Author: On Common Ground News

CONYERS, GA—Excel Church, 1151 Flat Shoals Road SE, Conyers, is hosting a free groceries-to-go event on Saturday, July 3, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The boxes will contain fresh meat, produce, personal and household products, organizers said. Anyone who needs a box should park in the front of the church and a volunteer will bring out the box. “It’s a blessing to be able to serve our community amidst a pandemic where people are experiencing economic hardship,” said Pastor K. Francis Smith- Lead Pastor of Excel Church. For more information, email the church at info@excelchurch.tv.

Rendering provided by Gwinnett County government  SNELVILLE, GA—Gwinnett County and the city of Snellville have a new construction project on the books. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on June 22 approved a contract with Reeves Young, LLC, to build a new library in the city’s planned The Grove at Town Center development on Wisteria Drive. Construction on the new library is expected to begin in August 2021, officials said.  Gwinnett County and the city of Snellville are jointly funding the $10,235,000 project using 2017 SPLOST program dollars. “We can…

Peak congestion expected Thursday, July 1, 3 to 5 p.m. ATLANTA, GA— Travel continues to rebound after a year-long pandemic. AAA forecasts travel volumes for Independence Day will be the second-highest on record—nearing the highs set in 2019. More than 47.7 million Americans will take at least one domestic trip this Independence Day (July 1–5). This represents an increase of nearly 40% from last year, yet just 2.5% fewer than the 2019 holiday weekend. Georgia travel figures are also rebounding from last year. Nearly 1.5 million Georgians are forecast to take a trip during the holiday weekend.…

STONECREST, GA –Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) hosted a free vaccination event on Saturday (June 26) in conjunction with the White House and DeKalb Board of Health at the First-Class Barbershop at the Centre at Panola. More than 20 people – many of them 12 to17 years old – received either their first or second vaccination at the event. As part of President Biden’s call for a “National Month of Action” to mobilize all of America to vaccinate as many people as possible by July 4, Congressman Johnson used the…

New Birth’s food distribution goes on hiatus during the month of July STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s food pantry and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond are partnering to provide corn, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and watermelons to families on Saturday, June 26 at 10 a.m. The upcoming free food distribution takes place on New Birth’s campus located at 6400 Woodrow Road in Stonecrest and marks the final food distribution before the church’s planned sabbatical throughout the month of July. “Looking back over the last year of the pandemic, I think we can all agree that…

County surpasses federal and state standards   DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has released the 2020 Drinking Water Quality Report, also referred to as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). DWM continues to surpass all federal and state drinking water quality standards, providing DeKalb County customers with high-quality drinking water. The CCR provides detailed information on monitoring data gathered from water quality testing during 2019. DWM serves more than 700,000 customers and is responsible for treating and distributing drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater throughout DeKalb County. By law, tap water is tested for various water…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office unveiled its newly- renovated Career Learning Center for DeKalb Jail inmates with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 19. DeKalb Sheriff Melody M. Maddox hosted the event with the agency’s new corporate partners and longtime supporters of the jail’s inmate education programs. “We are grateful for contributions from Delta Air Lines, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, and the Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. which helped make the new Career Learning Center a reality,” said Sheriff Maddox. “With the updated technology and classrooms made possible by their participation, we can now accommodate…

Virtual event set Saturday, June 26 DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in partnership with Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington, will host a virtual Homeowner Association (HOA) Boot camp on June 26,  at 10 a.m. “I look forward to hosting this event each year to ensure our residents are equipped and empowered with the knowledge and tools to help them be successful,” Commissioner Larry Johnson said. “This will be our second year hosting virtually, due to the pandemic, but we need to continue to provide access and service to our constituents. This is a free…

ATLANTA—Amber Jackson, a college graduate and dental hygienist who underwent surgery to repair a broken clavicle after an Atlanta Police Department officer body-slammed her last year, is holding a press conference with her attorney on Friday (June 24). The press conference is set for 1:30 p.m. at the of Davis Bozeman  Law Firm in Decatur. Jackson was reportedly bodyslammed by Officer C.J. Swanger on May 29, 2020 outside of Lenox Mall. The incident happened on the first day of the Atlanta uprisings, which were sparked over the death of George Floyd. Police said Jackson moved a barricade and…