Author: On Common Ground News

Ben Hill United Methodist Church, 2099 Fairburn Road, Atlanta, presents Jazzing with Grace, on Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. The concert will benefit the Foundation of Wesley Woods whose mission is to help older adults age with grace. Milkshake and the Milkshake Quintet featuring Tina Mayfield will headline the concert. Other phenomenal artists from Ben Hill UMC and Tony Hightower also will be featured. Monica Kaufman Pearson is Mistress of Ceremonies with co-host Harvey Monk. Admission is free.  Help Ben Hill UMC support the quality of life programs for older adults in North Georgia.  Donations are appreciated.

School is starting and students from around the world—India Korea, Germany, Ghana, China and many other countries—are in Atlanta. Atlanta Ministry with International Students (AMIS) invites the community to the 39th Annual International Student and Scholar Welcome Reception on Sunday, Sept. 25, 3-5 p.m., at Agnes Scott College in Decatur. The free event will be held at the Evans Dining Hall and includes good food and a student jazz trio. AMIS gives you an opportunity to befriend young people who are far from home, to show hospitality for the stranger in our gates. The reception is sponsored by AMIS, Georgia…

Voices of Faith Ministries will host the “Daughters of Faith Youth Rally” on Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the church’s Stone Mountain campus, 2500 Rockbridge Road S.W. Youths and their parents are invited to enjoy food, music, entertainment, games and vendors. The mentoring program is transforming lives and taking back our youths.

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James and DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann will host the 8th Annual Faith Leaders Conference on Thursday, Sept. 15. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the DeKalb County Courthouse, located at 556 N. McDonough Street (4th floor) in Decatur. This free conference actively engages and educates county clergy members about the criminal justice system. The 8th Annual Faith Leaders Conference this year will focus on the Drug Court Program, the Anti-Recidivism Court and the Mental Health Court. The day will also include a tour of the DeKalb County Jail. “Faith leaders are often confronted…

Acting on a recommendation from the state’s Emergency Operations Command in anticipation of Tropical Storm Hermine’s imminent Florida landfall, Gov. Nathan Deal today signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 56 counties. The state of emergency is in effect through midnight Saturday. “Georgia is expected to receive severe weather related to Tropical Storm Hermine through Saturday,” Deal said. “We are working to ensure counties in South, Central and coastal Georgia have access to the state resources necessary to prepare and respond when Tropical Storm Hermine enters Georgia. Our Emergency Operations Command will continue closely monitoring this…

The Lithonia Industrial Park will welcome Home Chef, a meal kit delivery service, which will create more than 1,200 jobs and invest $3.35 million in a new DeKalb County facility by 2020, officials have announced. The wholesale distribution center will lease the 140,000-square-foot facility now occupied by Miller International Food on Lithonia Industrial Boulevard. “Home Chef is among the many innovative companies using Georgia’s high-performing transportation infrastructure to grow their distribution network,” Gov. Nathan Deal said in a news release. “By establishing this new facility and utilizing the state’s skilled workforce, Home Chef will be able to reach more of…

DeKalb County Public Library has added something new and different to its collection. The Library has launched metro Atlanta’s first seed library at the Decatur branch, 215 Sycamore Street in downtown Decatur. The DIGG Seed Library—DeKalb Invests In Growing Gardens—allows library patrons to check out heirloom and open-pollinated seeds that grow well in DeKalb-area gardens. Those who have a DeKalb library card may hoose the seeds they want from a catalogue and take the seeds for free. The purpose of the new service is to provide access to healthy, affordable and sustainable food as well as to educate patrons about…

PINE LAKE – On Saturday, Aug. 27, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), along with Pine Lake officials, the U.S. Postal Service and members of the community officially renamed Pine Lake’s Post Office in honor of fallen police officer Francis Manuel Ortega. The ceremony was held on Aug. 27 at the Pine Lake Post Office. On Aug. 11, 2005, Officer Ortega, then 25, was shot and killed in front of the Pine Lake Post Office while conducting a routine traffic stop. Ortega was a part-time officer of the Pine Lake Police Department and a full-time officer at Georgia Regional Hospital. Ortega’s family…

On Common Ground News is presenting Peabo Bryson at the Lithonia Amphitheater, 2501 Park Drive, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 7 to 11 p.m. The JFly production, “A Night of Jazz & R&B,” also will include special guests Dee Lucas, the Heather Hayes Experience and Brooke Alford. Proceeds benefit “The How Big Is Your Dream? Foundation, a nonprofit that provides training and summer camps to youths who are interested in honing their musical talents for the entertainment industry. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverages or purchase food and beverages from vendors. Advance tickets start at only $30/…

DeKalb ICEO Lee May has announced appointments to the DeKalb County Charter Review Commission, a diverse body of community leaders who will study various aspects of DeKalb County government and come up with ways to improve the charter. The commission is expected to look at how appointments are made, whether the form of government should be changed to one run by a county-manager and other aspects of organization. The DeKalb County Charter Review Commission is one of the final recommendations of the DeKalb Government Operations Task Force (OTF) created by May in 2014. The OTF advised the DeKalb County delegation…