Author: On Common Ground News

https://youtu.be/-Iv1LnDGRCY Students and their families came from throughout metro Atlanta today, May 22, for a parade in the city of Stonecrest. The morning celebration, hosted by the nonprofit, JABY Inc., included nearly 100 seniors from several high schools, members of the DeKalb Couty Police Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and DeKalb County Fire Department. DeKalb Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry kicked off the parade with a welcome and DeKalb Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson offered congratulations to the students, who were excited to be part of the Class of 2020. Like many students across the country, they were determined to celebrate…

Rockdale County leaders plan to initiate a phased-in return to work program for county employees that will begin on Monday, June 1. The phased-in program will end the Remote Work Plan the county temporarily implemented in March as a result of  the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced offices to close to slow the spread of the corona virus. During the phases of the Return to Work plan, staff will be present in offices at Rockdale County campuses, however buildings and facilities will not be open to the public. The county is taking measures to make sure the employees are safe and…

ATLANTA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgians about new ways in which scammers are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has not only had a serious impact on the health and safety of Georgia citizens, it has also created a financial hardship for many families,” says Attorney General Carr. “Unfortunately, we continue to hear of new ways that scammers are seizing on these challenging times by trying to cheat consumers out of their money. We want Georgians to be aware of these scams and know we are working with our partners, including the COVID-19 Fraud Task…

By Ed Williams   MARTA has disadvantaged the poor and vulnerable in a time of need. It has been a month since MARTA eliminated and reduced transit service through the Atlanta Metropolitan area, including Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and City of Atlanta. While at the same time, MARTA has sought federal funding to supplement the lost revenue because of the coronavirus. The Atlanta area was awarded 371 million for transit relief. MARTA is expected to receive a big chunk of the money approximately 300 million.  It does not make sense for MARTA to receive federal dollars and still eliminate the bus…

Today, May 22, a single-lane closure along Avondale Road between Center Street and Lake Street was closed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. as crews made emergency repairs to a damagedsewer pipe. This section of Avondale Road will reopen on Saturday, May 23. The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management has initiated this construction project as a part of ongoing maintenance to repair approximately 100,000 linear feet of sewer pipe to improve sewer service countywide.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Gwinnett County Government will commemorate America’s fallen military and law enforcement heroes with a virtual Memorial Day ceremony on Memorial Day, May 25. Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash, District 4 Commissioner Marlene Fosque, and Ron and Caroline Buice of the Fallen Heroes Committee will deliver video remarks. Retired Marine Col. Parker Miller will be the keynote speaker. Miller is a Vietnam veteran who subsequently earned his flight wings and was assigned to an attack helicopter squadron that participated in multiple, shipboard deployments in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and North seas. He was a leading…

 William “Roddie” Bryan, who video recorded Ahmaud Arbery as he was gunned down, has been arrested and charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Bryan will be booked into the Glynn County Jail, the GBI announced May 21. Bryan, 50, is the third white suspect arrested in connection with the murder of the 25-year-old unarmed black man. The murder occurred in Brunswick, GA on Feb. 23 but no arrests were made until the shooting gained national attention after the video went viral.   State Attorney General Chris Carr recently appointed Joyette Holmes, Cobb County’s first African-American female…

Photos By Will Thomas   Antioch AME Church, 4730 Elam Road, Stone Mountain, held its free food pantry and served as a COVID-19 testing site on May 19.  A long line of vehicles filled the campus for the event. Rhonda S. Taylor, who chairs Antioch’s Social Action Ministry and is a Candidate for Georgia House District 91, said MAJL Diagnostics  Laboratories provided the free COVID-19 viral and antibody testing to the uninsured and Medicare/Medicaid recipients. No appointments were needed.