Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA, GA—For the July 14 national roll-out of the Child Tax Credit, Congressman Hank Johnson teamed up with local non-profit, Our House, United Way and the IRS to encourage families to be on the lookout for advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit of up to $300 per month per child from now through December. “Help is here. Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments will help America’s children and put more money in the pockets of hardworking parents sooner to pay for childcare or put gas in the car so they can go to work…

Lawrenceville, GA., July 19, 2021) – The Gwinnett County Solicitor-General’s Office announces the formation of a new group, “3.16 United Nations of Gwinnett,” to help raise awareness of safety concerns in communities in Gwinnett County. The name of the group, “3.16 United Nations of Gwinnett,” is to commemorate the lives lost in the tragic Atlanta Spa Shootings which took place on the night of March 16, 2021. The 3.16 United Nations of Gwinnett will ensure representation of all diverse communities of Gwinnett County by creating a united front to combat crime and hate in Gwinnett County through…

COVID-19 vaccinations available at three locations   DeKalb County will host a back-to-school food distribution for 3,500 families on Saturday, July 24. DeKalb residents will have the opportunity to receive packages of single-serving grits, juice boxes and cereal for students, along with one 20-pound box of Georgia-grown fruit and vegetables, and a 10-pound package of chicken hindquarters. “Parents should protect themselves and their children from this deadly pandemic by serving healthy food and getting COVID-19 vaccinations,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. Beginning at 9 a.m., the COVID-19 Care Baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served…

Speaker David Ralston Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) today announced he plans to push for $3 million in additional state law enforcement resources to fight crime in Atlanta. Ralston made the announcement during a meeting of the House Committee on Public Safety & Security via Zoom from Savannah, where he is attending the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Conference. “We cannot allow this spike in violent crime to continue to cast a pall over our capital city,” said Ralston. “I am committed to devoting whatever resources are necessary to bring this crime wave under…

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a virtual Parks Citizen Advisory Board Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 27, 6 p.m. The meeting to discuss current park improvements and recreation projects will be conducted via Zoom at  https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/83762815668 To join the meeting by phone, dial 888-270-9936, and use conference code 720766. For more information, contact Carol Underwood, administrative coordinator, at 404-371-2927 or cjunderw@dekalbcountyga.gov.  

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—This week, DeKalb County Animal Control Master Officer Victoria Hall is being honored as a Torchbearer by DeKalb County for her heroic efforts in capturing a rabid fox to protect DeKalb citizens. On July 10, DeKalb County Animal Control received initial reports of a fox attacking and biting shoppers at a shopping plaza on Turner Hill Road in the City of Stonecrest. Many shoppers spotted the fox and tried to avoid it but some were unsuccessful and bitten by the fox. Hall was dispatched and arrived on scene. She was able to carefully…

Work Session: Tuesday, July 20, 7 p.m. – In the Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers Zoning Public Hearing: Thursday, July 22, 7 p.m. – In the Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers Voting Session: Tuesday, July 27, 10 a.m. – In the Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers For more information on the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners, please visit: https://rockdalecountyga.gov/our-government/board-of-commissioners/  

The current status of the Bruce Street School ruins, prior to historic preservation efforts.   Ruins of DeKalb County’s first black school will be designed by Martin Rickles Studios    LITHOINA, GA—Martin Rickles Studio, an Atlanta-based interdisciplinary design studio, has been selected for the conceptual design for the preservation and activation of the Bruce Street School ruins, the remnants of DeKalb County’s first Black public school. Also known as the Lithonia Negro School, the ruins are located next to the site of the soon-to-be completed East DeKalb Community and Senior Center, all within Lithonia’s historic…

LITHONIA, GA—On Saturday, July 17, 2021, community leaders helped spoon historic soil at the site of a marker erected to remember black victims who were lynched by white mobs in Lithonia in the late 1800s after Reconstruction. The soil ceremony was held on July 17, 2021, at Lithonia Park, located at the corner of Main Street and Max Cleland Boulevard. The jars of soil will be housed at the DeKalb History Center and the Equal Justice Initiative  museum in Montgomery, AL. The soil was collected from symbolic sites in Dekalb County’s Redan Community and in the City…