Author: On Common Ground News

Thousands in DeKalb and Rockdale counties flocked to the polls on Oct. 17, energizing the first day of early voting ahead of the historic Nov. 8 General Election, which includes Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. DeKalb County Supervisor of Elections Maxine Daniels reported that over 12,000 residents cast their ballots on Day 1. Daniels said that when she arrived at 6 a.m., voters were already standing in line waiting for the polls to open. More than 12,000 ballots were tallied by the end of the day. DeKalb has a total of 493,147 registered voters. “I wasn’t surprised…

DeKalb County resident and two-time world chess champion, Orrin Hudson, recently appeared on the Tom Joyner Morning Show during the drive-time hour when more than 8 million listeners commute to work. Hudson was on the radio discussing how he served as a chess consultant for the Disney movie, “Queen Of Katwe” during a 7-minute segment with Joyner and the radio TJMS crew. Hudson worked with Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o who starred in the film. “Appearing on The Tom Joyner Morning Show was one of the most rewarding interviews in my career,” said Hudson. “Tom Joyner is an all-time legend in…

CONYERS–Scott Hartsell has big plans to help start-up businesses grow into solid, thriving companies and he’s using Olde Town as a launching pad. Hartsell has transformed office space at 909 Commercial St. into a business incubator called (e)station Conyers, Inc., playing off the building’s location near the city’s former train depot. The incubator, Hartsell says, will be the first in east metro Atlanta. He cites Cornerstone (Lawrenceville); The Suite Spot (Sugar Hill; eHub (Gwinnett) and 438 Grayson Parkway in Grayson as the closest coworking incubator near Conyers. At (e)station Conyers, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to not only lease office…

The community is invited to attend the third forum of the ongoing series, “Black Lives Matter: A Quest for Solutions,” on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 to 9 p.m., at Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia. The forum entitled “A Community Conversation on Perception verses Reality” will address how the media, society and law enforcement influence how others view Black Lives Matter. A panel of community leaders and professionals will discuss the difference of perceived threats verses real threats and how perceptions influences judgment, while reality is left out of decision making. The forum is an effort to…

Rockdale County Probate Judge Charles K. Mays has announced his office is hosting a Community Mental Health Summit to answer questions about mental illness and how to find the resources needed to help those living with the illness. The Community Mental Health Summit takes place on Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m., at the Rockdale Career Academy (RCA), 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers. Mays said the summit is really needed in Rockdale. “My office deals with many people and situations pertaining to individuals with mental illness, especially since all lay affidavits come through the Probate Court,” said Mays. “The problem is that…

ATLANTA Community music fest features local youth artists  Join Dunwoody Music for the fourth annual Village Fest Saturday, Oct. 29, 4 to 8 p.m., at the Dunwoody Nature Center , 5343 Roberts Drive, Atlanta. The event will showcase more than 20 acts featuring local child and teen artists. The event is free, and donations will be collected to raise funds to purchase IPads that will be incorporated into the Nature Center’s programing throughout the year. For more information, call 770-394-3322. Walk to help people living with Parkinson’s Disease Join the National Parkinson Foundation’s annual fundraising walk event entitled…

Lieutenant Greg Carson of the Conyers Police Department is conducting a multi-agency training event on Oct. 24, at 9:30 a.m., at Springfield Baptist Church, 1873 Iris Drive SE, Conyers. Carson said the church asked the Police Department to conduct an active shooter/hostage preparedness event at their location to help educate and prepare their congregation in the event of a crisis as well as provide law enforcement a training opportunity.  Covington Police, Newton County Sheriff’s Office and DeKalb SWAT teams will also be participating.

Lithonia First United Methodist Church recently celebrated Pastor’s Appreciation Sunday on Oct. 9.  The church honored Pastor Leon Matthews along with Mrs. Pamela Matthews and son, Mackenzie. The Rev. Matthews has served as Senior Minister at the church since 2010.  By his character and service, he demonstrates what it means to be a Christian who follows in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, his congregation says. Under his leadership, the church is enjoying a season of growth and renewal.  In the pastor’s own words, “The best is yet to come!”

The DeKalb County Board of Health’s STD/HIV Prevention Program will host an STD/HIV Haunted Maze health fair, which will feature free STD and HIV testing and other health screenings. This event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Exchange Park Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur. The event will also offer food, vendor trick-or-treating, a photo booth, face painting, an entertaining and educational STD/HIV haunted house and more. For more information, call 404-270-2453.

The DeKalb County Board of Ethics has launched a new website, www.dekalbcountyethics.org, that provides a one-stop shop for the ethics needs of DeKalb residents, employees and officials. The website is an educational resource for anyone seeking information about responsibilities under the DeKalb Ethics Code and advice given by the Board of Ethics. The website includes information about conflicts of interest, gifts, proper use of county property, outside employment and more.Additionally, the website contains: Biographies and contact information for the ethics board members and county ethics officer. Meeting dates and past minutes. The DeKalb Ethics Code and Rules. Advisory Opinions of…