Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County government has rescheduled sanitation collection due in observance of Independence Day on Monday, July 5.  Garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection for residential customers will run one day late as follows: Monday, July 5 –Independence Day observed. No sanitation service. Tuesday, July 6 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Monday, July 5, will be serviced on Tuesday, July 6.  Wednesday, July 7 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Tuesday, July 6, will be serviced on Wednesday, July 7. Thursday, July 8 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day…

ATLANTA – The House Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Committee, chaired by State Rep.Bonnie Rich (R-Suwanee), and the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, chaired by State Sen. John F. Kennedy (R-Macon), will hold its next series of joint town hall hearings across the state of Georgia. The schedule for the next three in-person hearings is as follows: Monday, June 28, 2021, from 5 – 7 p.m. in room 341 of the State Capitol; Tuesday, June 29, 2021, from 5 – 7 p.m. at South Forsyth High School (Cafeteria) in Cumming; Wednesday, June 30, 2021, from 5 – 7 p.m.…

DeKalb County Government is partnering with South Georgia farmers and county faith leaders to provide 2,500 boxes of Georgia-grown fruit and vegetables to residents on   Saturday, June 26, and Monday, June 28. “This farm-to-table initiative continues our efforts to alleviate food insecurity for our residents hardest hit by the economic effects on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. The following churches will hold food distributions on Saturday, June 26: New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest, GA 30038. Distribution begins at 10 a.m. Big Miller…

ATLANTA– Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced today (June 22) that the office’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has indicted Terry Florence in DeKalb County Superior Court for three counts of Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude. “We are working every single day to rescue victims of Human Trafficking and put their buyers and traffickers behind bars,” said Carr. “Our team will continue to track down every lead until there are no more victims of this horrific crime in Georgia and all perpetrators are behind bars.” The defendant is currently in custody. The crimes occurred during the spring…

DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 28. This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). A Finance Committee Meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. To listen in on the meeting, request the link and PIN from weissingera@dekalblibrary.org no later than noon on the date of the meeting. For more details on the agenda and about listening in, visit www.dekalblibrary.org.

Commissioner Sherri Washington BOC vows to use ARPA funds to “put people first”   ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Help is on the way for residents, businesses and essential workers in Rockdale County, as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rockdale County government has received its first round of federal relief —$8,827, 741—under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA), county officials announced today at the Board of Commissioners meeting. The county received the first “tranche,” the term that federal officials are using for the deposit of funds to local governments, in May. Rockdale officials say plans are in place to…

Photos  By Kelly Jordan ATLANTA—Centennial Olympic Park  drew crowds eager to attend the Juneteenth Atlanta celebration, which was held June 18-20.  The downtown festivities included a parade, national speakers, a community vendors’ market, cultural arts amphitheater and a variety of entertainment such as Double Dutch jump rope artists, yoga, martial arts, meditation fields, chess and other board games, bounce houses and face painting. Oh yes, and there were plenty of food trucks and concessions. Photographer Kelly Jordan covered the event. About Kelly Jordan Kelly Jordan has lived in Atlanta since 1968. He attended Emory University before he and partners…

CONYERS, GA—Conyers City Councilwoman Connie Alsobrook and a group of students met for a cooking class today (June 21) that was hosted by the Surf N Turf restaurant on Sigman Road in Conyers. The group learned how to prepare spinach, mushroom omelettes and banana chocolate chip pancakes made with whole wheat flour. The students cooked turkey sausage links to accompany the eggs and cakes. The cooking class was part of a free, eight-week summer enrichment program  that Alsobrook is hosting with several community partners in collaboration with Beyond the Bell. The program, open to youths…

More than 50,000 Households in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District could get up to $300 per child July-December DECATUR, GA — Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), is encouraging families to be on the lookout for advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit of up to $300 per month per child beginning July 15 through December. “The expanded and improved Child Tax Credit is historic and is a defining moment in House Democrats’ mission to uplift the middle class and cut child poverty,” said Johnson. “It provides children and their families with additional payments throughout the year that helps them with…