Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County has received $25 million from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that will support the county’s efforts to provide relief to tenants and landlords affected by the pandemic. “I want to thank Commissioner Christopher Nunn and the Department of Community Affairs for their continued efforts to provide rental assistance in DeKalb and across the state of Georgia,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “We appreciate and enjoy the partnership that the state has developed with DeKalb since the inception of this program,” said Christopher Nunn, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. “It is important to…

STONECREST, GA – On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is hosting his 2022 Black History (BHM) Program(entitled: “Blacks in Aviation: Past and Present.” The program will honor the history of black pioneers for their courage and perseverance that paved the way for later generations to pursue careers in aviation. It will also explore how young aviators are making it in the world of aviation today – to share their stories and expose young people in the audience to careers aviation. Johnson will spotlight and honor three now-deceased Tuskegee Airmen from the 4th Congressional district:  Mr. Val Archer,…

$14.1 million to improve public safety retention, recruitment and training DECATUR, GA – Today, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve CEO Michael Thurmond’s FY2022 budget which includes a 6.25 percent increase in compensation for eligible sworn public safety personnel, making the pandemic front-line pay permanent for these employees. “I would like to thank the commissioners who voted to support this critical budget which prioritizes public safety,” CEO Thurmond said. The budget includes $14.1 million to improve retention, recruitment and training for police, fire, and other public safety personnel. In addition to increasing…

  EAST POINT, GA– The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is working with the East Point Police to identify a teen girl who was found deceased on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. The unidentified girl is believed to be between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. East Point Police responded to a call of a deceased person on Feb. 12 and found the black female’s body outside next to a vacant house in the 2200 block of Ben Hill Road. An autopsy examination determined that she was the victim of a homicide, authorities said. The victim has…

DECATUR—Registered voters in DeKalb County planning to cast an absentee ballot for the Tuesday, May 24, 2022, primary election are encouraged to begin the process as early as March 7, 2022. The application is the first step in obtaining an absentee ballot and a valid ID is required. An application for an absentee ballot can be submitted in several ways: Print and fill out the application available at www.dekalbvotes.com, sign the application, take a photo or scan and email to voterreg@dekalbcountyga.gov. Print out the application from www.dekalbvotes.com, fill it out, and hand deliver or mail to: 4380 Memorial…

Stonecrest Mayor Pro Tem George Turner & Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble presents: Road Repair & Repaving Summit- How the City and the County partner to repair & repave Stonecrest roads Join us on Feb 23rd, 2022 @ 6:30pm for a town hall meeting discussing roads in Stonecrest. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82412102231 Meeting ID: 824 1210 2231 Proudly Serving, Jazzmin Randall Cobble Councilwoman, City of Stonecrest- District 3

ATLANTA—Mayor Andre Dickens has been named a co-chair of the Truman Center for National Policy’s new Task Force on City and State Diplomacy. Supported by the Open Society Foundations, this effort will address states, cities and other subnational actors as essential participants in foreign policy. This task force will develop a series of recommendations to broaden diplomatic engagement across America, strengthen ties between the U.S. State Department and U.S. City and State governments, and deepen domestic engagement on transnational issues, including: climate change, migration, and trade. These recommendations will be developed by Task Force members, building on Truman’s foundational work…

DEKALB COUNTY GA– The DeKalb County Police Department Homicide/Assault Unit continues to actively investigate and follow leads regarding the Feb. 19 shooting death of Henry Ashley, 24.   Investigators believe Ashley, who worked as a security guard at the business located at 8455 Mall Parkway, Stonecrest encountered the suspects at approximately 11 p.m. as he investigated a suspicious person’s alert on the property.  Moments after the encounter, the suspects shot him while he was in his marked work vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.   The five suspects fled the scene immediately after the…

CONYERS, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) Superintendent Terry Oatts was recently honored by the Georgia Senate for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Georgia Sen. Tonya Anderson (District 43) presented the resolution during the Rockdale County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 17. The resolution recognized the leadership of Oatts in proactively establishing an epidemiology committee in fall 2019, continuously collaborating with public health and community agencies, and using public health data to guide COVID-19 mitigation measures. The resolution also highlighted Oatts’ efforts to acquire telehealth services with the nonprofit Kids’-Doc-on-Wheels and make RCPS the first district in the…

ATLANTA—Mayor Andre Dickens is marking the first-ever Peace Week ATL with a series of events across the city. The purpose of Peace Week ATL is to rebuild and strengthen the social fabric of Atlanta as cities across the country grapple with violence. “Peace week ATL is week of events, activities and conversations that we hope will build awareness of—and support for—Atlanta’s peace-building practices,” Mayor Dickens told those in attendance at the Peace Week ATL kick-off interfaith prayer service held today at The King Center with Rev. Dr. Bernice King. “We join a host of other cities struggling with outbreaks of…