Author: On Common Ground News

 State Rep. Karen Bennett: Why vote no on OSD, Amendment 1 Parents must have a voice in our school system, says State Rep. Karen Bennett, HD 94, who is fighting to keep our schools local. Bennett is hosting Town Hall meetings this month at two locations to address questions about the referendum on Opportunity School Districts, commonly referred to as OSD. She also will be disscussing ex-offenders right to vote and other voting irregularities. Bennett will be joined by representatives from the Voter Registration and Elections Board, the South DeKalb Improvement Association (SDIA), State PTA and Keep Georgia Schools Local.…

SAT scores for high schools around the state have just been released for last year’s graduating classes. Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) had a slight decrease in its composite SAT score, dropping from 1,332 to 1,321. “We just received these preliminary reports and will take the necessary time to analyze our scores,” said Superintendent Richard Autry. “We are not happy with our results as we did not experience an increase such as the state average. Specifically, we will be using the PSAT scores to help guide our preparation efforts. Through a new partnership with College Board and Khan Academy, students…

In recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the DeKalb County School District is launching a year-long effort to educate the community on the safe use of social media and the internet. The #CyberAwareFamily effort will engage students, families, staff and the community both online and in the classroom. Using materials from The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and other experts, the District will shed light on how misuse of the online behavior can result in serious harm for students and others. “We recognize the web and social media are fun and efficient ways of networking in our…

A DeKalb County judge has issued a bench warrant for the owner of Creekside Forest Apartments, a Decatur complex cited with more than 200 code violations. Chester Meisel, owner of the apartment complex, failed to appear in a DeKalb County courtroom on Tuesday, Sept. 27, for a scheduled appearance. As a result, Magistrate Court Judge Matthew J. McCoyd issued a bench warrant of $338,000. “This bench warrant is a huge step in the right direction as we work to rectify the Creekside Apartment situation and others,” said Interim CEO Lee May. “We are serious about holding those accountable who habitually…

Chess champion Orrin C. Hudson, founder of the Be Someone mentoring organization based in DeKalb County, has been tapped to help promote Disney Studios new film, “Queen of Katwe,” starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo. The film tells the story of Phiona Mutesi, a 10-year-old girl from the slums of Katwe, Uganda, who learns to become a world chess champion. Nyong’o plays the mother of Phiona. Hudson spent Sept. 12-16 touring four cities—Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles—to promote the film, which will be released nationwide today (Sept. 30). Hudson had a chance to interact with actress Lupita Nyong’o…

Responding to a lawsuit filed in federal court this month, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp said that he is changing a policy that prevented some residents from registering to vote. The Associated Press reported tens of thousands of Georgians’ applications were rejected because personal information on the application did not match either the driver’s license or Social security records. The policy had been in place since 2010. A letter filed on Sept. 21 by attorneys representing Kemp said the office has stopped preventing people from registering to vote if their names don’t exactly match other government databases and won’t…

FEATURED EVENT Antioch-Lithonia MBC invites community to fantastic fall festival Join Pastor James C. Ward and Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church for a fun-filled Fall festival on Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the church, 2152 Rock Chapel Road, Lithonia. The event is free and includes games, great food, group fitness exercises, health screenings and vendors providing an array of services and information. Entertainment will be provided by a dance group and the Band of Believers. The festival is sponsored by the church’s Personal Support and Development Ministry. For more information, call 770-482-1277. ATLANTA Free hip-hop…

The Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) has been awarded a $1.1 million grant by the U.S. Department of Labor to support the agency’s YouthBuild program, which has helped more than 120 at-risk youths since 2012. The community-based, alternative education program provides job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youths ages 16-24. Participants work on completing their high school or state equivalency degree; earn industry-recognized certifications within in-demand occupations; and gain construction skills training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities. “The YouthBuild award allows us to continue and expand the work we are doing…

DeKalb urges voters to learn more about Referendum No. 2  The DeKalb Board of Commissioners proclaimed Tuesday, Sept. 27, as a day for DeKalb to raise awareness and unite to “Stop Human Trafficking.” This effort was sponsored by Super District 6 Commissioner Kathie Gannon. Together, along with D.A.T.E. Watch Unit (DeKalb Anti Trafficking and Exploitation), Solicitor Sherry Boston and Safe Harbor Yes are raising awareness to Human Trafficking and the Safe Harbor referendum, which will be on the ballot in November. Referendum No. 2 provides the resources for counseling and education assistance to help child victims recover from the trauma…

On Saturday, Oct. 8, 12-6 p.m., 185 bands will perform on an equal number of porches and lawns throughout Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood in what’s now become the largest organic, free-range, crowd-sourced music festival in the state of Georgia. It’s community-run, open to all, and free. A joint collaboration of resident Scott Doyon, local blog Decatur Metro, and the nonprofit Decatur Arts Alliance, the Oakhurst Porchfest will transform the neighborhood into an expansive, musically-diverse event a square mile in size where all responsibility for managing the day’s logistics falls to the more than 800 volunteers offering up their porches or performing…