Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County opens three warming centers   DeKalb County will open three warming centers for residents to use overnight. Warming centers will be open in the following DeKalb County Fire Stations tonight, Jan. 18, beginning at 8 p.m.: Fire Station 3, 100 N. Clarendon Avenue, Avondale Estates, GA 30002 Fire Station 4, 4540 Flakes Mill Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294 Fire Station 6, 2342 Flat Shoals Road, Atlanta, GA 30316 Anyone staying in the warming centers must follow the county’s COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask, social distancing and undergoing a temperature check. City of Atlanta to…

DEKALB COUNTY– Due to inclement weather expected on Jan. 17, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division may experience commercial sanitation service delays for Monday customers. Collection teams will begin servicing Monday customers at 10 a.m. Normal commercial collection schedules should resume on Tuesday. The Sanitation Division apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates commercial customers’ patience as teams work toward safely completing this week’s collection schedule. For more information on services offered by the Sanitation Division, contact the Customer Care team at 404-294-2900 or sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov, visit www.dekalbsanitation.com.

Vickie B. Turner was re-elected for a second term as chair of the DeKalb County School Board and Diijon DaCosta was re-elected vice chair for the second consecutive year. The board unanimously returned both, Turner and DaCosta, to leadership roles on Jan. 10 after Turner and DaCosta nominated one another. The terms are for one year. The board is comprised of seven members. Turner said she welcomes the opportunity to continue to work with fellow board members and the community. “I look forward to ongoing positive collaboration with my colleagues on the board, as well as our community partners,”…

DeKalb County will distribute thousands of COVID-19 tests on Monday, Jan. 17, beginning at 2 p.m. at the following locations: The Gallery at South DeKalb, 2801 Candler Rd., Decatur, Ga. 30034. North DeKalb Mall, 2050 Lawrenceville Hwy., Decatur, Ga. 30033 Plaza Fiesta, 4166 Buford Hwy., Atlanta, Ga. 30345 Residents will be able to remain in their vehicles when receiving at-home test kits, and walk-ups are welcome. The number of test kits will be limited to one per person.

With precipitation expected to continue as temperatures drop below freezing across north Georgia into Sunday evening, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) reminds drivers of the potential for black ice to develop when wet roads freeze. Black ice could form on roadways in any of the 91 north Georgia counties affected by the current winter weather system. Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges, overpasses and low-lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture on…

ATLANTA– Managing through waves of high winds, snow and freezing rain, thousands of Georgia Power workers are restoring power for customers Sunday( Jan. 16) as Winter Storm Izzy continues through the state. Crews are repairing downed power lines and damaged poles caused by high winds, fallen trees and ice accumulations. The majority of the 24,000 current customer outages are in Northeast Georgia, which has seen the most snowfall and highest winds from Izzy, and additional winter weather and sub-freezing temperatures are expected overnight. Georgia Power crews focus on repairs that return power to the greatest number of customers in the…

ATLANTA– Attorney General Chris Carr announced Jan. 14 that the State of Georgia has joined 38 states in reaching a $1.85 billion nationwide settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers. “For years, Georgians who turned to Navient for help with repaying their student loans saw their debt worsen rather than improve due to the company’s deceptive practices,” said Carr. “By reaching this settlement, Georgia borrowers will receive much-needed relief totaling more than $118 million as they work to regain their financial footing. We are proud of this announcement and hope it serves as a reminder…

Eight other new members are sworn in, joining 41-member board The Atlanta Regional Commission swore in Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett and eight other elected and citizen leaders on Jan. 12. The 41-member board oversees the agency’s efforts to improve quality of life in metro Atlanta and plan for the region’s successful future. The nine new members are: ·  Andre Dickens, Mayor, City of Atlanta, ·  Anthony Ford, Mayor, City of Stockbridge ·  Patti Garrett, Mayor, City of Decatur ·  Alfred John, Chairman, Forsyth County ·  Tangela Jones, Citizen District 14 (Portions of Cherokee and Cobb counties) ·  Michelle…