Author: On Common Ground News

The Gwinnett County Department of Community Services has combined its Gwinnett L.I.F.E., Gwinnett Extend and OneSTOP program guides into one publication called InGwinnett to make it easier for residents to learn about programs, events and experiences in our community. Published twice times a year, InGwinnett features information about six months’ worth of Community Services’ aquatic and sports activities, events, club and group opportunities, and educational, recreational and wellness programs. Along with events and activities, the new publication will showcase various amenities and rental options available at Community Services’ locations. It will also highlight services offered by the department’s different divisions:…

ATLANTA – Businesses will have the opportunity to operate sidewalk kiosks in downtown Atlanta under an enhanced licensing program the city is launching this spring.    Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced reforms to the city’s public kiosk program to enhance economic development and  create greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and microbusinesses. The program, managed by the Department of City Planning, contains 17 brick-and-mortar kiosks located on sidewalks throughout downtown where small business owners may sell retail and concession items to passersby. “These reforms are designed to create better opportunities for small downtown businesses and improve the outdoor shopping experience in…

Courtney Desilet In commemoration of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is hosting a virtual community forum, Human Trafficking & Our Youth: Focusing On Our Most Vulnerable Victims, to raise awareness about this critical issue. The event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 12:30-1:30 p.m. The program will feature a presentation by Courtney Desilet, instructor, Spector Criminal Justice Training Network. Desilet currently serves on a National Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team and is a retired sworn Law Enforcement Investigator in Connecticut. During her time in law enforcement…

DECATUR – A sixth grader who sought to bring “happiness and hope” to health care workers by playing his trumpet outside Emory Decatur Hospital was featured as part of the historic Jan. 20 inauguration for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Jason Zgonc, a resident of  Decatur, Georgia, was selected out of many participants around the country to perform on Inauguration Day virtually. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, many inauguration activities were held virtually and Jason was featured during the parade segment where he performed  “God Bless America” at Emory Decatur Hospital with health care workers watching in the…

DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw will begin his fourth year of “Quarterly in the Fourth” community breakfast meetings that will be held virtually for the foreseeable future. “I have missed having in-person community meetings with constituents and I hope that at some point this year we will be able to resume these meetings at community-based locations,” Bradshaw said. Bradshaw will host his first 2021 community breakfast meeting on Saturday, Jan. 23, via Zoom. The focus of these community meetings is to provide residents with information and resources and to address the concerns of constituents.…

The Rockdale County House Legislative Delegation has elected State Rep. Rhonda Taylor(D-Conyers) was its chair. Taylor was newly elected as a state lawmaker by voters on Nov. 3, 2020 to represent District 91. In addition to electing Taylor as chair, the delegation elected State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) as vice chair and State Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward (D-McDonough) as secretary. The delegation held elections on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The new officers will lead the delegation during the 2021-2022 legislative term. “It is an honor to serve Rockdale County citizens in this capacity during my first term as a state representative,” said Taylor.  “Over the…

The City of Stonecrest is partnering with Emory Healthcare to present a virtual health panel to cover a variety of topics including COVID-19 vaccine facts , diabetes prevention and treatment on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m. You’ll hear from physicians and professionals from Emory Hillandale Hospital, some of whom reside in the Lithonia/Stonecrest community In addition to COVID-19 vaccine information and diabetes prevention and treatment, mental health resources and other health challenges affecting local communities will be discussed. There will be a Q&A. To register for the free event,click: https://emory.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CGJTLmn-SriX_tGUGuESlQ 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) has been named as a member to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee is tasked with oversight of the executive branch and will have a central role in picking up the pieces from the Trump administration. “I want to thank Committee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney and all my colleagues for welcoming me to this critical committee that oversees the executive branch – and helps define how the federal government interacts with local and state governments,” said Rep. Johnson. “In this…

Lawsuit brought by Solicitor-General to determine monument’s ultimate fate   LAWRENCEVILLE– The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners(BOC) on Tuesday (Jan. 19)  approved a resolution to relocate a Confederate monument to storage while court proceedings — which will ultimately determine its fate — continue. The 28-year-old monument sits on the grounds of Gwinnett County’s Historic Courthouse in Lawrenceville and became the focus of media attention and protests after it was vandalized in June 2020. In response, Gwinnett County Solicitor-General Brian Whiteside filed a lawsuit against Gwinnett County seeking a court order declaring the monument a public nuisance and directing County…

DECATUR-GA—DeKalb County Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding a pair of suspects who recently robbed two T-Mobile locations during business hours at gunpoint. The most recent armed robbery occurred on Jan. 14, around 4:55 p.m., at 2375 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. The two suspects walked into the store, where two female employees and a female customer were inside, held them at gunpoint while demanding and taking iPhones. One of the suspects grabbed one of the females and held her around the neck during the robbery. The suspects fled the scene in a silver newer model SUV (possibly…