Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a virtual Parks Citizen Advisory Board Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 23, 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/83074304595. To join the meeting by phone, dial 888-270-9936, and use conference code 720766. For more information, contact Carol Underwood, administrative coordinator, at 404-371-2927 or cjunderw@dekalbcountyga.gov.

DECATUR, GA— The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office will host a hiring event on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Sheriff Melody Maddox is inviting 18-year-olds and other individuals to apply for positions as Detention Officer, Security Technician and Deputy Sheriff. Maddox is reaching out to 18-year-olds to let them know they can start careers early with the Sheriff’s Office. The job fair will be held 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office Administrative Building lobby, 4415 Memorial Drive Decatur. The WorkSource DeKalb mobile job center alsowill  be o -site to assist with applications and as a source of information about…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb Pastors Christian Alliance will unite to pray for the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) as the first phase of the district’s students prepare to return to classrooms on Tuesday, March 10. The Alliance has invited DeKalb Schools Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris, DeKalb School Board members, teachers and school personnel to join the virtual prayer, which will be held 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 9. Participants should text DeKalbPrays to 797979 for the Zoom link. “We want to pray for wisdom and covering and protection over our students and all school personnel as students…

The DeKalb County School District is returning students to face-to-face instruction on Tuesday, March 9.  To assist families, Rob and Vickie Tuner, founders  of The DeKalb Cultural Exchange, are sponsoring a Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway on Wednesday, March 10, 5 to 6:30 pm. The event will take place on the campus of The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur in the parking lot, outside of the atrium. Families will be given school supplies to better equip them for face-to-face instruction. This will be a drive-by event. Patrons are to remain in their cars.

ROCKDALE COUNTY,GA– A road closure will begin on Sigman Road at the entrance to Interstate 20 Westbound on Friday, March 12, beginning at 9 p.m. The entrance ramp to Interstate 20 West will remain closed until Saturday, March 13, 7 a.m., as Rockdale County Department of Transportation (RDOT) crews work to complete a High Mast Lighting Project. The northbound left turning lane on Sigman Road, which is used to enter I-20 West, also will be closed beginning March 12, 9 p.m. to March 13, 7 a.m. As an alternate route, travelers can utilize Old Covington Highway from Sigman…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– In her first State of the County address, Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson on Wednesday (March 3) lauded the county’s pursuit of excellence called the “Gwinnett Standard.” Hendrickson made history in Nov. 3, 2020 as the first African American elected to serve as chairwoman of Gwinnett County’s Board of Commissioners. “You may not have heard the phrase the ‘Gwinnett Standard,’ but I can guarantee you’ve felt it,” Hendrickson said. “What’s normal here would be awesome almost anyplace else. What’s ordinary in Gwinnett is extraordinary elsewhere.” She said when she first came to Gwinnett County in 2006, she…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson was among those honored at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Atlanta’s Tenth Annual Asian American Advocacy Day. The theme of this year’s event, which was held virtually, was #AAPIRising: The New South. Asian American Advocacy Day highlighted the legislative advocacy of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and brought together elected officials for relationship building and learning opportunities. In 2020, there was a record turnout for AAPI voters, and for many, that was their first time casting a vote. While it’s critically important, the work isn’t just about being a critical force…

LITHONIA, GA–Family and friends honored DeKalb County community activist John Evans on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021 with a drive-through birthday celebration.  Evans turned 88 on Jan. 29. NAACP DeKalb President Teresa Hardy helped family members and others to coordinate the event, putting up banners and decorations under overcast skies and damp weather for the special celebrant. “Under him, I learned a lot as it relates to fighting for our people,” said Hardy. Evans had served as president of the DeKalb branch of the NAACP for 16 years before Hardy took the helm in 2016 when he retired to focus on…