Author: On Common Ground News

“To all Georgians celebrating Easter this Sunday, I am pleading with you to not attend any services in person.”—Georgia Gov. Kemp  Today, Gov. Brian Kemp urged Georgians to plan to go online or call in to participate in religious services, including Easter or Resurrection Sunday on April 12. “I greatly appreciate faith leaders across our state who have made the tough decision to stop the spread of COVID-19 by suspending in-person religious services. Their leadership is literally saving lives,” said Gov. Kemp. “To all Georgians celebrating Easter this Sunday, I am pleading with you to not attend any services in…

The Conyers-Rockdale (Nancy Guinn Memorial) eLibrary is offering free digital library cards during this period of shelter in place due to COVID-19 pandemic. If you don’t have a library card, you can get a free digital library card. Visit the website and follow the instructions below: Go to https://conyersrockdalelibrary.org Under Services Click “Get a Card” Complete the Online Application. Submit your application (registration tab). Allow at least two business days to process your application. You will receive an email when your request is complete with your digital library account 
number. Use your digital library card number to access the Conyers-Rockdale(Nancy…

DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry is now accepting Notary renewals via mail. Visit http://dksuperiorclerk.com/notary-2/and follow these instructions: If it is within 30 days prior to the expiration date, complete a Renewal Application.  All documents must be notarized prior to “mailing” into the office.  The application must include the following items: Go to: Renewal Application; select the appropriate county; select the ‘Renewal Application’; complete all relevant fields; and print the application and (3) certificates. Include a copy of one of the following as proof of DeKalb County Residency: current driver’s license; GA identification card; voter identification card; DeKalb gun permit license; or…

Atlanta’s inspiration station Praise 102.5 and WSB-TV are partnering with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church to share its Easter Service during the global coronavirus pandemic. New Birth will air its Resurrection Service on Easter Sunday at 9 a.m. on newbirth.organd across various social media platforms. Praise 102.5 will broadcast the service at 10 a.m. Additionally, WSB-TV will provide access to New Birth’s service on the wsbtv.comwebsite the same day. “These unprecedented times are forcing the Body of Christ to evolve its approach to reach more people and find innovative ways to stay connected to their congregations and communities,” said…

Registration to be entered in the Georgia Pre-K lottery in Rockdale County for the 2020-2021 school year is online only April 13-30, 2020. Pre-K registration information and link are at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek.  Kindergarten registration is currently open online at www.rockdaleschools.org/registration. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Registration for Pre-K and Kindergarten takes place at the webpage for Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) Student Registration, www.rockdaleschools.org/registration. Photos or scans of required documents can be uploaded into the online registration form. Please make sure photos or scans are clear and readable. To register a child successfully, parents must provide their child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, parent’s…

Daijah Buggs, Sarah Burkey, Chase Malone, Hannah Reaves Four outstanding students invested in community service in Rockdale County were named finalists for the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families’ 2020 John K. Morgan Scholarship. This is the 10th year the Rockdale Coalition has offered the $4,000 scholarship for a student who has demonstrated outstanding community service in Rockdale County and plans to continue that level of commitment while pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is named for John K. Morgan, former president and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands Lighting and community advocate. Since the inception…

ATLANTA—Today, Sec. of State Brad Raffensberger announced that Georgia’s primary election has been postponed from May 19 to June 9. All vote by mail ballot request forms submitted for the May 19 date will be valid for June 9. Democratic Party of Georgia Voter Protection Director Saira Draper released the following statement: “Two things are clear. First, that the severity and duration of the COVID-19 health pandemic is uncertain, and second, that our leaders must make voting both safe and accessible despite these uncertainties.  There is no guarantee that this public health crisis will be any better…

The Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families has announced that the 2020 recipient of the F. William Hughey Community Service Award is Ruth Wilson, recently retired Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts and community service advocate. Wilson was elected to serve as the Clerk of Superior and State Courts, taking office in January 2009. She was the first African- American elected to a constitutional office in Rockdale County. Prior to seeking elective office, Wilson served for 26 years with AT&T. Her experience as marketing director for AT&T, where she created and managed interdisciplinary teams and a $250 million…

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) is updating its current systems to distribute federal unemployment funds as part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security), bringing relief to many Georgians who are currently ineligible for state unemployment benefits. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance  (PUA) is the program that will provide unemployment benefits to those not ordinarily eligible for them. This includes individuals who are self-employed, gig workers, 1099 independent contractors, or those with limited work history who will not qualify for state unemployment benefits. The modified application is expected to be available on Monday, April 13 on the GDOL…

State officials have announced a new date for Georgia’s 2020 elections: June 9 instead of May 19. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said on Thursday that Georgia’s elections have been delayed because of health risks concerning COVID-19.  Raffensperger said he could not delay the election until Gov. Brian Kemp extended Georgia’s public health state of emergency Wednesday. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe,” Raffensperger said. Meanwhile, Fulton County Director of Elections Richard Barron broke the news of the delay to his board during…