Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Kenny Johnson, Rockdale County’s Conservation District Supervisor, was remembered on Tuesday as a staunch fighter known for his commitment to protecting the environment and public health.  Several Rockdale residents and others who knew Johnson gathered for a candlelight vigil on Tuesday evening at the home of community activist Josie Dean to honor and celebrate the community champion. The 62-year-old collapsed and died on June 8 after testifying before a legislative panel at the Georgia Capitol on the dangers posed by the BioLab chemical fire, which broke out in Rockdale on Sept. 29.  State Rep. Viola Davis, who attended the vigil,…

ATLANTA– FEMA assistance is available to renters, including students, with uninsured losses from Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby, with an incident period of Aug. 4–20, 2024.  FEMA may be able to help renters as well as homeowners with serious needs, displacement costs, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Renters may qualify for assistance including the replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks or school supplies; replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment; vehicle repair; and medical/dental bills. Assistance is available to people with disaster-caused damage in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon,…

ATLANTA–On Thursday, Oct.17, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will travel to Atlanta to hold a press conference to announce a significant milestone for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for borrowers and helping more public service workers reach full forgiveness. This press conference will also include members of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office and other Atlanta recipients of PSLF. Later, the Secretary and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath will visit Five Forks Middle School in Gwinnett County and participate in a roundtable conversation to uplift the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to provide additional mental health support in schools through School-Based Mental Health…

LITHONIA, GA–Residents of Conyers and surrounding communities gathered on Monday, Oct. 14, for a community meeting to address the recent fire at the BioLab chemical plant.  Over 200 people attended the 4 p.m. session at the Lucious Sanders Recreation Center in Lithonia. A second session was held at 6 p.m. Three attorneys from the firm were on site, in addition to an environmental toxicologist, to discuss the incident’s impact on air quality and the potential short and long-term health implications for people who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals as a result of the Sept. 29 incident at the…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Trump signs dominated the scene as Early Voting kicked off at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Rockdale County Board of Elections office, the county’s only location for early voting. A worried voter called On Common Ground News and asked why there were no signs for Harris.  “We may have a BioLab crisis, but we still have to vote,” the caller said.  About an hour later, Harris-Walz signs joined the Trump signs. A steady stream of traffic flowed throughout the day, with Rockdale voters casting their ballots. There were few people, however, seen holding any signs to get…

DECATUR, GA – As Advance Voting gets underway this week,  DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is urging voters to prepare before heading to the polls.  Advance Voting in DeKalb is Oct.15 through Nov. 1, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday voting is available Oct. 19 and Oct. 26,  9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday voting is available Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 demo  12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Know Before You Vote: Registered voters can vote at any DeKalb County Advance Voting site during the Advance Voting period. Locations and hours are listed below. Voters must have a valid photo ID. Weekend voting is…

 ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Board of Elections Supervisor Cynthia Willingham is reminding voters of key information to prepare for the General Election on Nov. 5, 2024. Early In-Person voting  will be held Oct. 15-Nov. 1 at the Board of Elections Office, located  at 1115 West Ave. SW. This is Rockdale’s only location for early voting. The scheduled hours for early voting and for those who wish to drop off their mail-in ballot is below: EARLY VOTING/ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP BOX SCHEDULE 8AM – 5PM, OCT 15 – OCT 18 (TUES-FRI) 9AM-5PM, OCT 19 (SATURDAY) 10AM-3PM, OCT 20 (SUNDAY) 8AM -…

DECATUR, GA– Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding residents that motor vehicle and property tax services are available at three office locations in DeKalb County. “With advance voting taking place at the Memorial Drive office park, customers doing business at the tag office can expect increased foot traffic and parking volume now through November 1,” said DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson. “We are reminding taxpayers that the same in-person services are also available at the satellite tax offices located on Clairmont Road and in South DeKalb Mall.” Offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., at the…

ATLANTA – State Representatives Rhonda Taylor (D-Conyers), Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain), Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), State Sen, Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) and Congressman Hank Johnson recently held a follow-up meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10,  via Zoom to address ongoing concerns from the BioLab chemical fire. This meeting followed a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 8,  at the State Capitol. The follow-up meeting included Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Rockdale County leadership staff, representatives from BioLab, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and members of the Rockdale…