Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA– Andre Jones was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty on Oct. 21 to Human Trafficking, Pimping a Minor, and Pandering a Minor, in a case prosecuted by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office. Jones will have to serve 9 years for the 2014 incident where he trafficked a 17-year-old girl in Fulton County. On Nov. 14, 2014, Jones drove the girl to a luxury hotel in Buckhead for the purpose of prostitution where she was recovered by the FBI’s child trafficking task force.  Jones had enticed her to work for him to make money to go to college.…

Editor’s Note: Ed Williams, an opponent of cityhood, has written numerous editorials on why he stands against the movement. He outlined several reasons why he opposes the incorporation of Stonecrest In the Oct. 21 edition of On Common Ground News. Proponents responded to Williams’ editorial with the following of their own: Here’s what voters should know. Ed Williams is a proponent for expanding county government, only.  He’s campaigned against other cityhood movements, but most vigorously against proposed South DeKalb cities with majority black populations – targeting Greenhaven and Stonecrest. Williams makes the false claim that the economic development plan would move…

The annual DeKalb County surplus auction will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m., at Adesa Atlanta, 5055 Oakley Industrial Blvd., Fairburn. The public can preview the inventory online at www.adesarigs.com, in person on Friday, Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on the morning of the auction at 8 a.m. “This is really a win-win for the county and its residents,” Interim CEO May said. “The county gets to dispose of outdated items, while other governments and private citizens can get a good deal on well-maintained used equipment.” Items for sale include police cars, fire trucks,…

WorkSource DeKalb and the One-Stop Disabilities Committee will host a disability awareness forum on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 9 – 11 a.m. at 774 Jordan Lane, Bldg. No. 4, Decatur. The forum will inform and educate the community, service providers and job seekers about accommodation and services for persons with physical and mental disabilities. Several business professionals and organizations that have a vast amount of experience in disability awareness will be on hand. Presenting agencies include Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitated Services, Social Security Administration, Disability Link, DeKalb Housing Authority and more. ­­­ For additional information, contact Roderick…

Terrific Thursdays are back with special in-store events, discounts, and treats at more than 20 shops, restaurants, and services in the City of Decatur.  Participating businesses will stay open late, offering beverages, snacks and special offers. Small Business Saturday and Sunday will include holiday music, giveaways, free gift wrapping for city of Decatur shop purchases, and a special Saturday Santa appearance, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Spend $200 at any Decatur shop during the month of November, bring your receipts to the Decatur Visitors Center and receive a $20 gift card from a local restaurant. You don’t have to spend $200 all in…

Thousands in DeKalb and Rockdale counties flocked to the polls on Oct. 17, energizing the first day of early voting ahead of the historic Nov. 8 General Election, which includes Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. DeKalb County Supervisor of Elections Maxine Daniels reported that over 12,000 residents cast their ballots on Day 1. Daniels said that when she arrived at 6 a.m., voters were already standing in line waiting for the polls to open. More than 12,000 ballots were tallied by the end of the day. DeKalb has a total of 493,147 registered voters. “I wasn’t surprised…

DeKalb County resident and two-time world chess champion, Orrin Hudson, recently appeared on the Tom Joyner Morning Show during the drive-time hour when more than 8 million listeners commute to work. Hudson was on the radio discussing how he served as a chess consultant for the Disney movie, “Queen Of Katwe” during a 7-minute segment with Joyner and the radio TJMS crew. Hudson worked with Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o who starred in the film. “Appearing on The Tom Joyner Morning Show was one of the most rewarding interviews in my career,” said Hudson. “Tom Joyner is an all-time legend in…

CONYERS–Scott Hartsell has big plans to help start-up businesses grow into solid, thriving companies and he’s using Olde Town as a launching pad. Hartsell has transformed office space at 909 Commercial St. into a business incubator called (e)station Conyers, Inc., playing off the building’s location near the city’s former train depot. The incubator, Hartsell says, will be the first in east metro Atlanta. He cites Cornerstone (Lawrenceville); The Suite Spot (Sugar Hill; eHub (Gwinnett) and 438 Grayson Parkway in Grayson as the closest coworking incubator near Conyers. At (e)station Conyers, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to not only lease office…

The community is invited to attend the third forum of the ongoing series, “Black Lives Matter: A Quest for Solutions,” on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 to 9 p.m., at Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia. The forum entitled “A Community Conversation on Perception verses Reality” will address how the media, society and law enforcement influence how others view Black Lives Matter. A panel of community leaders and professionals will discuss the difference of perceived threats verses real threats and how perceptions influences judgment, while reality is left out of decision making. The forum is an effort to…