Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA– To accommodate walk-in customers applying for property tax exemptions, the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office, 4380 Memorial Drive, will have extended hours f March 27 – 30, and April 3 until 6 p.m. New this year, seniors, disabled veterans, disabled residents can now file online for special tax savings. Homestead exemptions provide a reduction in annual property taxes and are available to individuals who own and occupy the home in the county as of Jan. 1, including the City of Atlanta portion in DeKalb. Seniors must be 62 years of age by Jan. 1 to apply for senior…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA—Stephenson Middle School, 922 Stephenson Road, will host a “Rising Sixth Grade Mini Conference” on March 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Organizers are hosting the free conference to welcome rising sixth graders and their parents to middle school ahead of the 2023-2024 school year. The conference is a collaboration between Stephenson Middle School and feeder elementary schools in the area. Stephenson Middle School Head Counselor Subrena Glenn facilitated the effort and spent weeks planning the event.  Glenn met with counselors from Rock Chapel Elementary(Torie Callaway),  Wynbrooke Elementary (Lavorious Mullins), Princeton Elementary (Phyllis Hale, and Marcia Bryant-Cornelison and…

STONECREST, GA– The City of Stonecrest has opened registration for its summer day camp programs for children in first through fifth grades. Camp Inspire will offer participants three separate, three-week sessions, which include fun-filled days of activities such as swimming lessons, arts and crafts, field trips and much more. The full camp will run from June 5—Aug. 4 at Browns Mill Recreation Center. “The City of Stonecrest is excited to provide another summer of adventure, discovery, and fun for our youngest residents and visitors,” said Mayor Jazzmin Cobble. “Camp Inspire is an incredible opportunity for campers to learn through active…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that left three people dead early Monday, March 20. Authorities said th a 51-year-old man, 50-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl were shot to death in their home in the Honey Creek subdivision in Conyers.  The shooting occurred around 12:10 a.m. at the home, which is located in the 3700 block of Sugar Creek Lane. Jailon Gray, 21, who lived at the residence, was taken into custody and booked into the Rockdale County Jail. Gray was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.    Details surrounding the identity of the persons involved…

DEKALB COUNTY—The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Stone Mountain-Lithonia Chapter, Inc. (NCBWSML) www.ncbw100sml.org will host its Sister-Nomic$ Symposium on March 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church https://www.bigmillergrove.org/. The free event will offer financial workshops covering basic budgeting, financial literacy, purchasing real estate, utilizing good tax strategies, investing, career development strategies, and wage negotiation in the workplace. The workshop is a response to the pandemic, which has caused women to be negatively affected more than any other group with job loss and economic hardship. “Providing the necessary tools to the community to help…

ATLANTA—The Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) is now accepting registration applications for Georgia’s Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. The 2023 NRCW will take place June 11-16 on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. This workshop focuses on the value, protection, and conservation of Georgia’s wildlife, forestry, soil and water resources, including conservation in Georgia’s mining industry. The workshop gives students to a college campus while providing insight into careers through their counselors and instructors. The workshop features field trips, classroom instruction, and recreational activities. Students scoring well on the workshop exam may be awarded a…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host several Easter egg hunt events at various recreation centers on April 1 and April 8. All events are free and will include face painting, games, and giveaways. Saturday, April 1 Midway Recreation Center, 3118 Midway Road, Decatur, 2-5 p.m.(Adult Easter egg hunt included) Saturday, April 8 Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340-B McConnell Drive, Decatur, 9:30-11 a.m. N.H. Scott Recreation Center, 2230 Tilson Road, Decatur, 2- 4 p.m. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs, public relations specialist, at 404-371-3643 or lsdavis@dekalbcountyga.gov.

DECATUR, GA—Vista Brook Drive, between McLendon Drive and Vista Way, will be closed to through-traffic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, to facilitate a large crane removal of a tree at 3123 Vista Brook Drive, Decatur 30033. 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. Questions regarding this road closure should be addressed to Tierson Boutte, scheduling coordinator, Boutte Tree, Inc., at 404-799-5472.

STONECREST GA – Beginning Monday, March 20, the City of Stonecrest will start accepting applications for its residential and small business assistance programs, which are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These programs are designed to assist Stonecrest residents and small business owners who experienced a financial hardship during the pandemic.   Applications and eligibility requirements will be available on the City’s website, or applicants may pick-up paper copies at Stonecrest City Hall. Applications will close on Friday, April 21.   “Residents and small business owners are the foundation of every neighborhood,” said Mayor Jazzmin Cobble. “These investment programs will help…