Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA—- The Georgia Department of Early Learning (DECAL) has announced eight childcare centers awarded the state’s inaugural Quality Rated Language and Literacy Endorsements.  The list includes four local centers:Minnie Howell Child Development Center, Atlanta; Discovery Point #61, Conyers;Giselle Learning Academy, Clarkston; and The Learning Station, Ellenwood.    Others on the list include: Kid’s World Learning Center, Statesboro; Rising Star Learning Center, Mableton; and Whitfield-Dalton Day Care Center, Dalton. Gov. Brian P. Kemp and Georgia DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs applauded the centers for their commitment to providing high-quality, language-rich environments to Georgia’s youngest learners. “It is exciting to…

Event is a partnership with DCSD to kick off Family Engagement Month   DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is partnering with the DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) Department of Family and Community Empowerment to host the inaugural DeKalb County Trunk & Treat for Halloween. The DeKalb County Trunk & Treat will officially kick off DCSD’s Family Engagement Month and will take place at Northlake Mall on Saturday, Oct. 30, 3 to 6 p.m. This community event will provide a safe space for children and feature music, live entertainment, face painting, a caricature station, food trucks, local…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— “Buck” Godfrey Stadium plays host to three games this week including a Thursday night game and a Friday doubleheader, one of four on Friday (Oct. 29) in DeKalb stadiums. A neighborhood rivalry opens the week at Godfrey as Lithonia (2-6) entertains Arabia Mountain (3-6). The game features two of the top running backs in DeKalb in Lithonia’s Delano Jean-Jacques (714 yards, 6 TDs) and Arabia Mountain’s Solomon Rayton who is hovering around 800 yards and 8 TDs on the year. Stephenson (5-3, 1-3) travels to Banneker in another Thursday night game to take on…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County officials on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m., will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly-constructed 2.2-mile segment of the Michelle Obama Trail, located at the Georgia State University Decatur campus, 2946 Clifton Spring Road. The trail includes installation of a 12-foot-wide path primarily consisting of concrete and sections of a wooden boardwalk and two steel truss bridges. The $3.9 million project honoring the nation’s first African-American First Lady, was funded by the DeKalb Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), Georgia Department of Transportation and the PATH Foundation. DeKalb County is expected to receive an…

New firm brings experience in managing Georgia’s most visited attraction   STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. — Thrive Attractions Management, LLC has been chosen as the finalist in the RFP to be the private manager of Stone Mountain Park by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the state authority that oversees the state’s most visited attraction. Thrive is a newly created entity owned by Michael Dombrowski, who has served as vice president and general manager of the park since 2014. The selection of Thrive brings stability, a smooth transition and years of experience successfully operating Stone Mountain Park, officials said. “We are…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will host a Special Called Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel at https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23. To make a public comment, join via Zoom:         https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/97184078303 or dial in via phone toll free at 888-270-9936 and use conference code: 171493. Public comments of two minutes or less may be made live via the teleconference. For those joining the meeting by telephone, please be aware that your phone number may…

District 4 Council member Cleta Winslow and Post 1 At-Large Council member Michael Julian Bond will host a job fair in District 4 on Thursday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., in the parking lot of West Hunter Street Baptist Church, 1040 Ralph David Abernathy  Bou,levard. Representatives from Amazon, Marriott, Grady Health System, the City of Atlanta, Sodexo Food Services, and Norfolk Southern be available and on-the-spot interviews will be conducted. Attendees are required to wear a face mask and socially distance. For more information, call 404-330-6047.

The 2021 DeKalb Middle School Football Trail to the Title Championship is set as Salem and Stephenson won their semifinal round games at Avondale Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 23).   Salem opened the semifinal doubleheader by knocking off Cedar Grove (5-3) 12-0.   CJ Harris got the Lions (8-0) on the board on the opening drive of the game running 45 yards to the end zone to give Salem the early 6-0.   Jaleel Baugh made it 12-0 on a 10-yard scamper early in the second quarter to push the lead out to 12-0 as the teams headed to the…

STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is hosting an annual college scholarship fair that will bring more than 50 colleges and universities under one roof Oct. 25-28, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., in the church’s Family Life Center, 6400 Woodrow Rd., Stonecrest. The 6th Annual Free College Scholarship Fair, co-sponsored by The Leadership Team USA and Infinite Scholars, looks to create the state’s largest scholarship event of its kind with a goal of awarding more than $40 million in academic scholarships during the four-day event. “This life-changing event gives hope to every student who dreams of attending college but…