Author: On Common Ground News

Pictured: Suspects Travis McMichael and Greg McMichael, who were charged with murdering Ahmaud Arbery. A Brunswick son and father were charged with murder and aggravated assault tonight (May 7) in the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.  Arbery’s murder became a national news story this week as public outrage mounted after a video of the horrific event went viral. Travis McMichael, 34, and his father, Greg McMichael, 64, had chased Arbery in a pickup truck, attacking him as he jogged through a white neighborhood. The shooting was videotaped by William Bryant, a second driver who…

The Atlanta Black Chambers will host the “United States 2020 Senate Forum” on May 8, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. via Zoom. The forum is aimed at small business owners to allow them the opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s platform and goals for small businesses. Nineteen candidates are confirmed to participate in the non-partisan forum. Viewers can register at www.ABCCandidatesForum2020.eventbrite.com. “There is a dire need to equip voters with vital knowledge to enable them to make more informed decisions,” said Diane Adoma, who is the Atlanta Black Chambers’ vice president of Governmental Affairs. Adoma will serve as host…

South Georgia facility has history of human rights abuses Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is urging more protection to safeguard the health of immigration detainees and staff at the Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia. The federal facility, run by CoreCivic, the largest for-profit prison company in the U.S., has a history of human rights abuses and poor operating conditions and is located near Dougherty County, according to watchdog groups. Doughtery ranks number 5 in Georgia with 1,567 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 126 deaths,  the latest statistics from state officials show. Doughtery is linked to two heavily-attended funerals where officials say the…

State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) and State Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) will host a pre-session webinar on how the state budget impacts Georgians on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 6 p.m. Registration is required in advance to attend this webinar. Registration is urged before space fills. To register for the webinar, please click here. During the webinar, Rep. Kendrick and Sen. Butler will discuss how the proposals for the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2021) budget may affect Georgians and the next legislative steps to passing the FY 2021 budget. The state legislators will be joined by Jennifer Owens,…

ATLANTA—Gov. Brian Kemp will  hold a livestream news conference today, May 7, 3:30 p.m. at the state Capiol to update the public on COVID-19. Kemp will be joined by the Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey; Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson; Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden; and Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel. The briefing will be live streamed at facebook.com/GovKemp or gpb.org/coronavirus.

ATLANTA—The Office of the Attorney General is warning consumers of an imposter email scam targeting members of synagogues and churches in which scammers pose as religious leaders to try to trick congregants into sending them money. “Cybercrimes such as these are popular with scammers because the Internet makes it easy for them to hide their true identity,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Consumers should be very suspicious of any emails asking them to send money – even if they appear to come from a trusted source.” There are different variations to these imposter emails. In one version, scammers set…

More than 850 will learn + earn online   In response to the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, the DeKalb Summer Youth Employment Program has been transformed into the DeKalb Virtual Career Academy. Registration for the program will be open May 8-14. The program, which runs from June 1 to July 31, will provide career development, education enrichment and summer income for 850 DeKalb County youths, ages 14 to 24. Participants will earn $9 per hour while learning online for 20 hours a week, Monday through Thursday. “The COVID-19 pandemic has stifled America’s economy. The innovative partnership with the…

Pictured is a snapshot from Harvest Gwinnett at the Lawrenceville Community Garden. Live Healthy Gwinnett launched in 2014 as a community health initiative designed to encourage Gwinnett County residents to invest in personal wellness.  LAWRENCEVILLE—It’s time to grow! Gardeners of all skill levels are invited to reserve a plot and be part of the Lawrenceville Community Garden. Applications are now being accepted for 4 feet by 8 feet garden plots for the 2020 season. These raised beds are $35 each and applicants are required to perform 12 hours of community volunteer service annually toward the general care and upkeep…

Students from Rockdale County Extension/4-H Club have placed in a national consumer literacy competition, LifeSmarts, earning them a chance to compete in the next National LifeSmarts Championship. LifeSmarts, a consumer education competition that challenges teens in grades 9-12 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities, is a program of the National Consumers League (NCL). The winning team is coached by Aleshia Lewis. Students include: Abby Lassiter (11th grade), captain Collin Wheaton (11th grade) C’Mone Wheaton (10th grade) Christian Wheaton (9th grade) Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the in-person 2020 National LifeSmarts Championship was…

The U.S. Department of Labor announced today, May 6, the award of six Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) totaling $10,012,821 to help address the workforce-related impacts of the public health emergency related to the coronavirus. The awards are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $345 million for DWGs to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus. The department awarded $131,286,863 to 24 states and territories on April 14, and $30,170,311 to seven states on April 29. This latest award brings the total amount awarded to states and territories to $171,469,995. The Technical College…