Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will host a job fair for bus operators and journeyman bus technicians on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.  The job fair will be held at MARTA headquarters, located across from the Lindbergh Center rail station on Piedmont Road in Atlanta. MARTA is offering a $3,000 sign-on bonus and will train all Permit and Class C (regular) license holders for their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). WHAT:           Bus Operator and Journeyman Bus  Technician Job Fair Pay starting at $17.74/hr. for operators and $23.91/hr. for technicians MARTA will train all Permit…

ATLANTA–Gov. Brian P. Kemp today announced SK Battery America (SKBA) has exceeded its hiring goal of 2,600 employees two years ahead of schedule for its two lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities in Commerce, Georgia. The company met its goal at the end of 2022 and is further expanding its workforce to approximately 3,000 over the next year to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles, officials said. “As Georgia continues to see unprecedented growth, our hardworking citizens are reaping the benefits,” said Kemp. “SK Battery America and the State of Georgia share a common trait: We are never content to rest on…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— Freedom fighter John H. Evans was celebrated by the community on Saturday, Jan. 28, honoring his 90th birthday, which is actually Jan. 29. The celebration took place at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts & Community Center in Decatur. The venue was decked out in purple and gold—Omega Psi Ph’s colors, a salute to Evans’ cherished fraternity. Evans is president of Operation Lead. He is a former President of the NAACP DeKalb County Branch, where he served 16 years as its leader; a former member of the MARTA Board of Directors and former member of the DeKalb County…

ATLANTA–Metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies are increasing their presence this weekend following a brief protest by about 50 people in downtown Atlanta on Friday night in the wake of the Memphis, Tennessee police-involved death of Tyre Nichols, 29. Law enforcement agencies were already on high alert after last weekend’s protest over the fatal shooting of Estean Paez Teran, an environmental activist who the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said shot and wounded a state trooper at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center known as what critics are calling “Cop City.” Law enforcement agencies were working to clear the site of protestors…

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Public Schools(APS) Office of Human Resources will be hosting a series of job fairs over the next few months, with the next job fair taking place this Saturday, Jan. 28, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Benjamin E. Mays High School. APS is seeking to fill key roles within our Operations Division including bus drivers, nutrition workers, custodians, HVAC technicians, and more. If you’re looking for a job opportunity with an employer that values its employees and offers competitive pay, we invite you to register now for this weekend’s job fair. To learn more about career opportunities throughout the district, visit www.apscareers.org.…

STONECREST, GA – The City of Stonecrest issued a statement this evening (Jan. 27) that it “has become aware of certain staff communications that may give the inaccurate impression that the recently proposed amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance (TMOD2022-012) was offered to circumvent the city’s normal rules or to improperly benefit a single entity, in this case SeaQuest.” The SeaQuest petting zoo has come under fire by People for the Equitable Treatment of Animals (PETA). The organization has stated that SeaQuest has been operating illegally every since it opened inside the Mall at Stonecrest in Nov. 2021. The organization stated…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) will host a series of events to celebrate the 8th Annual “Go Red for Women” during the first week of February. The event schedule is as follows: Annual Luncheon on Friday, Feb. 3, 12 noon – 2 p.m. at J.P. Carr Center in Conyers; DeKalb Community Cabinet Breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 – 11 a.m., at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur; Worship Service on Sunday, Febr. 5, 11 a.m., at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Covington., During the event at the State Capitol, the American Heart Association will coordinate heart screenings and blood…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced today that her office is voluntarily recusing itself from the officer-involved shooting case that occurred on Jan. 18 at the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in unincorporated DeKalb County.  During the course of an operation to clear trespassers on the property located near 1327 Key Road, a shooting occurred involving suspect Manuel Teran and a Georgia State Patrol Trooper. Teran was pronounced deceased at the scene after succumbing to injuries sustainedin a shootout with police  The trooper was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  The DeKalb County District Attorney’s…

STONECREST, GA – The Stonecrest City Council unanimously approved the allocation of $374,211 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for lighting improvements at the Southeast Athletic Complex and awarded a contract to install LED field lights at the facility during its Jan. 23 meeting.  The City’s investment will increase visibility, enhance safety, and extend outdoor youth program hours in the park. Stonecrest’s improvement plan includes adding new lights to the soccer fields and maintenance area at the complex. “We are committed to bringing more amenities and a brighter future to our parks and recreational facility,” said Mayor Jazzmin Cobble. “Parks…

ATLANTA – State Representative Karen Lupton (D-Chamblee) was sworn into office as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives on Jan. 9, marking her first day of the 2023-2024 legislative term. Monday was the first day of the first term of the 157th Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly. Lupton represents District 83, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Human Relations & Aging and Special Rules committees. “I am so pleased to be able to serve my constituents,” said Rep. Lupton.  “I…