Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Board of Health will adjust hours of operation for the Stonecrest COVID-19 testing site beginning Sept. 28. The site, located in the parking lot of the former Sam’s Club at 2994 Turner Hill Road in Stonecrest, will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday. COVID-19 testing is free and open to all individuals who wish to be tested. A driver’s license or identification card is not required, however registration in advance is strongly encouraged.  For current testing site hours of operation and online appointment scheduling for…

DeKalb County Cooperative Extension will host a “Landscaping & Gardening on a Budget” zoom class on Sept. 30, at 5:30 p.m. The free class will be hosted by UGA Dekalb County Extension Services.  Attendees will learn ways to get the best bang for their buck and to save money in their landscape. The speaker will be Sarah Brodd, a DeKalb Extension agent.  Register for the class at https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5dndrs9upaks6mF

The DeKalb County Human Services Department’s Office of Youth Services, in partnership with College AIM, will cohost the Metro-Atlanta College Access Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. The conference will be hosted virtually. This event is designed to connect high school students and their families with resources to aid in their college research process. Participants will gain information on factors to consider when selecting a college or university, college application requirements, and the financial aid process. The conference will also include mini workshops led by college representatives from across the city, state and country. Founded in 2015, the…

Registered voters in DeKalb County looking to cast an absentee ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election are encouraged to begin the process now by visiting www.dekalbvotes.com. The application is the first step in obtaining an absentee ballot and voters who plan to vote absentee are highly encouraged to apply right away. An application for an absentee ballot can be submitted in several ways: Print and fill out the application online at www.dekalbvotes.com, sign the application, take a photo or scan and email to voterreg@dekalbcountyga.gov. Print out the application from www.dekalbvotes.com, fill it out, and hand deliver or…

DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson participated in the first of a series of groundbreaking, nationwide community conversations hosted by Nextdoor. This first “Together for Better Neighborhoods” conversation, produced in conjunction with 11Alive (WXIA-TV), was released on Sept, 23 on 11Alive.com. As communities across the globe explore new ways to connect amidst a global pandemic, Nextdoor is convening thought-provoking, live community conversations across the United States. “I am proud to be a part of this important conversation,” said Cochran-Johnson. “Through Nextdoor, CEO Sarah Friar and her team have constructed a vehicle that provides unprecedented reach and connectivity to the community.…

STONECREST–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church continues to support families in need during its weekly food pantry that feeds 8,000 individuals each week. During the Sept. 26 food distribution, the King’s Table food pantry will receive supplementary food packages from the Diabetes Association of Atlanta(DAA) for 1,000 DeKalb County residents. The free food distribution begins at 10 a.m. and ends at noon. No event registration is necessary. “This pandemic has created astronomical hardship for people of all walks of life, making it difficult for people who have experienced a loss in income to obtain fresh produce and healthy food options,” said…

The DeKalb County School District’s Clarkston cluster will host its annual Back 2 School Rally on Friday, Sept. 25, 6 to 8 p.m. This  year’s rally will include a virtual entertainment program on Microsoft Teams(http://bit.ly/TCCVR) ) and Instagram Live featuring many talents across the cluster. The clusters’ drive-through distributions will include free food, winter clothing, COVID-19 supplies, school supplies, books and other giveaways. The distributions will take place at Allgood ES, Indian Creek ES, Jolly ES, Dunaire ES and the bus distribution from Freedom Middle School will travel to The Lakes at Indian Creek and Willow Branch Apartments. Dr. Angela…

The Stonecrest City Council will hold its work session on Sept. 18, 6 p.m. The City Council’s regular meeting will follow at 7 p.m. The agendas can be found at:

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a murder suspect in connection with the shooting deaths of two men in Lithonia on Sept. 22. Lithonia resident Da Shjohn Bridges, 20, is being charged with two counts of Felony Murder and two counts of Aggravated Assault. According to the arrest warrants, Bridges was a backseat passenger in a vehicle on Browns Mill Lake Road when he shot both the driver and a front seat passenger in the back of the head, causing their deaths. The victims were identified as Donnell Roderick Smith and Christopher L. Knight.  No motive…

The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will hold a special called meeting on Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 a.m. The 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 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting.