Author: On Common Ground News

Bishop Eddie L. Long                                  May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017 Thousands of family and friends from near and afar attended the homegoing celebration for New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Bishop Eddie L. Long on Jan. 25, 2017. The crowd packed the church to say farwell and pay their respects to his wife, Elder Vanessa Long, the Long children, grandchildren and other family members. The long-time pastor of the mega church in Lithonia, Georgia died after courageously battling an aggressive cancer. He was 63. During the six-hour celebration, which was streamed live over the internet, dozens of leaders…

The new I-75 South Metro express lanes will officially open to motorists on Saturday, Jan. 28. The reversible, barrier-separated lanes along I-75 South and I-675 South in Henry and Clayton counties will be toll-free the first 14 days for motorists with a Peach Pass. Gov. Nathan Deal said the freebies for Peach Pass holders is being provided to encourage commuters to utilize the express lanes. “The I-75 South Metro express lanes will provide much-needed congestion relief for motorists who commute through one of Metro Atlanta’s most heavily-traveled corridors,” said Deal who announced the opening along withState Road and Tollway Authority…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 24 to approve a plan to assist in the redevelopment of the former General Motors plant in Doraville. Under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Doraville, DeKalb County would allocate up to $180 million in infrastructure improvements including roads and utilities. The funding would come from the anticipated tax revenue in a tax allocation district (TAD), which encompasses the former automobile production facility, which closed in 2008. “I want to express the full and complete support by the administration for the acceptance of this intergovernmental agreement between…

Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District, announced Jan. 24 that his appointment on the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) has resulted in a leadership role. Johnson was unanimously voted by his colleagues to be the leading Democrat on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, which conducts oversight of programs addressing federal management of emergencies and natural disasters –including oversight of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – and some aspects of Homeland Security. The subcommittee also has jurisdiction over agencies and programs promoting economic development in communities suffering economic distress and has…

CONYERS—He looks like a businessman. But Conyers police say don’t be fooled by the shirt and tie. That’s just part of his MO. The dressed-up suspect has been breaking into parked vehicles right in the open. He hit several vehicles at Longhorn steakhouse in Conyers during lunch and dinner between Jan. 5-16. “He’s very brazen. He set the alarm off in one vehicle and that didn’t stop him. He continued going through the belongings inside,” said Conyers Police Sgt. Kim Lucas, who said police are examining video surveillance from the restaurant showing the suspect. Lucas said the suspect has taken…

DeKalb County commissioners unanimously approved to sell a 33-acre surplus airport tract to Brookhaven for nearly $6 million at the board’s Jan. 24 meeting. “It is a reflection of our collaboration with Brookhaven to give them something that they needed and give us the opportunity to release the latent value of the property to fund other improvements,” said Commissioner Jeff Rader, whose district contains the property. Approximately seven years ago, the Peachtree DeKalb Airport decommissioned a runway that only was being used for less than half of a percentage of the airports flights. Airport and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials…

A former Lithonia daycare provider accused of critically injuring a child in her care has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars following her conviction by jury trial.  Jurors returned guilty verdicts against 59-year-old Evelyn Bruce-Mighty, owner of Angela’s Little Daycare in Lithonia, on charges of aggravated battery and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree last Friday. On May 16, 2014, a 16-month old boy was rushed from Bruce-Mighty’s daycare center to the hospital after suffering an unexplained trauma to his head.  The victim underwent emergency brain surgery and was comatose for more than a month.…

ATLANTA Atlanta Street car offers guests free rides   Re-discover Atlanta and ride the Atlanta streetcar free of charge Tuesday, Jan. 31, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Celebrate and explore some of Atlanta’s most vibrant urban neighborhoods. Take a selfie on the Jackson Street Bridge or take a stroll through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic district. The free fare program runs monthly on the last Tuesday of each. For more information, visit streetcar.atlantaga.gov.   Interfaith community to celebrate faiths   The Annual World Religion Day celebration is set for Saturday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m., at the Dunwoody Public…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt are among the six new board members the Atlanta Regional Commission has welcomed aboard. In addition to Thurmond and Nesbitt, the ARC also swore in on Jan. 25: Mike Boyce, chair, Cobb County Commission Romona Jackson Jones, chair, Douglas County Commission Eric Maxwell, chair, Fayette County Commission June Wood, chair, Henry County Commission “We’re excited to welcome these new members to the ARC Board,” said ARC Board Chair Kerry Armstrong. “We’ve got a busy year on tap as the Atlanta region continues to grow and change. I look forward…

  Rockdale County Government is seeking qualified volunteers to serve on the 2017 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) Oversight Committee as the current SPLOST nears an end. Interested county residents must apply by Feb. 7. County Clerk Jennifer Rutledge will work with the Board of Commissioners to review applications. Those who are selected to serve will receive a notification letter by March 1. The voters of Rockdale approved the new SPLOST to fund transportation projects, public safety facilities, water resources and other needed improvements for the Conyers-Rockdale community. The 30-citizen committee of volunteers will meet quarterly to prioritize and…