Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– In a virtual voting session on Jan. 25, the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners approved placing the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) on the ballot for May. Rockdale County Board of Elections will meet on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 3:30 p.m. to adopt the resolution. In 1985, Georgia legislators authorized a one-percent sales tax collected by the County and in 1987, Rockdale County began to fund developments and improvements starting with the Nancy Guinn Library. SPLOST money is collected every time someone purchases something in Rockdale County whether they are residents or not. Throughout the…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA –The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution on Jan. 25 to create a new Public Facilities Authority to help facilitate its plan for future growth. The resolution was approved during a virtual meeting, which was held at 10 a.m. The authority will provide the county, Rockdale County School District and the City of Conyers with an additional method of financing government projects. Bonds issued by the authority will have the lowest possible interest rates and cost of issuance, officials said. The authority can raise capital to be used in the acquisition, design, and construction…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. – DeKalb County Schools’ Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris will give her State of the District address) on Wednesday, Jan. 26.   The virtual event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and stream live on DSTV and DCSD Family Engagement’s Facebook page. The address will be translated into the district’s top five languages and can be viewed via ZOOM at: https://bit.ly/3rEnj5m.        Watson-Harris will share her focus for the 2022-2023 school year:  equity, excellence, and empowerment. She will also discuss her vision for success, and other priorities, such as academic and professional growth, student and staff wellness, family and community engagement, and conditions for learning.  

LITHONIA, GA – The I&C Empowerment Zone, Inc. is accepting registrations for its Prom Dress Fairy’s Free Prom Dress Giveaway, which will be held on March 5 at the Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Phillips Road. The Prom Dress Fairy Project anticipates outfitting over 300 underserved young ladies in the metro Atlanta area, organizers stated in a news release. The dresses  event is being held to assist students whose families have been impacted by the pandemic and others who are underserved. “We will provide, free of charge, dresses, shoes, makeup, jewelry and an abundance of pampering to give the young…

CONYERS, GA—The Nancy Guinn Memorial Library will celebrate Black History Month with Master Storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste on Saturday, Feb.19, at 2 p.m. This will be an in-house program with a limited space. Grant-Baptiste, a master storyteller and educational consultant from Savannah, GA, will demonstrate how storytelling has historically been used as a tool of both resistance and reconciliation. Attendees must wear a mask and comply with social distancing protocols. The Nancy Guinn Library is located at 864 Green St., Conyers

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Tiffany P. Porter is encouraging all Gwinnett homeowners to apply online by April 1 for a homestead exemption to reduce their tax bills this year. “An exemption is the best way for qualifying residents to reduce their property taxes,” Porter said. “Once you apply online by April 1, my staff will work with you to determine your eligibility and the best exemption for your situation.” Gwinnett County offers a dozen homestead exemptions. The same form is used to apply for all of them, and it is available online atGwinnettTaxCommissioner.com/apply. To be eligible, the home…

CONYERS, GA—Registration to be entered in the lottery for Georgia Pre-K in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) for the 2022-2023 school year is open online Feb. 1-28. No paperwork is required to register for the RCPS Pre-K lottery. The link for Pre-K lottery registration and more information will be available at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek. PRE-KINDERGARTEN:  For Georgia Pre-K, children must be 4 years old by Sept. 1. Pre-K lottery registration takes place online atwww.rockdaleschools.org/prek. Students will be selected for Pre-K programs via a random lottery drawing. Selection will take place March 3, 2022, and parents will be notified of next steps after selection.…

The DeKalb House Delegation will meet virtually and regularly on Wednesdays at noon or upon adjournment during the 2022 Legislative Session.  The public is invited to attend the meetings via Facebook Live on the Dekalb Delegation FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DeKalbStateDelegation.   The first meeting will be this Wednesday, Jan. 26, 12 Noon, and the DeKalb Commissioners will be presenting its legislative agenda.

ATLANTA – Members of the Gwinnett County Legislative Delegation will hold a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m., at the South Wing Steps of the Georgia State Capitol. The leadership team of the Gwinnett County Legislative Delegation will provide an update on House Bills 872 and 873, legislation which would revise the district boundaries for the Gwinnett County Board of Education and Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, respectively. Additional resources from the Gwinnett County Legislative Delegation can be found here. For more information on HB 872, please click here. For more information on HB 873, please click here.…