Author: On Common Ground News

https://youtu.be/3OsX8kaVY7Y In Rockdale County, 256 people turned out today, the first day of the three-week, early In-person voting period, said Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham. The process for early voting, which was held only at the 1400 Parker Road location, was well organized. “It ran smoothly,” said Willingham. Voters were able to park, walk inside the building and maintain social distancing as they waited their turn to sign in and proceed to the voting machines. Several poll workers, who were wearing protective masks and gloves were stationed to guide and assist voters along the way. Most voters were in…

County election officials in Georgia can begin processing absentee ballots on June 1—eight days early—state officials have decided.  In previous elections, absentee ballots were not processed until Election Day. The State Election Board today (May 18) unanimously approved an emergency rule permitting election officials to begin opening and scanning the mailed-in ballots early. The ballots, however, will be stored in the memory of computers until they are counted on Election Day, June 9, after polls close at 7 p.m. Results for some races, however, may not be known for several days because of the historic number of absentee ballots expected.…

In an effort to address the high numbers of COVID-19 cases in identified DeKalb County ZIP Codes, the DeKalb Board of Health is expanding the number of corona virus testing sties. Officials are adding two sites this monthnwith a goal of ramping up to a total of six teams. As of May 18, at 5 p.m., Georgia had performed 364,289 tests, its confirmed number of COVID-19 cases was 38,081; deaths 1,642; 1565; Intensive Care Unit admissions was 1,565; and the number of hospitalizations totaled 6,916, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. DeKalb health officials announced that the…

This week, DeKalb County joins the American Public Works Association(APWA) in recognizing its nearly 1,700 public works employees, 1,300 of whom are providing essential services to county residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1960, the APWA has sponsored National Public Works Week.  Across North America, more than 30,000 APWA members in the U.S. and Canada are using the week of May 17-23, 2020, to highlight the importance of public works. DeKalb County’s Public Works Department include Fleet Management, Roads & Drainage, Sanitation, Transportation and Watershed Management. These professionals ensure residents, businesses and county employees have clean drinking water, paved roads,…

The Atlanta branch of the NAACP is calling for an investigation into the history of inequality in the criminal justice system in the Glynn and Waycross, Georgia circuits. The civil rights organization said the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, an unharmed black jogger who was gunned down by a white son and father in Brunswick, Georgia, has re-ignited the outcry over the longstanding pattern of black men being killed by rogue vigilantes. The Atlanta NAACP is set to hold a press conference on Tuesday, May 19, 10:30 a.m., at 1147 Calhoun Ave., Atlanta. “We intend to examine the prosecutions…

An adult and a juvenile suspect are both in custody in connection with the murder of a Stone Mountain man. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, with the DeKalb County Police Department and Doraville Police K-9 Unit, today arrested Delon Rashaud Johnson, 22, of Atlanta and a 16-year-old juvenile in Lithonia. Both suspects were charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Kejuan McCullen on May 9 on Glen Cove Drive in Stone Mountain. According to warrants, the suspects were attending a party when a fight occurred during which Johnson allegedly shot  McCullen in the head,…

Meeting Cancelled CITY OF STONECRESTPLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC HEARING:TUESDAY, JUNE 2ND2019 AT 6:00 P.M. STONECREST CITY HALL, 3120 STONECREST BLVD, SUITE 155 STONECREST, GA  30038   CITY OF STONECREST MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, PUBLIC HEARING:MONDAY, JUNE 22ND  2019 AT 7:00P.M. STONECREST CITY HALL, 3120 STONECREST BLVD, SUITE 155 STONECREST, GA 30038 Meetings will be held via zoom website. Instruction to view meeting can be found on the www.stonecrestga.gov. All public comments must be sent to the planning assistant llowe@stonecrestga.gov. All comments must be submitted prior to meeting. The following petition(s)/amendment(s) withinthe City of Stonecrestisscheduled for Public Hearings…

https://youtu.be/BY3uLicoC5g Photos and video by Glenn L. Morgan Lines of vehicles snaked from the I-20 Turner Hill Road exit to the City of Stonecrest’s mask giveaway today(May 15). The city gave away thousands of protective masks during a two-hour drive-through to celebrate its third birthday. The vehicles formed two lanes, where Mayor Jason Lary was joined by council members, city staff members and other volunteers in passing out the masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Southeast DeKalb County, where a surge of confirmed cases in Georgia has been reported. The event was held at the…

An apartment had notified 23 families that they would be evicted today (May 15), but DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson and New Life Church stepped in to help keep them in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Via Fox 5 Atlanta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbV7Xx9TsyU&feature=youtu.be

CITY OF STONECREST MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, PUBLIC HEARING:Tuesday, MAY 26TH  2020 AT 7:00P.M. VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING STONECREST, GA 30038 The following petition(s)/amendment(s) withinthe City of Stonecrestisscheduled for Public Hearings as stated above: Public comments can be submit to City Clerk Megan Reid at mreid@stonecrestga.gov LAND USE PETITION:                      RZ-20-001 PETITIONER:                                    Blue Ridge Atlantic Development LOCATION:                                        6086-6100 Hillandale Drive CURRENT ZONING:                           MR-1 (Med Density Residential) District PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT:           Requesting to rezone subject property from MR-1 (Med Density Residential) to MR-2 (Med Density Residential) and Future Land Use Character to Urban Neighborhood for the…