Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council approved legislation on Monday (May 1) to authorize the mayor or his designee to amend a contract related to widening Concourse D at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The amendment would allow the city to increase the contract’s not-to-exceed amount to $365 million and fund the initial construction phase of Concourse D North in the amount of $200 million (23-R-3519). Other items approved during the meeting include: • A resolution urging the representatives of Georgia state government to mandate body-worn cameras for all responding Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia patrol officers (23-R-3427). • An…

ATLANTA, GA–The state of Georgia has begun verifying eligibility for all Medicaid members including PeachCare for Kids. To ensure that your coverage remains active, your contact information should be updated if you have moved, changed phone numbers or e-mails, or if you want to doublecheck your information. Please visit: gateway.GA.gov to verify your information and stay in­formed about your family’s Medicaid status. Learn more at StayCovered.GA.gov.

DECATUR, GA.– The DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 8, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/84958022051. The meeting can be joined by phone at 602-333-0032 or 1-888-270-9936 and using the conference code 482992. The meeting agenda is as follows: I. Approval of April 10, 2023 Minutes II. Information/Old Business · Director’s Report – Mario Evans O Airport Master Plan Update – www.pdkmasterplan.com O Minimum Standards O Runway 16/34 Construction · Noise Report– Korey Barnes o April 2023 Noise and Operations Report · Other III. New Business IV. Public Comments

DECATUR, GA— The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will conduct purpose its monthly business meeting on Thursday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. The in-person meeting will be held at 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur. Public comments may be made in person or submitted by sending an email of one page or less to electionspubliccmnt@dekalbcountyga.gov, which must be received between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The body of the email must include the citizen’s first and last name, followed by the citizen’s address. Abusive, profane, or derogatory language will not be permitted. By submitting an email…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Princeton Way NE, between N Decatur Road and N. Decatur Road, will be closed to through-traffic Monday, May 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to facilitate a large crane removal of a tree at 468 Princeton Way NE, Atlanta. Road closure and detour signs will be placed in the area during the road closure period advising motorists of construction work in the area and of local traffic restrictions. For more information, contact Tierson Boutte, scheduling coordinator, Boutte Tree, Inc. at 404-799-5472.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), announced that they have re-introduced the FAIR Act. The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act re-establishes Americans’ 7th Amendment right to seek justice and accountability through the court system. Johnson said that forced arbitration clauses strip consumers and workers of their right to go to court. Instead, consumers and workers are forced into an unfair arbitration system where corporations can write the rules and everything can be done in secret without public rulings…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– Beginning May 1, the Gwinnett County water bill payment mailing address will change to Gwinnett Water Resources, P.O. Box 105023, Atlanta, GA 30348-5203. Please note that this address is intended solely for mailing payments and is not a physical location. Customers who pay their Gwinnett County Water bill by mail should mail their payment to the new mailing address. Customers who use online bill pay through their bank should make sure the address is listed correctly. Customers may also pay their bill by phone at 678-376-6800, in person at 648 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville, or…

STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an international ministry with one of the largest faith-based organizations in the Southeast, is opening applications for a paid summer internship program aimed at students 18 years and older. Applications are open now until May 8, with interviews taking place May 15 – 19.“New Birth is a cutting-edge ministry with a global calling, and we are excited to open the doors for a unique opportunity to build up our young leaders,” said Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant. “We are actively looking for college-age students who have a heart to serve in a wide-range of…

CONYERS, GA—Father Matthew Torpey, OCSO, a monk and priest of the Cistercian (Trappist) Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, died peacefully in the monastery infirmary on today, April 26. Father Matt, who was 95, had been in monastic life for 73 years, and was a priest for 67 years. The celebration of the Funeral Mass of the Resurrection and the burial will be on Monday, May 1, at 9 a,m, at the Monastery Abbey Church. Father Matt was born on Sept. 1, 1927, in Jersey City, NJ., to parents Thomas Francis Torpey and Mary Agnes Spille-Torpey. He was predeceased…