Author: On Common Ground News

Lee May has announced plans to launch his Transforming Faith Church in DeKalb County. May, who formerly served as interim CEO of DeKalb County for three years, said he plans to hold what he calls “worship preview services” on June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10, at 9 a.m., at Southwest DeKalb High School, 2863 Kelley Chapel Road in Decatur. He said the actual launch is scheduled for Sept. 10. That’s when the church will begin hosting weekly services, he said. “The preview services are just to give you a bit of flavor about how we worship. “Our…

Stonecrest City Councilwoman Diane Adoma, in her capacity as mayor pro tem, ran the May 24 work session in Mayor Jason Lary’s absence. Lary was attending the RECON conference in Las Vegas with developer Vaughn Irons and representatives from Discover DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Mall at Stonecrest and other agencies to recruit vendors for the Atlanta Sports City at Stonecrest project. Emory Healthcare and Urban Retail, which owns the Mall at Stonecrest, announced their partnerships with the project on May 17. The Stonecrest City Council’s three-hour work session covered several items including continued discussion on capitol equipment needed…

Stonecrest City Council member Robert Turner, District 2, will host his first “Listen and Learn” town hall meeting on June 1, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia. Stonecrest City Council member Jazzmin Cobble, District 3, will host a town hall meeting for constituents on June 8, 7 p.m., Ousley United Methodist Church, 3261 Panola Road, Lithonia. Stonecrest City Council member Jimmy Clanton, Jr., District 1, has scheduled two town hall meetings to provide citizens updates and to hear from them. The first meeting will be held on June 12; the second meeting…

The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance hosted an open house on May 23 to provide the community an opportunity to learn about the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (AMNHA). The open house was held from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Alliance’s office, 3350 Klondike Road in the newly-formed city of Stonecrest. Throughout the day, visitors met with community leaders, attended a 15-minute presentation by Arabia Alliance Executive Director Mera Cardenas and were given a brief overview of the National Heritage Area with topics covering recreation, preservation and information about the Junior Ranger program, the historic Lyon Farm rehabilitation, and…

Rockdale County has hired a code enforcement manager, making good on Chairman Oz Nesbitt’s promise to put more resources into enforcing compliance of the county’s codes and cracking down on blight and nuisances in Rockdale. The county has hired Troy A. Smith, who has more than 20 years of experience in code enforcement. Smith, who earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Atlanta’s Morris Brown College, previously worked five years for the city of Atlanta, where he was responsible for ensuring compliance with the city’s codes. Smith also worked for the San Mateo County, California government, where he redesigned the…

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…

The DeKalb County Sanitation Division recently launched its Senior Center Recycling Program in partnership with the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia. The partnership is part of a targeted recycling program that offers recycling at the county’s six senior centers. The program allows seniors to sign up for recycling services at any affiliated senior center. DeKalb County is working to increase recycling in the county to 60 percent—or 105,000 households by 2020. The May 19 launch at the Lou Walker Senior Center is designed to encourage members of DeKalb’s senior centers to make recycling part of their everyday…

DeKalb County Jail officials have arrested a jail services worker accused of collaborating with an inmate to get contraband inside the facility on Memorial Drive in Decatur, Georgia. In a confrontation inside the jail on May 19, the Sheriff’s Office arrested 19 year-old Corderius Farley of Decatur without incident on a warrant for Criminal Attempt to Cross a Guard Line with Intent to Deliver Contraband. Farley worked for the agency’s food services vendor, and had access to inmate workers who prepare meals in the jail’s well-known kitchen—the largest in the metro area.  He is accused of working in conjunction with…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in the murder of Tyler Bingham in Lithonia. Investigators for the DeKalb Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit arrested 21-year-old Adaren Kemond Carter of Decatur on May 24 at a gas station near Cluster Avenue SE and Eastland Road SE in Atlanta without incident.  Warrants had been issued on May 17 for Carter’s arrest on charges of felony murder and armed robbery alleging that Bingham was shot during the commission of the robbery on May 7. Carter was transported to DeKalb County Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division before being booked into the DeKalb County…

RecruitMilitary, which helps military veterans and spouses connect with employers, and the DAV will host a veterans job fair on June 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. This is a free hiring event for veterans, transitioning military personnel, National Guard members, Reserve members and military spouses. RecruitMilitary has held 32 events in Atlanta, drawing 15,009 attendees and 1,321 exhibitors. “Last year, 52 percent of veteran job seekers expected to secure an interview following a DAV RecruitMilitary job fair. Employers were expected to extend as many as 40,300 interviews and more than 12,560 job offers,” said RecruitMilitary Senior…