Author: On Common Ground News

Tele-conference ZOOM.com  May 7, 2020  6:30-8:00 p.m. Agenda: o Introduction of Mayor Jason Lary and Commissioner Larry Johnson o Recap of last Complete Count Committee meetingo Executive support, Mayor Lary and Commissioner Larry Johnsono Summary of all existing efforts with identification of low responses o New strategy to reach the “hard to count” population • Community input – suggestions • Questions and Answers TO RESPOND TO THE 2020 Census, go to; my2020census.gov or call 1 844 468 2020 George Turner, Jr. Councilman D-004 Adrion Bell, Communications Director 404-886-2053 gturner@stonecrestga.gov 770-224-0200abell@stonecrestga.gov www.stonecrestcensus2020.org View this meeting on our City of Stonecrest YouTube…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson was recently elected to the 2020-2021 Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG or Georgia’s County Association) Board of Managers as a representative for the National Association of Counties (NACo). Johnson, the Second Vice President of NACo, currently oversees 3,069 counties, 3.5 Million employees and 300 Million constituents will now serve as a liaison between the state and national county associations. He will work with DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader and Lamar County Commissioner Nancy Thrash who also serve as NACo Representatives for ACCG. “The 2020-2021 ACCG Board of Managers represents the collective strength of Georgia’s…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DeKalb Summer Youth Employment program is going virtual. Powered by a unique partnership between the DeKalb County Government, DeKalb County School District and Georgia Piedmont Technical College, the DeKalb Virtual Career Academy will offer “learn-and-earn” opportunities for 850 DeKalb residents ages 14 to 24. The initiative will be announced during a virtual news conference on Thursday, May 7, at 10 a.m. Who:             DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond DeKalb School Superintendent Ramona Tyson Georgia Piedmont Technical College What:            DeKalb County Government, DeKalb County School District and                                          Georgia Piedmont Technical College will…

Three suspects, two of them convicted felons, have been arrested in  connection with a standoff that kept hostage negotiators on the scene for hours on May 2 at the Pawn Depot, 2605 Old Covington Highway, Conyers. The Rockdale Sheriff’s Office said today that the men arrested on the scene were Randall Langbecker (possession of a firearm by convicted felon and Violation of Georgia Controlled Substances Act); Paul Morgan (possession of a firearm by convicted felon, Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act); and Taylor Jett (Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act). It was unclear why the arrests were not…

DeKalb offers free virtual programming for seniors The DeKalb County Human Services Department is celebrating Older Americans Month   this May with free virtual programming for the county’s seniors. From now through May 29, seniors are invited to participate from the comfort of their homes in approximately 50 classes normally held in person. The virtual platform allows seniors to maintain safe social distancing while interacting with their peers and class instructors. Classes topics include exercise, cooking, computer, foreign language, art and more. Virtual programming has been developed in collaboration with DeKalb County Public Library. A full schedule is available…

Atlanta Public Schools(APS) plans to hold virtual graduation celebrations for the Class of 2020 in May, respecting social gathering restrictions in Georgia due to COVID-19. The district hopes to hold traditional ceremonies this summer, possibly July, The district reached this decision based on input from graduating seniors across all 14 high schools. Of the more than 1,650 APS seniors surveyed, an overwhelming percentage expressed interest for a delayed open-air (78%) or fall (71%) ceremony while fewer did so for a virtual ceremony from home (19%) or a local drive-in theater (27%) in May. Seniors originated #WorthTheWait, emphasizing their desires to…

75,000. That is the number of young people reached by Be Someone, Inc. since its inception in 2001.  Making that number even more impressive is the fact that many of those youngsters were considered to be “at risk”… at risk of failing and causing pain and sorrow both to themselves and others. How were they reached? On a chess board.  That’s right, a chess board! Be Someone Inc. founder Orrin Hudson was an at-risk youngster himself when a teacher saw potential and taught him the game.  That proved the gateway to life-changing success. He will tell you, “It opened up a…

Efforts target neighborhoods hit hard by COVID-19 DeKalb County will pass out 4,000 COVID-19 care kits containing two non-surgical masks and hand sanitizer to residents tomorrow, May 6, and Saturday, May 9, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. DeKalb County Board of Health is supporting the initiative. “Last Saturday, approximately 80 police and fire rescue recruits distributed 2,000 COVID-19 care packets, and they will be back out tomorrow and Saturday,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. “The DeKalb County Government and the Board of Health are redoubling our ongoing efforts to educate and protect our residents.” The COVID-19 care…

Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced there are currently 66 active COVID-19 specimen collection sites across Georgia. The state added 19 sites in the past eleven days, including one-day-only sites, with plans to open additional sites in the coming days. “I want to thank Dr. Toomey and her team at the Georgia Department of Public Health for their tireless work as we continue to drastically ramp up testing in Georgia,” said Gov. Kemp. “Expanded testing remains one of our top priorities to continue the process of safely reopening our state. I am calling…

ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC), chaired by State Rep. Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), is urging Gov. Brian Kemp to reinstate Georgia’s shelter-in-place order until officials can determine why there are so many blacks suffering from COVID-19. The black lawmakers say they are concerned about a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control that shows black Georgians are disproportionately suffering from COVID-19. The GLBC issued the following statement: “At a time when Gov. Kemp has reopened certain businesses and allowed the shelter-in-place order to sunset, this revealing study highlights what many in our community already know: African…