Author: On Common Ground News

                                                                 Photos by Glenn L. Morgan  Will restaurants make a comeback?   Georgia’s dine-in restaurants re-opened on Monday, April 27, but the traffic was sluggish at several spots. In order to reopen, dine-in restaurants must adhere to 39 guidelines under Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive orders, including limiting capacity to no more than 10 patrons per 500 square feet, taking employees’ temperatures and requiring staff to wear face masks at…

City of Stonecrest seeks creative ways to reach its hard-to-count population The U.S. Census Bureau is beginning to send reminder notice postcards to an estimated 69 million households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. Households will receive reminder postcards in the mail between April 27-May 9, census officials say. The Census Bureau pushed back the mailing to allow the paper questionnaire package to arrive several days ahead of the postcard. The postcard is one reminder in a series of reminders that the Census Bureau has mailed non-responding households since mid-March urging them to respond. About 53.4%…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Decatur juvenile who was wanted for murder and armed robbery. According to warrants, a 15-year-old is suspected of shooting and causing the death of another person on April 22 in Decatur during an alleged encounter to sell the weapon to the victim. The suspect is also accused of taking money from the victim. The suspect was arrested without incident in Atlanta by sheriff’s investigators before being transported to the DeKalb Criminal Investigation Division. The suspect is booked into the DeKalb County Jail but will be housed at a regional youth detention…

Gov. Brian Kemp will be joined by several state officials to provide an update on COVID-19  on Monday, April 27, 4:30 p.m., at the Georgia State Capitol Liberty Plaza. Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson and Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden will give reports. The updates will be live streamed  at facebook.com/GovKemp and gpb.org/coronavirus.

A sign outside AMF Bowling, 885 Flat Shoals Road, Conyers beckons customers on Sunday, April 26, Day 3, of Georgia’s reopened economy. Workers, who were wearing masks, said six bowlers per lane is permitted, every other lane. Although no bowlers were there when On Common Ground News stopped by—long after many houses of worship held their services online—workers said people had been coming in throughout the day. Gov. Brian Kemp relaxed restrictions to allow some businesses to begin reopening on Friday, April 24. Bowling lanes, beauty shops, barbershops, nail salons and fitness centers were among those that received the…

Pictured is the Nails and Spa salon at 2361 DeKalb Medical Parkway, Lithonia, Georgia 30058. Photo and story by Glenn L. Morgan/ ocgnews.com On Friday, April 24, business was brisk at the Nails and Spa salon on DeKalb Medical Parkway in South DeKalb’s 30058 ZIP Code. That ZIP Code is at the top of five ZIP Codes with the highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, according to health officials. The nail salon and Beauty Max supply store, located in the same plaza, welcomed the return of customers on the first day that Gov. Kemp reopened several sectors of businesses across…

Georgians can now use a new app to access a healthcare provider trained to screen for COVID-19. If the result is positive, staff will contact the patient to schedule a test at one of Georgia’s designated testing locations. The screening and testing are available at no cost. Augusta University developed the AU Health ExpressCare app. “Increased, streamlined testing will be a cornerstone of our ability to safely reopen our state in the coming days, and I am grateful to President Keel and our partners at Augusta University for their innovative work to make this app available to all Georgians,” said Gov.…

On Monday, April 27, Gov. Brian P. Kemp will join Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan, Speaker David Ralston, and faith leaders from across Georgia in holding a Day of Prayer service in the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol at 10 a.m. As the state continues to battle COVID-19, Kemp, Duncan, and Ralston are calling on all Georgians and members of the faith community around the state to participate by posting videos of their prayers on social media throughout the day. “Our unprecedented battle with COVID-19 has proven the resolve of the people of Georgia to fight hard,…

Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers and Atlanta Federation of Teachers, discusses Atlanta Public Schools’(APS) and the DeKalb County Board of Education’s selections for superintendent finalists. Dr. Lisa Herring was announced as the finalist for APS. Dr. Rudy Crew was selected as finalist for DeKalb County public schools. Click here to listen to Turner’s audio message.