Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. will host the 4th Annual Easter ham giveaway on Sunday, April 9, 3 p.m., at the Olivia Haydel Senior Center, 1240 Dogwood Drive S.W., Conyers. The “Lend-A-Ham” initiative offers one free ham to seniors in need. Last year, more than 300 hams were given away. Nesbitt says he hopes to help as many seniors as possible this year and he is encouraging people to drop off their donations up to the day of the event. “We have one freezer that is full but we still have another freezer to fill. We really want to…

A small fire broke out at Rockdale County’s Hightower Trail Elementary School over the Spring Break, but fire officials said students will not be impacted. Classes will resume on Monday as scheduled. Fire Chief Dan Morgan said firefighters quickly extinguished the fire after an alarm went off. Morgan said a piece of equipment that was plugged into an electrical outlet malfunctioned. No one was in the building at the time of the April 5 incident because students were on Spring break. A statement released by the Rockdale Public School System said in part: “…We are thankful no one was injured…

ATLANTA Children’s Museum brings Easter to life for little ones The Children’s Museum of Atlanta will offer a special Easter program on Saturday, April 15, 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 75 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Atlanta. Attendees will learn about the resurrection of Jesus and how Easter came to be. The event will include fun activities such as a bunny hop relay race, spoon and egg race, story time, art, music and dance. For the full schedule of events or more information, visit www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org. DEKALB Voices of Faith to host Good Friday play Voices of Faith’s Living Faith Drama…

Watchdogs for Justice (WFJ), a nonprofit organization established for the specific purpose of “Keeping Kids out of Prison,” will conduct a free seminar on April 22, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. Watchdogs for Justice is a group of attorneys and juvenile advocates who joined forces to offer tips to youths, their parents, and concerned citizens on how to stay out of the system. The seminar will consist of interactive skits that are based on actual court cases. Most of the kids can relate to the stories based on their…

Partnership for Community Action, Inc. is accepting applications from low-income families who need help with their energy bills. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides those who meet federal income guidelines $310 or $350 toward gas or electric bills for the once-a-year assistance. Rockdale and Newton County residents may apply at 1261 Commercial Dr. Suite A, Conyers. Copies of these documents are needed to complete the application: Proof of income for all household members 18 and older for the last 30 days, 90 days, if irregular income. If no income, a Zero Income Form will be provided at…

The second annual East Metro Atlanta Home and Garden Expo will be held on Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers. The expo, which is pet friendly, offers activities for the entire family including presentations by home improvement and landscaping experts, exhibits, a plant section, and children’s crafts provided by Home Depot and Habitat for Humanity and face painting and inflatables. More than 4,000 people attended last year’s event and crowds are expected to return this year, organizers say. One of the biggest attractions is Georgia gardener Walter Reeves, who will…

During the past four Saturdays, Operation Clean Sweep crews have cleared more than 110 tons of debris from major DeKalb County roadways. “Many of DeKalb’s departments work hard day-to-day to remediate blight and improve the appearance of the county, but this isn’t a problem we can tackle alone,” said DeKalb Beautification Director Marcus Kellum. “We can do the heavy lifting, but we need communities to come together to adopt a road or hold community clean-up days.” Operation Clean Sweep is targeting arterial roadways before turning a focus to collector, then residential, streets. Crews clear grass, trash and debris from roadway…

Atlanta Technical College will host Leslie E. Royal, author of “Leslie’s Lane The Book!: Your One Stop Internet Resource Guide to Links for Jobs, Inspiration, Discounts, FREE Stuff, Scholarships, Travel & More!” Royal, whose blog, Leslie’s Lane, is devoted to smart money resources, has written for Essence, Fortune, Black Enterprise, Upscale, Dream Fearlessly, The Wall Street Journal, Chron.com and other publications. Atlanta Technical College’s event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Monday, April 24, noon to 1 p.m., at 1560 Metropolitan Parkway, Building G (in the library), Atlanta. Lane’s presentation is part of Money…

Saturday, April 15, is going to be all about the money—at least t for Atlanta-area youths, as local banks and financial institutions team up to host the inaugural Take a Child to the Bank Day. Participating branches of SunTrust Bank and Citizens Trust Bank will welcome students in grades 7-12 for an inside look into the world of personal finance. Branch staff and volunteers will discuss how a branch works, as well as important financial literacy topics including:  saving and investing basics. Additionally, bank executives will speak with students about career opportunities in banking and finance, and how banks can…

Gwinnett County Government’s Purchasing Division will host the 11th Annual Supplier Symposium on Tuesday, April 11, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. The event is free. The symposium is designed to give potential vendors an opportunity to network with County agencies, understand County purchasing processes and learn about current and upcoming projects. Prospective vendors can meet and talk with numerous buyers and contracting officers from the Purchasing Division as well as representatives from various County departments and other agencies, including cities, neighboring counties and the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. Participants…