Author: On Common Ground News

Georgia drivers now have until June 15 to update annual tag registrations following a recent Georgia Department of Revenue announcement. The extension will provide motorists whose vehicle registrations are set to expire between March 16 and June 14 with an extension to June 15 without incurring late fees. The new date applies to provide owners of personal passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan (IRP) and Temporary Operating Permits (TOPs). Vehicle registrations that expired before March 16, do not qualify for this extension. Registration suspensions also do not qualify. Across the state, a number of…

https://youtu.be/n0iXIWD4Hkg This video was shot by an On Common Ground News reader on Sunday, May 3, two days after Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the shelter in place and reopened additional businesses in his efforts to restore Georgia’s economy.  The warm weather has done it again. Ignoring  posted warning signs, dozens of people flocked this weekend to the polluted South River near Panola and Snapfinger Roads in DeKalb County to frolic and splash. With temperatures rising into the 80s over the weekend, some decided to cool off at the South River. For years, the county has warned people that the water…

CONYERS—Hostage negotiators and SWAT members were in a standoff for several hours on Sunday, May 2, after the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call that someone was being held against their will at the Pawn Depot, 2605 Old Covington Highway, Conyers. After a long standoff, which began at 11:14 a.m., the owner of the shop came out of the building and was taken in for questioning, said Sheriff’s spokesman Lee A. Thomas. The owner appeared to be inebriated and was neither arrested nor any charges filed against him, Thomas said. Authorities, who had obtained a search warrant,…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, re-introduced two pieces of legislation to protect Americans’ digital privacy – the bipartisan Application Privacy, Protection and Security (APPS) Act of 2020 (H.R. 6677), and the Data Broker Transparency and Accountability Act of 2020 (H.R. 6675). “As more people access the internet through mobile devices, we need basic federal rules governing collection and use of consumers’ data that promote transparency and consumer control in the collection and use of data on mobile devices,” said Johnson. “In the age…

The Conyers-Rockdale (Nancy Guinn Memorial) Library will remain closed as it modifies its spaces to support government guidelines to lessen the spread of COVID-19. . The library will begin curbside service on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, starting May 11. Library patrons may pick up items that they have placed on hold by appointment only. The library’s Circulation Department will contact patrons who have materials on hold. Patrons will drive up to the front entrance and staff will bring the items to your vehicle. Additional instructions will be shared at the time you schedule your appointment. When picking…

Dog parks in Gwinnett County will reopen Tuesday, May 5, as a phased process begins for reopening areas within the county’s parks that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parks that contain areas for dogs include Alexander Park, Graves Park, Harbins Park, J.B. Williams Park, Lenora Park, McDaniel Farm Park, Pinckneyville Park, Rabbit Hill Park, Rock Springs Park, Ronald Reagan Park and Settles Bridge Park. Guidelines will be in place to help keep patrons and pets safe when the dog parks reopen. Occupancy in each area of the dog park (small dog and large dog) will be limited to 10…

Pictured: Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary STONECREST, GA – The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting was awarded, for the second time, to the City of Stonecrest by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). City officials earned the award for the 2018 comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). In January 2019, the GFOA issue the same honor for the city’s 2017 CAFR. As a part of the award, a 2018 pendant will be placed on the GFOA plaque in city hall’s lobby. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the…

Millions of small businesses across the country that were snubbed by the nation’s big lenders are getting a second chance at applying for the federal Paychecks Protection Program (PPP) program, which was set up to assist them amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) program announced on Sunday, May 3, that  $175 billion in loans has been approved for 2.2 million small businesses across the country in the second phase of the PPP, from April 27 through May1. So far, Georgia accounts for 64,784 of the loans, worth $4,663,014,079, according to the SBA’s latest report. The…

Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) has canceled the May 9 Paper Shredding and Electronics Recycling Event in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents are encouraged to join KCRB for the Fall event scheduled for Sept. 12. For more information, contact KCRB at kcrb@rockdalecountyga.gov or 770-278-7052.

The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC) will host a virtual town hall meeting on COVID-19 on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 7 p.m. To register for the virtual town hall meeting, please click here. During the town hall meeting, the GLBC will hold a panel discussion on various topics regarding COVID-19, including the impact of reopening Georgia, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, messages from the faith community, effects on higher education, the impact on the television and film community and more. Click here to participate in the meeting: https://bit.ly/GLBC-Townhall