Author: On Common Ground News

Agenda Updated  May 3

DECATUR, GA– To adjust for decreased demand for COVID-19 testing, our testing partners, LTS and Viral Solutions, will reduce or end COVID-19 testing at their respective locations over the next two weeks. COVID-19 testing in the parking lot of Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, 1879 Glenwood Ave., SE, in Atlanta, will end on Friday, May 13, at 2 p.m. The remaining testing sites, staffed by Viral Solutions, will operate on the following modified schedule beginning Monday, May 2: Brookhaven MARTA Station Parking Lot 1238 Apple Valley Rd. NE, Brookhaven Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday CLOSED 9:00 a.m. –…

DECATUR, GA – On Thursday, April 28, DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson announced that she has formally rescinded her endorsement of School Board member DiJuan Dacosta in the District 6 school board election. “The children are paramount. Parents and prospective residents must feel confident in our educational system”, Davis Johnson said. Davis did not state the reason for rescinding her endorsement. However, her decision follows the controversy surrounding the Board of Education’s abrupt removal on April 26 of Cheryl Watson-Harris as school superintendent. The DeKalb Board of Education and Watson-Harris have come under fire by the public and state officials…

The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold the following virtual meeting and executive session on Friday, April 29, 2022: 2:00pm          VIRTUAL CALLED MEETING and EXECUTIVE SESSION Virtual Executive Session Virtual Called Meeting The virtual called meeting agenda is attached and can be accessed online by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org, click on Leadership, go to Simbli (formally known as eBoard) Home Page and click on the date for the meeting agenda/information.  The virtual meeting can be viewed at the following link on DeKalb Schools TV (DSTV) by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org/communications/dstv.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb County Board of Education in a 4-1 vote fired Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris on Tuesday during a virtual meeting, stating that the separation was effective immediately. Board Chair Vicki B. Turner, members Diijon DaCosta, Anna Hill and Joyce Morley voted in favor of terminating Watson-Harris, with Deirdre Pierce casting the dissenting vote. Board members Allyson Gevertz and Marshall Orson were absent. The board named Dr. Vasanne Tinsley as the interim superintendent. Tinsley is a retired DeKalb educator who formerly served as the Deputy Superintendent of Student Support & Intervention in the district. “The Board has the…

DEKALB COUNTY—Lance Hammonds, president of NAACP DeKalb County, is urging voters to elect better leaders after the DeKalb County School board abruptly fired Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris on Tuesday. The board named Dr. Vasanne Tinsley as the interim superintendent, a retired educator who formerly served as the Deputy Superintendent of Student Support & Intervention in the district.  Hammonds said DeKalb has had 10 school superintendents in the last 25 years and the lack of consistent leadership has been damaging—and costly. Watson-Harris was hired in 2020, taking the helm on July 1. She was awarded a contract with a base salary…

DECATUR, GA –– The man accused of a deadly shooting this week at a Candler Road gas station is in custody. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jurrell Bethel, 62, of Covington when he turned himself in today on a warrant charging him with Malice Murder in the death of Tyrone Hodge of Decatur on April 26. According to the warrant, Bethel shot Hodge in the face during an altercation. No motive was given for the shooting. Bethel is being held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond.

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson will host a prayer vigil and walk, Thursday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m., at the Golden Glide Skating Rink, 2750 Wesley Chapel Rd., Decatur. Johnson started his ‘Enough is Enough!’ campaign over five years ago to focus on a comprehensive approach to crime prevention. The prayer vigil and walk are designed to bring the community together during this time of uncertainty and unrest. Johnson said he shares in the concerns of the violent acts that are plaguing our community. Throughout the year, he actively meets with the DeKalb County public safety director and…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $90.4 million in YouthBuild grants to provide training and apprenticeships to young adults who are not enrolled in school or working in construction and other in-demand industries. Following its Nov. 23, 2021 announcement of available funding, the department awarded 68 grants – ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 million – to organizations in 28 states and Puerto Rico. Participants will engage in classroom learning that will prepare them for building and rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in their communities. Participants will split their time between workplace training…