Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County’s Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch said Rockdale added 1,258 voters to its number of registered voters by the Oct. 11 registration deadline, a small number compared to four years ago. Welch said with the additional applications, the number of eligible voters in Rockdale rose from 48,745 to 50,003. “We expect an increase whenever there is a Presidential election. We actually had more—about 3,500—to register just before the General Election in 2008 and 2012,” Welch said. “It’s typical to see people registering just before an election because they want to participate in the General Election.” In 2008, Rockdale ushered in…

Georgia was headed to reach 2 million early voters as the early voting period neared an end. By Nov. 2, early voters had cast over 1.9 million ballots in the General Election set for Nov. 8, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. “The numbers speak for themselves.  The early voting system is working and we look forward to a smooth General Election,” said Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Kemp reported 1,748,726 advance in-person ballots had been cast and 154,818 mailed-in absentee ballots had been returned. Advance in-person voting began on Oct. 17. On Election Day, the polls will be open from 7:00 a.m.…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson is getting the holiday season started with his 18th Annual Tree of Love.  The Tree of Love is a holiday celebration to assist children living in DeKalb who because of their circumstances — foster care, single-parent homes, low income household, etc., may not have a merry Christmas. Johnson began this initiative at the Gallery at South DeKalb Mall in 1999.  Since its inception, the Tree of Love has served more than 9,000 children. “This is what Christmas is all about—helping and giving to others. The holiday season is a great time for people to give…

DeKalb County Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green is praising students, parents and educators for gains in DeKalb’s most recent high school graduation rates. Green said significant increases were made at several high schools and Arabia Mountain High stood out with a 99.2 percent graduation rate in 2016. “Our students continue to make solid gains in graduation rates,” said Green. “There is much more that needs to be done but we have the right formula of motivating the students, involving parents, supporting teachers, and reaching out to the community.” DeKalb’s work toward closing the gap between local and state graduation rates…

DeKalb County held its annual Surplus Auction on Saturday, Oct. 29. The annual sale netted a grand total of $852,993. More than 180 items were sold, which varied from concrete trucks to small passenger vehicles. There were also items like battery chargers, tool boxes and catalytic converters on sale. “This was a great success,” said DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May. “Our fleet maintenance crew originally estimated that we would bring in about $600,000, so to hear the auction made well over that amount is a great accomplishment.” Proceeds from the auction go to DeKalb County’s vehicle replacement account to…

Rockdale County Commissioner Doreen Williams invites citizens to attend a Strategic Planning Town Hall on Thursday Nov. 10, 5:30 p.m., at the J.P. Carr Community Center, 981 Taylor St., Conyers. Citizens will have a chance to meet in break-out sessions to discuss transportation, water and sewer, public safety, code enforcement, economic development, parks and recreation and branding and marketing. Future goals related to the Strategic Plan Survey results can be found at www.rockdalecountyga.gov. The meeting will wrap up with the county’s department heads briefly giving their overviews. For more information, contact Commissioner Doreen Williams at 770-278-7001 or…

ATLANTA – Anthem, Inc., one of the nation’s largest health benefits companies, will create 1,800 information technology(IT) jobs in Midtown Atlanta and invest more than $20 million in the community over the next six years, officials have announced. Anthem’s new facility will be located at the Bank of America Plaza, allowing for close collaboration between the IT hub and the Anthem Innovation Studio that recently opened in Tech Square, officials said. “I am excited that Anthem has chosen Atlanta for its consolidated IT business, where the company will have access to a base of highly skilled workers and a…

Would you pour bleach on your private parts? Probably not, but what if I told you that that is exactly what millions of women are unknowingly doing all around the world? Toilet paper, a staple household item in the developed world, is one of the most uncivilized items found in homes and public places across the globe. On average, individuals use toilet paper three to six times a day completely unaware of the toxic chemicals to which they are being exposed. More than 100,000 chemicals are used in commercial paper products, including toilet paper. The most dangerous of these toxins…

Jeffrey Breedlove, DeKalb County Commissioner Nancy Jester’s chief of staff, is facing felony charges after falsely telling police he was held against his will in a motel room during a bizarre incident in which he admitted he was a crack cocaine addictlice said Breedlove tried to convince them not to arrest him. Breedlove, 49, was arrested on Monday, Oct. 24, at the Budget Inn and Suites on Memorial Drive. DeKalb County Police found him inside Room 222 with a 26-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman. Police were responding to a call that someone needed help and that a gun was…

DeKalb County resident Hank Stewart, who is celebrating 25 years as a poet and community servant, will be honored as Poet Laureate by Congressman Hank Johnson and DeKalb ICEO Lee May. Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond also will be among community leaders and friends who will pay tribute to Stewart on Monday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m., at Atlanta City Hall. Stewart, who is the author of seven books, will release a new work,“25 Years and Still Counting,” during the celebration. The new book highlights Stewart’s 25-year journey, recapturing some of his favorite poems, the lives he has touched with…