Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA –The Georgia Council for the Arts, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), has announced the recipients of its Bridge, Project, and Arts Education grants as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2022. A total of 266 grants were awarded that will provide more than $2 million in funding toward arts initiatives in 49 counties throughout the state. The Bridge Grant will provide funding for operating support to 135 organizations, the Project Grant will help fund 54 art projects, and 77 programs received funding through the Arts Education Program…

Pictured L-R: Virginia Shepard, Interim Administrator Soukhy Clark and Marie Warrington.                   L-R: Tiameka Hudson-Collins, Latridra Roberts, Virginia Shepard, Yolanda Colbert, Marie Warrington and Desiree Roberson. STONECREST, GA– Traditions Health & Rehabilitation Center, 2816 Evans Mill Road, recently celebrated two long-time certified nursing assistants during National CNA Week: Marie Warrington, who has worked at the center for 35 years; and Virginia “Ann” Shepard, who has worked there for more than 33 years. “Certified Nurse Assistants are quite special to us as they…

HENRY COUNTY, GA—Purple Innovation, Inc., a comfort technology company known for creating the Purple® Mattress, is expanding its operations in McDonough.  The expansion will create an additional 500 jobs across production, fulfillment, customer care, and other areas of the business. and comes on the heels of the company’s commitment last year to create more than 360 jobs in Henry County. Once the expansion is complete, the company will employ more than 800 Georgians. “After recently being admitted to the Georgia Made program, it’s great to see this company already thriving and expanding here in Georgia,” …

CONYERS, GA – Piedmont Rockdale Hospital opened a new entrance specifically for laboring patients on July 6. The entrance has been designed to ensure patients are admitted quickly and safely for labor and delivery services. The new Labor and Delivery entrance is located directly across from the Milstead Avenue entrance. The entrance is for Labor and Delivery patients only and is locked at all times as a safety precaution. Patients and their support person will be granted access to the unit by Labor and Delivery staff members. “We are excited to now have…

 The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, working with the U.S. Marshals and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, has arrested a suspect in the April murder of two men at a gas station in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Sheriff’s investigators today(July 6) arrested 29-year-old Hakeem Ross of Stone Mountain at a Powder Springs residence on two charges of Malice Murder in the shooting deaths of Jamitre Weaver and Gerico Floyd.  According to the arrest warrants, Ross and  Weaver had been engaged in an argument on April 8, 2021 at a gas station at the intersection of Redan Road…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s office has partnered with Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED) to bring an accountability program r to Gwinnett. The goal of the program is to help curb incarceration by enhancing the social, financial and civic knowledge of offenders. On June 23, RED founder David Lee Windecher and Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson signed a Memorandum of Understanding and made the partnership official. “Giving first-time offenders a second chance is paramount in furthering progress within our communities,” said District Attorney Austin-Gaston. “Expanding accountability courts and rehabilitative resources is essential to the betterment of Gwinnett. We believe…

Focus on competitive recruitment and retention of top educators   CONYERS, GA – Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) teachers and employees will see significant salary increases in the 2021-2022 school year with the recently approved FY22 budget that focused on addressing student needs and increasing competitiveness in recruiting and retaining top educators. Employees will see an average 4 to 10.9 percent pay increase, the school system announced today(July 6). The approved FY22 budget of $171,361,813, a modest 3.6 percent increase, was approved by the Rockdale County Board of Education at the June 24, 2021 meeting. One of the key features…

DECATUR, GA — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04 announced more than $6 million for local Head Start programs.  Johnson helped secure the grant funding as part of the American Rescue Plan. “This investment will help our local Head Start programs continue preparing Georgia kids for success and help parents get back to work growing our economy knowing their kids are safe and cared for,” said Rep. Johnson. CDI Head Start/Dekalb and Rockdale Counties – $263,230 Easter Seals North Georgia, Inc. – $2,394,197 Georgia Dept. of Early Care and Learning – $220,156 McIntosh Trail Early Childhood…

DECATUR,GA—The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will hold a special called meeting on Wednesday, July 7, at 9:30 a.m.   This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23.   To make a comment, join via Zoom at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/97184078303  or by phone at 1-888-270-9936 and use conference code 171493.  Public comments of two minutes or less may be made live via the teleconference. For those joining the meeting by telephone, please be aware that phone numbers may be displayed to the public…