Author: On Common Ground News

On Common Ground News is presenting Peabo Bryson at the Lithonia Amphitheater, 2501 Park Drive, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 7 to 11 p.m. The JFly production, “A Night of Jazz & R&B,” also will include special guests Dee Lucas, the Heather Hayes Experience and Brooke Alford. Proceeds benefit “The How Big Is Your Dream? Foundation, a nonprofit that provides training and summer camps to youths who are interested in honing their musical talents for the entertainment industry. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverages or purchase food and beverages from vendors. Advance tickets start at only $30/…

DeKalb ICEO Lee May has announced appointments to the DeKalb County Charter Review Commission, a diverse body of community leaders who will study various aspects of DeKalb County government and come up with ways to improve the charter. The commission is expected to look at how appointments are made, whether the form of government should be changed to one run by a county-manager and other aspects of organization. The DeKalb County Charter Review Commission is one of the final recommendations of the DeKalb Government Operations Task Force (OTF) created by May in 2014. The OTF advised the DeKalb County delegation…

State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler is contesting the July 26 runoff election for the Senate District 43 Democratic Primary after a recount ordered by Secretary of State Brian Kemp did not produce any change in the runoff election results. Rep. Tonya P. Anderson won the runoff by 10 votes. Dawkins-Haigler contends the runoff was marred by voter irregularities and possible disenfranchisement. Dawkins-Haigler said some voters in Rockdale County received non-partisan ballots instead of the Democratic ballot requested. These individuals were only able to vote for a school board representative and not for Senate District 43. Rockdale Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch…

The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce is accepting reservations for its Third Wednesday Luncheon, where a discussion will be held on how to expand your business internationally. The meeting will be held on Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at This Is It Banquet facility, 2853 Panola Road, Lithonia. Shehzin Jafar, international trade manager with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, will be the keynote speaker. Jafar assists clients through market research, foreign market promotions and through identifying key contacts and international buyers. She provides information on incentives and business development tools provided by the Department of Economic Development.…

 The Fulton County Workforce Development Division will host Youth Enrichment Services (YES) orientation sessions for youth ages 16 to 21 who are in need of employment. The sessions will be held: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to noon Both orientation sessions will be held at the Adamsville Career Center located at 3700 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta. Parents are welcome to attend the sessions, which will provide information on Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) eligibility requirements. Workforce Development wants young people to apply for participation in the YES program. The year-round program increases…

The City of Atlanta announced that the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs has awarded its 2017 Contracts for Arts Services grants. For 41 years, the Contracts for Arts Services program has supported Atlanta’s cultural community by awarding contracts for the production, creation, presentation and exhibition of artistic work in the city, as well as the managerial support of Atlanta-based artistic and cultural services. “We recognize that the presence of artists and arts organizations is essential to Atlanta’s cultural vitality,” said Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Our goal is to provide support for the…

The City of Decatur Police Department is using cell phone technology for emergency calls. Now, the public can send a text message to 9-1-1 as an integrated service to the department’s 9-1-1 network. Thorough testing has been conducted and texts to 9-1-1 is live, for the public inside the City limits of Decatur. Texting to 9-1-1 provides accessibility to the hearing and speech impaired population and provides an alternative to reach help in a dangerous situation when a voice call is not possible or where a voice call fails due to a high volume of phone activity but texting is…

ATLANTA  Decatur Book Festival set for Labor Day weekend  Tens of thousands of book lovers will gather on the Decatur Square over Labor Day weekend for the 11th annual AJC Decatur Book Festival Saturday, Sept. 3, to Sunday, Sept. 4 at the Old Decatur Court House, 101 E Court Square, Decatur. There will be a wide array of events, panel discussions, cooking demonstrations, music, dance, theatre troupe performances and other programming for adults and children of all ages and interests. The festival will feature lectures and signings from more than 300 national and local authors, including award-winners, best-sellers, and some…

Radio personality Porsche Foxx, who made history as the first woman to become No. 1 in Atlanta’s coveted “Afternoon Drive Show” time slot with WVEE-V103, is back. This time, Foxx has a new gig with Old School 87.7 FM. She’s doing “The Porsche Foxx Show” during the afternoon drive, weekdays, 3 to 7 p.m., “rocking the box with Foxx” as only she can. “It feels good to be back. I love Old School and I feel especially blessed to be reconnected with my dedicated following of listeners. I have missed them,“ said Foxx, who came aboard 87.7 FM on July…

The Georgia Farmers Market Association (GFMA) is asking you to pledge to “Just Spend $10” at your local farmers market over the summer. Supporting your local farmers market is important because the money you spend shopping with local vendors is more likely to be reinvested in your local economy. In fact, The New Economics Foundation, a London-based think tank, compared what happens when people buy produce at a supermarket vs. a local farmer’s market and found that twice the money stayed in the community when folks bought locally. If you’re still unconvinced, research has shown that for every dollar spent…