go by, I’ve begun to reflect on a life gone too soon and realize that I want my daughter’s passing to matter. I miss her smile, her gentleness, her passion and compassion for not only the people around her, but for the community as a whole. I want the world to know what an amazing young woman she was. So, I’ve decided to share my story with you.
I thank President Joe Biden for not letting my daughter reside in the world of statistics. By taking time to acknowledge 500,000 lost lives through a candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument, I felt as though he was calling the names of our loved ones. Every day that I wake up, I struggle to function but I know Nikki would not want it that way — she brought so much energy and movement to the world.
My daughter’s name is Nicole, but she was affectionately called “Nikki” by her family and friends. She was 46 years old. Nikki’s only son, Nicholas, was the heart and soul of her daily existence. He is her only child and everyone knew how much she loved and cared for him. She would
often say “how do I love thee — I can’t count all the ways.” Nikki was an amazing daughter, mom, wife, sister, cousin, niece, co-worker, Christian, neighbor and community volunteer.
Nicole always fantasized
about being a hairstylist. Therefore, after she graduated from North Clayton High School in 1992, she attended Arnold Patrick’s School of Cosmetology. Nicole earned her master license of cosmetology and immediately started
her career under Ike Walker at Hair Zone Beauty Salon in College Park. She stayed loyal and she eventually became the owner in 2018.
It is no surprise that Nicole was a great hairstylist because she was great at all things creative. She took pleasure in interior design projects, coordinating events, and a variety of arts and crafts. She spent her spare time giving back to her community by serving on the board of directors for the Gus Thornhill Scholarship Fund. Most importantly, Nicole loved to attend church. She was a faithful believer in God and served under the leadership of Bishop Albert Lindsey Jr., the servant pastor of Neriah Church.
Out of all her accomplishments, her proudest moments were spent as a devoted mother and wife. She welcomed Nicholas Marshall into the world on June 17, 1997. Later, she married her best friend, Anthony “Tony” Mcintosh, on July 8, 2012. While everyone else called her “Nikki,” Tony affectionately nicknamed her “Blondie.” After their union, she became the “bonus mom” to Lauren, Aaron and Chelsea Mcintosh.
My urgent hope is that more people will be tested and take the vaccine. I don’t know if taking the vaccine would have changed the outcome of my daughter’s life, but I pray that other families are openminded enough to take advantage of the only option we have right now. Every time I think of “what if ” my heart sinks deeper. My daughter was COVID-19 tested on a Monday and was dead by 10 p.m. on Thursday.
COVID-19 took a young vibrant life that left an indelible mark on Atlanta. Because of COVID-19, I lost my daughter. But because of Nikki, I’m finding my purpose.
The Fulton County Board of Registration & Elections installed a new chairman Thursday and received recommendations for how to improve elections in Georgia’s most populated county.
Alex Wan — the first Asian American politician to win a seat on the Atlanta City Council — was sworn in by Fulton County Superior Court Clerk Tina Robinson via video conference. The seat was open after former Chairwoman Mary Carole Cooney resigned due to a prolonged illness.
Wan said it was an honor to join the board and knows his fellow members have the same goal of fair, accurate and efficient elections. He also nodded to the board’s recent tumult. “I recognize that these have been challenging times for the board and the department,” Wan said.
The last time the board met, not only was there another chair, but they voted 3-2 to fire elec
The field of candidates vying to be the next leader of the Atlanta City Council is growing.
Doug Shipman, the former president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, filed the necessary paperwork this week to fundraise for a campaign to become the next council president.
Shipman, who was also the founding CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, joins Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong and former Atlanta Public Schools board chair Courtney English in the contest to replace Felicia Moore as head of the city’s legislative body.
Moore, the current council president, is running for mayor against incumbent Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, meaning her post will be openon the November ballot.
While he has not held elected office before, Shipman said in an interview Thursday that his work in the private and civic sectors would serve him well in building consensus among the council.
“My experiences around bring
tions director Richard Barron. That came days after the board made a closed-door vote to fire Barron in an apparent violation of Georgia’s open meetings law. Barron’s job was saved by the Fulton County Commission on March 3.
After creating a plan with county department leaders, Barron on Thursday presented board members — the majority of whom don’t want him there — with six recommendations. They ranged from creating an inventory system to acquiring a central warehouse and operations space.
The board members who voted to fire Barron said after his presentation they wanted to be looped in on future planning.
Wan asked everyone for their continued patience as he transitioned into the role.
“I’m a hard worker and a quick study,” he said.
ing people together to really make these big kinds of things happen, I think I can serve that role on council,” said Shipman, an Arkansas native who lives in the Old Fourth Ward.
He plans to formally launch his campaign in the coming weeks and unveil specific policy proposals at that time.
Shipman previously shepherded the civil rights museum through a decade of planning and fundraising and led it for a year after it opened downtown in 2014.
He became theleader of the arts center in 2017, and announced last summer that he was leaving that position.
“As we come out of COVID, as we move forward, I think it’s a really important time. It think it’ll be an important election and I’m excited to bring some ideas to it,” Shipman said.
The council president is in charge of leading meetings, cannot introduce legislation and only votes in the event of a tie.