Author: On Common Ground News

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A $200 million sports complex expected to create 2,000 jobs and bring spectators, and teams and tourists from around the country is coming to the new city of Stonecrest. Atlanta Sports Connection, in partnership with Atlanta Partners for Development (APD) and Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau announced plans for the privately-funded “Atlanta Sports City at Stonecrest” on Feb. 22. As the project’s partners unveiled a huge banner bearing the sports facility’s name, the crowd attending the launch cheered and applauded with excitement. “As a resident, I’m proud to be here and as a developer, APD is privileged to…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond provided an update on the county’s water billing crisis, promising to improve customer service and billing within the next 90 days. Thurmond and staff members rolled out his “A New Day In DeKalb” plan to address the county’s water problems, outlining short and long-term solutions during a special-called meeting with commissioners, residents and the media.  Thurmond said 37,000 customers’ bills have been held since last fall as county officials sought to determine if the bills were accurate or inaccurate due to faulty meters, meter readers, data entry mistakes or even the customers themselves through usage.…

With Election Day scheduled for March 21, organizations and homeowner groups are hosting forums and meet-and-greets to give residents in the new city of Stonecrest the opportunity to hear from the 20 candidates who are running for public offices in the city. The following organizations have notified On Common Ground News of upcoming events to help voters get ready for the elections: The DeKalb County NAACP will host a candidate forum for the city of Stonecrest contestants on Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m., at Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive. “Our non-partisan candidate forums are designed to empower communities by…

This is a weekly post that lists all of the events going on around town.  If you would like your event featured, email editor@ocgnews.com. ATLANTA Ballethnic dance company pays homage to Apollo Theater In honor of Black History Month, Ballethnic Dance Company will perform a tribute to the famous Apollo Theater Sunday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center, 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park. Set to a swingin’ soundtrack inspired by the Amateur Night early days in the 1930s, Apollo Nights features adult and youth performers dancing to tunes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and…

Beginning March 8, Rockdale County’s Probate Court, will offer extended hours for the public, opening on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The office will be open from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. the other weekdays. Judge Clarence Cuthper said he decided to extend the hours on Wednesdays after conducting a survey among customers who said that it was difficult to transact business at the Probate Court because of work duties during the day.

Congressman Hank Johnson (District 4) will host a town hall meeting with seniors to discuss the impact of the Republican Congress plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Johnson said he plans to discuss proposed changes for Medicare service that would, among other things, shorten the solvency of the federally-subsidized program. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 1, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia. Under the proposed ACA repeal, millions of seniors would have to pay more for their prescription drugs and face hefty co-pays for key preventive services…

Mark your calendar for the Civic Engagement Now! workshop, which will be held March 27, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia. Learn about civic engagement and how to bring changes to local issues such as traffic signals, or state issues, like health care reform. Community organizers and county and state representatives will explain the structure of government and discuss best practices for communicating successfully with municipal, county and state representatives. For more information: 770-482-3828.

The Stephens Agency celebrated the opening of its new Northlake offices at 2310 Parklake Drive, Suite 370-C, Atlanta with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 19th. The event was attended by a host of family, friends and clients. The agency, owned by Rockdale County residents Jabar and Christina Stephens, offers free financial literacy workshops that focus on increasing net worth and generational wealth. One of their regular workshops is held every third Thursday, 6:45 p.m., at Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Conyers. To schedule a workshop for your group or organization or for more information about the agency, call 678-760-7944 or email:…

Don’t let a low credit score keep you from getting a new HVAC system for your home. The National Sustainable Energy Group is offering a Rent to Own Heating and Air Conditioning Program that is not based on how high or low your credit score is. The program, developed by UtiliPro and marketed and managed by the National Sustainable Energy Group, provides new energy-efficient HVAC systems for homeowners with less than perfect credit. The program is based on the homeowner’s history of paying their property taxes on time. Monthly payments for the new systems start at $89.95 per month, depending…