Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb School of the Arts (DSA) One Act Play troupe is set to participate in the GHSA One Act Play State Championships at Houston County High School on Saturday, Nov. 23,  at 9 a.m. DSA clinched a spot in the Class 1A Division 1 state championships by winning the Region 5-1A title during recent competition. The group is vying to win the school’s third state title to go with victories in 1999 and 2022. Two other DeKalb schools picked up region runner-up awards. McNair came in second in the Region 4-1A Division 1 competition. Redan claimed a runner-up spot in…

ATLANTA – Today, Speaker of the House Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced the application periods are now open for agriculture relief funds through the Georgia Forestry Commission, SAFETY 24 Hurricane Helene Relief Loan Program and The Weathered But Strong Georgia Hurricane Relief Fund. “Across Southeast Georgia, our farmers and timber producers are facing historic losses and devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,”  said Burns.  “The Georgia House is proud to work alongside Commissioner Harper, Governor Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Jones to secure this critical relief for the men and women who put food on our tables and keep our No. 1 industry…

ATLANTA—Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially certified the results of the 2024 Presidential Election today following county certification as well as two post-election audits.  Earlier this week, county election offices completed a hand count of over 700,000 ballots across the State, performing a Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) with a 95% risk limit. Additionally, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office completed an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) audit of every ballot cast in this election. “The votes were counted accurately, securely, and quickly,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “I’m proud to certify these results and we congratulate President-Elect Donald J. Trump on his…

DECATUR, GA—Some voters in DeKalb County will head to the polls again in the upcoming General/Special Election runoff, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. When a candidate does not receive 50 percent plus one vote during the General Election, a runoff election is held.  The runoff election will include: DeKalb County Commission District 3, DeKalb County Super District 7, Atlanta City Council Post 3 (At-Large) and Doraville City Council District 1 – Post 2 (At-Large).  Only DeKalb voters who are registered in the runoff districts are eligible to cast ballots during the runoff. Voters can verify their districts by visiting…

ATLANTA—Gov. Brian P. Kemp today announced today, Nov. 21, that Irving Tissue will add 100+ new jobs as part of a nearly $600 million expansion at its Macon facility. Irving Tissue produces premium household paper products, including tissue and baby diapers for many of North America’s top retailers. Company President Robert K. Irving, Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller and other state and local leadership celebrated the announcement at Irving Tissue’s fifth anniversary celebration in Macon. “Since choosing Macon in 2017, Irving Tissue has invested around $1.5 billion into the community and created 400 well-paying jobs, with another 100 jobs on the way,” said…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) today reintroduced a resolution reaffirming the United States’ commitment to advancing racial justice, addressing systemic inequities, and promoting the rights and dignity of people of African descent globally.   The resolution calls for a second United Nations-designated International Decade for People of African Descent (2025 – 2034) and calls for national and international actions to combat racism and foster inclusion. “The first International Decade for People of African Descent laid important groundwork, but pervasive systemic inequities continue to challenge communities across the worldwide African diaspora,” said Congressman Johnson. “This…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The NAACP DeKalb County branch announced its newly-elected officers and Executive Committee at Large who will serve the branch for 2025-2027. Edwina Clanton will continue to serve as president of the DeKalb branch and said she is looking forward to more people joining the organization to help fight for justice and assist with its programs and activities.    “As we gear up for our annual events, community initiatives and legislative advocacy, I invite the community to join us in this mission. Whether its attending our rallies, volunteering, or making their voices heard through our advocacy efforts, know that every…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners acted on several initiatives during its Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 meetings. A recap of what they approved follows:  Expanded support for CASA Program Gwinnett continues to prioritize the welfare of children in foster care through its ongoing support of the Court Appointed Special Advocates program. The National CASA Association for Children and Georgia CASA provide trained volunteers to advocate for children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. A recently awarded grant will fund the salaries of the CASA Program Director and two volunteer supervisors. In the past cycle,…

By Mark Brock DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The two remaining DeKalb County School District’s high school football playoff teams are hosting second-round games on Friday , Nov. 22, following big first-round victories last week. The Columbia Eagles (5-6) face off with the Class 2A defending state champion Pierce County Bears (10-1) at Cobb Stadium on Friday at 7:30 pm. The No. 7 seed Columbia defeated Butler 46-12 last weekend behind the play of quarterback Cameron Graves and running back Nishan Hillman as both accounted for three touchdowns in the game. Hillman rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries…