Author: On Common Ground News

Congressman Hank Johnson and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, have introduced the House companion bill to the Senate’s “Fair Access to Financial Services Act.” The bill would prohibit banks and other financial institutions from discriminating against consumers on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in certain places of public accommodation,…

The DeKalb County Audit Oversight Committee will meet on Oct. 23, noon, via Zoom. The public may join the meeting by website at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/93731877940 or by calling 602-333-0032 and using the meeting code 249531.  Call Meeting to Order Welcome and Introduction of Committee Members III.    Adoption of the Agenda  Public Comment Guidelines Public Comments  (15 minutes: 3 minutes per person) Audit Oversight Committee Chairperson Harmel Codi Comments VII.          Review of Legal Invoices- The legal invoice for legal services provided in August 2020 and September 2020. VIII.         Approval of August 7, 2020 Minutes Mauldin & Jenkins Update on 2019 Audit  CAE Update…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in his role as the 1st Vice President of the National Association of Counties Organization (NACo), is participating in the NACo 2020 Virtual Federal Policy Summit. The National Association of Counties (NACo) 2020 Virtual Federal Policy Summit is currently underway through Oct. 22, and will connect county officials, members of Congress, federal agency partners and other key decision makers and thought leaders. The two-day summit features informative speakers with practical advice on a range of policy issues and updates on the federal policy landscape. Johnson opened the Elections Town Hall segment sharing how voting is…

March 20, 1947 —  Oct. 18, 2020 Family and friends will celebrate the life of Helen Ruth Dean Kemp this weekend in Decatur, Georgia. Mrs. Kemp, the sister of Rockdale County community activist Josie Dean, passed away after illness on Oct. 18. She was 73. Helen Ruth Dean was born on March 20, 1947 to John Henry Dean and Mary Pearl Dean in Greenwood, S.C.  She received her education at Lucy Laney High School. She was married to the late James Kemp, Jr. Mrs. Kemp leaves to cherish her memories: her mother, Mary Pearl Dean; two sons, Calvin Tyrone…

Artwood Road Northeast, between Heaton Park Drive Northeast and Scott Boulevard Northeast, will be closed to through-traffic Friday, Oct. 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to facilitate the removal of a tree at 886 Artwood Drive NE, Atlanta. Road closure and detour signs will be placed in the area during the road closure period advising motorists of construction work in the area and of local traffic restrictions. Questions regarding this road closure should be addressed to Tierson Boutte, scheduling coordinator, Boutte Tree Inc., at 404-799-5472.  

The third phase of DeKalb County’s deployment of automated side loader (ASL) collection trucks begins Oct. 26. Phases one and two featured the deployment of 39 ASL trucks within select DeKalb communities, as well as the recruitment and training of a full complement of refuse driver collectors tasked with operating ASL trucks. During this third phase, 43,000 households on select residential ASL garbage service routes will be issued a larger capacity 95-gallon garbage roll cart in exchange for their existing 65-gallon garbage roll cart. The 65-gallon roll cart issued to residents in 2015 is inadequate to meet the needs of…

DeKalb County District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw will host his second Quarterly in the Fourth community breakfast meeting this year via Zoom on Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 to 11 a.m. The virtual meeting can be accessed via Zoom at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/96415473301 or via phone by calling 602-333-0032, and entering the conference code 963998. DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos, Elections Director Erica Hamilton, and county department representatives will be available to respond to questions and special guest speakers will provide an update on DeKalb’s COVID-19 response. The focus of these community meetings is to provide residents with information and resources and…

ATLANTA — In 2021, Georgia’s Division of Aging Services will revamp food programs in senior centers and provide nutrition services during emergencies using funds from a nutrition innovation grant awarded by the Administration for Community Living. The three-year grant project, called Food for Thought: Equipping Senior Centers for the Next Emergency, will become the newest centerpiece in Georgia’s Senior Hunger initiative, which seeks to reduce food insecurity among Georgia’s elderly population. Georgia is one of only a dozen organizations awarded the grant. The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) will survey meal sites statewide in partnership with the state…

Three men suspected in multiple thefts in metro Atlanta are now in custody after targeting Home Depot in Conyers for high-end lawnmowers. Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, Conyers Police and the DeKalb County Police Department worked together to arrest Tracy Lavern Morris, 56, Decatur; Correy Terrell Robinson, 43, Conyers; and David Louis McWhinney, 37, Atlanta. All three men were taken to the Rockdale County Jail, following a chase where one of the suspects fled to DeKalb County.  The incident leading to the suspects’ arrests happened on Sunday, Oct. 18, just after midnight. Conyers Police patrol officers responded to a theft…