Author: On Common Ground News

Gwinnett County commissioners have approved an agreement with CH2M Hill Engineers Inc. to conduct a project examining using smart meters connected to the internet to enhance customer services for the Department of Water Resources. A team of consultants and technology companies invited the Department of Water Resources to participate in the Global Cities Team Challenge: Smart Cities Pilot Project, which looks at groundbreaking applications of internet technology across a number of industrial sectors, including water. Smart meters – meters connected to the internet – are emerging technology, and the pilot project will allow DWR to evaluate how this technology can…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is inviting the public to join her in the fight to end domestic violence. On Saturday, Feb. 25, the District Attorney’s Office is hosting the second annual “Love Run 5K” to raise money and awareness about domestic violence issues. The event also coincides with Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, which is observed during February. “We are excited about partnering with the public in a fun and healthy way to focus attention on a very serious issue impacting our community,” said District Attorney Boston, who created the Love Run in 2016 while serving as DeKalb…

Stepp Stewart’s “Cindy, the musical,” featuring the 17-piece African American Philharmonic Orchestra, had another successful run at the Porter Sanford Center for the Performing Arts in Decatur. The musical, which was staged Feb. 17-18, is set in Harlem 1943. Cindy is reunited with her father after traveling from down South to meet her new stepmother and sisters. She quickly finds herself in a house full of mean-spirited relatives who don’t give her the reception she is expecting. Cindy rises above bullying and low self-esteem as she never stops believing in love and happiness. Based on the 1978 television special…

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond will address the water billing crisis during a special called meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 9:15 a.m. Since taking office in January, CEO Thurmond, along with a task force of county staff, has spent countless hours analyzing data and uncovering the root causes that led to a high number of inaccurate water bills. The CEO will discuss the findings that led to the county’s water billing crisis and will present short- and long-term recommendations to address the issues. The Board of Commissioners meets in the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive,…

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners approved to include Veterans Day as a paid holiday for county employees at tonight’s meeting (Feb. 21). The suggestion to amend the county’s policy to include Veterans Day as an employee holiday came from Tina Malone, procurement officer, who asked during an event for county employees why Veterans Day was not a county employee holiday. BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt praised Malone for the suggestion and thanked fellow commissioners for supporting her idea. “This is a big deal. I want to thank her for asking the question,” said Nesbitt, adding that he feels it is…

  The Conyers Police Department is conducting the annual Service Satisfaction Survey for calendar year 2016. The goals of the service satisfaction survey are to measure levels of citizen concern for safety, levels of police performance, public confidence in the department as well as to provide an opportunity for public comment on police performance. “It is helpful to know how we are viewed by our citizens to gauge the quality of our work,” said Police Chief Wilson. “We aim to judge the different facets of our job to include contact with the public, the way we protect our…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is hosting its Spring 2017 Job Fair on March 4, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and April 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers. The district is recruiting teachers for the 2017-2018 school year. All 22 Rockdale public schools will be represented and may provide on-site interviews. Candidates are encouraged to bring several copies of their resume and to pre-register at www.rockdaleschools.org/jobfair. To view the full schedule of opportunities available, visit: www.rockdaleschools.org/recruiting RCPS is made up of 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three…

Rockdale’s STEM prowess was on display as the county’s brightest young scientific minds presented their research findings at the 2017 Rockdale Regional Scientific and Engineering Fair (RRSEF), which was held at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology. Out of 233 participants (76 boys, 157 girls), 29 high school and 16 middle school students were named Grand Champions and will go on to the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair in Athens, March 30-April 1. This year’s fair saw 190 projects submitted in 23 scientific categories – about 50 percent more projects than last year. These projects were…

Andrew Markham Bonar, a senior at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, has been named Rockdale County’s top 2017 STAR student, earning the highest SAT and ACT scores in the school district. Rockdale Public Schools Superintendent Richard Autry made the announcement and congratulated Bomar during a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Conyers and Bank of North Georgia. Bomar selected his math teacher, Dr. Chuck Garner, as his STAR teacher. Bomar said Garner, whom he met through the school’s Math Team, inspired and pushed him to excel. He said Garner taught him calculus for…

By Valerie J. Morgan Atlanta Rotomolding has partnered with a Canadian-based company to bring 350 jobs to DeKalb County. Officials with California Innovations, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, said they chose DeKalb to expand their manufacturing operations for rotationally molded coolers and sporting goods accessories because it was a “good fit.” “We were looking on the internet and found Atlanta Rotomolding. We decided to call them and after speaking with them, we liked their track record and we decided it really was a good fit,” said Mel Mogil, president and CEO of California Innovations. Atlanta Rotomolding, a custom molder, is…