Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The county’s Department of Youth Services is hosting a free, 8-week chess and leadership training program presented by Orrin Hudson, founder of the Be Someone mentoring program. The “Chess for Success” program will be held virtually every Saturday, Sept. 3 to Oct. 22,  with a chess tournament planned for Oct. 22. The program is open to DeKalb residents ages 8 to 18. Classes will be  held 11a.m. until noon.  More information, including registration details, are available by visiting  reserved=0″>www.dekalboys.org. Scroll down the list until you find “Chess for Success” and click on the icon or click on this link https://dekalboys.org/chess-class/. You can learn…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – After holding authorities at bay for several hours on Wednesday, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive/S.W.A.T. Unit, with assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department S.W.A.T. Unit, arrested a man who was threatening to kill family members and law enforcement officials. Jason Travis Williams, 34, was taken into custody today, Sept. 1, on warrants for Terroristic Threats (Felony) and for Violating a Family Violence Order (Misdemeanor) on Aug. 28 at his Lithonia, Georgia residence.  Authorities attempting to serve the warrants found Williams had barricaded himself inside a residence on Longwood Court in Lithonia. A standoff ensued…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor today inducted the essential workers of the coronavirus pandemic into the Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor in recognition of their sacrifices and continuous efforts to support America’s communities through the pandemic.  Essential workers, including teachers, grocery workers and transportation workers who sustained our economy since 2020 attended the event and spoke about how becoming an essential worker during the pandemic affected their lives and the lives of their families. These workers and their families represent a small part of a much larger group of essential workers now commemorated in the department’s Hall of Honor. “The…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw encourages the public to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Tobie Grant Recreational Center tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 2, 10 a.m., at 593 Parksdale Drive and Tobie Grant Lane in the Scottdale community. The new center is named after Tobie Kendall Grant (1887-1968), an African-American community leader, spiritual advisor, businesswoman and philanthropist in Scottdale. The old center, opened in 1962, was named for Mrs. Tobie Grant. In 1960, Mrs. Grant donated 40 acres to the Scottdale community for a community recreation center and library. The $10.2 million, 24,087-square-foot recreation center will offer intergenerational programming…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host the second annual Gateway to Fishing program on Sept. 17. The event will be held 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the fishing pond at Chapel Hill Park, 3985 LeHigh Blvd., Decatur. The free event is being held to enhance fishing in metro and suburban parks and other public waters that are easily accessible to home for Georgians. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources strives to partner and host youth fishing classes and improve accessibility for communities to enjoy. The event…

CONYERS, GA—Despite a massive fire that ripped through their church on Aug. 19, Excel Church Worldwide is moving ahead to help families in need this Labor Day weekend.   The church is giving away free groceries to 1,000 families on Saturday, Sept. 3. The church’s “Free Groceries to Go” event will be held  10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at its campus, 1151 Flat Shoals Road S.E., Conyers.    “The church is known as a community pillar that always supports local families in need and we are not stopping now,” said Excel Church Lead Pastor K. Francis Smith.  For over 15 years, Excel…

CONYERS–The Conyers Police Department (CPD) is hosting a free Bike Safety Rodeo for kids ages 5-16 at the Big Haynes Creek Nature Center (BHCNC) on Saturday, Sep. 17, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The goal of the event is to educate young cyclists about bike and helmet safety, promote safe riding techniques – and to do so in a healthy, park environment.            “This event will give tips that these young bicyclists can use for the rest of their life,” said Sergeant Peggy Franklin, Community Outreach Sergeant at Conyers Police Department.  “We want to especially encourage kids to wear helmets when…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 38-year-old Decatur man in connection with molestation of a minor. Decatur resident Roderick C. Strickland was taken into custody without incident on Aug. 29 by investigators at his residence. An arrest warrant charges Strickland with Child Molestation and accuses him of performing “an immoral, indecent act” in the presence of a child under the age of sixteen. Strickland is being held at the DeKalb County Jail.