Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR—The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) DeKalb County Branch will host its Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT- SO) Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 23, 5 p.m. via Zoom. ACT-SO is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among black high school students. The NAACP DeKalb ACT-SO Committee develops mechanisms to encourage and inspire black youth toward excellence in academics, cultural pursuits, and opportunities through community support in local annual high school competitions. “At the ceremony, we will acknowledge 25 out of 35 students who participated in…

ATLANTA – Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King today urged Georgians to not stockpile gasoline and to practice safe gasoline filling and storing measures. “In response to the recent cyberattack against the Colonial Pipeline, there have been numerous reports of Georgians stockpiling gasoline and using unsafe storage methods,” said Commissioner King. “However, the current situation with the pipeline is only temporary, and these types of actions actually contribute to additional gasoline shortages and put Georgians at unnecessary risk.” Commissioner King offered the following safety guidelines for the use and storage of gasoline: It is not safe to stockpile…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is hosting a Virtual Teacher Job Fair on Wednesday, May 19, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Interested candidates may pre-register at www.rockdaleschools.org/jobfair or with Career Fair Plus at https://cfplus.page.link/qFng. The district is seeking outstanding candidates for teaching positions for the 2021-2022 school year. Most RCPS schools will be represented and interviews will be held during the Virtual Job Fair. RCPS has 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three traditional high schools, a virtual campus and four non-traditional schools (Rockdale Career Academy, Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Open Campus, Alpha Academy). In addition, we offer specialty and…

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a virtual Parks Citizen Advisory Board Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 25, at 6 p.m. The meeting to discuss current park improvements and recreation projects will be conducted via Zoom at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/85946976280. To join the meeting by phone, dial 888-270-9936, and use conference code 720766.

CONYERS, GA – The Conyers-Rockdale Nancy Guinn Memoria) Library will reopen to the public without appointments starting May 17. Masks are required. The library is under renovation and access to computers remains limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Services requiring research, notary, proctoring, photocopying and printing also are available with social distancing measures. Curbside “Hold Pickup” services will be scaled back, but remain available on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Curbside patrons should contact the Circulation Department to utilize those services: 770-388-5041. The lower level and study rooms are still closed at this time. For more…

ATLANTA – Better Business Bureau Serving Metro Atlanta, Athens & NE Georgia (BBB) announced this week the five winners of the 2021 Students of Integrity scholarship, where recipients received between $3,000 to $5,000 for future academic needs. The scholarship, which brought video submissions from the students, prompted discussions about what it means to exemplify ethics and integrity. Students recorded a short video describing how they build character in themselves and others and how they will build character in the future. “The submissions from all the student applicants were moving and genuine,” said Brian Catania, CEO of BBB. “All of us at BBB…

Atlanta—AARP Georgia announced legendary songstress, Kathleen Bertrand, as its new spokesperson. In this role, Bertrand will provide pivotal support to the AARP team based in Atlanta that focuses on Caregiving, Fraud Prevention, Advocacy, and Livable Communities. “I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Kathleen over the last several years in many capacities, and she is the embodiment of AARP’s values,” said AARP State Director Debra Tyler-Horton. “I am thrilled that she’ll be collaborating with us. Her reach and influence will be beneficial in supporting our initiatives as we continue to educate and inform people about the great work AARP…

No Gas: This Chevron station on Sigman Road in Conyers was empty Tuesday, May 11. Signs displayed at all of the fuel pumps stated the station was temporarily out of gas. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan ATLANTA—Gov. Brian Kemp today (May 11) declared a   State of Emergency  as a result of the petroleum shortage from the May 7 cyber attack on the Colonial Pipeline. The State of Emergency will remain in effect through 11:59 p.m. on May 15. The Alpharetta-based Colonia Pipeline shut down most of its system after a ransomware attack, saying it plans to “substantially” restore services by the end of the week. The company supplies about 45 percent…

ATLANTA – More than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered at Community Vaccination Centers in Southeastern states since the first site opened March 3, FEMA officials said in a news release today(May 11). The centers, operated by the states and supported by FEMA, were established to provide large-scale vaccination capabilities in areas serving socially vulnerable or underserved populations. Four centers opened March 3 in Florida, capable of providing 3,000 doses per day in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Subsequently, more centers opened in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, some with 3,000-dose daily capability and…

Qualifying for the Rockdale Special Election to fill the Probate Judge position on June 15 will be held during the following dates and times:     Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – 9am – 4:30pm Thursday, May 13, 2021 – 9am – 4:30pm Friday, May 14, 2021 9am – Noon   The voter registration deadline to participate in the special election is Monday, May 17, 2021. Early voting will be held May 24 through June 11. Election day is June 15.