Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC) will hold its 51st annual legislative conference this weekend, Aug. 2-4, at Atlanta Metropolitan College, 1630 Metropolitan Parkway S.W. Legislators, elected officials, community leaders and strategic partners will gather to discuss key issues under the GLBC’s 2024 theme,“Redeeming the Soul of America, Testing1, 2, 3.” The conference kicks off with a reception on Friday, Aug. 2, 8:30—11:30 p.m., at Bar Ti Amo, 3199 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, pastor of the mega New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and headline newsmaker, will be the keynote speaker at the GLBC Unity Breakfast…

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) recently hosted a tour for a group of African college students who are aspiring engineers. The students, currently attending Georgia State University, are participants in the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellows Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The program was originally proposed by Ambassador Andrew Young, who also took the time to meet with the students. The visiting students hail from Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa, and they are all keen on pursuing careers in transit. Among the group are two future mechanical engineers, an aspiring urban planner, and a future…

DECATUR, GA– In response to National Weather Service forecasts of heat indices exceeding 100 degrees, DeKalb County is opening cooling centers on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday(July 31-Aug. 2). DeKalb County recreation centers and libraries will be available as cooling centers during the locations’ normal business hours. Water fountains will be accessible at county recreation centers , parks and libraries. During cooling center activations, recreation center pools will be free to the public from 2 to 6 p.m. For a list of available cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. The DeKalb County Department of Human Services, located at 30 Warren Street, Atlanta, will be open…

Property owners encouraged to sign up for e-billing notifications   DECATUR, GA– Following the approval of the county’s 2024 tax digest by the Georgia Department of Revenue on July 29, 2024, the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office will mail nearly 260,000 tax bills to property owners beginning Aug. 15. Bills for City of Atlanta properties in DeKalb will be mailed at a later date.  “The digest is an official listing of county property and its assessed value. This office, in conjunction with the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, CEO, Tax Assessor’s Office (Property Appraisal), GIS, Board of Education, city governments,…

ATLANTA – State Representatives Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) and Segun Adeyina (D-Grayson) will host a community listening session event on Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., at Redemptive Life Church in Conyers. The community listening event will feature several county commissioners as guest speakers, including Denise R. Mitchell, Gwinnett Tax Commissioner; Tisa Smart-Washington, Rockdale Tax Commissioner; Pam Brown, Rockdale Board of Education; Diijon DaCosta, DeKalb Board of Education. They will be in attendance to answer questions from constituents in House Districts 93 and 110, which include DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties. The representatives and county commissioners will discuss legislation, education,…

According to police, Lauren left her home in Jonesboro, Georgia at approximately 9:00 am on July 18, 2024. Lauren is described as 5’2″, weighs 117 lbs., and has brown eyes with brown hair. She was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black hoodie. Lauren is believed to stay in the local area or travel to other cities in Georgia. Lauren’s family is extremely worried for her wellbeing and want nothing more than to bring her home safely. Lauren’s mom hopes this message will reach her daughter: “Lauren, I love and miss you so much. Your whole family is here…

ATLANTA—After a national search, Mayor Andre Dickens today announced the appointment of Rocsean Spencer as the city’s new  director of the Office of Contract Compliance (OCC). Spencer, whose  appointment became effective July 29,  formerly served as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at the New Orleans Ernest N. Memorial Convention Center. Her appointment marked a significant milestone as the first of its kind among convention centers nationwide. In her role as Atlanta’s OCC director, Spencer will oversee the department that links small minority and women-owned and disadvantaged businesses with City-related business opportunities, while maintaining Atlanta’s national standard for Minority Business Enterprise.…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Police Department is mourning the loss of K9 Officer Elsa. On July 25, the officer was put to rest after battling a spine illness. K9 Officer Elsa, a Belgian Malinois, retired in October 2023, due to her advancing age.  K9 Officer Elsa began her career with the Gwinnett County Police Department in November 2016. During her career, she was deployed on 545 calls for service. During those deployments, K9 Officer Elsa was responsible for 51 patrol apprehensions, 87 narcotic apprehensions, and 133 evidence recoveries. K9 Officer Elsa spent her first four years of service with…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Devon Q. Horton, Superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, has been selected to serve on the newly-formed Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board. The DeKalb schools’ chief is one of only three superintendents appointed to the inaugural national advisory board. DCSD, Georgia’s third-largest school district, serves more than 92,000 students in 138+ schools and centers, behind the Cobb County School District with 106,358 students in 112 schools, and Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia’s largest school district, with 182,000 students in 142 schools. The 26-member board comprises school safety experts and education leaders who will…

  ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) announced every student in the district will be eligible to receive school meals free of cost for the 2024-2025 school year under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This includes breakfast and lunch. Families no longer need to submit a Free/Reduced Meals application, the district said. Rockdale students return to school on Tuesday, July 30, and the program will begin immediately. “We are thrilled for the opportunity to offer school meals at no cost to our students and continue to mitigate the risk of food insecurity in our community. This program is a…