Author: On Common Ground News

CONYERS, GA – Duc Le, a senior at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, has completed the NatStuCo Student Leaders Program, earning national recognition as a National Student Council Distinguished Student Leader. Duc Le is one of approximately 800 students in the nation to achieve this recognition, which is becoming a highly sought-after honor by student leaders across the country. Sponsored by the National Student Council (NatStuCo) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Student Leaders Program serves to: Give schools a tool to enhance and improve their efforts to develop student leaders. Challenge students to…

DECATUR GA– DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is partnering with Netball America – Be An Inspiration GoGirlGo! Atlanta to host a kick-off registration event on Sept.10, 2 to 5 p.m., at Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Phillips Road, Lithonia. The event will include a free netball demonstration and lunch for patrons ages 9 to 18 to enjoy. Participants also will be able to register for the free 10-week program that is set to begin on Sept.13. The program will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., at the center. Participants will learn the skills of the…

ATLANTA— Mayor Andre Dickens tested positive for COVID-19 this morning (Sept. 6), his spokesman Michael Smith said. The mayor has mild, cold-like symptoms. He will isolate at home and will continue to hold meetings virtually, Smith stated. The mayor encourages all Atlantans to stay vigilant and to get vaccinated and boosted per CDC recommendations. CDC guidance: Preventing COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html Guidance for those who are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/index.html Guidance for those who have been exposed: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html

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…