Author: On Common Ground News

The U.S. Postal Service has announced the 2017 Forever Stamps will honor civil rights icon Dorothy Irene Height. Height, the fourth national president and national chair of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), is on the 40th stamp in the Black Heritage series for the new year. The stamp features artist Thomas Blackshear II’s gouache and acrylics on board portrait of Height. The painting is based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp. “2017 will be an exciting year for the Postal Service’s stamp program,” said Mary-Anne Penner, U.S. Postal Service Director,…

DeKalb County Public Library is adding more than 100 additional operating hours each week beginning Jan. 3, 2017. Additional funding from DeKalb County is making it possible for the Library to restore weekend and evening hours cut at many branches in 2011 due to budget shortfalls. Director Alison Weissinger says because of the additional funds, the Library has been able to hire enough staff to restore 111 operating hours per week to the system. The County increased the Library’s mid-year budget by $490,733. “We want to thank DeKalb County interim CEO Lee May and the Board of Commissioners for approving…

Bring in 2017 at one of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations in metro Atlanta. “Putting on the Glitz III” will return to the Courtyard Marriott and Conference Center in downtown Decatur. The annual event is hosted by Boomers Consulting, LLC. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. with presentations to military veterans and delicious food prepared by the Executive Chef.  The party continues from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with dancing and music by the Soul Cartel Band. Advance tickets are $60 per person and $75 per person at the door. Purchase tickets online at newyearscartel.eventbrite.com or call 678-230-0428 or…

Gregory Adams defeated Randal Mangham this evening in the runoff for the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners’ District 7 seat. The hotly contested race ended with Adams receiving 3,539 votes (52.24 percent) and Mangham garnering 3,236 votes (47.7 percent), according to unofficial results from the DeKalb Supervisor of Elections Office. Adams, an Emory University Police officer, will represent about 350,000 people in the Super District, which covers the eastern half of DeKalb County. He will replace Stan Watson, who resigned in March to run for DeKalb County tax commissioner. Irvin Johnson won tax commissioner. Adams said he…

DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has purchased a new type of water meter for use while a moratorium on the installation of current iPerl smart water meters remains in effect. “The CEO and DeKalb Board of Commissioners have directed staff to suspend the current meter replacement program, which we have already done,” said DeKalb Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams. “The issue has been the replacement of broken meters and meters for new developments. The only meters we have in stock are iPerl smart water meters, but this order of AccuStream meters gives us an alternative as the…

CONYERS—For many people, the holidays can be tough because of the strong memories and traditions with those who are now deceased. One way to handle the sadness is to celebrate the lives of loved ones with others who can relate to the difficulties the season brings. Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. in Conyers is bringing together the community for a Candlelight Remembrance Service that will include a time to reflect and fellowship. The celebration will be held on Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m., at the Rockdale Chapel,1999 Hwy.138 S.E, Conyers. “We are excited to…

DeKalb police have arrested a 24-year-old man who they say raped and strangled a pregnant woman at a DeKalb County motel. Terique Hall was charged with killing 20-year-old Ashley Mays at the Quality Inn and Suites at 3500 Snapfinger Park in Decatur. Mays’ body was discovered inside a room at the motel. Her hands and feet were reportedly bound with zip ties. The attack took place on Nov. 18, police said. Mays’ fetus did not survive, police said. Police said Hall was captured on surveillance footage leaving the motel room where the assault allegedly occurred. Images of Hall from different…

By Valerie J. Morgan DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis hugged his wife in an emotional embrace after the Georgia Supreme Court handed down its decision on his appeal on Nov. 30. The high court unanimously overturned his conviction, citing “technical errors” that occurred during his trial. The court said in a 30-page opinion that while there was sufficient evidence to find Ellis guilty of perjury and attempt to commit theft by extortion, “we must nevertheless reverse Ellis’ convictions based on certain evidentiary errors that occurred at his trial. Accordingly, we affirm in part and reverse in part to allow for a…

Jason Lary, who led the Stonecrest cityhood movement to victory, says he plans to run for mayor of the new city. Lary said that as the chief architect of the Stonecrest Yes Committee, he is ready to give birth to the vision of economic development and self-governance that he and others have worked on for so long. The referendum to create the city of 50,000 residents passed on Nov. 8 with 59 percent of the vote. “After four years of being the person who has put it together, selected the team and worked on the model for the city, I…

Students in Georgia’s Pre-K Program continue to show positive gains through the end of kindergarten across all domains of learning, according to recent research. A study, commissioned by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), found that children in the state-funded Pre-K program progressed at a greater rate during the time they participated in Georgia’s Pre-K Program than would be expected for normal developmental growth. The study, which included a sample of 1,169 children, is part of a multi-year evaluation by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.…