Author: On Common Ground News

Gov. Brian Kemp said state officials are working with the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) to assist workers impacted by job loss or a reduction in work hours due to COVID-19. Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler issued an emergency ruling on March 17 mandating that businesses file partial claims on behalf of employees who are temporality laid off. “We are laser-focused on assisting the hardworking Georgians who have been impacted by the spread of the virus,” said Gov. Kemp. “Working with GDOL and our partners across the public and private sectors, we can ensure affected employees land on their feet…

In order protect county workers from the spread of COVID-19, DeKalb County is restricting access to all government buildings and facilities to the public until further notice. “We are implementing a ‘socially distant service delivery’ strategy to protect our employees from the spread of the virus so that DeKalb County can continue to provide essential services to our customers,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said. While physical access to county facilities will be restricted to the general public, county services will still be available. The county has made it possible for its customers to engage with any department they would normally…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary announced that City Hall would be closed to the public until further notice. The mayor also cancelled all upcoming meetings to include: March 23 City Council meeting and Work Session Municipal Court on March 26 and April 14 Planning Commission meeting on April 7 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on March 17 City staff, equipped with laptops and cell phones, are working from their homes or remote locations. Building and code enforcement inspections will still be conducted.  The city’s main phone number, 770- 224-0200, will be answered by the city’s call center.  Some staff members’ office…

DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding customers that while his office building is closed to the public due to the coronavirus threat, it is still open for business. DeKalb residents in need of processing property taxes or motor vehicle documents can continue to submit those documents via fax, mail, email or place the necessary forms in drop boxes located at the Memorial Drive and Dresden Drive locations. The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office also provides a host of online resources and five kiosks located at local Kroger stores for annual motor vehicle renewals. “These are truly…

DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Asha Jackson has issued an order suspending all non-essential court functions due to mandates announced by Gov. Kemp and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Harold Melton due to COVID-19. All Magistrate Court Civil Calendars are postponed until further notice. As a result, Chief Magistrate Judge Berryl A. Anderson announced the following changes to Magistrate Court proceedings: All proceedings relating to evictions, garnishment, small claims, abandoned motor vehicles, bad checks and all other civil matters are continued during the duration of the Chief Justices Emergency Order. Specifically, effective March 13, all writs of…

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the city of Stonecrest announced the ministry’s shift to a digital worship, prompting a surge in online viewership. Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant informed his congregation to visit newbirth.org, Facebook Live and YouTube Live to view service for the next few weeks as houses of faith across the nation adhere to the urging of “social distancing restrictions” by the nation’s leaders. “As we begin transitioning to a complete digital worship experience, we are already experiencing a huge increase in viewership and engagement across all of our digital platforms,” said Bryant, who organized a call with…

Voices of Faith Ministries Founder Bishop Gary Hawkins, Sr. announced that he and pastors overseeing the church’s five congregations located in metro-Atlanta and Baton Rouge, LA are offering worship services exclusively via live streaming and teleconference calls until further notice. “It is our hope and prayer that as we move to our cyber sanctuary that not only family and friends locally will worship with us, but people from across the globe will join us to hear a preached Word,” said Bishop Hawkins. “Now is the time for all of us to draw closer to God.” Voices of Faith Ministries has…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan OCG News Staff Writer With the impending coronavirus pandemic, people are seeking ways to cope during uncertain times. For some, the realities of food scarcity have hit hard as local food banks fold under pressure to limit social contact and stores struggle to keep shelves stocked to meet the demands of panicked consumers. Miles ahead of the COVID-19 virus, Sankofa House Community Food Bank will offer no-touch food assistance to the public on Saturday, March 21, at the Faith Plaza, 1201 Sigman Road, Conyers. The local Conyers food pantry provides no-questions-asked curbside,…

Rockdale County Animal Control has modified its services during COVID-19, following recommendations set by the National Care and Control Association. County officials stated in a news release that the center would implement the following immediately: Suspend low priority/non-emergency activity such as non-aggressive stray animal pick-up, leash law and licensing complaints, barking and nuisance complaints, trapping of community cats, and conflict mitigation scenarios Respond to emergency and high priority calls for law enforcement assistance, injured stray animals, bite complaints, and aggressive dog complaints Reduce non-essential shelter intake, including suspending non-emergency owner surrender intake and encouraging owners who are ill to…

Attorney Harold Boone, Jr., a graduate of DeKalb County’s Stephenson High School class of 2000, has been named one of Georgia’s top black lawyers by the National Black Lawyers—Top 100. Invitation for inclusion in the professional organization is extended to a select group of lawyers based on their superior skills and qualifications in the field, the organization stated in a news release. “WiththeselectionofMr. Boone, Jr.byTheNationalBlack Lawyers–Top100,he hasshownthathe exemplifiessuperiorqualifications,leadershipskills,andperformanceinhis areasoflegal practice,” the news release stated.  “The selectionprocessforthiselitehonorisbasedonamulti-phaseprocesswhichincludespeernominationscombinedwith thirdpartyresearch.” Boone, a native of Stone Mountain, earned his bachelor of arts degree in English from Valdosta State University in 2004. He obtained his…