Author: On Common Ground News

Acclaimed Recording Artist Steven “Spud” Howard to perform at noon service STONECREST, GA– Ring in the New Year with faith, reflection, and celebration at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which will host two transformative New Year’s Eve services on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at noon and 10:30 p.m.  Each service promises an unforgettable spiritual experience, featuring acclaimed recording artist Steven “Spud” Howard in the first service and Grammy Award-winning gospel legend Fred Hammond in the second. New Birth will provide free, roundtrip shuttle service from MARTA’s Indian Creek Station to the church, located at 6400 Woodrow Rd., Stonecrest, GA. The morning shuttle departs at 11 a.m., and the evening shuttle departs at 9:30 p.m. This year’s theme, “Unplugged – Plugged,” invites attendees to disconnect…

Update: Sen. Vincent Fort’s funeral will be held on Saturday, Jan., 4 at 1 p.m. at the Lindsay Street Baptist Church, 550 Lindsay St. NW,   Atlanta. ATLANTA—Vincent D. Fort, a tireless civil rights champion who represented Georgia’s 39th District in the State Senate for over two decades, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 22. He died after a long battle with cancer, his family said. He was 68. Fort, whose district included a portion of the city of Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Union City and unincorporated Fulton County, was well known for his tenacious spirit in fighting for fairness for…

GWINNET COUNTY, GA– Gwinnett County Police detectives have charged a suspect with breaking into a Mercedes Benz car dealership and stealing a car. Kaderries Johnson, 24, of Duluth, was charged with three counts of Burglary in the Second Degree, three counts of Loitering and Prowling, three counts of misdemeanor Theft by Taking, and one count of Motor Vehicle Theft. On Dec. 3, Johnson walked around the dealership and attempts to get into the showroom.  He walked into the service area and took a bottle of water.  An officer found Johnson walking in the parking lot at 2:40 a.m. and warned…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Delta Community Credit Union announced plans to open a new branch in Conyers, Georgia by summer 2025. The Conyers branch will be the Credit Union’s 31st in metro Atlanta and first in Rockdale County. The future location will allow Delta Community to better serve existing members and extend support to consumers in Conyers and the surrounding communities, including Stonecrest, Lithonia, Covington and Lakeview Estates. The branch will open in the Salem Gate Market Shopping Center at 1448 Old Salem Road Southeast, next to one of the shopping center’s anchor stores, Floor & Décor. The recently-built shopping center is well…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County has unveiled a transformative beautification effort along its major gateways and interstates, bringing multimillion-dollar enhancements to some of the busiest roadways in metro Atlanta, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announced today, Dec. 23.  The Gateway Beautification Project revitalizes critical arteries spanning approximately 20 acres along I-20 and I-85, including Chamblee Tucker, Flat Shoals, and Candler Roads and have taken shape as DeKalb welcomes tens of thousands of people this week as the holiday season takes full effect.  “These enhanced gateways will create positive first impressions of our county for tens of thousands of travelers,” DeKalb County CEO…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Sen. Raphael Warnock has successfully secured a $40 million authorization for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in DeKalb County. “Georgians across the state rely on safe, clean, and reliable water for drinking, maintaining homes and businesses, and more,” Warnock said. “But this is the type of work that goes largely unrecognized until disaster strikes, highlighting why it is so important to secure investments today that will protect Georgia’s water infrastructure tomorrow.” The authorization was included in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024 passed by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 97-1 on Dec. 18.…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County  Commissioner LaDena Bolton and her staff, in collaboration with Amerigroup Community Care, HOT 107.9, Glamorous Gemz, and Medcura Health,iwill host a Holiday Toy Drive to support students and their families in Super District 7. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 21, at noon, at Mercura Health, 1706 Candler Road, Decatur. This year’s drive is especially notable as District 7 contributes 50 bikes, aiming to ensure that children in District 7 experience an unforgettable holiday season, organizers said. “The Holiday Toy Drive exemplifies the power of unity and generosity within our community,” said Commissioner Bolton. “By working together with these…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the case against Tyler Merritt, 23, of Decatur. He was sentenced to life for the murder of 50-year-old Wayne Cunningham. Jurors found Merritt guilty on Dec. 19 on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, stemming from the fatal shooting on January 26, 2020.  According to the investigation, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded shortly before 4:30 p.m. to a report of a person injured at a motel in the 2500 block of…

DECATUR, GA – DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry announced that effective Jan. 1, 2025, House Bill 1292 requires that real estate documents presented by self-filers, anyone who is a party to an instrument, be recorded using electronic filing. Additionally, all individuals submitting documents for electronic filing will be required to upload their government-issued ID. The ID will be verified before the filer is allowed to proceed with the filing. O.C.G.A. § 44-2-39(b)(1). Filers can upload their government-issued ID on www.efile.gsccca.org and follow the prompts to complete the verification process. For more information, see the GSCCCA e-Filing Portal Identity Verification Guide at efile.gsccca.org. Click…