Author: On Common Ground News

Join the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce for its upcoming Third Wednesday Luncheon on August 17, 11:30 – 1 p.m., with guest speaker Interim Superintendent of the DeKalb County School District Vasanne S. Tinsley. The luncheon will be held at Stone Manor Events Facility, 3113 Stone Mountain Street, Lithonia. Tinsley serves as interim superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, managing the day-to-day operations of a diverse educational system with more than 94,000 students, 14,500 employees and a budget of $2.6 billion. After a 25-year career in education and following her retirement in 2020, Tinsley was asked to return to…

ATHENS, GA—This fall, the University of Georgia (UGA) is opening a new residence hall named for the first African-American students to enroll as freshman and graduate from the university. UGA has named the new building the Black-Diallo-Miller Hall in honor of Harold Alonza Black; Mary Blackwell Diallo; and Kerry Rushin Miller. The three African-American students courageously integrated the university in the1960s as freshmen and went on to earn their undergraduate degrees from UGA during one of the tumultuous times in the history of the nation. This fall marks the 60th anniversary of the year that the three enrolled as freshmen. UGA…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office reports that two child abuse suspects have surrendered without incident to the custody of the DeKalb County Jail. Decatur resident Autumn Coney and Lithonia resident Bernetta Glover are charged with Cruelty to Children in the First Degree (Felony) for abusing a 3-year-old boy at Clarkston First Baptist Academy, 4007 Church St., Clarkston. The abuse came to light after the child’s mother, Krystin Collier, provided video surveillance to the Clarkson Police Department and warrants were issued for the women’s arrests after an investigation. According to the warrants, both suspects are accused of maliciously causing…

LAWRENCEVILLE—Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gwinnett County has served more than 1 million pounds of food through its mobile food distribution program, reaching 33,575 homes and 136,922 residents across the county. Now, Gwinnett County’s mobile food distributions have earned the National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government’s 2022 Innovative Program Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer management in city and county governments. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening food insecurity, the County partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to deploy a weekly mobile food strategy in April 2020. Each week, families in need can pick…

DECATUR, GA— The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections meeting for the purpose of conducting its normal monthly business will be held on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 4:30 p.m. This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel at https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23. To make a public comment, join via Zoom: https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/97184078303 or dial in via phone toll free at 888-270-9936 and use conference code: 171493. Public comments of two minutes or less may be made live via the teleconference. For those joining the meeting by telephone, please be…

Oak Bluffs, MA — Atlanta civil rights attorney, activist, and author Mawuli Mel Davis, will present readings from “We Need You: Encouraging My Sons’ Generation for Black Liberation,”  on Martha’s Vineyard on Aug. 11.  The inspiring dramatic reading, produced by Kemi Bennings of Evolve! Artists Live, will be held at the Strand Theatre at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  The dramatic reading will feature music and poetry from the Black Man Lab’s (BML’s) Young Creators’ “We Need You” Project.   “I am excited to share with the Oak Bluffs’ community more than my reflections and stories in the Black…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan Special to ocgnews.com ROCKDALE COUNTY–Dozens of family members traveled to visit Mary Ingram for her 101st birthday on Saturday, Aug. 6. Just a few years ago for Ingram’s 99th birthday, family members were joined by the Rockdale County Fire Department and Conyers Police Department. In addition to gifts of cards, candy and money, Ingram received a special telegram from family members on her birthday over the weekend.  A person dressed in a giant red heart serenaded Ingram as she sat in the shade of an oak tree in her yard flanked by dozens of family…

DECATUR, GA– On Friday, DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson extended her acknowledgments of the 109th birthday celebration of DeKalb County’s oldest citizen, Ms. Relda Beatrice Bennett Mackins, who was born on Aug. 7, 1913. Ms. Mackins was honored by her pastor, Rev. Vandy Simmons and her church, Antioch AME Church, 765 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, during the Sunday, Aug. 7, morning worship service. When asked her secret to long life, Mackins politely responds, “You have to ask JC (Jesus Christ).” Mackins daily routine entails a minimum of two 20-minute aerobic exercises on her indoor exercise bike. She said…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson has announced that her office has been selected to host Ruth Abunaw Arrengang, a Fellow from Cameroon in the Professional Development Experience (PDE) component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Arrengang will participate as a Fellow from July 21 to Aug. 17, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. “We are delighted to host Ruth and support her journey of service to the people of her country,” said Commissioner Davis Johnson. “We hope that this visit will help to prepare her to be of greater service to…

ROCKDALE COUNTY,GA. –County leadership is evaluating ways to shrink the operating budget for fiscal year 2023, following the  Board of Commissioners’ (BOC) first two millage rate hearings on  Aug. 2. The county’s move came after dozens of residents, many of them elderly and on fixed incomes, pleaded with the board, saying that a proposed millage increase would pose a hardship as they faced rising food and gas costs, as well as challenges in paying for medications. They said they feared that a millage increase on top of soaring property values  could squeeze them out of their homes. One senior citizen…