Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host the Summer Food Service Program for needy children June 1-July 30. The annual effort, which ensures school children have nutritious meals during the summer, is seeking sites to host the program. To qualify as a site, 50 percent of children served must meet the income guidelines for free- and reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program. Children who are members of households that receive food stamp benefits or Aid for Dependent Children (AFDC) assistance automatically qualify. Funding for the Summer Food Service Program is provided by the U.S. Department…

CONYERS, G. – By April 30, the Rockdale County Board of Assessors will mail Notice of Assessments to citizens, providing information about the 2021 Property Tax Assessment. Property owners will have 45 days to appeal after receiving the notice. It is important to note that while the notice will display a simulated bill that will forecast what property owners can expect, the Notice of Assessment mailed in April is not a bill. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Assessors has also launched the new Homestead Exemption online application, which will eliminate the need for residents to…

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) on March 9 re-introduced the bipartisan Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2021 that would place restrictions and transparency measures on the “1033 program,” which allows the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer excess military equipment to law enforcement agencies. The bipartisan bill was introduced with 75 cosponsors. To view the bill, click HERE. “Our neighborhoods need to be protected, but Americans and our founding fathers opposed blurring the line between police and the military,” said Johnson. “What has been made perfectly clear – especially in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder – is that…

ATLANTA–The DeKalb Delegation will meet Wednesday, March 10, at 12 noon or upon adjournment.  The guest speaker will be Janet Grant with Fair Districts. The public may view the state lawmakers’ meeting at the Capitol virtually at https://www.facebook.com/DeKalbStateDelegation

RCPS Superintendent Terry Oatts received a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, March 8 CONYERS, GA – Rockdale County Public Schools’ (RCPS) teachers and staff are among the expanded list of Georgia residents eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as of March 8. The school district is partnering with the Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale (GNR)Health Department to schedule free COVID-19 vaccinations for RCPS employees. The vaccination site is located at Springfield Baptist Church, 1877 Iris Drive SE, Conyers. To register, RCPS employees should look for the email with a registration link that was sent to all RCPS Superintendent Terry…

The DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) is seeking the public’s help in identifying a “person of interest” in connection with a double shooting in Clarkston that left an 18-year-old, Demarco Williams, dead. Investigators released the sketch today (March 8), hoping the public can help them crack the case, which happened more than six months ago. Authorities believe the person approached Williams and his mother just hours before the shooting. The police, along with the family, are appealing to the public to help locate the person of interest, police spokesperson Michaela Vincent stated in a news release. The shooting took place…

STONECREST, GA–As Mississippi and Texas continue to rebound from the devastating impacts related to recent winter storms, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is preparing its second wave of assistance to various ministries in the impacted areas. Shipments of bottled water and household supplies are scheduled for departure on Tuesday, March 9, and Wednesday, March 10, both at 9:30 a.m. from New Birth’s campus located at 6400 Woodrow Road in the city of Stonecrest. “So many communities in both Texas and Mississippi are in the midst of a dire crisis that has crippled many households from having access to clean…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Post 2 Commissioner Doreen Williams will host a virtual town hall,  “We’ve All Experienced Grief This Last Year: Let’s Talk About Resiliency,”’ on Monday, March 22, at 6 p.m. Speakers include Dr. Dietra Hawkins and the Rev. Tracy Lewis, with both participants focusing on dealing with grief and the path to resiliency. Dr. Hawkins is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, published author, and public speaker who has nearly 20 years of experience helping individuals, communities, and organizations apply research-based approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lewis is President and Founder of Growing Discoveries…

LITHONIA, GA—Zae Brewer, a Lithonia High School senior, is one of two students selected as Georgia’s delegates to the 2021 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), the Georgia Department of Education has announced. Each year, the USSYP brings the most outstanding high school students—two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity—to Washington, D.C. for an intensive weeklong study of the federal government and the people who lead it. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 program will be the first-ever fully virtual Washington Week. Brewer will join a 104-student delegation and will each receive…

DECATUR, GA – The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday, March 5, that a total of five men are now in custody in connection with the shooting death of 55-year-old Craig Haynes. Haynes was shot on Feb. 20 at his home on Bobolink Drive in Decatur, authorities said. The DeKalb Sheriff’s Office Fugitive…