Author: On Common Ground News

Aug. 1, 2016 will be a day I will never forget. I met the President of the United States. This Monday started like any other. It was 10:45 a.m. and I had an appointment to discuss my beloved program, Be Someone, Inc.  This time I was in the office of Dr. James Jones, principal of Stone Mountain High School, waiting on my 11 a.m. meeting.  Dr. Jones had a previous appointment that was running over so I pulled out my cell phone to check messages. I had to step outside to get a connection. There was Dr. Jones’ message explaining his running over meeting…

ATLANTA—Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens announced that Southtowne Motors of Newnan, Inc. d/b/a Southtowne Chevrolet Buick GMC, Southtowne Motors, Inc. d/b/a Southtowne Hyundai Riverdale, and Southtowne Motors of Newnan II, Inc. d/b/a Southtowne Hyundai of Newnan (together “Southtowne”) have entered into Assurances of Voluntary Compliance with the State of Georgia to resolve allegations that the dealerships did not properly disclose to consumers that they were purchasing lemon buybacks  – cars that manufacturers bought back under a state lemon law, which they then resold to dealers. The State’s investigation revealed that for several years, Southtowne failed to give consumers the required…

DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May and members of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners toured several locations throughout the county on Aug. 2 to promote crime prevention initiatives during National Night Out, observed in communities across the nation. “National Night Out is a great way to promote partnerships between communities and law enforcement to make DeKalb County a safe place to live, work and play,” said May. May kicked off National Night Out in the parking lot of the Gallery at South DeKalb in Decatur with nearly 30 communities represented at the event, which ran from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.…

Neighbors in the Hidden Hills community in Stone Mountain came together for a cookout, fellowship and fun recently at Biffle Park. The Hidden Hills Homeowners Association’s “Picnic in the Park” Day offered music with a DJ, dancing with the young and young at heart showing one another some moves, bicycling for teens and other activities. The HOA hosts three or four events per year including Neighbor Day and outdoor movie, organizers say. State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams, who lives in Hidden Hills, was among the residents who attended the “Picnic in the Park” Day.

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) congratulates the 130 students in the district recently named 2016 Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars for their outstanding performance on the 2016 exams. Each year, thousands of high school students across the world take AP exams. The College Board recognizes the hard work of top students through the awarding of several distinctions: AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, AP Scholar with Distinction, and National AP Scholar. Three RCPS students received the prestigious honor of being named National AP Scholars: Caira Anderson, Matthew Le, and Julia Long. These three students, all of whom recently graduated from the…

DeKalb County Board of Health centers will host Farmers Markets for WIC recipients on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Tucker WIC facility, 4394 Hugh Howell Road (located in the Tucker Station shopping center). To make an appointment, call 404-508-7777. The clinic’s phone number is 678-791-0016. On Aug. 25 and Aug. 26, Farmers Markets for WIC recipients will be held at: North DeKalb Health Center, 3807 Clairmont Road, Chamblee 770-454-1144 East DeKalb Health Center at 2277 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road in Lithonia 770-484-2600. Clifton Springs Health Center at 3110 Clifton Springs Road in Decatur…

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Georgia-lensed feature film and television productions generated an economic impact of more than $7 billion during fiscal year 2016. The 245 feature film and television productions shot in Georgia represent $2.02 billion in direct spending in the state. “Georgia’s film industry provides a significant impact on our state’s economy, employing thousands of Georgians while developing infrastructure and boosting small businesses,” said Deal “The film industry has created a home in Georgia, and I am committed to retaining this relationship by constructing a strong, film-ready workforce that will continue to help the industry thrive.” As…

Big victory for Steve Bradshaw, Irvin Johnson in DeKalb, Oz Nesbitt and Clarence Cuthpert in Rockdale Vernon Jones wins House 91 Tonya P. Anderson headed for Senate 43 victory Voters overwhelmingly elected Steve Bradshaw as the new DeKalb County commissioner for District 4. Bradshaw defeated incumbent Sharon Barnes Sutton in the July 26 runoff with 5,853 votes (75.43 percent), according to early returns at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office web site. Sutton received 1,907 votes (24.57). “I am overjoyed by this outpouring of support. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am,” Bradshaw told the standing…

Kendall Austin, 18, of Decatur, the youngest Georgia Delegate to represent the Democratic National Convention, was courted by major news outlets during his trip to the convention in Philadelphia. MSNBC, CNN, Time Magazine for Kids and PBS were among the media outlets that interviewed him to get his perspective. Many even sent company cars to pick him up from his hotel. “I am very excited to be here to represent the young Democrats and the younger generation in my community,” Austin told On Common Ground News. “It is very important that our voices are heard.” The grandson of Sandra Austin,…

Rockdale County officials on July 27 celebrated the completion of the Old Covington Highway widening and reconstruction project, which has been a community transportation goal since the 1990s. The project cost about $5 million. SPLOST funds covered the design of the project, while state funds covered site acquisition. Rockdale BOC Chairman Richard Oden, City of Conyers Mayor Randy Mills, Transportation Department Director Miguel Valentin and SPLOST Oversight Committee leadership spoke briefly during the ribbon cutting celebration. The new alternative route will provide relief for vehicles crossing State Route 20/138 through the heavily congested Dogwood Drive intersection. The section of Old…