Author: On Common Ground News

CONYERS, GA—City Council member Connie Alsobrook will use her photography skills to gift special needs families with holiday photographs on Dec. 4 and 5.vSpecial Needs photography takes time and much patience, so each session will be given a full hour. DeKalb Family in Action Inc. will host the first session in Stone Mountain and Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers will host the second session in Conyers. A maximum of 20 families will be served at  each location. Alsobrook will send digital photos via email and sponsors have made it possible for each family to receive a free…

STONECREST, GA—Family, friends and congregation members this weekend will celebrate the life of Pastor Charles W. Bennafield, who served as leader of the historic Flat Rock Community Church for the past four years. Pastor Bennafield passed away on Sunday, Nov. 7. He was 58. “There are no words to express the sadness that we are experiencing at this time. Charles was deeply loved by so many people,” his wife, Pam, wrote in a Facebook post. “…It is not easy to say goodbye, but together we will learn how to live with this and celebrate his amazing life.” Stonecrest City…

Gwinnett County commissioners are hosting a series of open houses to help Gwinnett residents understand how redistricting works. “Information is key. We want to give our residents an opportunity to view maps, ask Gwinnett staff questions and really understand the process of redistricting,” said Board Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson. “The decisions that will be made by the General Assembly in the coming months will determine our County’s future for the next decade.” District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden kicks off the sessions next week with an open house in Duluth. “The residents of Gwinnett deserve a transparent, bipartisan and fair…

LITHONIA, Ga. – On Sunday, Nov. 14, 1 to 4 p.m., community members will gather to shape the future of the Bruce Street School ruins, the remnants of the first Black public school in DeKalb County. The event will take place on-site at 2449 Bruce Street, Lithonia. Martin Rickles Studio, an Atlanta-based interdisciplinary design studio, will lead the session to envision what is possible for the future of the ruins as a community and historic hub. Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. Participants are asked to be respectful of residents’ driveways. Some seating will be available, but it is…

ATLANTA—City of Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, Sr. appeared in federal court on Wednesday (Nov. 10) along with Lania Boone of Decatur to face charges related to the alleged misappropriation of $6.2 million in CARES Act funds the city received in 2020. Lary, 59, was charged with three counts: Wire Fraud, Conspiracy and Federal Program Theft during the first appearance hearing in Atlanta this morning before Magistrate Judge Regina Cannon. Boone, a bookkeeper who was hired to disburse the city of Stonecrest’s relief funds, was also charged at the hearing with conspiracy to steal relief funds. Boone, 60, was…

DECATUR,GA—A 46-year-old Decatur man has been sentenced to life in prison, after fatally shooting his wife while their four children were waiting in a car. James Beard, 46, was convicted on charges of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife, Angela Bishop, 38. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial today in the four-year-old murder case. The incident occurred on March 31, 2017 at the apartment complex where Beard lived, located in the 2900 block of Panthersville…

CONYERS, GA—Conyers will kick off the holiday season on Friday, Dec. 3, with the Olde Town Christmas Party featuring the Trucks on the Tracks food truck event followed by the Conyers Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 4. Sponsored by the City of Conyers, the Olde Town Christmas Party and Trucks on the Tracks will take place on Railroad Street in the historic business district on Dec. 3, 5 to 8 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring their cameras for selfies with Santa and photos with special guests scheduled to appear. Guests will also enjoy…

Advance Voting Nov. 17 –24, Election Day is Nov. 30 DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb Board of Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb BRE) recently approved details for the upcoming runoff election, scheduled for Nov. 30, and for the designated advance voting period, scheduled for Nov. 17 – Nov. 24. DeKalb is hosting a number of runoff contests held in three cities: Atlanta, Tucker and Stonecrest.  In the City of Atlanta, DeKalb-Atlanta voters will return to the polls to vote for Mayor, City Council President, City Council Member Post 3 At-large, City Council Member District 5, and Board of Education Member District 7…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA–Because of inclement weather forecast for Thursday, Nov. 11, the Gwinnett County Veterans Day Ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial is being moved indoors to the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. The ceremony will be held Thursday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m.                        County Administrator Glenn Stephens will emcee the event with District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden, District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins III and District 4 Commissioner Marlene Fosque providing remarks. Maj. General (ret.) Ronald Johnson, a professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, will be the keynote…