Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will hold a special called meeting tomorrow, Thursday, June 25, at 9:30 a.m., to consider the certification of the results of the Presidential Preference Primary/General Primary/Nonpartisan General Election/Special Election held on June 9, 2020. This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23. Public comment may be submitted by sending an email of one page or less to electionspubliccmnt@dekalbcountyga.gov which must be received between 9:30-10 a.m. on the day of the meeting. The body of the email must…

On Saturday, June 27, DeKalb County will host its third food distribution event at three drive-thru locations at which 2,400 DeKalb residents will receive one 20-pound box of “Georgia Grown” fruit and vegetables and a 10-pound bag of frozen chicken hind quarters. Beginning at 10 a.m., COVID-19 Care Baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at three locations: Buck Godfrey Stadium,2817 Clifton Springs Rd., Decatur, GA 30034 James R. Hallford Stadium, 3789 Memorial College Ave., Clarkston, GA 30021 New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Rd., Stonecrest, GA 30038 “DeKalb County is continuing its initiative to turn the…

CONYERS–Rockdale County residents are calling for the removal of a Confederate monument that has stood for more than 100 years in front of the Rockdale Courthouse on Main Street. They are speaking out at a time when the nation is witnessing the widespread removal of Confederate iconography and protests are mounting against bigotry, white supremacy and racial injustice. For Rockdale, the sweeping movement hit close to home last week. In neighboring DeKalb County, a Confederate monument erected in 1908, was removed on June 18 after years of pressure and a recent court order by Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger. On…

As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to disproportionately impact minority communities nationally, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County and The Family Health Centers of Georgia are partnering to host a free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing site on June 30. The testing, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., will take place on New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s campus, 6400 Woodrow Road in Stonecrest. “There is an undeniable need for testing in our community and I am thankful for the partnerships that enable us to provide this valuable resource at absolutely no cost,” said New Birth’s…

ATLANTA- Recruiters in the Atlanta area are participating in the U.S. Army’s first nationwide, virtual hiring campaign June 30-July 2 to hire 10,000 new soldiers. Army National Hiring Days is a new effort to test the Army’s digital footprint. During Army National Hiring Days, the U.S. Army will seek full-time and part-time soldiers in 150 different career fields, ranging from traditional combat roles to support positions in logistics, engineering and technology. The Army is offering special cash bonuses for those who enlist during the three-day event. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the Army to seek innovative ways to continue to connect…

DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has released the 2020 Drinking Water Quality Report, also referred to as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). DWM continues to surpass all federal and state drinking water quality standards, providing DeKalb County customers with high-quality drinking water.    The CCR provides detailed information on monitoring data gathered from water quality testing during 2019. DWM serves more than 700,000 customers and is responsible for treating and distributing drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater throughout DeKalb County.    By law, tap water is tested for various water quality parameters to ensure that the…

The Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center is hosting a virtual art contest for DeKalb County residents to highlight the diversity of the community through multimedia art forms. The contest is open to amateur and professional artists. Submissions will be accepted now until July 18. The age groups for the contest will include 5-9 years; 10-13 years; 14-18 years;19-29 years; 30-49 years; and 50 years and older. The winner from each age group will be presented with a gift card sponsored by the Emory Community Building and Social Change Program. Winners will be announced on July 20 and…

The DeKalb County Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center is conducting a survey now through July 15  to help increase diversity and inclusion at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center. County officials are seeking the community’s input on implementing new programs, activities and events at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center. Residents are encouraged to participate and provide their honest and candid feedback. Residents can access the survey by visiting http://polisciemory.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etzKFLMO43Sld1r Results will be posted on July 30. For more information, contact David Manuel, arts center manager, at 678-949-7029 or dtmanuel@dekalbcountyga.gov. …

DeKalb County Television (DCTV), Channel 23, the county’s government access station, announces receiving several prestigious awards for programming and production excellence. Under the direction of Diamond Miller Lewis, DCTV received two Silver awards in the information and news categories and one Bronze award in the government relations category in the 41st Telly Awards. The winning projects covered: The detailed process behind residential blight demolitions in DeKalb County A police K-9 returning to active duty after being shot in the head The annual State of the County, highlighting DeKalb’s progress. Established in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award…

The private funeral of Rayshard Brooks will be held today, June 23, at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta from 1 – 3 p.m. Only family and invited guests will be permitted to attend. The funeral will be livestreamed for the public at:  www.EbenezerATL.org Photos By Bob Andres