Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Today, District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase One improvements at Ellenwood Park. The $2 million investment for the first phase of the 46-acre park will include a new playground, a parking lot, and an entrance to Ellenwood Park. This investment was made possible by Commissioner Johnson in partnership with the DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs, and the County Line-Ellenwood community. “It is time for this area. We have to always look forward,” said Johnson. “My goal is to bridge the gap and bring our seniors and youth together. The…

STONECREST, GA—The South DeKalb Improvement Association Education (SDIAE) will host Dr. Devon Horton, newly-appointed superintendent for the DeKalb County School District, at its upcoming general body meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Stonecrest Public Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. The meeting will provide aan opportunity for community members, educators, and stakeholders to engage with Horton and learn about his vision for the DeKalb County School District. The event will be moderated by Dele Lowman, senior vice president for GovHR, who will facilitate an insightful discussion between Horton and the…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a grand re-opening ceremony for the newly-renovated Glen Emerald Park. The ceremony will be held Friday, July 14, 10 a.m., at Glen Emerald Park, 1479 Bouldercrest Road, Atlanta. The project included renovations to dam and trail system, two basketball courts, two tennis courts and the construction of two new pavilions. Approximately $5.6 million was allocated to complete the park improvements. Contributions were provided by DeKalb County District 6 funding, the American Recovery Plan, Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), and the Parks Department. The public…

Summer is about to be a wrap. Students in the metro-Atlanta area are preparing to head back to the classrooms next month with some of them starting the 2023-2024 school year on Aug. 1. Many school districts, however, have scheduled back-to-school events in July to gear up for the big day. The events include free school supplies, health screenings and other resources for families, free food and live entertainment and other activities. Here’s a look at key back-to-school events that are currently published on web sites for school districts that are in On Common Ground News’ readership areas: Atlanta Public…

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council has announced that longtime City Council President and former Fulton County Superior Court Judge Marvin S. Arrington Sr. will lie in state inside the Council Chamber on Thursday, July 27, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mr. Arrington passed away at his home on July 5, surrounded by family members. The transformative trailblazer, who helped to galvanize the city from a segregated town into an international metropolis, was 82. In 2019, the City Council named its chamber in honor of Arrington. Tributes are slated for noon inside the chamber on July 27. The wake will…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– A long-term entering auto investigation by Gwinnett County Police has resulted in 49 criminal charges involving two suspects. Bryon Hunt, 27, of Forsyth has been arrested, the Police Department said. Roy Higgins, 27, of Buford, however, remains at large. The automobile thefts began on April 17, when a man reported that his vehicle was broken into on White Birch Way in unincorporated Lawrenceville. During the theft, his firearm was stolen. Shortly after the report, the case was assigned to a detective in the General Crimes Unit. The lead detective discovered a series of entering autos in the area…

ATLANTA– The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS} is inviting organizations and individuals to apply for project funding from the 2023 State of Hope (SOH) grant cycle. Projects must centered around keeping children safe, strengthening families, and empowering communities. Through this grant cycle, DHS seeks to empower and equip Georgians in developing initiatives that support at least one of the four “Opportunity of Hope” areas – education, trauma awareness, quality caregiving, and economic self-sufficiency. These are the priority areas DHS believes will have the greatest impact in supporting healthy families and building family protective factors to keep children safe within…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Southwest DeKalb County High School senior Isaiah Taylor became the ninth DeKalb County track and field athlete to be named the Georgia Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year, the GHSA announced. Taylor joins four other Southwest DeKalb Gatorade honorees including his father, Angelo Taylor, who was a two-time winner (1995, 1996) and went on to win gold in the Olympics. “I was excited when I found out on Instagram that morning,” said Isaiah Taylor. “One of my biggest accomplishments and it continues a great legacy of track at Southwest DeKalb.” The senior swept the Class 4A…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA. — The East Memorial Drive Pop-Up Market, the latest in a trend of flash retailing occurring around metro Atlanta, will be back a second time on Saturday, Aug. 5, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The East Memorial Drive Pop-Up Market debuted on June 3 in the parking lot of the Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, 5135 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain. “We had a total of 48 vendors at the market, and a steady stream of customers who purchased everything from cupcakes and lemonade to jewelry and body butter,” said Deanna Johnson Cauthen, the pop-up market coordinator and…