Author: On Common Ground News

The Rockdale County Planning and Development Department is seeking feedback from county residents on its Milstead Village Revitalization Plan, which will be presented at two meetings. Public hearings will be held on Aug. 13, 7 p.m., and Aug. 25, 9 a.m. Both meetings will be held in the Rockdale County Auditorium, 903 Main Street, Conyers. Residents also will be able to view the meetings virtually and make comments online if time permits at facebook.com/rockdalegov. The study for the Milstead Revitalization Plan was funded with a grant in partnership with the Georgia Conservancy. The Atlanta Regional Commission(ARC)  provided the grant…

The Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta is issuing a consumer advisory for BLK Label Co., located in Atlanta. BLK Label Co. is an online retailer of apparel and COVID-19 care products, specifically respirator valve masks. Consumers allege purchased, ordered items, used for COVID-19, are of poor quality and requested refunds are not given, the BBB said. BLK Label Co. has an F rating, the lowest of BBB’s scale, due to unanswered complaints. After a review of complaints on file, BBB confirmed that BLK Label Co. is selling face masks geared toward the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said consumer complaints indicate that…

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) – Lithonia native Janorris Willis is serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which is continuing to conduct security and defense operations with allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Willis, a Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Petty Officer, maintains and operates the air conditioning and refrigeration plants aboard the ship. “I am here to support the mission by any means I can provide and proud to be part of the Reagan team,” said Willis. Willis is among several U.S. Navy men and women whose stories are shared and distributed by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Community Outreach with…

This Saturday, Aug. 8, DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson will host a special event to ensure that DeKalb County students in need will have the necessary tools to succeed for the upcoming school year. The Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in two drop-off zones: The Gallery at South DeKalb Mall, 2801 Candler Rd, Decatur, and Northlake Mall, 4800 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta. “Many residents have seen a decrease in income due to the spread of COVID-19, yet their economic demands have not changed,” said Cochran-Johnson. “By donating essential school items,…

The Stonecrest City Council this week approved a motion to direct the city attorney to immediately file a temporary restraining order in DeKalb County Superior Court to cease all activities of the Metro Green recycling plant. The council’s unanimous decision was made at a special called meeting held virtually on Monday, Aug. 3.  The vote was taken after the council gave its approval to go into a closed executive session on the advice of City Attorney Winston Denmark. Denmark said he had notified the City Council in an email about 90 minutes before Monday’s special-called meeting that Metro Green’s…

A DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office employee tested positive for the coronavirus on Aug. 4, prompting the temporary closure of the central tax office located on Memorial Drive in Decatur. The employee who tested positive immediately left work after feeling ill and sought medical attention to take a COVID-19 test. Out of an abundance of caution, DeKalb Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson is closing the central office until all employees receive COVID-19 testing results and the offices undergo a deep cleaning and sterilization of hard surfaces. All central office employees will self-quarantine until they receive their test results. “The health,…

The NAACP DeKalb County branch is hosting a campaign to support black businesses during National Black Business Month in August. NAACP DeKalb President Teresa Hardy is urging the community to support the “31 Days to Circulate the Black Dollar” campaign and urging businesses to sign up for participation. “We know that our black dollars only circulate six hours in our community, so we want to change the narrative,” said Hardy.  “The theme, ““31 Days to Circulate the Black Dollar,” is based on a focused effort to spend our money within our community to create massive change intentionally.” Black-owned businesses…

Due to a previously scheduled church event, the DeKalb County Board of Health will temporarily close its Greenforest Community Baptist Church COVID-19 testing site, located at 3250 Rainbow Drive in Decatur, on Thursday, Aug. 6. Operations will resume on Friday, Aug. 7, at 10 a.m. During this temporary closure, four other COVID-19 testing sites operated by the DeKalb County Board of Health will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.: Beulah Missionary Baptist Church,
2340 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur Former K-Mart Store Parking Lot, (at I-285 and Buford Hwy.)
5597 Buford Hwy. NE, Doraville Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church
,1879 Glenwood Ave. SE,…

State Rep. Karla Drenner and State Sen. Emanuel Jones Members of the DeKalb County Legislative Delegation, co-chaired by State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and State Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur), will hold a press conference to discuss Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. The news conference will be held on Monday, Aug. 10, 10 – 11 a.m., at the Georgia Department of Labor parking lot, 774 Jordan Lane, Decatur. At the event, speakers will include members of the DeKalb County Legislative Delegation and Teresa Hardy, President of the NAACP DeKalb County Branch.…