Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA – Mayor Kasim Reed delivered his seventh annual State of the City address on Feb. 2, touting economic development, a residential building boom, the ongoing success of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the city’s strong record of reducing crime and improving public safety. “Atlanta is the most vibrant, culturally significant and international city in the Southeast, the anchor of the ninth-largest metropolitan area in America, centered in the eighth-largest state in the union,” Reed said during his speech at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Atlanta’s business, civic, faith and non-profit leaders attending the address. “We are an emerging global force with…

Students and faculty at Georgia Piedmont Technical College were among the fans who have shown their pride for the Atlanta Falcons’ NFC Championship win and the 2017 Super Bowl LI. Every since Atlanta learned the Falcons were going to the Super Bowl in Houston, the city has been awash with red and black and happy fans cheering on the Dirty Birds to “Rise Up” in the big game against the New England Patriots. Even Gov. Nathan Deal has gotten in on the act. Deal proclaimed Feb. 3 as Falcons Friday at the state capitol. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond declared…

DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green issued the following statement regarding diversity and students: “We are hearing a lot of conversation right now—some of it extreme—about how residents originally from outside our country should be treated. As your leader, I want to make sure all our principals and teachers clearly understand the position of the DeKalb County School District on this issue. “We have 102,000 students here. They come from more than 180 countries, and they speak 140 languages. We value them, we love them, and we respect what their presence here says about the goodness and generosity…

Clergy in Rockdale County gathered on Jan. 30 to pray for newly-elected Chairman Oz Nesbitt and leaders of Rockdale to move the county forward. Pastor Eric W. Lee, Sr. of Springfield Baptist Church led the group of 17 clergy members off in the “hour of power” prayer. The prayer was held in Nesbitt’s office. Photos by Glenn Morgan | On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is accepting applications for numerous seasonal summer employment opportunities including summer food monitors, camp counselors, recreation assistants and bus drivers. The deadline is March 27. Applicants must be 18 or older, unless applying for lifeguard or pool manager positions. Lifeguards and pool managers, who must be 16 or older. Proof of current certification from American Red Cross or other nationally recognized aquatic training programs is required for all aquatic positions.  All applicants selected will be required to successfully complete a drug and alcohol screening and criminal background check prior to employment. …

Bishop Eddie L. Long                                  May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017 Thousands of family and friends from near and afar attended the homegoing celebration for New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Bishop Eddie L. Long on Jan. 25, 2017. The crowd packed the church to say farwell and pay their respects to his wife, Elder Vanessa Long, the Long children, grandchildren and other family members. The long-time pastor of the mega church in Lithonia, Georgia died after courageously battling an aggressive cancer. He was 63. During the six-hour celebration, which was streamed live over the internet, dozens of leaders…

The new I-75 South Metro express lanes will officially open to motorists on Saturday, Jan. 28. The reversible, barrier-separated lanes along I-75 South and I-675 South in Henry and Clayton counties will be toll-free the first 14 days for motorists with a Peach Pass. Gov. Nathan Deal said the freebies for Peach Pass holders is being provided to encourage commuters to utilize the express lanes. “The I-75 South Metro express lanes will provide much-needed congestion relief for motorists who commute through one of Metro Atlanta’s most heavily-traveled corridors,” said Deal who announced the opening along withState Road and Tollway Authority…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 24 to approve a plan to assist in the redevelopment of the former General Motors plant in Doraville. Under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Doraville, DeKalb County would allocate up to $180 million in infrastructure improvements including roads and utilities. The funding would come from the anticipated tax revenue in a tax allocation district (TAD), which encompasses the former automobile production facility, which closed in 2008. “I want to express the full and complete support by the administration for the acceptance of this intergovernmental agreement between…

Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District, announced Jan. 24 that his appointment on the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) has resulted in a leadership role. Johnson was unanimously voted by his colleagues to be the leading Democrat on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, which conducts oversight of programs addressing federal management of emergencies and natural disasters –including oversight of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – and some aspects of Homeland Security. The subcommittee also has jurisdiction over agencies and programs promoting economic development in communities suffering economic distress and has…

CONYERS—He looks like a businessman. But Conyers police say don’t be fooled by the shirt and tie. That’s just part of his MO. The dressed-up suspect has been breaking into parked vehicles right in the open. He hit several vehicles at Longhorn steakhouse in Conyers during lunch and dinner between Jan. 5-16. “He’s very brazen. He set the alarm off in one vehicle and that didn’t stop him. He continued going through the belongings inside,” said Conyers Police Sgt. Kim Lucas, who said police are examining video surveillance from the restaurant showing the suspect. Lucas said the suspect has taken…