Author: On Common Ground News

  ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health is opening a mega testing site at The Home Depot Backyard, 1 Backyard Way, Atlanta, in Fulton County beginning Friday, Jan. 14. The drive-up site at the 11-acre park is expected to serve up to 2,000 residents daily. Health officials are opening the new site in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Fulton County Government, the Fulton County Board of Health, the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency-Management Agency and Viral Solutions. Beginning Jan.14, hours of operation will be Wednesday – Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (until further notice). The site will be closed on…

ATLANTA—New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Jamal H. Bryant will join a coalition of 25 faith leaders from across the country on a hunger strike for voting rights on the first anniversary of the insurrection, Jan. 6, 2022, to urge Congress to pass voting rights legislation by Martin L. King, Jr. Day on Jan.17, 2022.   Across the country, voting rights are being threatened as 19 states passed 34 laws impacting the right to vote, specifically targeting communities of color. States enacted laws to reduce early voting, restrict access to absentee ballots, and seize control of non-partisan election administration official functions.…

ATLANTA – Today, Gov. Brian P. Kemp delivered his fourth State of the State Address to a joint session of the Georgia General Assembly. You can WATCH his annual address here, and find a copy of his address HERE. Additionally, the Office of Planning and Budget has posted Governor Kemp’s Amended Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposals HERE.

Connection may cause water outages   DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County and its contractors will continue the water meter replacement on Appalachee Drive. Work is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 18, through Friday, Jan. 21, 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. This work is being performed as a part of the annual water…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Board of Ethics will conduct a board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/88137432677. Residents can join by phone at 602-333-0032 or 888-270-9936 and use conference code 171493. Agenda Adoption of Agenda Approval of the Minutes of the December 16, 2021 Meeting III. Administrative Items Discussion on Swearing in of Board Members Update on Active Cases Proposed Revisions to Board Rules Search for New Ethics Officer Search for Board Counsel Public Comment Executive Session for Personnel Matters Comments/Questions from Board Members VII.      Announcement of…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $5 million in grants to develop a diverse talent pool of aviation maintenance technicians. The Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants were awarded to organizations that will teach technical skills and prepare participants to pursue aviation maintenance careers. “A career as an aviation maintenance technician opens a wide world of opportunity. These grants will allow us to reach and support individuals who may not had the chance to pursue this exciting career before,” FAA Deputy Administrator A. Bradley Mims said. Grant recipients include: Macon County School District,…

DECATUR, GA­­—The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections unanimously selected its next executive director during a recent meeting and initiated plans to hire Keisha Smith ahead of the 2022 election cycle. Smith will take the helm on Feb. 14. With nearly two decades of progressive leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, Smith emerged as the leading candidate, bringing a background with significant experience in strategic planning and operations management in complex organizations. “I’m excited to bring my leadership, vision and collaborative approach to guiding the work of DeKalb’s Voter Registration and Elections,” said Smith, who…

Rockdale County, GA—The Rockdale County Think Tank is hosting an MLK Day Celebration on Monday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m., at 1524 Flat Shoals Road, S.W., Conyers. The community is invited to attend the “Black on Black Love Again Celebration” in honor of the national Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday “We just want everyone to come out in the spirit of love and peace. We want to stop the killing and spread love,” said Josie Dean, founder of the Rockdale County Think Tank. Deans said that guest speakers will include Conyers City Councilwoman Connie Alsobrook; John Evans, founder…

CONYERS, GA– A new partnership between Piedmont Rockdale Hospital and the federal WIC program is assisting eligible mothers of babies in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)obtain the nutrition they through a coordinated application process. The new process is designed to save moms from having to make a trip to a government office to apply for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Information about the program will be presented at a virtual NICU parent support group meeting, hosted by the local health department on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Then,…

DECATUR, GA—On Tuesday, Jan. 11, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners elected District 1 Commissioner Robert Patrick as the 2022 presiding officer and District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis-Johnson as deputy presiding officer. Commissioner Patrick will lead the seven-member board over the next two years. “I am deeply honored by my colleagues vote of confidence in my capabilities to lead the Board of Commissioners during these trying times,” Commissioner Patrick said. “My first priority is to hold a board retreat so that we, as a governing body, can establish some clear goals to work towards this year. While we are…