Author: On Common Ground News

With an expected uptick in the number of air travelers this Thanksgiving holiday, getting to the airport early with your acceptable identification in hand is the best way to ensure smooth holiday travel and reduce checkpoint delays. “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) offers a wealth of information on its website about acceptable forms of identification when traveling through airport security checkpoints,” said Department of Driver Services(DDS) Commissioner Bert Brantley.  “Any Georgian using a temporary ID issued from a DDS center should bring additional identification or arrive early to avoid  delays that could impact your travel.” Customers may access the TSA…

STONE MOUNTAIN – The Rev. Vandy Carl Simmons has been appointed as the new pastor of Antioch African Methodist Episcopal Church in Stone Mountain. Rev. Simmons is the successor of the newly-elected Bishop Stafford J. N. Wicker, who served as pastor for the past 24 years. A native of Tifton, Georgia, Rev. Simmons is the former pastor of Trinity AME Church in Atlanta, where he served for the past four years. Rev. Simmons served the Whigham Circuit (Cedar Springs and Ebenezer AME churches) in Grady County, the South Georgia Conference; New Hope AME Church in Haralson, GA; Mt. Pleasant AME…

ATLANTA – The Grammy® Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce Nicole Jordan as the orchestra’s Principal Librarian and the first African American woman to be named Principal Librarian of a major orchestra. Jordan joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Librarian in Oct. 2011. Prior to joining the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, she served as library fellow with The Philadelphia Orchestra for three years. “The Atlanta Symphony is thrilled to promote Nicole, after a rigorous and grueling international audition process, to the position of Principal Librarian,” said Evans Mirageas, vice president of Artistic Planning. “We look forward to her…

DeKalb Medical Board Member Robert “Bob” E. Wilson was awarded the prestigious Georgia Hospital Heroes Award at the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Annual Meeting on Nov. 11. Wilson, who was one of only 10 individuals statewide to receive the award, was recognized for sharing his time and talents in community service to DeKalb County. As a former district attorney, commitment to public safety and better health for women and children are common threads in Wilson’s legal service. For more than 25 years, he has dedicated much of his time to improving the DeKalb community, particularly its hospitals and community health…

Blogger Leslie E. Royal has unveiled her new book, “Leslie’s Lane, The Book,” a one-stop resource guide to free stuff, discounts, travel tips, scholarships, helpful internet sites and more. The book is a reflection of Royal’s money-saving lifestyle and her blog, “Leslie’s Lane.” Royal held the unveiling, dedication and book signing for a special group of guests who attended a celebration on Nov. 6 at Don Janelle Hair Salon in Stone Mountain. Each guest received a copy of the book and swag bags filled with goodies. On Common Ground News Publishers Glenn and Valerie Morgan had the pleasure of attending…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan Democrat Michael Thurmond swept the race for DeKalb County’s Chief Executive Officer on election night, becoming the new leader of more than 700,000 residents. Supporters gave Thurmond 80 percent of the vote, just as they did with the re-election of Sheriff Jeff Mann. Thurmond defeated Republican challenger, Jack Lovelace, a retired business manager, in the Nov. 8 election. A veteran politician and attorney who most recently served as DeKalb County’s School Superintendent, Thurmond is credited with putting DeKalb’s troubled school system back on track. Thurmond campaigned for this election on a promise to restore trust…

United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), a package delivery company, will create 1,250 jobs and invest more than $400 million to establish a regional sorting and distribution hub in Atlanta by the end of 2018. “I am very pleased to see that UPS, a Fortune 500 company and mainstay in Atlanta for many years, will plant deeper roots in our city with this new hub of operations,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “This investment in southwest Atlanta will not only create 1,250 new jobs, but strengthen our position as an international hub for logistics supported by the world’s busiest passenger airport…

The new city of Stonecrest in east DeKalb County will now go on maps everywhere. Residents in the Stonecrest footprint passed the referendum with 59.42 percent of the vote in a special election, which was held on Nov. 8 during the General Election. The city of 50,000 residents will become the largest municipality in DeKalb and the ninth city to join metro Atlanta’s growing cityhood movement. Stonecrest initially will offer its residents three government services: code enforcement, parks and recreation, and planning and zoning. Jason Lary, who led the campaign to incorporate the city, said he was thrilled the referendum…

  Oz Nesbitt won the seat for Rockdale County Chairman, defeating write-in challenger Courtney Dillard, in a long, hard-fought campaign. Nesbitt received 92.23 percent of the vote, while Dillard received 7.62 percent, according to unofficial returns. Although Nesbitt had defeated incumbent Richard Oden in the three-way primary in May, his campaign was stretched out an additional five months after Dillard first tried to challenge him as an Independent then as a write-in candidate. Dillard sought to run as a write-in candidate after elections officials notified him hat he did not receive enough valid signatures on petition to run as an…

Rockdale County voters elected two African American “firsts” on election night, both Democrats with the surname Washington, although the two women are unrelated. Tisa Smart Washington, who ran unopposed, was elected as Rockdale’s first African American female tax commissioner. Attorney Sherri Len Washington was elected the first African American female to serve on the Rockdale Board of Commissioners, defeating Republican candidate T. Chastain, Jr. with 61.23 percent of the vote for the Post 1 seat. The attorney is president-elect of the New Rock Legal Society and serves as a co-membership…