Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA –MARTA’s Board of Directors adopted the Authority’s Fiscal Year 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets on June 8. The $1.6 billion budget includes $712.4 million in gross operating funds and $854.5 million for capital programming. MARTA officials said this year marks the 12th consecutive year the budget has been balance without a fare increase for passengers. In an ongoing commitment to improving customer service, the budget supports the resumption of pre-pandemic levels of bus and rail service, and the advancement of large capital projects, including beginning construction on the region’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, MARTA officials stated. “MARTA’s…

Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/ocgnews

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Gwinnett County Police detectives are investigating a road rage incident that resulted in a woman being shot. On June 1, around 9:30 p.m., officers responded to a person shot call on Stone Mountain Highway. When officers located the victim, she was suffering from an injury to her foot. The vehicle had multiple bullet holes, and several shell casings were located by officers at the scene. The victim stated that she was driving eastbound on Stone Mountain Highway when a vehicle was following her and flashing its headlights like it wanted to pass her. She said she was…

DECATUR, GA— DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in partnership with 100 Black Men of DeKalb, will host “Youth Voicez: Violence Prevention Summit” on Monday, June 12, 4 p.m., at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center. Johnson began his “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” campaign to focus on a comprehensive approach to violence and crime prevention. This approach includes involving and working alongside the youth. The Youth Voicez: Violence Prevention Summit is designed to bring together the community, parents, school system personnel, law enforcement, the faith-based community, and community-based organizations. The event will focus on providing the youth, their parents, and…

ATLANTA—The City of Atlanta and Atlanta Police Department (APD) have been awarded $1,649,965.90 from the State of Georgia Public Safety and Community Violence Reduction Grant. This grant award comes from funding made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA). The funding will be used for projects to improve community-level public safety measures. “The City will always put federal funds to use—especially when it comes to keeping our communities safe,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Every dollar spent keeping an illegal gun off our street or out of the hands of someone who should not have one is a worthy…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is hosting a job fair on Thursday, June 15, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the DeKalb Fire Rescue headquarters, 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker. The county is currently recruiting for ground maintenance workers. At the job fair, attendees will be able to meet with park management hiring staff, interview for current openings and learn about salary and benefits. The job fair is free and open to the public. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs public relations specialist, at 404-710-6331 or lsdavis@dekalbcountyga.gov.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA. – Rockdale County Department of Water Resources (RWR) has received a $155,000 grant from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).for the Lead and Copper Program. The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), established in 1991 and revised in 2021, ensures that community drinking water maintains its safety. The LCR program requires water systems to regularly test drinking water in homes and other locations to identify and address elevated levels of lead and copper. The GEFA granted funding will go to Rockdale Water Resources to carry out tests and solutions if higher levels are found. Resolutions come in various…

ATLANTA– Georgia Sen. Emanuel Jones (D – Decatur) was appointed to serve as a member of the Senate Study Committee on Truck Driver Shortages by Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Georgia is the center of a vital shipping and logistics industry that must be nurtured in order for our economy to keep growing,” said Jones. “With decades of professional experience in the motor vehicle sector, I am well-prepared to contribute effectively to this esteemed study committee. I am eager to work with my Senate colleagues on both sides of the political aisle in addressing the current worker shortages afflicting the truck…

The Chi Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority recently partnered with Georgia Sen. Anderson Tonya Anderson to provide sanitary products to four school in the sorority’s coverage area. C.J. Hicks Elementary and Edwards Middle schools in Rockdale County received some of the products, along with Porterdale Elementary and Indian Creek Middle schools in Newton County. The community service project was supported by a grant secured by Anderson, who is also a member of the sorority. The Chi Tau Omega Chapter delivered a pallet of more than 3,000 sanitary products to the schools during National Period Poverty Awareness Week,…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is partnering with the Latin American Association (LAA) to provide small business training and a food distribution for the Latino community in DeKalb County, focusing on Buford Highway and the surrounding area. The small business training will take place on Thursday, June 8, 6 p.m., at the LAA headquarters on Buford Highway in partnership with LAA and DeKalb County. The food distribution with LAA and partners, Hosea Feed The Hungry and Plaza Fiesta, will be held on Saturday, June 10, at 10 a.m. The partnership continues the work needed in Latino and immigrant…