Author: On Common Ground News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and the Georgia Democratic Delegation sent a letter to Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn seeking answers as to “what factors led to the decision to close the Georgia Rental Assistance (GRA) program to new applications, why the decision took days for DCA to announce publicly, and what DCA plans to do with the remaining federal funds supporting the program.” The state of Georgia received nearly $1 billion in federal funding to prevent people from being evicted. The lawmakers said the sudden cutoff last month was “unacceptable” and their lack of transparency…

STONECREST, GA– Leaders of several of the nation’s most influential civil rights organizations gathered on Sunday(Nov. 4) to rally and get out the vote for Georgia’s hotly contested Senate race. The battle between Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, will be decided on Tuesday, Dec. 6. During the noon press conference and rally, organizers urged voters to make their voices known in the mid-term election at the ballot boxes on Election Day.  The rally was held at the New Black Wall Street, 8109 Mall Parkway, Stonecrest. An incubator of minority and women-owned business, The New Black…

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson presented his 15th Annual Tree Lighting at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur on Nov. 29. Community residents witnessed the lighting of the tree, atop of the building and enjoyed music before going inside for the Stepp Stewart’s Soulful Christmas musical performance.  Afterward the performance, attendees enjoyed hot chocolate, apple cider and Christmas cookies. https://youtu.be/LmjqAqRkARE Video and photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News

DECATUR, GA– Eldorado Drive NE, between Chrysler Drive N.E. and Renault Lane N.E., will be closed to through-traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, through Monday, Dec. 26, to facilitate the point repair on a sanitary sewer line at 2340 Eldorado Drive NE. 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 Gabe Cummings, project manager, SAK Construction, LLC at 615-852-0988.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– DeKalb County’s Hamilton Recreation Center, 3262 Chapel St., Scottdale, will host a Parents Night Out and Kids’ Pajama and Pancake Party on Friday, Dec. 16, 6 to 11 p.m. The Parents Night Out program offers a safe, fun environment for children to spend an evening while parents enjoy a little time to themselves. Youths ages 5-13 are welcome to participate and encouraged to wear pajamas. Registration is $10 per child and will include food, karaoke, games, door prizes, music and more. Pre-registration is required and is on a first-come, first-served basis. To access online registration, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks and click the…

DECATUR, GA— Dee Dixon, CEO of American Red Cross of Georgia, will be the guest speaker at the DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet breakfast on Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 to 11 a.m.  The breakfast will be held at Southwest DeKalb High School (auditorium atrium, 2863 Kelley Chapel Rd., Decatur. Dixon is the first African American to hold the position of CEO at the American Red Cross of Georgia. Other speakers expected at the breakfast include Tori Silas, Senior Directorof Government & Regulatory Affairs at Comcast Cable,  Angela Brown of MedCura Health, and Tim Hardy, DeKalb County Code Enforcement Director. The DeKalb…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) system will offer a smorgasbord of activities to celebrate the Doris K. Wells Heritage Festival honoring DeKalb’s first African-American librarian.  The festival, which begins Dec. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2022, will feature more than 25 programs including music, dance, food, crafts, informational workshops and other activities for all ages at many of DeKalb’s library branches. The Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, where the late Wells was a longtime manager, will kick of its event on Dec. 10.  The  event will include African folk tales with children’s author Ada Ari; family portraits…

ATLANTA – MARTA will hold a veterans job fair on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1 until 5 p.m. 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 for Journeyman Bus Technicians and Track Maintainers. WHAT:           Veterans Career Fair WHEN:           Thursday, Dec. 8                        1 p.m. – 5 p.m.           WHERE:        MARTA Headquarters 2424 Piedmont Rd. NE Atlanta, Ga. 30324 OPEN TECHNICAL POSITIONS: Information Technology Cyber Security            Police Journeyman: o   Electronic Technicians o   Bus and Rail Mechanics o   Maintenance of Way (Electrical Power, Track, and Equipment Support) BENEFITS OFFERED: Medical, dental, and…

By Dr. Eric W. Lee, Sr. There is a convincing argument to be made that Georgia has contributed more to racial reconciliation than any other state in America. Some might also argue that two Black men running for US Senate is an additional sign of that progress. On the contrary, I contend that the arrival of Herschel Walker has widened and damaged the racial divide. To be clear, I am not branding all Walker supporters as racist, but race continues to hover even without a white candidate on the ballot. Why did 81% of non-White (Black, Latino, Asian, etc.) Georgians…