Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA – In preparation for expected Labor Day weekend traffic congestion, Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) announced the suspension of lane closures on Georgia interstates and state routes beginning Friday, Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. until 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. While construction-related lane closures will be suspended, the department reminds travelers to exercise caution as crews may still work near highways, and safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures to remain in place. In addition, incident management, emergency or maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary at any time on any route. Georgia DOT’s 7-day travel forecast for metro Atlanta interstates…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Clerk of Courts Janice Morris will host a Saturday Passport Processing Day in support of National Passport Month. The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m. – 1p.m., at Johnson Park Recreation Center, 1781 Ebenezer Road S.W., Conyers. Passport applications will be available, but applicants must provide their own passport photo per U.S. Department of State specifications. Passport fees (Book and/or Card) must be paid by check or money order only.  Processing fees ($35 per person) are separate and can be paid by cash or separate money order.  No appointment is necessary.  Applicants will…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– In response to the National Weather Service forecasts of heat indices exceeding 100 degrees, DeKalb County is opening cooling centers on Thursday, Aug. 29. DeKalb County recreation centers and libraries will be available as cooling centers during their normal business hours. Water fountains will be accessible at these locations. For a list of available cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. A room in each available recreation center will be designated as a cooling center, and water fountains will be accessible. During cooling center activations, recreation center pools will be free to the public from 2 to 6 p.m. The DeKalb…

DECATUR, GA –Registration is underway for Congressman Hank Johnson’s (GA-04) 2024 Congressional App Challenge. The competition is open to all middle school and high school students who live in Georgia’s 4th Congressional District. The annual competition is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students can register for the 2024 competition HERE and begin coding their apps. The competition deadline is Oct. 24. Judging begins Oct. 28 and winners will be announced on Nov. 22. Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete with their peers by creating and an application…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku  is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss District 2 projects and county-wide updates on Thursday, Aug. 29, 6 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Mountain Park Activity Building,1063 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain. Commissioner Ku will share updates on what’s happening in District 2, followed by an opportunity for a Q&A with County representatives. There will be an ASL translator present.

CONYERS, GA—R&B Singer Usher is opening Georgia’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken location in Conyers. The soft opening is on Thursday, Aug. 29, 11 a..m. Usher has teamed up with franchise owners Lawrence Kourie and Andrew Feghali to open multiple locations in the metro Atlanta area with the first location in Conyers at 1447 Highway 138 S.E. at the transformed site of the former Krystal restaurant. Dave’s Hot Chicken offers a seven-level spice scale from “No Spice” to “Reaper” chicken tenders and sliders, along with sides that include French fries, macaroni and cheese, kale slaw, cauliflower bites and cauliflower sliders. Dave’s…

DECATUR, GA—A 12-foot-tall bronze statue memorializing the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis now stands for the world to see in front of the historic Decatur Courthouse. It was in this Georgia district, just outside of Atlanta, where Lewis served for 17 consecutive terms as Congressman that the unveiling ceremony was held on Aug. 24, 2024. Hundreds turned out to witness the historic event, many lining up at the Decatur Square hours ahead of the 11 a.m. ceremony. Several dignitaries  paid tributes to Lewis as a hero for progress, including Ambassador and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young; U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock;…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– A team of residents will weigh in on County government priorities before Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson proposes the 2025 budget. Gwinnett County department directors and elected officials began presenting their 2025 business plans to a Citizens Budget Review Team on Monday, Aug. 26. Following the series of presentations, Chairwoman Hendrickson and the group will evaluate the needs of the departments and agencies that provide services to Gwinnett residents, businesses and visitors. From there, the team will recommend funding priorities from the viewpoint of a resident. “Gwinnett residents are integral to shaping our County’s future through their participation…

ATLANTA — Two employees were killed, and a third injured after a tire exploded in a Delta Air Lines maintenance area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The deceased have been identified by the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office as Mirko Marweg, 58, and Luis Aldarondo, 37. The employees were team members of Delta TechOps, which is responsible for airline maintenance and repair. Authorities said the incident involved wheel components that were being disassembled for maintenance and were not attached to an aircraft when the incident happened. The incident did not impact operations at the airport, officials said. Investigations…