Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Registration is now open for the nine-week “Chess for Success” program offered by Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson, founder of Be Someone. The training will will be held every Saturday from Sept. 4 to Oct.30, with a chess tournament planned for Oct. 30. There will be $500 in prizes awarded to winners who are DeKalb County residents. Classes will start at 11 a.m. and conclude an hour later at 12 p.m. The training is designed for ages 6 – 18 and, thanks to DeKalb County government, is free. More information, including registration details, is available by visiting www.dekalboys.org. Scroll down the list until you find “Chess…

STONECREST—District 3 Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble is facing two challengers so far in the upcoming General Election scheduled Nov. 2, 2021.  District 5 Councilwoman Tammy Grimes, who has not yet qualified but has announced she plans to run, is facing one challenger now. There are three seats on the City Council that are up for election: District 1, District 3, and District 5.  The seats are for four-year terms. The General Election is set for Nov. 2, 2021. Here’s a snapshot of the races since qualifying began on Monday: District 1: Councilman Jimmy Clanton, Jr., who qualified on Aug. 16.…

MARIETTA, GA—Republican Gubernatorial candidate Vernon Jones will be in Cobb County on Wednesday, Aug. 17, to support Wellstar Corporation employees and others at the Stop the Mandate protest in Marietta. The demonstration will be held at11 a.m. at Wellstar Corporate Office, 793 Sawyer Road. “This decision from Wellstar Corporation and others to mandate vaccines for their employees is not based on science, it’s political,” said Jones. “Americans cannot go back to surrendering their livelihood for a virus that is not a threat to our survival. Every person should be allowed to decide whether or not they get the vaccine and…

DECATUR, GA– Due to required trainings for nursing staff, the DeKalb County Board of Health’s regional health centers will be closed on Monday, Aug. 23 and Tuesday, Aug. 24., except for WIC, Dental, TB/Refugee, Early Care Clinic, and other non-clinical services. Clients previously scheduled for appointments have been rescheduled. During this closure, individuals seeking COVID-19 vaccination may visit the vaccination site at the Doraville MARTA station, located at 6000 New Peachtree Rd., in Doraville, on Tuesday, Aug. 24, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Appointments can be made via the Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Vaccine Registration and Administration…

  DECATUR, GA—The John Lewis Commemorative Taskforce will host a virtual kickoff event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19, to celebrate the launch of a campaign to raise funds for a new memorial to Congressman John Lewis. Featured speakers include Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty, Sen. Jon Ossoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Congressman Hank Johnson, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former State Rep. Jason Carter and Michael Collins, Congressman Lewis’ former chief of staff. The program will be broadcast live on DeKalb County’s DCTV23. The John Lewis Commemorative Task Force—led by…

If you’re interested in becoming a notary or you’re  already a notary, register now for the upcoming free virtual workshop offered by the Rockdale County Clerk of Courts Janice Morris  in collaboration with the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority. The workshop is free.

ATLANTA—Georgia Power crews are responding to scattered outages this morning as a result of heavy rain and gusty winds associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, approximately 8,000 customers statewide were without power as the weather system continues to move north through the state.    Crews are finding downed wires and broken poles in some areas caused by fallen trees, limbs and debris, and will be working throughout the day to make repairs. Heavy rains and saturated soil mean wind gusts are likely to bring down trees that could cause additional outages.   Customers…

Servicing for all customers to be completed by week’s end   DECATUR, GA– Due to Tropical Storm Fred, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division may experience sanitation service delays for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday customers. Sanitation crews will work through Saturday, if necessary, to ensure all households are serviced. Residents are encouraged to keep their garbage, recycling and yard trimmings at the curb until servicing occur, county officials said. The Sanitation Division apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates residents’ patience as residential collection teams work toward safely completing this week’s collection schedule, athe county stated in a news release.. For…

STONECREST—Three candidates qualified on Monday, Aug. 16, to run for City Council seats in the General Election on Nov. 2, 2021. The election will be held to fill three seats: District 1, 3, and 5. Monday was the first day for the five-day qualifying period, which ends on Friday, Aug. 2, at 4:30 p.m. The city is scheduling appointments for candidates to come in, fill out the qualifying application and pay the $400 fee. The candidates who qualified on Monday include: Jimmy Clanton, Jr., who is running for re-election for the District 1 seat. Clanton was the…

The funeral service has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, at NOON, Fairfield Baptist Church, 6133 Redan Road, Lithonia.