Author: On Common Ground News

Are certain racial or demographic groups less susceptible to contracting the COVID-19virus? Radio and television personality Frank Ski will moderate DeKalb County’s third COVID-19 virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, April 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Frank Ski  Ski, host of a morning show on V103, has worked in radio, music and acting for more than three decades. Medical and psychiatric professionals will answer questions from the public during the virtual town hall, which will be hosted by DeKalb’s COVID-19 Strategic Task Force. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond formed the task force to provide professional, technical and strategic counsel…

Compiled by Mackenzie N. Morgan For many metro Atlantans, today marks the beginning of Spring Break. Despite travel not being an option, your family doesn’t have to forgo Spring Break altogether. With just a little imagination and creativity, you can be on your way to your next dream Spring Break staycation in just a matter of a few clicks. Check out OCG’s Spring Break guide to find your next free, fun quarantined adventure. Create your own oasis: Camp in your backyard Brothers Bruno and Diego of Decatur, Georgia along with their parents, Fher and Kristen Rivera, got creative…

OPINION  By Pat Culp  Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association (CGNA), a regional alliance comprised of 10 surrounding neighborhood associations, supports the land exchange between Blackhall Studios and DeKalb County. The neighborhoods that our association represents are well established, with some residents having lived in the area for over 40 years. They realize the value of both green space and economic development. The problem is that there has been little to no economic development in the South DeKalb area for years. Macy’s Department store, for instance, was a prominent store that had been serving this community for years before it…

Every Domino’s store will give away 200 pizzas within their local communities ATLANTA—Domino’s and its nationwide system of franchisees are banding together during this unprecedented crisis to do something they already do well every day: Feed people pizza. Domino’s locally-owned stores throughout Atlanta will donate 28,800 pizzas within their local communities, starting this week. “We realize that there is a great deal of hardship and uncertainty at this time,” said Mike Orcutt, an Atlanta-area Domino’s franchisee. “Domino’s wants to do whatever it can to help, and that means spreading a little bit of joy through pizza.” More than 145…

Medical and psychiatric professionals will answer questions from the public during DeKalb County’s third COVID-19 virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, April 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Doctors and healthcare professionals should lead America’s response to this deadly pandemic,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “They know what needs to be done to fight this insidious enemy. When lives are literally hanging in the balance, we must reject mindless partisan bickering and political one-upmanship.” The virtual town hall will be hosted by DeKalb’s COVID-19 Strategic Task Force, formed by CEO Thurmond to provide professional, technical and strategic counsel related…

New case announced today(April 6) An inmate at the Rockdale County Jail has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing the number to five involving the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office including Sheriff Eric Levett and three employees who have tested positive. Sheriff Levett released a statement on April 4 that the Georgia Department of Health had notified him that his COVID-19 test was positive. Levett said he was on a 14-day quarantine because he was not feeling well when he received the results. Caption Jason Welch, Jail Commander, confirmed the latest case involving the inmate at the…

 Local nonprofits offering pick-up meals and food during Spring Break: Sankofa Community Food Pantry, drive-through lunch for children – April 1-May 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday-Friday, 1240 Sigman Road, Conyers.  Rockdale Emergency Relief Food Pantry – Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and Thursdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and 4-6 p.m., 350 Tall Oaks Drive, Conyers.   New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, drive-through food pantry – Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest. DCSD expand free lunch program to 21 meal sites DeKalb County students will receive a two-day meal package weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. DCSD meal service will…

ATLANTA—Georgia has joined forces with CVS Health to increase access to rapid COVID-19 testing. Starting today, CVS will be operating drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing, offered by Abbott Laboratories, at a site on Georgia Tech’s campus. At full capacity, the site will be able to conduct up to 1,000 tests per day. “Increased access to rapid testing remains one of our top priorities in order to identify more cases, get Georgians the care they need, and prevent further infection in our communities,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “This unique, public-private partnership will strengthen our testing capability as we continue to take the fight…

Motor vehicle operations in the Rockdale Tax Commissioner’s Office and throughout the state of Georgia are currently unavailable due to a statewide outage, Rockdale Tax Commissioner Tisa Smart Washington said today (April 6). The outage also impacts the online e-services portal and kiosks across the state. Please be advised that all vehicle registrations that expire between March 16, 2020, and May 14, 2020 have been extended through May 15. This extension applies to all annual registrations, including personal passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan (IRP), and Temporary Operating Permits (TOPs) issued at the time of a…

By Candice Guthrie DeKalb County residents David and Karren Manuel are providing protective masks for frontline personnel during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Co-founders of The I Am A Father 5K, Inc. nonprofit, which focuses on Strengthening Families One Mile At A Time, the couple decided to get involved after reading how healthcare workers everywhere were having trouble finding masks as COVID-19 spreads around the country. “I saw on social media that there was a #millionmaskchallenge and thought that this was something we could do to help. My sister is a nurse at both, Grady and Emory hospitals, and I…