Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs, Netball America- Be An Inspiration GoGirlGo! Atlanta and Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau(DCVB) will host the International Junior United States Open Netball Championship Tournament on Saturday, April 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Phillips Road, Lithonia. Patrons are invited to this free and exciting event that will also include an opening day celebration, a graduation ceremony, food drinks and giveaways. The community will have an opportunity to learn more about the netball program, register for next season and train with the USA Netball…

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by guilty plea in the case against a Decatur man charged in the fatal 2018 Easter Sunday shooting of a 3-year-old boy. During court proceedings on April 15, Christopher Cullins, now 19, pleaded guilty to charges of Voluntary Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the shooting death of T’rhigi Craig Diggs. The young child was shot and killed at the intersection of Eastland and Bouldercrest Roads in DeKalb County. His mother, Roshanda Craig, was driving through the intersection when a…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway was one of multiple sites where DeKalb County government officials distributed food to needy families ahead of the Easter holiday. The families received 10-pound bags of chicken hindquarters, eggs and produce during the free giveaway. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said the county partnered with local churches and utilized federal American Rescue Pan funds to purchase food for 5,000 families for the April 9 event. Since May 2020, DeKalb County has distributed 68,100 boxes of food. “Our senior citizens on fixed incomes and working families are struggling to provide…

By Zack Loehle Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance STONECREST, GA– Fifty years ago on April 18, Charles Davidson, Jr., president of one of the largest granite products companies in the world, donated a 500-acre rock outcrop as greenspace to DeKalb County government. The Davidson family donated the property to preserve it and prevent it from being developed by one of the company’s competitors. Today, the site is the centerpiece of the nationally significant 2,500+ acre Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, a focal point of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. County government and the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area…

STONECREST, GA–DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 6 p.m., featuring a tree planting experience at the Stonecrest Library. Commissioner Davis Johnson will be joined by Roots Down partners, who will share information about tree plantings and edible gardens established at five DeKalb County community  libraries, including  gardens at the Stonecrest Library. “In addition to learning about our fruitful gardens, you will have an opportunity to win a grocery gift card in our continued efforts to fight food insecurity. Two individuals will receive a $100 grocery gift card at each…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. –The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners has increased the minimum wage for county workers to $15 an hour, following the completion of a market study, officials said in a news release today (April 18). Rockdale County partnered with PayScale to complete the market study, with the goal to fairly compensate employees and remain competitive within the metro Atlanta job market. The Board of Commissioners approved amendments to the County’s operating budget for the raises on April 12. Each employee was brought to the minimum of the new pay grade or they received an 8% compression increase,…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– This summer, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners are hosting the 2022 DeKalb Virtual Career Academy (DVCA), the county’s sixth annual summer jobs training program, run by WorkSource DeKalb. “As the economy continues to recover and high gas prices make transportation unaffordable for some part-time jobs, DeKalb County will continue to offer our summer jobs program as a virtual career academy,” said Thurmond. The application process will open on April 19, and close at 11:59 p.m. on April 25, for the five-week program, which runs June 6 through July 8. DVCA will…

ATLANTA–April is Minority Health Month and sustainable waste management and hunger relief company Goodr has teamed up with March of Dimes to hold a free pop-up grocery market on Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, 477 Windsor St. S.W., Atlanta. Two hundreds pre-registered moms will receive one week’s worth of groceries with a focus on maternal and infant health. The event will provide the recipients with meat and seafood, fresh produce, eggs, bread, dairy, shelf stable items including high protein items such as oatmeal and peanut butter, snacks and…

STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is reopening its doors for in-person worship on Good Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m., with internationally-renowned faith Bishop T.D. Jakes and award-winning gospel artist John P. Kee. New Birth’s reopening activities, called “The Return,” will culminate on Resurrection Sunday, April 17, with Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant and celebrated gospel artist VaShawn Mitchell beginning at 9:30 a.m. All planned events will take place at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, located at 6400 Woodrow Rd in Stonecrest. With soaring gas prices, New Birth announced its “Gas on God” initiative to provide 500 drivers with…

ATLANTA—Civil Rights Attorney Mawuli Davis (J.D. ’02), founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law firm in DeKalb County, will serve as Georgia State University’s College of Law commencement speaker. The graduation will be held on Friday, May 13, at Center Parc Stadium. Davis shared his thoughts on being selected as the College of Law’s commencement speaker with me earlier today: “To serve as the commencement speaker for the Georgia State University College of Law class of 2022 is truly one of the greatest honors of my professional career,” said Davis. “The class of 2022 has shown the grit,…