Author: On Common Ground News

Save the date! The John Lewis “Good Trouble” March and Votercade to the Ballot Box will be held on Dec. 14.

CONYERS–Christmas came early for more than 150 children who recently attended the “Masked Toy Giveaway,” which was hosted by Visions of the Minds and The Rockdale County Think Tank. The two-day community event, which was held Dec. 5-6, featured a bike and toy giveaway for families who registered for the event. Children enjoyed bounce houses, inflatables, trampolines, strolling costumed holiday characters, music, arts and crafts stations, and pizza and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The free, outdoor event was held at 1465 Johnson Road, Conyers. Families had to register online to attend and were required to wear masks in accordance…

DeKalb launches dislocated workers’ Career Pathway Initiative DECATUR—Today, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced the allocation of $1 million for the Dislocated Workers’ Career Pathway Initiative for approximately 650 DeKalb residents who are participants in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program. These individuals became unemployed due to the pandemic and are preparing for future job opportunities. The Pathway Initiative will provide a one-time grant of $1,500 for eligible students to cover living expenses including mortgage assistance, food, transportation, utilities and other living expenses. The funding is coming from the county’s portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief,…

Construction to rehabilitate aging sewer pipe   DECATUR– Beginning Dec. 14, portions of the northbound and southbound lanes along South Candler Street, between Midway Road and Buchanan Terrace, will be closed nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., while crews work to rehabilitate 299 linear feet of ductile-iron sewer pipe. This section of South Candler Street will reopen on Saturday, Dec. 19. The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management has initiated this construction project to address the repair needs of approximately 100,000 linear feet of sewer pipe as a part of ongoing maintenance to improve sewer service county-wide. Motorists…

CONYERS—Mayor Vince Evans has appointed local citizens to a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board to ensure that the city is prioritizing diversity and inclusion among its employees and hiring practices, as well as throughout various neighborhoods and hard-to-reach populations within the city limits. The Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board focuses on three tenets: communication, serving as unity champions, and soliciting and providing feedback. The board will serve as a resource for city government and the community by providing information and communication to facilitate better understanding while celebrating the differences of constituents. The board will serve as unity champions…

Erica Hamilton, director of DeKalb County Voter Registration DECATUR– Registered voters in DeKalb County will be able to cast their absentee ballots in the Jan 5. runoff at more than 30 drop box locations throughout the county. A complete list of drop boxes can be viewed at www.dekalbvotes.com. “Similar to the general election, we’re anticipating a record number of voters will again use absentee ballots in the upcoming runoff, and our drop boxes, located across the county, offer a safe and secure way to cast a ballot,” said Erica Hamilton, director of DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections…

ATLANTA – Members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus (GHDC) Subcommittee on COVID-19 today issued the following statement regarding the potential risk of spreading COVID-19 at in-person legislative events: “The GHDC Subcommittee on COVID-19 is deeply concerned that members of the Georgia General Assembly recently gathered for the 32nd Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators in Athens after Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, possibly exposed Senate lawmakers to COVID-19. “On Thursday, December 3, Giuliani visited the Georgia Senate to testify at an elections hearing, possibly exposing a bi-partisan group of state senators to COVID-19. He attended the meeting with…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today announced that The Open Courts Act of 2020, H.R. 8235, which would make federal court records free to the public, has passed the House. Johnson serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the internet. aThe measure modernizes the federal judiciary’s court records systems and eliminates the paywall (called PACER) that currently forces the public to pay more than $140 million each year to access records.  The new system would provide a centralized, easily searchable site to access court records free of charge. Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09) co-introduced…

Washington, DC—Walker’s Legacy is inviting women of color who own small businesses to respond to a survey for a chance to receive one of its COVID-19 Relief Micro Grants.  Walker’s Legacy is the largest digital platform for multi-cultural women in business. Walker’s Legacy, the largest digital platform for multicultural women in business, is making the grants available to women across the U.S. Walker’s Legacy plans to award eight women with $500 for their entrepreneurial efforts. To apply, applicants must submit a response to Walker’s Legacy COVID-19 Impact Survey funded by the Gates Foundation. Through the survey, Walker’s Legacy will establish…

DECATUR–DeKalb County Board of Health will implement uniform hours at the county’s three COVID-19 testing sites. Beginning Monday, Dec. 14, hours of operation for all locations will be 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Stonecrest location will remain open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon, until Dec. 26. Health officials say those seeking testing will need to adequately plan ahead to ensure that results are received in time to meet travel or other proof of testing requirements. “The implementation of these measures is necessary to avoid overwhelming the testing system currently in place and to…