Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR—The Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DAC) is working to get out the vote for the upcoming runoff elections. The sorority has partnered with several organizations including The Peoples’ Agenda, Delta LDC, Black Voters Matter, DeKalb NAACP and R.O.S.E. PAC to energize and engage black voters in DeKalb and across the state, the sorority said in a news release. DAC said citizens should expect to see sorority members and the group’s community partners registering voters, inquiring if they have requested an absentee ballot and waving vote reminder signsover the next few weeks. In addition, the groups…

STONECREST—The City of Stonecrest received more than $6 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Act provided more than $150 billion in federal relief funds to state and local governments to help navigate COVID-19’s impact on citizens, businesses, and public health. This summer, DeKalb County received $125 million in funding, and in July, county leadership decided to share $32.6 million with 12 cities with a stipulation that the funds be dispersed by December 31. City officials formed a Stonecrest COVID CARES Act Relief Fund Committee consisting of council members and city management and subsequently named…

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners’ Chief of Staff Corey Hambrick’ will leave his position with Rockdale County government on Dec. 31. Members of the BOC expressed their appreciation for Cambric’s service. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with Corey. He is an innovative task master who always finds a way to perform a task. His commitment to this community is unrivaled. I am sure that he would do well in any future endeavor and any organization will be lucky to have him,” Commissioner Sherri Washington said. “I have appreciated Mr. Hambrick as the Chief of Staff in overseeing…

  Georgia’s motor vehicle system will be updated and unavailable for six-day period LAWRENCEVILLE—Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Richard Steele is advising Gwinnett residents that the state’s motor vehicle system will be unavailable Jan. 13-18 while it is being updated, which means no tag or title work can be processed during that time. “Gwinnett residents with birthdays Jan. 13-18 will want to renew by Jan. 12 to avoid late fees,” Steele said. “I advise anyone with a birthday after Jan. 12 to renew as early as possible to avoid possible problems.” During the update Jan. 13-18, all methods to renew…

ATLANTA – Members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus (GHDC) Subcommittee on COVID-19 are calling on the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) to establish a call center to improve communications regarding  the backlog of Unemployment Insurance (UI) requests. State legislators will hold a virtual press conference to discuss their concerns on Friday, Dec. 4, 11:15 a.m. via Zoom.  The Zoom meeting is reserved for the media.    “The lack of communication from the Georgia Department of Labor is unacceptable, and it must find a way to help people get paid before the Christmas holiday,” said State Rep. Sandra Scott.…

The Rockdale County Board of Elections and Registration will hold a virtual Special Meeting on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 at 10 a.m., for the purpose of considering Saturday voting on Dec. 19 for the upcoming General Runoff Election to be held on Jan. 5, 2021. The meeting is scheduled as follows: WHEN:            Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 TIME:               10 a.m. WHERE:          VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM Online Via Zoom:  Join Zoom Meeting Join https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7049887949  Meeting ID: 704 988 7949 One tap mobile: +13126266799,7049887949# U.S. (Chicago) +16465588656,7049887949# U.S. (New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, introduced a resolution this week calling on Congress to award the Freedom Riders the Congressional Gold Medal. More than 40 members of Congress – including more than a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) – joined Rep. Johnson to co-sponsor the bill. The Freedom Rides, which lasted from May to November 1961, included more than 400 black and white Americans who risked their lives to challenge Jim Crow laws – particularly public transportation – in the South. Despite enduring…

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Petty Officer 2nd Class Amberia Simpson, a Snellville, Georgia native, is serving at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility as part of the largest mobilization of reservists in Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) history. The mobilization is tied directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Simpson is a 2005 Shiloh High School graduate, 2009 Columbus State University graduate and 2017 Purdue University graduate with master degrees in public health education. She is one of the reserve sailors deployed to the Navy’s four public shipyards as part of the Surge…

The Rockdale County and Newton County Democratic Parties will host the “Race to the Senate 2021” campaign rally on Saturday, Dec. 5, 1 to 3 p.m., at 1400 Parker Road in Conyers. The rally aims to energize and encourage voters living along the I-20 corridor and throughout Georgia to cast ballots for U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, and Public Service Commission District 4 candidate Daniel Blackman in the general runoff election set for Jan. 5. “The long road of Georgia being red for over 30 years is now broken. It is time we take our…