Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s  (NAACP) Remembrance Project installed its third lynching marker on Thursday, May 6, at Oak Grove Park located in the Druid Hills community. The Druid Hills marker commemorates Porter Turner, a black taxi driver who was killed on Aug. 21, 1945 by the Ku Klux Klan. “We are planning to host a virtual dedication to allow the community at-large to attend. This project has become a personal project for educating our community on some major historical facts during these troubling times of health, economics and democracy crisis,”…

The Conyers-Rockdale Library and Rockdale County Public School System have partnered with the Georgia Public Library Services (GPLS) to permit all Rockdale County School District students access to the Public Information Network for Electronic Services (GA PINES) network. The partnership is called Rockdale County Student PLAY Card. The PINES Library Access for Youth (PLAY) program gives students access to library resources using their student number just like a library card. The official launch date is Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Students will have access to books, magazines, online resources, and other library materials from their local library, including additional materials from…

winnett County will soon begin using speed cameras in school zones to improve safety around schools. The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution on May 4 to allow recording devices and associated fines as provided under state law in school zones that are in unincorporated Gwinnett.     The board used  research conducted by Gwinnett Police on measures to improve safety around schools. Warnings will be issued initially until drivers get accustomed to the new procedures, officials said.   With the board’s approval, Gwinnett Police will now recommend specific areas where camera enforcement is most needed. Notices will be…

WASHINGTON — FEMA announced Thursday (May 6) that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Georgia to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes from March 25-26, 2021. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and tornadoes in Coweta, Fannin, Gilmer, Heard, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rabun and White counties. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation…

ATLANTA—Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr joined Gov. Brian P. Kemp as he signed House Bill 509. on May 6 to preserve protections of preexisting medical conditions for Georgians and ensure they are provided health care opportunities without limitation or exclusion. State Rep. Houston Gaines, who sponsored the bill in the Georgia House, and representatives from the Department of Insurance also joined Carr and Kemp. “Georgians with preexisting medical conditions must have quality health care opportunities without limitation or exclusion,” said  Carr. “House Bill 509 creates a state-based solution instead of relying on the terribly-flawed Affordable Care Act that has twice been deemed…

The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s office was recently recognized as a 2021 Tyler Public Sector Excellence Award winner during Connect, Tyler’s annual user conference in April. The award is presented to an agency that demonstrates excellence in deploying Tyler’s iasWorld software in innovative and impactful ways. Faced with the challenge of adjusting the system when on-boarding a new entity just days before the 2020 tax digest deadline, staff worked with the Tyler team to implement a new process to address a nuance in the entity’s charter that impacted the frozen base…

pplication process now open, closes May 11 This summer, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners are hosting the 2021 DeKalb Virtual Career Academy (DVCA), the county’s fifth annual summer jobs program, run by WorkSource DeKalb. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to make it difficult for DeKalb County youth to find summer jobs and internships,” said Thurmond. “Again, this year, DeKalb County will fill this training and financial gap by offering our summer jobs program as a virtual career academy.” The application process is now open and closes at 5 p.m. on May 11, 2021, for the five-week…

LITHONIA, GA — Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) today announced he will be part of a multi-event “Get Out The Vaccination (GOTV)” tour of his district over the next 10 days – especially before Mother’s and Father’s Day . “Do it for mama,” said Congressman Johnson, who is making a push for young people to get vaccinated to protect not just themselves but their families. In partnership with the Congressional Black Caucus, local health departments and hospitals, county commissioners, and houses of worship, Johnson is highlighting the need for his constituents to get vaccinated through events hosted by DeKalb County Commissioners Mereda Davis…

UPDATE: Triston Crane, who was named as the person of interest in the case, has now turned himself into the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office. This investigation is still ongoing, the Sheriff’s Office reported at 9:12 p.m. on May 5. CONYERS–The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting involving an adult male who died at a local hospital on Tuesday (May 5). The victim is believed to be connected to a crashed vehicle that deputies found in the parking lot at Pine Log Park, 1500 GA Hwy 138 N.E., Conyers, the Sheriff’s Office said. On May 4, at approximately 12:43…