Author: On Common Ground News

CONYERS, GA—Connie Alsobrook will be sworn in as the first black mayor of the City of Conyers on Jan. 7, 6 p.m. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Cherokee Run Golf Club, 1595 Centennial Olympic Parkway N.E., Conyers.  Alsobrook, who served on the City Council for five years before winning the election on Nov. 4, 2025, succeeds Vince Evans, who did not seek re-election after serving on the City Council for 26 years (8 as mayor). Evans became the city’s first new mayor elected in 20 years when he won in 2017.  The swearing-in ceremony will mark the second…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – DeKalb County Government will convene the first meeting of its newly-formed SPLOST Review Committee on Thursday, Dec.11, 6 to 7:30 p.m., 178 Sams Street in Decatur. This meeting marks  a significant step in strengthening public oversight, transparency, and accountability in the administration of the County’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program, DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson announced in her December online newsletter. Meeting topics will include:  • Understanding the SPLOST Program  • Overview of SPLOST II  • Review of adopted broad category spending priorities • SPLOST Review Committee roles and responsibilities  • Establishment…

STONECREST, GA — New Birth Missionary Baptist Church will host World AIDS + HIV Awareness Sunday on Dec. 7 at 9:30 a.m. The church is partnering with Healthy MD and others to provide free HIV testing, wellness screenings, take-home testing kits, and onsite education.  Led by the New Birth Health Ministry, the event addresses the urgent and ongoing HIV epidemic that continues to disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities across Georgia and the United States. “Our responsibility as a church is to help protect the whole person,” said Jamal Bryant, Senior Pastor of New Birth. “Far too many of our brothers and sisters…

What: Weather permitting, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) construction partners will temporarily close interstate lanes at the locations below for the I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. The project will reconstruct the interstate system-to-system ramps at the I-285/I-20 East Interchange and add a combination of collector-distributor (CD), or connecting lanes, and auxiliary lanes along I-20 east of the interchange and I-285 north of the interchange. Where/When: Traffic impacts on the I-285/I-20 Interchange project from Friday, December 5, 2025, through Friday, December 12, 2025. DAYTIME CLOSURES:  Friday, December 5, through Friday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  I-20 Eastbound: Single, right- or left-lane…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—State Rep. Rhonda Taylor, who represents Georgia House District 92, will host a virtual conversation on Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m., focusing on Georgia Power’s plans to meet the growing energy demands of data centers planned across Georgia. Taylor said that while opponents and many elected officials have weighed in on the pros and cons of data centers, Georgia Power has not yet publicly discussed its strategy for powering the facilities, some of which are proposed for Rockdale and DeKalb counties.   Data centers are the backbone of the internet, housing critical IT infrastructure, including servers, storage systems and…

DECATUR, GA – As many residents are preparing to travel for the holiday season, DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding vehicle owners to check their registration to avoid delays. “With the holiday season upon us, ensuring your vehicle registration is current should be on your travel checklist before any road trip, whether it’s local or long distance,” said Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson. “Driving with an expired car tag, or without a tag, can hamper holiday travel plans and could be costly in the long run.” To avoid delays, taxpayers can go online to renew their vehicle registration, pay…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chair JaNice VanNess and Commissioner Tuwanya Smith will convene the board’s final 2026 town hall on Thursday, Dec. 11. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., Crosspoint Christian Church, 4550 GA Highway-20. Three topics are on the agenda for discussion: Recycling Center (new fees) Government Structure Economic Development The community is urged to attend. Updates will be provided and there will be an opportunity for attendees to make comments and ask questions.  

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Join Rockdale County Parks and Recreation for a magical family holiday pajama party. The free Pajama Holiday Escape will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, 6 to 9 p.m., at Johnson Park, 1781 Ebenezer Road, Conyers.  Slip into your coziest pajamas and step into a festive winter wonderland filled with fun surprises, and holiday cheer. All ages are welcome. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more information, call 770-278-7529.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The upcoming DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District meeting will be held Dec.12  at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time via Zoom. The December meeting agenda and November meeting minutes.           To join the Zoom meeting, click the link below: Https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84347508847?pwd=l7CSqChygqhTqAsZEFVZVwFdJ4UoqB.1  Meeting ID: 843 4750 8847 Passcode: 933192 One tap mobile +19294362866,,84347508847#,,,,*933192# US (New York) +13017158592,,84347508847#,,,,*933192# US (Washington DC) Join instructions https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/84347508847/invitations?signature=OFiT0QeUVcx65szszwrFIpVBx7yK9cvxieA2Hh8soZA The December meeting agenda and November minutes are below:

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Rockdale County is accepting applications for its 2026 Citizens’ Government Academy, a free, eight-week program designed to provide residents with an insider’s perspective on local government operations. The program runs Jan. 12 through March 16, 2026 and is limited to 25 participants. The goal is to help foster greater community involvement by educating residents about the inner workings of county operations and highlighting meaningful ways to engage with local government. “This academy represents our commitment to transparency and civic engagement,” said Rockdale Board of Commissioners’ Chairwoman JaNice Van Ness. “We want our residents to understand how their local…