Author: On Common Ground News

Gov. Nathan Deal has revised his executive order to broaden the scope of an investigation of DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann, who was arrested on May 6 for allegedly exposing himself in an Atlanta park and running from police. Deal signed a new order on May 16. The new order came five days after Mann’s attorney, Noah Pines, held a news conference and told reporters he had asked the governor to reconsider having Mann investigated because the charges against him amounted to violations of city ordinances—not criminal charges. Deal had cited criminal charges as the justification for appointing an…

Atlanta Sports City (ASC) at Stonecrest has inked a deal with Emory Healthcare and Urban Retail Properties, LLC, owner of the Mall at Stonecrest, to join the mega sports and entertainment complex that will be built in the newly-formed city of Stonecrest. Officials announced Emory Healthcare as the official sports medicine partner and Urban Retail as the official retail partner for the project during a news conference, which was held on May 17 at the Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau in Tucker. Officials also announced that a new grand entrance to the Mall at Stonecrest would be built along…

The Stonecrest City Council has hired a firm to temporarily handle city personnel and another company to help secure a site for City Hall as the new municipality takes shape. Mayor Jason Lary said the city should realize some revenues at the end of August that will come from franchise fees for various entities thanks to pre-work that was done by the Stonecrest City Alliance Vice Chair Plez Joyner. Lary said property tax revenues are expected for the first quarter in 2018. “In the interim, I am interviewing organizations that can handle Tax Anticipation Notes (TAN),” said Lary. Lary said…

The Rockdale Recycling Center, 1200 Sigman Road, Conyers, is now accepting glass from Rockdale County residents. The Recycling center accepts glass jars, bottles and other containers that are clear, brown or green. Glass should be empty, rinsed clean and free of lids. Residents seeking to recycle their glass items can visit the Recycling Center and drop off the containers in the bins labeled for the corresponding colors. Partner agency LB Recycling transports glass collected at the Rockdale County Recycling Center to Strategic Materials Recycling Earths Resource Company in College Park, where the glass is broken down and recycled. There are…

The Georgia International Horse Park says it is enhancing its world-class image with the launch of its new website at www.georgiahorsepark.com. The site, designed by staff in conjunction with Saffire, a software company based in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, specializes in providing venues, events and destinations with simple, interactive platforms for websites. The new website visually tells the story of the Georgia International Horse Park by highlighting its history, facilities, amenities and event calendar through photos, maps, downloadable forms and more. New forms and maps have been added to the site to aid event planners with the ultimate…

ATLANTA Atlanta Caribbean Carnival set for Memorial Day weekend The Atlanta Caribbean Carnival will be held on Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., at Central Park, 400 Merritt Ave. N.E., Atlanta. The annual celebration features Caribbean music, cuisine, and costumes with a noon parade. For more information and parade route, visit www.atlantacarnival.org.   Atlanta BeltLine to offer bus tour The Atlanta BeltLine Bus Tour will be offered Friday, May 26, and Saturday, May 27. Tours depart from the Inman Park MARTA station promptly at 9:30 a.m. and return by 12:30 p.m. Tours include a brief rest stop in…

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) opened its doors to a fully renovated Reduced Fare and Lost and Found offices at the Five Points Station on May 17. Upgrades to the facility include expanded waiting area space and prominent signage to enhance customers’ experience. “Our new Reduced Fare Office now offers the needed upgrades to adequately accommodate our customers with disabilities and senior riders,” said MARTA GM/CEO Keith Parker. “This brighter, user-friendly facility is outfitted with an all new HVAC system, security system as well as individual privacy window service.” Eligible senior citizens, people with disabilities and Medicare…

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) will host a community meeting on Monday, May 22, to discuss the construction activities for the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP) Phase II Expansion. The meeting will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Community Achievement Center-Ballroom, 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The Snapfinger AWTP Phase II Expansion will improve DeKalb County’s wastewater treatment process and the quality of water passing through to the South River. The expansion also will ensure that DeKalb County’s treatment capacities will support anticipated economic growth and future needs. For more information, visit the DWM website…

The Conyers Police Explorers 2222 and the Rockdale County Drug-Free Coalition Team are hosting an anti-bullying 5K run. The event will be held on Saturday, June 10, 8 a.m. at Wheeler Park, 1370 Parker Road, Conyers. Free material on gangs, bullying and a drug-free community will be provided. Register by May 30 to receive a T-shirt. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place runners in several age brackets. For more information call Sergeant Peggy Franklin 678 374-5603 peggy.franklin@conyersga.gov or Mona Franklin mona@rockdalecoalition.org.

Rockdale County and E-Station, a co-working space for businesses in downtown Conyers, are hosting the Business and Community Networking 101 event on Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event will take place at E-station, 909 Commercial St NE, Conyers. Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. and E-station Director Scott Hartsell will lead the Business and Community Networking 101. The event will focus on public speaking and personal networking. It will also give participants a chance to network with fellow members of the business community. Doors open at 9:50 a.m. Participants can register onsite or online…