Author: On Common Ground News

Monica Kaufman Pearson will be the guest speaker at the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce’s(GLCC) Scholarship Gala on Nov. 8, 6 p.m., at the Stone Ridge Event Center, 1750 Stone Ridge Drive, Stone Mountain. Pearson is the first woman and first minority to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, where she worked for 37 years at the leading station, WSB-TV.  She has won over 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for reporting, anchoring and her Closeups celebrity interview show. When Pearson retired, she was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by the bipartisan delegation of…

Kingdom Stand Up promoter Daynier Brown says he’s praising God for allowing his vision to come to fruition on Aug. 24 in Conyers for a gospel concert that featured a stellar lineup of artists including Jekalyn Carr, Koryn Hawthorne, Bizzle, Canton Jones, Tasan, Mr. Gallimore, Kelontae Gavin and Papa San. “Even though it rained, people were willing to stand up and participate in worship. As we praised God, the Holy Spirit moved among all in attendance,” said Brown. The outdoor concert took place at Voices of Faith Ministries’ Conyers campus and featured gospel artists from a range of…

Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment, Atlanta for the Planet and Stonecrest Citizens Coalition will have a town hall to discuss the dangers of cell towers placed in residential areas. The town hall is set for Sept. 14, 2 to 5 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. The groups will be discussing the cell tower recently erected on Evans Mill Road and are calling for its removal. “We believe it was placed illegally at 3610 Evans Mill Road, Stonecrest, and are calling for its removal,” the groups stated in a news release. The community…

By Valerie J. Morgan The city of Stonecrest is in the process of buying a 66.25-acre tract located at the end of Fairington Parkway for its future Stonecrest police precinct and recreation center. Officials said the site is a former golf course where homes were planned but never took root. The City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the tract in a 5-0 vote on Aug. 26. The city plans to use special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) dollars for the $352,000 purchase, said Mayor Jason Lary. “This will be the second planned police precinct in the city…

Qualifying for DeKalb County’s municipal elections ended on Aug. 23. Here are the candidates running in the Nov. 5 elections: AVONDALE ESTATES Mayor Clai Brown Jonathan Elmore (I) City Commissioner: (Vote for 2) Marguerite Belline Brian Fisher (I) Candace A Jones (Candy) Dee Merriam   BROOKHAVEN Mayor John A. Ernst, Jr. (I) Jennifer Heath City Council, District 1 Linley Jones (I) City Council, District 3 Dimitrius Owens Madeleine Norine Simmons   CHAMBLEE City Council, District 2 Shaun Lewis Leslie C. Robson (I) City Council, District 3 Thomas Hogan (I) Karen Lupton…

Oct. 3, 1952 – Aug. 23, 2019 By Mark Brock DCSD Athletics Specialists  Former Redan Raider state championship coach Marvin Pruitt passed away on Aug. 23 after a hard-fought battle against several medical ailments. He was 66. Pruitt was DeKalb County’s winningest baseball coach in history at 447-252-3 in stops at Lakeside, Stephenson, Southwest DeKalb and Redan high schools. A stint job as a coach in Rockdale County in the late 80’s helped add up to a career record of 510-333-6. Remembered for his quiet strength and big, broad smile, Pruitt coached like he expected his players to play.…

(L-R) GPTC President Tavarez Holston; Theresa Austin-Gibbons, Director of WorkSource DeKalb; and, DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann announced a partnership that helps DeKalb Jail inmates earn college-level certification as welders so they can find employment after release.  Photo provided by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Nine DeKalb County Jail inmates are training to become welders through a pilot program launched by the Sheriff’s Office, WorkSource DeKalb, Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Seven males and two female inmates are participating in the welding program, which is being held at GPTC’s Decatur campus.…

The DeKalb Cultural Exchange will host the Stonecrest Mayoral Candidates’ forum on Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m., at The Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. Stonecrest Councilman Rob Turner and his wife, Dekalb County School Board member Vickie B. Turner, will host the meeting. The candidates will share their strategic plans, vision and direction for the City. Stakeholders should come prepared to engage the candidates in a robust discussion.

Chip Davidson, III, a descendant of the family who was once considered the largest producer of granite in the world, Davidson Granite Enterprises. The enterprise first began operations around 1895 and owned Arabia Mountain for most of the twentieth century. By the 1960s, Davidson Granite Enterprises was a top producer of granite in the world. Granite from Lithonia quarries are present today in well-known buildings and structures in places such as New York and Washington, D.C. In the 1970s, the Davidson family decided to donate 500+ acres of Arabia Mountain and some of its surrounding land to DeKalb County as…

DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon is announcing her Autumn “Walk & Talk” series, which will feature five different walks, exploring various Super District 6 parks and PATH trails.  The informal community “walks” begin Thursday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m., along the 2-mile South Peachtree Creek PATH trail from Mason Mill Park towards Medlock Park. Other dates include: Friday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m., cart path@Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Club Tuesday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m., South Fork Trail @Zonolite Park Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m., Brookside Park   Thursday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m., Frazier Row Park The walks highlight DeKalb County’s…