Author: On Common Ground News

The special election for the new city of Stonecrest in east DeKalb County is taking shape. The qualifying period for candidates seeking to run for mayor and the five-member Stonecrest City Council will be held Jan. 9-11, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Candidates must qualify at the DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections Office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur. The qualifying fee for mayor is $600 and for City Council member is $450. The mayor will be elected at large, while the council seats will be decided by voters who live within each of the five districts. The last…

Gov. Nathan Deal has named the Governor’s Commission on Stonecrest, a five-member body consisting of a chairman and four others to oversee the establishment of the new city. The commission will prepare for the new city by facilitating the provision of community services and facilities, the collection of taxes and fees, and the negotiation of intergovernmental agreements. The commission will remain in place until elections for the City Council are held in March. The members of the Governor’s Commission on City of Stonecrest are as follows: Joel Thibodeaux, Chair Thibodeaux is the director of audits and compliance with the…

Charles S. Hill, M.D. and his son, Charles S. Hill II, have launched their joint exploratory committee for the City of Stonecrest offices of Mayor and City Council District 5, respectively. Dr. Hill is a Harvard-trained ophthalmologist who owns and operates Hill’s Eye Clinic, which has served South DeKalb over 30 years. Hill said he is considering running for Mayor of Stonecrest because he is tired of the corruption, graft, and incompetence in DeKalb County government in addition to people running for public office only to enrich and aggrandize themselves. He said he believes the best candidates for public office…

In observance of Christmas Day on Monday, Dec. 26, garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection for residential customers will be based on a revised collection schedule. The revised schedule is as follows: Monday, Dec. 26 – Christmas Day observed. No sanitation collection service. Tuesday, Dec. 27 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Monday, Dec. 26, will be serviced on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Wednesday, Dec. 28 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Tuesday, Dec. 27, will be serviced on Wednesday, Dec. 28. Thursday, Dec. 29 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Wednesday,…

Georgia Power is inviting Georgians to showcase their holiday light displays during its first-ever Light Up the Holidays photo contest. The contest runs through Jan. 8. Contestants may enter on Facebook or Twitter:        Facebook: Visit the company’s Facebook page and upload your photo to the #GeorgiaPowerLights app. Tell your friends and family to visit the app to vote for your picture.        Twitter: Follow @GeorgiaPower and tweet your photo using #GeorgiaPowerLights. Ask your friends and family to like your tweet. Each week throughout the contest, Georgia Power will randomly select one winner from all entries received on both platforms…

Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, in partnership with Gwinnett County, will host the annual Bring One for the Chipper event. When the holidays are over, drop off your live Christmas tree from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15 to be recycled at various locations in Gwinnett County. These trees will be chipped into mulch and used for County parks and facilities. Visit www.gwinnettcb.org for a list of locations. Fire stations will accept trees 24/7 and other facilities will accept them during regular business hours.

Daniel Crumby, who formerly served as Assistant U.S. Attorney, will be the presenter for the military veterans’ awards at the “Putting on the Glitz III” New Year’s Eve event. The ticketed event, in its third year, will be held at the Courtyard Marriott and Conference Center in downtown Decatur and is open to the public. The celebration is hosted by Boomers Consulting, LLC, an executive staffing and recruiting firm specializing in the engineering, information Technology and healthcare industries. The NYE’s celebration kicks off at 7 p.m. with delicious food prepared by the Executive Chef and Crumby honoring invited local military…

The 7th Annual Race Against Violence (RAV) demonstrated why is it becoming a premier race in Rockdale County, drawing a record number of participants and sponsors, supporters say. The race raised approximately $25,000 to benefit the Rockdale County Task Force Against Family Violence and Project Renewal, the local shelter for victims of family violence. Rockdale State Court Judge Nancy Bills, chair of the Rockdale County Task Force, Against Family Violence said she is thrilled to see the event grow to more than 400 registrants and over 60 sponsors this fall. Craig McCullough, a member of the Olde Town Runners, said…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to extend a yearlong moratorium on certain special land use permits (SLUPs) to Feb. 28, 2017. The moratorium covers the acceptance, issuance or denial of SLUP applications for the establishment or expansion of alcohol outlets, gas stations, car repair and maintenance shops, automobile service stations, check cashing establishments, convenience stores, drive-through restaurants and pawn shops in commercial districts. Originally adopted on Jan. 26, 2016, the moratorium is intended to allow DeKalb officials additional time to review the county’s current ordinances “to ensure that its laws preserve the quality of life for citizens while…

In a special ceremony held Tuesday, Dec. 13, Rockdale Chairman Richard Oden was honored during the Board of Commissioners’ work session for his eight years of service to the county. During the meeting, Chairman-Elect Oz Nesbitt and Commissioner Doreen Williams presented Oden with a proclamation declaring Dec. 13, 2016 as “Chairman Richard A. Oden Appreciation Day.”  Oden’s term expires on Dec 31. “He’s been dedicated to the people of this community. We are appreciative of the service of Chairman Oden and as we move forward here, in Rockdale County, we will do it in the spirit of his memory and…