Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson celebrated the grand opening of the $1.7 million Rainbow Park Amphitheater, 3171 Rainbow Park Drive, on May 14. The opening brought together elected officials and more than 800 community members who attended a free, live concert at the new venue. The award-winning Jennifer Holiday headlined the event and kicked off Commissioner Johnson’s 2022 District 3 concert series. “I always dreamed of this opportunity for DeKalb County residents,” said Commissioner Johnson, who allocated funds for the project, along with Commissioner Lorraine Cochran Johnson and the DeKalb Department  of Community Development. “I am excited…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA—Join the Friends of Hairston Park on Saturday May 21, 9 a.m., 889 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, as the group prepares for the Serenity Garden, tranquil place off the beaten path at the park. Help spread the soil and make the signs and enjoy the community gazebo and newly- installed Storywalk display. Play in the dirt a little, then sit and de-stress. Gwendolyn Stegall is president of the Friends of Hairston Park. For more information, visit FOHP.org Photo above: A beautiful snapshot of Hairston Park near the children’s playground.

ATLANTA—The 45th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will be held Memorial Day weekend at Piedmont Park – from Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30. In addition to five performances each day on the Meadow Stage, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will present Jazz 101. Jazz 101 is an opportunity for residents and visitors to experience, up close and personal conversations with the performing artists. Eddie Palmieri with Ojeda Penn; Kenny Barron with Davis Sanchez; Makaya McCraven with Lil John Roberts; and Tia Fuller are scheduled for Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30 at Park Tavern. Additionally, young patrons will have…

ATLANTA– Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hailstorms—experiencing a disaster may be impossible to avoid. Yet, as homeowners deal with the aftermath of a catastrophe, they could be victimized by dishonest contractors if they aren’t careful. AAA – The Auto Club Group — is partnering with the National Insurance Crime Bureau for Contractor Fraud Awareness Week, which runs May 23-27. This is designed to help property owners avoid becoming a victim of deceptive contractors. “AAA is urging homeowners to be leery of contractors who go door-to-door in damaged neighborhoods offering cleanup or repair services after a catastrophe,” said Bobby Futch, Vice President of Claims…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Board of Health will hold its regularly scheduled meeting via teleconference on May 26, beginning at 1 p.m. Public access to the video conference can be established through the following methods: Zoom Video: https://zoom.us/join | Meeting ID: 812 3085 1471 / Passcode: 612312 Zoom Audio: 301-715-8592 | 812 3085 1471 / Passcode: 612312 Agenda items for the meeting include:          Approval of Minutes Regular Board Meeting Minutes of March 24, 2022       Approval of Board Budget Committee Minutes III.       Approval of the Proposed FY2023 Budget       District Health Director’s Board Report for March 2022 – April 2022         Financial Status Report      Public Comments VII.     …

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County residents now have another source to obtain at-home COVID-19 test kits for free. Beginning Monday, May 23, free over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits will be available at all regional health center locations in DeKalb County. No health insurance information or ID checks are required. The at-home tests or self-tests, are convenient, offer fast results, can be taken anywhere, and work whether or not you have symptoms. The rapid antigen tests give results in just a few minutes. These tests do not need to be returned to a health center or laboratory. “Testing is an invaluable tool that…

DECATUR, GA—Trial is scheduled to begin next week in the murder case against 48-year-old Richard Merritt, a former Marietta, Georgia attorney. Merritt is charged with Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the February 2019 stabbing and beating death of his mother, Shirley Merritt, 77, at her Tucker home. Merritt was scheduled to turn himself in on Feb. 1, 2019 to serve 15 years in prison and 15 on probation in another case, but vanished after killing his mother and…

CONYERS, GA—The Nancy Guinn Memorial Library has replaced its old microfilm reader/printers with the all-in-one ScanPro 2200, thanks to a generous donation by the Friends of the Library (FOL) group. With the ScanPro 2200, patrons can view 16mm, 35mm, fiche, and jacketed fiche while researching old newspapers, census records, slave record, American Ancestry records and more. The library received the ScanPro 2200 microfilm machine under the FOL past president Linda Kelly during the pandemic. The ScanPro 2200 is an all-in-one printer, scanner for research, and a conversion scanner for roll film, fiche, and jacketed fiche. The library’s microfilm collection…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County’s Fresh on DeK Mobile Farmers Market will kick off its 2022 season with a virtual event featuring Chef Mical St. Clair. The kickoff will be held on Friday, May 20, 11 a.m. to noon. Chef St. Clair will prepare Greek chicken quesadillas, Greek pico salad, and mint infused water during the food demonstration. Registration for the Zoom session can be found at https://bit.ly/FODKickoff2022 or tune into the live session on Fresh on DeK’s Facebook page. Fresh on DeK is made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DeKalb County Government, DeKalb County…