Author: On Common Ground News

PUBLIC INVITED TO ATTEND WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23, 2020, 4:30 PM  To Attend in Person – Mask Required 1261 Commercial Drive, SW, Suite B  To Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7049887949  Meeting ID: 704 988 7949 One tap mobile: +13126266799,7049887949# US (Chicago) +16465588656,7049887949# US (New York) The Board of Elections will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, 4:30 p.m. to consider a challenge of 4,880 electors’ qualifications and eligibility to cast a vote in the Jan. 5, 2021 General and Special Runoff Election pursuant to Ga. Election Code §21-2-230(a).  Such Challenge has been presented by Mr. Hiram Dryer and Mrs. Cathy Clines,…

  DeKalb County has received an additional $4.6 million grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), marking the second major award granted to the county’s elections office. The grant will help fund temporary staffing, personal protective equipment (PPE), election-related equipment, educational collateral development and other items to enhance the voting experience and expand resources available to the department. “This is another win for DeKalb County as we launch our early voting locations, prepare for large numbers of absentee ballots and host the runoff elections on Jan. 5,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. “After a historic…

ATLANTA – The Georgia General Assembly launched its new public website on Sunday, Dec. 20. The launch is the first part of the state legislature’s multi-year software project to modernize its Legislative Management System (LMS). Officials say the new website has a modern look and feel with a unified design and maintains individual branding for the House and Senate. It now has a mobile-first responsive design for phones and tablets and contains a new streamlined menu structure for easy navigation. The new homepage provides quick access to House and Senate meeting schedules, committee meetings and important legislative documents, such as…

DECATUR–The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections  will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1 p.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. Public comment may be submitted by sending an email of one page or less to electionspubliccmnt@dekalbcountyga.gov which must be received between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The body of the email must include the commenter’s first and last name, followed by the commenter’s address. Abusive, profane, or derogatory language will not…

Cross Keys High School, Agnes Scott College added to expanded list   DECATUR–DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) continues to expand early voting locations ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff election with the addition of Cross Keys High School and Agnes Scott College. The new advance voting locations opened Monday, Dec. 21, and will remain open until Dec. 31. “We have experienced a strong turnout across the county for our first week of early voting and look forward to two more successful weeks as people continue to vote in-person and via absentee ballot for the runoff election,”…

DECATUR-In observance of Christmas Day on Friday, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day on Friday, Jan. 1, sanitation service for residential customers will be based on a normal collection schedule. There will be no change to the sanitation collection service schedule. The North Transfer Station, Central Transfer Station, Seminole Road Landfill and Customer Care call center will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25, and Friday, Jan. 1, reopening on Monday, Dec. 28, and Monday, Jan. 4, respectively, during normal operating hours. For more information, contact the Sanitation Division’s Customer Care team at 404-294-2900 or  email sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov or visit www.dekalbsanitation.com  …

AARP Georgia State Director Debra Tyler-Horton Social Security, Medicare, nursing home protections are key issues    AARP Georgia has released a new survey showing both U.S. Senate races are statistically tied.  Democrat Jon Ossoff (48%) is narrowly leading Republican incumbent David Perdue (46%) while Democrat Raphael Warnock (47%) is edging Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler (46%).  But among voters age 50-plus, the poll shows both the Republican candidates lead their Democratic challenger by identical margins, 53% for Perdue and Loeffler versus 42% for Ossoff and Warnock.  Just 5% of voters are undecided.  Further, the poll found that the majority…

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp today announced that ByoPlanet® International, a leading producer of electrostatic spray technology, is investing nearly $7 million in expanding its Georgia manufacturing operations, delivering 250 jobs to Athens-Clarke County. “It’s a pleasure to see ByoPlanet International continue to grow their footprint in Athens,” saidKemp. “With a spray system born from innovative studies conducted at the University of Georgia, ByoPlanet International is continuing to play a critical role in keeping schools, airlines, hospitals, and many other indoor spaces safe and sanitized so we can keep our economy open and protect lives and livelihoods as we fight COVID-19.”…

Councilwoman Connie Alsobrook led effort to rename street CONYERS—A portion of Milstead Avenue will serve as a memorial to honor the late Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with an unveiling planned for January 2021. The Conyers City Council approved a resolution for the memorial to honor King at its Dec. 16 meeting.  The portion of Milstead designated to pay tribute to the civil rights leader will be called Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Avenue.  Councilwoman Connie Alsobrook, who initiated and pushed for the resolution, said six MLK signs will be placed along Milstead Avenue beginning…

Newly -elected Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts Janice Morris announced the appointment of Kai Oden to the role of Chief Deputy for the Rockdale Clerk of Superior and State Courts. Oden, a Rockdale County resident, brings a wealth of knowledge to the Clerk’s Office with over 10 years of professional experience in the criminal justice and government field, and seven years of managerial experience as a program manager previously under the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice where she provided oversight of the Gwinnett Community Service Office. She has received multiple certifications and awards, which include the…