Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA— Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general in urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to adopt a national rule to outlaw impersonation scams and better protect consumers, businesses and charitable organizations. “Criminals continue to employ new methods in an attempt to steal personal or financial information,” said Carr. “With impersonation scams and associated losses on the rise, our Consumer Protection Division has worked diligently to warn Georgians of the red flags and connect with those who have encountered this unscrupulous behavior. By providing a standardized rule to address this growing problem,…

HBCU students pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, agri-tech, social justice, arts and entertainment, energy and health encouraged to apply ATLANTA—The Propel Center, the global HBCU technology and learning hub working to level the playing field for HBCU students, today announced the launch of its Propel Student Impact Scholarships with support from Apple and Southern Company. The new scholarship program, targeting HBCU students who are pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, arts and entertainment, agri-tech, social justice and health, is open to rising sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students alike. Propel Center will donate a total of 100 $10,000 scholarships o the winners, an…

DECATUR, GA–New Life Community Ministry, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, is hosting a community forum entitled “Kidney Connection” on Thursday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. The Kidney Connection is a safe space aimed to encourage, educate, and empower those affected by chronic kidney disease either directly or indirectly as a caregive, organizers sau. Participation also offers knowledge for prevention, especially for Gen X and Millennials. This is the place to be encouraged in your faith, supported by kidney professionals and survivors.  You will be equipped with tools to prevent, detect and/or to thrive while living with kidney disease!. To register…

CLARKSTON, GA – On Thursday, Feb. 24, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is hosting an in-person event with Don Graves, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to discuss how the Fourth District and state can leverage the bipartisan infrastructure law to provide high-speed Internet access throughout Georgia.. The event, entitled “Investments in Equity through Broadband and the Supply Chain,” will feature an expert panel that will discuss why broadband equity is an economic and civil rights issue in the 21st century, and how the new law can help address unequal access to broadband in both rural and urban settings.…

SNELLVILLE, GA—Gwinnett County District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins, III is partnering with community organizations to host the Healthy, Vibrant and VAxxed Walk-in Vaccine Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Lenora Park Gymn, 4515 Lenora Church Road, Snellville. Vaccines will be available to eligible people ages 5 and up for the chance to earn a $100 gift card. All three authorized vaccines – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – will be available onsite. Gift cards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments will be taken. Partners for the event…

LITHONIA, GA – On Thursday, Feb. 24, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is visiting with Pride Road, a family-owned food manufacturing company that produces all natural locally grown Hibiscus-based products. Their Hibiscus begins from seeds collected from the previous season’s harvest. These seeds are grown into transplants and planted at local Georgia farms. Pride Road turns them into products, including teas, jellies, chutney and sparkling drinks. Pride Road are also the recipients of a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program that helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of…

Volunteers gathered recently to help the NAACP DeKalb County branch plant trees at DeKalb Memorial Park, 353 Wilkerson Drive, Atlanta. The community service event, held on Feb. 19, was done in cooperation with Trees Atlanta. The project was among many held during Arbor Day observances locally and around the nation. Photos by Kelly Jordan

Link to View Agendas:  https://rockdalecountyga.gov/rockdale-board-of-commissioners-meeting-agenda/ Zoning Public Hearing: Thursday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. – VIRTUAL ONLY and Attendance is VIRTUAL ONLY – Any person wishing to speak during public comment at the Zoning Public Hearing is requested to register in advance by contacting the Rockdale County Department of Planning and Development at (770) 278-7100 by Wednesday, Feb. 23, 5 p.m.   Work Session: Tuesday, March 1,10 a.m. – VIRTUAL ONLY and Attendance is VIRTUAL ONLY. Any person wishing to speak during public comment is requested to register in advance by contacting the Rockdale County Department of Public Relations via email…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA– DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will host its first film festival highlighting films to unite the DCSD community and discuss challenging topics impacting students and education.      The four films included in the festival are Chasing Childhood, College Behind Bars, Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, and Girl Rising.  The film fest will be held at 6 p.m. at the DeKalb County School District Administrative and Instructional Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain. The registration linkf or the event is shorturl.at/hBMW6.   Chasing Childhood addresses today’s highly charged world of structure and more. Throughout these different stories, a central question emerges:…