Author: On Common Ground News

RSVP Required for ‘Hot Rods & BBQ’ Celebration STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Dr. Jamal Bryant are hosting a free Father’s Day weekend event featuring free food, fast cars and funny man George Wallace on Saturday, June 18, 4 to 7 p.m. The ‘Hot Rods & BBQ’ event will take place on the New Birth campus, 6400 Woodrow Rd., Stonecrest and will include a DJ, entertainment, prizes, gifts and hot rods.   “Strong men and good fathers are integral to our community,” said Pastor. Bryant. “We are often bombarded with negative images, stereotypes and depictions of Black men…

COMMERCE, GA—PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), a division of PepsiCo, is opening a new $8.5 million, 172,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in Commerce, GA. The facility builds on the $260 million expansion of the PBNA manufacturing facility in the City of Tucker earlier this year, now resulting in over 425 new jobs, officials said. In the span of three years, PBNA, through its operating subsidiaries, has committed $268 million of capital in the State of Georgia. PepsiCo currently employs 3,450 people across Georgia. The Commerce distribution center will create 50 new jobs, including product pickers (order fulfillment); forklift operators, CDL-A drivers,…

DEKALB COUNTY–DeKalb County has cancelled its second celebration, scheduled for Saturday, June 18, due to high temperatures. According to weather reports, temperatures reached 101 degrees in Atlanta and has been hovering in the high 90s and above this week. W ith temperatures and the heat index expected to be in the 90s, the county is cancelling the event out of an abundance of caution. For information on the county’s cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/news/dekalb-county-opens-cooling-centers-during-heat-advisory.  

DECATUR, Ga. – DeKalb County is making recreation centers and libraries throughout the county available as cooling centers due to the ongoing heat advisory.  As defined by the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City Forecast Office, a heat advisory is issued when “feels like” temperatures are expected to reach or be greater than 103 degrees, or when the actual air temperature is expected to be at 105 degrees or greater.  Most DeKalb County libraries and recreation centers will be available as cooling centers, during the location’s normal business hours.  For a list of DeKalb County recreation centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks and click the “Recreation Programs and Centers”…

DECATUR, GA – A mounting inventory of active, outstanding DeKalb County warrants led to a two-day task force by DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox to locate and arrest suspects this week. “Operation Safe Summer,” a multi-jurisdictional endeavor June 14-15 on some 400 warrants involved the DeKalb Sheriff’s Field Operations Criminal Process and Uniform Sections with special units from Henry County, Fulton County, and Newton County Sheriff’s Offices, and U.S. Marshals. In the past two days, agency teams made 162 endeavors (attempts to arrest) and cleared 69 active warrants. In the process, 38 persons were arrested and transported to the DeKalb…

CONYERS, GA– Raymond, a leading engineering and architectural consulting group headquartered in Conyers, is doubling its Atlanta-area corporate headquarters. The Conyers Rockdale Chamber of Commerce celebrated the expansion with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 16 at 1035 Green St., Conyers. “We were required to move and expand our headquarters because of persistent demand for engineering and architectural services despite the pandemic across our footprint,” said Ramos, PE, founder and president of Raymond.  “The new headquarters will give our growing team a chance to collaborate in person and support the needs of our clients across the U.S.” The ribbon cutting ceremony…

PORTERDALE, GA– State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) will serve as a guest panelist for a “Kappa Koffeehouse” town hall event on small business economic development on Tuesday, June 28. The meeting will be held 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the MadLuLu, 2021 Main St., Porterdale. To register/reserve a ticket for this event, please click here. Carter will be joined by Allen Fox, director of small business outreach with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and Kevin Hanna, CEO of the Rockdale Economic Development Council. This event is hosted by the Conyers-Covington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The event will address…

CONYERS, GA—The city of Conyers and Rockdale County government are partnering for a spectacular Independence Day fireworks event in the heart of Olde Town Conyers. The “Red, White and Boom” show, presented by the Conyers Convention and Visitors Bureau, is set for Sunday, July 3, 6 to 10 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs and blankets to enjoy an evening of patriotic festivities in Olde Town Conyers. Fireworks will begin at dark, or between 9:30. and 9:45 p.m. “Diverse food choices, great bands, fun and fireworks are what draws everyone together for the patriotic festivities in Olde Town,”…

STONECREST, GA – The City of Stonecrest will host a Juneteenth celebration at the Southeast Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 18, 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. Entry gates will open at 3 p.m. The program will include artist performances in music, dance and spoken word. Guests also will enjoy an African-American history exhibit, a kids’ fun zone and a special appearance by the Black Buffalo Soldiers. “Juneteenth is an important American holiday. It is a day of reflection, but it is also a time for us to celebrate the freedom of Black Americans,” said Mayor-Elect Jazzmin Cobble. “Stonecrest is proud…