Author: On Common Ground News

As of Sept. 4, only 54.2 percent of the city’s 53,000 residents had responded to the census, the mandated count of all residents in the United Stated and we’re running out of time. Bureau officials have now moved up the deadline for completing the census count from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30. With the deadline looming, the city and DeKalb County have a lot at stake: Each person counted represents an estimated $2,400worth of federally-funded services per year. That equates to $24,000per person for the 10-year census cycle, which can be used for local schools, parks, roads, hospitals, senior services…

DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha V. Ramos will host the department’s second Virtual Community Q&A on Sunday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m., on the DeKalb County Police Department’s (DKPD) Facebook page. The live event will feature a segment called “Getting to Know Your DKPD: A Candid and Raw Conversation Behind the Badge.” During the segment, the community will hear firsthand from DKPD officers about their law enforcement experience, especially during the current climate. Questions and concerns submitted live will be addressed immediately following the conversation. “As the law enforcement profession is being scrutinized,” said Chief Ramos. “I would like to humanize the…

The National Black Farmers’ Association (NBFA) has called for a boycott of the John Deere company, the world’s leading company of farm equipment. The NBFA said in a news release today(Sept.() that the Deere company executives have “curtly” declined invitations year after year to display equipment at the NBFA’s  annual conference. “We announce a boycott of John Deere. We are asking all NBFA members to stop buying John Deere tractors, implements, mowers and parts,” said NBFA president John Boyd said. “We are now open to new relationships with companies who value the work of NBFA members.” The NBFA said in…

DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw has allocated $58,500 of District 4 reserve funds to install several Flock Safety cameras throughout the district to assist the DeKalb County Police Department with crime interventions. “Since taking office public safety has been a priority for me,” Commissioner Bradshaw said. “This action is just one more step in pursuit of this objective.” Flock Safety’s automatic license plate readers securely capture images while the proprietary machine learning algorithm uses vehicle “fingerprint” technology to identify the license plate, vehicle make, type and color. It not only captures the license plate seen, but all the objects within…

County ranked 4th in the nation   DeKalb County Government has won national recognition as a leader in the innovative use of technology in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties (NACo), ranked DeKalb County fourth in the nation among counties with a population of 500,000 to 999,999 in the 18th annual Digital Counties Survey. Out of the 106 counties in this category, only two were from Georgia, the other being Gwinnett that ranked fifth. In March, DeKalb County implemented a “socially distant service delivery” strategy to protect employees and…

Gov. Brian P. Kemp today announced that leading global food company, General Mills, is expanding its Cinnamon Toast Crunch production operations in Covington, Georgia. Improved operations begin next week at the newly expanded facility. “With Global Fortune 500 companies like General Mills continuing to choose Georgia for their expansion projects, our state’s business community, top-ranked workforce training programs, and unmatched logistics network remain strong,” Kemp said. “I thank General Mills for their continued commitment to creating opportunities for the hardworking Georgians in Covington and Newton County.” This expansion project will help General Mills increase capacity and efficiency for producing one…

DECATUR—Global Leadership Christian Center, 351 Snapfinger Woods Drive, Decatur, will host its community food pantry every second Saturday, 10 to 11 a.m., beginning Sept. 12.  Those in need may receive a box of food, while supplies last. This year, Global Leadership Christian Center is celebrating its 10th year in ministry. Under the leadership of Pastor Tony and Eleshia Cash, the church’s goal is to spread love and share resources and with those who are in need. For more information about Global Leadership Christian Center or the food pantry, call 770-686-3765 or e-mail: global.leadershipcc@gmail.com.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie has denied the City of Stonecrest’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order(TRO) to halt construction of the Metro Green Three recycling plant. But in the Sept. 3 continuance hearing, Barrie also warned Metro Green that if it continued to build the plant, it would be doing so at its own risk. “I’m denying this TRO at this juncture. So that means that the court is not going to stop you (Metro Green) from building, but you build under the concept that the city has made a strong argument. So, if you continue to…

 CONYERS—Excel Church will provide hundreds of families with free groceries on Saturday, Sept. 5, noon to 2 p.m., at 1151 Flat Shoals Road SE, Conyers. In the interest of safety, Excel Church will be practicing social distancing by allowing people to pull up their vehicles open their trunks, receive groceries, and go home with free food for their families.