Author: On Common Ground News

Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts(CRCA) is launching its very first Virtual Artist Market at https://conyersarts.org/shop/.  CRCA has partnered with local artists to bring their artwork to the community for safe home shopping this holiday season. Items include jewelry, wood carvings, paintings, ornaments, holiday décor, fused glass, vintage jewelry framed art and more.  The market will be open until Dec. 11.   Items can be added until Dec. 3, so shoppers are encouraged to check back often to see what’s new. Artists include:  B.J. Crawford, Christopher Saunders, Greta Beech, Jackie Newman, Jessica Gugliotta (The Hoof ‘N Home), Lorraine Harrison (Harrison…

CLARKSTON—The swearing-in ceremony for Clarkston’s Mayor-Elect Beverly Burks will take place on Monday, Nov. 30, 1:30 p.m., Clarkston First Baptist Church, 3999 Church St., Clarkston (lower parking lot, Norman Road and Rowland Street. In taking the oath of office, Burks will become the first African-American female to be elected mayor of Clarkston in the city’s 138-year history. As a cause for a double celebration, Burks’ birthday is also on Nov. 30. With limited seating at this event and as a COVID-19 precaution, the public is encouraged to view the ceremony as a Facebook Live Stream at: facebook.com/CityofClarkstonGaand at: facebook.com/BeverlyHBurks/

STONECREST–DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) shifted from a planned Sunday recount to an updated Monday(Nov. 30) schedule as officials look toward the early completion of the statewide recount.  DeKalb’s recount is under way at the City of Stonecrest’s Early Voting Precinct at the former Sam’s Club(at the future home of Stoncrest City Hall at 2929 Turner Hill Road. The state’s mandated deadline is Dec. 2. “We believe we are in a great place and this change in the schedule will allow our team to rest and come in ready to complete this recount ahead of the deadline,”…

By Joel Edwards, President, Restore DeKalb Taxpayers of DeKalb County continue to demonstrate support for DeKalb County students’ success. However, it is evident that ongoing fiscal mismanagement has been rampant within the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) for a very long time. It is well documented that fraudulent activity has led to criminal convictions of a former Superintendent and Chief Operating officer and the firing of principals, teachers, and other staff. The discovery of previously unknown $40 million in capital funds, failure to report timely to the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts (leading to the 2020 downgrade…

STONECREST—DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is conducting the electronic recount of more than 373,000 ballots to meet the statewide mandated deadline by Dec. 2, 2020. The recount is underway at the future Stonecrest City Hall (former Sam’s Club), 2929 Turner Hill Road. The site is one of the county’s largest early voting precincts. “We’re planning on deploying a recount plan that looks very similar to the recent risk-limiting audit,” said DeKalb VRE Director Erica Hamilton. “We’re engaging the same partners, county departments and others to ensure we’re able to once again maintain the integrity of the process.”…

Dr. Heather Bradley, Principal Investigator ATLANTA—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded an interdisciplinary team in Georgia State University’s School of Public Health a two-year, $1.3 million grant through its RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program to better understand barriers and motivations for participating in COVID-19 research among Black communities in Atlanta. The team will examine what kinds of things preclude people from participating in COVID-19 serostudies, which survey a large number of people for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody through a minimally invasive test, such as a finger prick. “Unfortunately, Black persons and other racial/ethnic minorities are less…

DECATUR—As the demand for COVID-19 testing continues to surge in DeKalb County, Georgia and throughout the country, the DeKalb County Board of Health is taking the opportunity to notify the community of an upcoming change in the COVID-19 specimen collection process. Beginning Saturday(Nov. 28) at the Stonecrest testing site, specimen collection will switch from a nurse administered test to a self-swab test. On Monday(Nov. 30), this switch will take place at the Doraville and East Atlanta testing sites. Health officials say that the change will help individuals to become more comfortable with getting tested, as the swab will not have…

In accordance with the DeKalb County Democratic Committee (DCDC) Bylaws, the Executive Committee announces elections for all odd-numbered Post Seat Holders at the general meeting on January 7, 2021. The following week on January 14, 2021, elections will take place for Executive Committee members and State Committee members for Congressional Districts 6 and 7. This notice is to give community members a chance to seek a position and/or to have a voice in the elections.  Further information is available on the DCDC’s web site, www.dekalbdems.com.

STONECREST—The City Council on Nov. 23  unanimously denied a request by 404 Concrete, LLC  to rezone 2.2 acres at 2547 Lithonia West Drive from M (light industrial) to M-2 (heavy industrial) for the operation of a concrete mixing plant. The vote was 5-0. Mayor Jason Lary was on sick leave and did not attend the meeting. The council reached its decision after holding a public hearing in which two residents submitted opposition letters that were read by Deputy City Clerk Sonya Isom during the virtual meeting. City staff had  recommended denial, saying the subject property is located within a light…

DECATUR—DeKalb County will activate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) warning system on Wednesday, Nov. 24, to encourage residents and visitors to be safe during the Thanksgiving holiday. “Do not allow our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 be undermined during the Thanksgiving Day weekend,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. “We must remain vigilant because the fight against the deadly pandemic is not over.” Since the pandemic began, DeKalb County has worked with its public and private partners to slow the spread of COVID-19 by distributing masks and sanitizer to residents and small businesses. The county also has encouraged businesses…