Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR–Beulah Missionary Baptist Church recently honored the Cedar Grove High School football team as the 2019 3A State Champions. The “Dynasty” team was recognized for winning the most recent championship and for earning the title three out of the last four years: 2016, 2018, and 2019. “We are proud to have neighbors who are champions and to welcome them to Beulah to offer our congratulations and our support,” said Beulah’s Pastor Jerry D. Black.  “Cedar Grove is a beloved  part of our community and we can only pray that the school and all of it departments go higher.” Pastor Black…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is inviting the public to join her in the fight against domestic violence. On Saturday, Feb. 29, the District Attorney’s Office is hosting the 5thAnnual Love Run5Kto raise awareness about teen dating violence and funds for domestic violence survivors in commemoration of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to national statistics, one in three adolescents is a victim of a dating partner’s physical, sexual, emotional, and/or verbal abuse. Sadly, only 33 percent of teens report that abuse. “We must continue to shine a spotlight on this…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is partnering with Georgia Military College (GMC) to open a satellite campus in Conyers. The college will providing RCPS students with even more access to higher education opportunities. The Rockdale County Board of Education approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Georgia Military College at its February meeting. This agreement recognizes that RCPS and GMC are committed to the establishment of an educational partnership to serve students in and around Rockdale County, Conyers and surrounding areas. GMC will open a satellite campus in a portion of…

On Thursday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) will host his Restoration Resource Fair for ex-offenders, previously incarcerated or returning citizens. The resource fair will be held at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, 495 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston. More than 100 community partners will join the Congressman for the event, which will work to assist returning citizens find a job, receive healthcare and wellness screenings, criminal review or record expungement, housing and transportation vouchers, mental & spiritual guidance, hunger assistance and many other critical support services. “This…

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott on Friday (Feb. 14) ruled that Stonecrest Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble may keep her elected seat. Scott, however, must still issue the written order for his ruling to be official. The city had filed a declaratory judgment action this week to ask whether Cobble must forfeit her seat because she missed too many City Council meetings last year, based on the city’s charter.  The city’s charter, Section 2.03 (a) states that a council person forfeits his or her office by “failing to attend one-third…

Rockdale County government is continuing to work on restoring its computer network after a cyber attack on Feb. 7, officials said. At On Common Ground Newspress deadline on Feb. 13, several steps were still being taken to scour any viruses on the computer network and get the government systems that were paralyzed back up and running. The laborious work, under Rockdale Director of Technology Al Yelverton, could continue into the week of Feb. 17, County spokesman Jorge Diez said. All of the county’s computers, including the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office, 911 emergency…

https://youtu.be/GojbQbP-MLg The Stonecrest City Council held a special-called meeting on Feb. 13 and unanimously agreed to investigate a secondary financial vehicle, a TAN (Tax Allocation Note) to temporarily borrow the money for the purchase of the former Sam’s Club, which the city plans to use for its new City Hall and City Center. The City Council also agreed to allow staff to negotiate with Sears to extend the city’s closing date in order to prepare for a bond deal to purchase the property.…

Stonecrest City officials have filed a declaratory judgment action to ask a superior court judge to decide whether Councilmember Jazzmin Cobble must vacate her seat because she missed too many City Council meetings last year, based on the city’s charter. Four members of the City Council staged a protest and walked out of the City Council meeting on Feb. 10 after a motion failed to excuse Cobble’s absences retroactively. Due to the walkout, there was not a quorum to decide on several key issues including a vote on the bond…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson recently met with the partners of Lidl grocery store to welcome them to District 3. “We are in need of a grocery store that offers affordable fresh food in this community,” Commissioner Johnson said. “Change is inevitable and I am glad to be a part of this positive change to offer the highest quality of produce and service to constituents of District 3.” On Feb. 4, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the zoning plans for the 29,000-square-foot store to be built in the…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond will give his outlook for 2020 during two State of the County addresses in March. Business leaders and other community partners are invited to a State of the County address to be delivered during a luncheon on Wednesday, March 18, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, 2000 Airport Road, Chamblee. The ticketed business luncheon is hosted by the Council for Quality Growth and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. Registration is required. To register for the luncheon, visit www.councilforqualitygrowth.org. Thurmond will deliver an evening State of…