Author: On Common Ground News

Church fires are a serious problem in America.  There are measures that can be taken to prevent fires in places of worship.  When churches burn, the contents and valuables that are lost are priceless articles that cannot be replaced.  Reducing a church vulnerability to arson or fire is important. The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department is hosting” Faith in Fire Safety: Preventing Fires in Church and Worship Centers Forum” on Feb. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The forum will be held at the DeKalb County fire Rescue Headquarters, 5th floor conference room, 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker. Fire rescue…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received its official certificate of re-accreditation by the American Correctional Association (ACA) at the organization’s winter conference in San Antonio, Texas in January. The ACA awards accreditation based on findings of a strenuous audit of the agency’s administration and management, physical plant, institutional operations and services, and inmate programs.

The community is invited to a town hall meeting, “The Kingdom of God Over A Trump Administration,” on Friday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m., at the Jimmie Lee Smith Community Center, 5883 Highway 155 North, Stockbridge. There will be a panel discussion with community leaders, state lawmakers, county officials, faith leaders and others. Bishop Ruth W. Smith and Pastor Zichri Osler encourages the community to attend this important forum. For more information: 678-565-7001.

State Sen. Emanuel Jones said he is introducing legislation aimed at updating and modernizing our school discipline procedures. Jones said he plans to call for the creation of a Student Resource Officer Code of Conduct, a guide that would be distributed to Student Resource Officers (SRO). Student Resource Officers play an important role in public schools by ensuring the safety of the students and staff who attend our schools, as well as providing students a safe outlet to voice any concerns. “By implementing uniform procedures and codes of conduct, we give our SROs the training and guidance necessary to carry…

The City of Atlanta will host its inaugural “Aglanta Conference” to showcase urban and controlled environment agriculture innovation in the City of Atlanta. The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with Blue Planet Consulting, a firm specializing in urban agriculture projects, to bring together restaurateurs, grocers, architects, entrepreneurs, technologists, business owners and urban farmers to network, share best practices and establish partnerships. The conference will take place on Feb. 19 at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, and aims to help foster Atlanta’s growth as a central hub in the nation’s annual $9 billion indoor farming industry. “We are excited about…

Voices of Faith Ministries (VOF) will present a series of classes to assist youths in preparing to enter the workforce. The church’s youth ministry’s “Learning Earning Achieving Progress (LEAP)” workshops will kick off on Thursday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m., at Voices of Faith’s Rockdale campus, 1290 Sigman Road, Conyers. “We are providing classes on resume writing, interviewing skills, networking, a pathway to your career, dressing for success, and other soft skills,” said Pastor Matthew Jenkins. “These classes will be taught by leaders in these fields.” Pastor Jenkins said the goal of LEAP is to prepare youths for success life after…

WorkSource Fulton and Hire Dynamics are recruiting candidates to fill production positions on Thursday, Feb. 9,10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The recruitment will be hosted by the South Fulton Career Center located at 5710 Stonewall Tell Road, College Park. To attend this hiring event, all candidates must email a resume to Kenneth.Fitzgerald@FultonCountyGa.Gov and register at www.hiredynamics.com before the recruitment event. Click on the job seekers tab. Two forms of valid government identification are required to participate in the event. Once all application steps are completed, candidates must call the WorkSource Fulton office at 404-613-6381 to confirm receipt and completion of…

Kindergarten Registration Now Open 2017-18 Rockdale County Public Schools Kindergarten registration now open for children who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1; must register at the RCPS Student Registration Office, 1143 West Ave., Conyers; office hours 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; deadline April 4, 2017 to register for 2017-18 school year;  must provide child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, immunization certificate Form 3231, eye/ear/dental/nutrition certificate Form 3300, parent’s photo ID and proof of custody or guardianship if the person enrolling the child is not the birth parent, proof of residence; school will be assigned at…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced today that she signed the order to dismiss the case against former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis. Attorney Dwight Thomas, part of Ellis’ legal team said that Boston “did the right thing. She did the honorable thing. It’s finally over.” On Nov. 30, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned Ellis’ conviction. Ellis was reinstated and returned to office for a few weeks,…

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed applauded the Atlanta Falcons for its hard work demonstrated at the Super Bowl game in Houston. Reed issued a statement today: “On behalf of the best fans in the league, I would like to congratulate our Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, Coach Dan Quinn, and President and Chief Executive Officer Rich McKay. The Atlanta Falcons had an incredible season and played a terrific game in Super Bowl LI, and we could not be prouder. The team and its coaching staff had an outstanding record of achievement this season, including being named NFC Champions…