Author: On Common Ground News

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:…

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…