Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs has created a Junior Ranger program designed for youths ages 5 to 12. The program is available now and will benefit families seeking opportunities to connect with nature. The program includes an activity journal that will provide 12 activities designed to help children learn more about DeKalb’s parks and make enjoyable connections to the natural world. Junior Rangers will participate in scavenger hunts, leaf rubbings, bird watching, recycling and much more. “I’m so excited to see this program get started,” said DeKalb Park Naturalist Jonah McDonald. “I believe connection with…

The Stonecrest Development Authority monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8, 8:30 a.m.  The meeting will be held virtually and will be available via Youtube. The agenda for the meeting is as follows:  

Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced today (Oct. 7) that Trey Kilpatrick will join his administration as Chief of Staff on Oct. 15. Kilpatrick currently serves as Vice President for Government and Community Affairs for Georgia State University and formerly served as U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson’s Deputy Chief of Staff. “With his wealth of experience from both federal and state government, Trey is uniquely qualified to lead my administration,” said Gov. Kemp. “Together, we will continue to put hardworking Georgians first – protecting lives and livelihoods as we battle COVID-19, reforming adoption and foster care, fighting human trafficking, and…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond(left) thanked Commissioner Larry Johnson for leading effort for ‘best-in-class voter experience.’   DeKalb County has been selected to receive a $4.8 million grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). The CTCL grant will allow DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections to hire more personnel, purchase additional voting and mail ballot sorting equipment, open and operate additional early voting and Election Day locations, ensure sanitization of voting equipment and purchase sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for both poll workers and voters. “These funds will be used to address longstanding operational issues and…

Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham said for the first time in the county’s history, a voter registration drive and absentee ballot applications were provided to eligible inmates at the  Rockdale County Jail. Willingham coordinated the effort with the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Eric Levett and Captain Tijuana Harris provided Willingham with a list of individuals who completed the registration by Monday, Oct. 5, the deadline for the Nov. 3 General Election.  Absentee ballot applications for those wishing to vote by mail also were returned to Willingham. https://youtu.be/QmPe5lxyerU

DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees will hold its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, 4:30 p.m. A Finance Committee meeting will be held at 3:45 p.m. These meetings will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). To listen to the meeting, request the call-in number 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, click here https://dekalblibrary.org/images/dcpl/Agenda.pdf.

Registered voters in DeKalb County will be able to cast their absentee ballots in the general election at drop box locations throughout the county. A complete list of drop boxes, sample ballots and other information can be viewed at www.dekalbvotes.com. “We’re anticipating a record number of residents will vote via absentee ballot in the upcoming general election and our drop boxes offer a secure way to cast a ballot,” said Erica Hamilton, DeKalb County’s elections director. “I encourage all voters who want to vote absentee to apply for their absentee ballot as soon as possible.” All drop boxes are under…

The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office and partner agencies are uniting to celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday (Oct. 5), 6 p.m. The vision for this year’s event is to take a “Ride Through Rockdale” as a united front.  Participants will leave at 6 p.m. from the park-and-ride lot on Chambers Dr. National Night Out is a community-police awareness and anti-crime  event held annually since 1984. Over the years, communities across the country have held cookouts, live entertainment and other activities with visits b police officers, firefighters and other first responders. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, a…

Georgia Kangaroos will host a Fan Fun Night, Friday, Oct.  16,  5 to 7 p.m.,  at The Mall at Stonecrest.   Fans can get players’ autographs, win merchandise,  cash give-a-way, candy, and mall discounts. The Georgia Kangaroos, the professional basketball team of the City of Stonecrest, is entering its second season on Dec. 5, returning after a shorten season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Kangaroos are one of the nation’s team invited to play in the 2021 United States Basketball Championship (USBC). Winning this tournament names the team the best pro basketball team in the country outside of the…

Atlanta — Following President Trump’s discharge from Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland today(Oct. 5), Democratic Party of Georgia(DPG) Executive Director Scott Hogan issued the following statement: “All Georgians are glad the President appears to have made a recovery and is no longer hospitalized. Now, after seven months battling COVID-19 and 7,200 Georgians dead, Georgians want this administration to finally start listening to medical experts and supporting common-sense measures that will protect us, such as wearing a mask. This crisis didn’t have to be this bad – it was made worse because this administration did not take it seriously. That’s why…