Author: On Common Ground News

Photos By Glenn L. Morgan STONECREST—The Red Cross is assisting 21 families (37 people) who were displaced on Tuesday, Feb. 1, after a fire destroyed their homes at the Wesley Providence Apartment Homes, located near Klondike and Hayden Quarry roads in the city of Stonecrest. Capt. Jaeson Daniels, Public Information Officer for DeKalb County Fire Rescue, said the fire broke out at 2:20 p.m. in an apartment on the second floor and swept through the building, which contained 24 units. Daniels said fire investigators have not determined what caused the fire. The investigation, he said, is ongoing. “Thankfully, there…

Older cell phones, other devices + vehicles to be disabled during transition   ATLANTA– Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging Georgia businesses and consumers to prepare for the complete shutdown of 3G technology as mobile networks transition to more advanced network services, including 5G coverage. “We understand that news of the 3G shutdown may have escaped the notice of many Georgians, but this is an important issue,” said Carr. “Service to certain older mobile devices will be disabled, including the ability to dial 911, some home security systems will no longer connect to their servers and some medical devices will…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County and its contractors will continue the water meter replacement on Briarcliff Road, between Emory and Harvard Road, through Friday, Feb. 4, unless unforeseen circumstances arise. As crews connect the new water main, residents may experience periods of low, to no water pressure during the work hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. These planned outages are expected to last approximately one to four hours. Construction crews will work diligently to minimize the length of impact to residents. The work is being performed as a part of the annual water and sewer construction administered by the…

NORCROSS, GA—The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) will host a job fair on Feb. 5,10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Summerour Middle School, 321 Price Place N.W., Norcross.Job seekers will have an opportunity to meet regional employers hiring for full- and part-time positions. Job-seekers also will have a chance to connect with employers after the event. In addition to employers, a number of service providers will be at the event, offering help with mental health, food insecurity, homelessness, and healthy relationships.“Our local economy is booming but thousands of our neighbors remain sidelined by the pandemic in the search for…

Learn about how and why Gwinnett County Government operates the way it does by enrolling in the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy. The 12-week program gives participants an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at County operations, meet County leaders, and tour County facilities. To be considered for the spring session, apply at Gwinnett101.com by Tuesday, March 1. Classes start Thursday, April 7 and will meet one evening per week. The Gwinnett Youth Commission, an eight-week summer leadership program for high school students, is also accepting applications through Friday, April 15.

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will receive $87,000 for capital improvements to two neighborhood parks, on behalf of its Friends of the Park partners. DeKalb County Commissioners Ted Terry and Larry Johnson and The Home Depot Foundation provided additional funding. The Park Pride Grant Program awards funding to community groups seeking to revitalize their neighborhood parks. Contributions were provided in part through Park Pride’s Community Building by The Home Depot Foundation. DeKalb Memorial Park will get a new playground, thanks to community partners. The Friends of DeKalb Memorial Park was awarded a $50,000 grant and it contributed an…

ATLANTA – The DeKalb County House Legislative Delegation, chaired by State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), will hold a series of virtual public hearings to discuss the proposed district maps for the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and DeKalb County Board of Education. The virtual event schedule is as follows: ·       Wednesday, Feb. 2, 12 p.m. via Facebook Live; to participate in this virtual hearing, please click here;  ·       Tuesday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom; advanced registration is required; to register for Zoom access, please click here; ·       Wednesday, Feb. 9, 12 p.m. via Facebook Live; to participate…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Matt Dollar (R-Marietta) announced on Feb. 1  a ballot referendum for area residents to consider incorporating the City of East Cobb. HB 841, sponsored by Dollar, will now head to the Senate for consideration. “House Bill 841 would allow local residents to decide for themselves whether or not to create the City of East Cobb,” said Dollar. “People are really seeing the value of not increasing the size of government, but shifting important services to a more local level. I want to thank my colleagues for their bi-partisan support of this effort.” If HB 841…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Matt Dollar (R-Marietta) resigned from the Georgia House of Representatives today. Dollar announced that he has accepted a position with the Technical College System of Georgia as the deputy commissioner of economic development. “Having been born and raised in Marietta, it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the citizens of House District 45 in the Georgia House of Representatives,” said Rep. Dollar. “I want to thank the people of East Cobb for putting their trust in me, as well as Speaker David Ralston for the confidence he has shown in me during…