Author: On Common Ground News

PSC chairman to discuss utility rate hikes   The DeKalb NAACP will have its general membership and community breakfast meeting on Jan. 25, 10 a.m., at Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive, Stonecrest. Georgia Public Service Commission Chair Lauren “Bubba” McDonough is the guest speaker for the meeting.  McDonough will discuss his role and the PSC’s recent approval of rate hikes for Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light customers. New rates took effect this month.  According to a news release from the Public Service Commission, Georgia Power will collect $1.77 billion of a proposed $2.2 billion increase from 2020…

DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw’s Quarterly in the Fourth January community breakfast meeting will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m., Stephenson Middle School, 922 Stephenson Road, Stone Mountain. DeKalb County department representatives will be available to respond to questions and special guest speakers will provide updates, in addition to a demonstration on the new voting machines. There will be a meet-and-greet with DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos.

Join Arabia Mountain Rangers for s’mores and hot cocoa by a campfire on Feb. 8,  5:30 p.m. Participants will meet at the Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. The campfire event will be followed by a short hike to the rock outcrop during the twilight hours to see the moon rise. Food and drink supplies are limited Register online by emailing ArabiaRanger@gmail.com(Subject: Campfire). 770-484-3060.

Registration is under way for the Flat Rock Culture and Volunteer Day. Explore the places and history of the historic Flat Rock community with Park Rangers and Johnny Waits of the Flat Rock Archives on Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m. Participants will meet at the Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. Learn about our rich African-American history in South DeKalb and then volunteer in the historic slave cemetery clearing vegetation and preserving the site. All tools and gloves will be provided. Please dress in long pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring plenty of water and snacks. Register online…

Dr. Lonnie Edwards is pictured with his wife, Cynthia Edwards, at the Georgia State Capitol. Long-time DeKalb County educator Lonnie J. Edwards, Sr. was honored by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Council with the first-ever Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Education Award. Edwards was among four honored as community champions at Georgia’s state ceremony celebration for the King Holiday. The awards were presented on Jan. 17 at the State Capitol. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms received the Rita Jackson Samuels Founders Award;  Juanita Abernathy received the Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Civil Rights Award; and the Honorable Nadia…

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD)’s Student Film Festival will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6 to 8 p.m., at the AMC North DeKalb Theater, 2042 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur. Students from 15 DCSD high schools have been working hard to bring creative film works to life. They have written scripts, designed sets, mixed sound, and shot scenes—all to produce the best short film possible. The DeKalb County community will have the opportunity to view the films before naming the best in the novice and advanced categories. In addition, professional judges from the film industry will be present to judge submissions…

By Ruth A. Wilson Clerk of Courts When I took Office as Clerk of Rockdale Superior cade in Reviewand State Courts in 2009, we were already on the road to court technology advances owing to the foresight of my predecessor, the Honorable Joanne Caldwell, who held the Office for 23 years. She and her Courts and Justice Partners (Sheriff, all Rockdale Courts, and District Attorney) had the wisdom to purchase an integrated Case Management System that linked these multiple agencies. Rockdale was the first in the State of Georgia to take that leap. We were on…

Pictured left to right: Cochran-Johnson,Tax Commissioner Irwin Johnson, Hargrove DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson and DeKalb County Probate Judge Bedelia C. Hargrove will hold a town hall meeting to educate county residents on tax and probate issues and incentives. The meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m., at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Dr., Decatur. “During my first year in office, I noticed many residents had questions surrounding their property taxes,” said Cochran-Johnson. “In addition, a large number of our senior population were not aware of the…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in his role as the 2nd vice president of the National Association of Counties Organization (NACo), recently represented the county on a national level. Johnson attended a leadership and executive directors meeting in Washington,D.C. and engaged with the Administration in a panel discussion on mental health, deregulation, immigration and community revitalization. Johnson raised an issue regarding the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. The act was the first of several federal policy changes that helped spark a major transformation of the public mental health system by shifting resources away from large institutions…

The Krystal Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but said today it plans to keep its restaurants open. The Dunwoody-based restaurant chain cited debt of between $50 million and $100 million in its petition, which was filed in federal bankruptcy court in Atlanta on Sunday (Jan. 19).  Krystal owes food suppliers, and marketing and equipment companies among others. Officials said the fast-food chain, known for its small, square burgers with steamed buns and chopped onions, is seeking to restructure quickly and build a better brand. The company touts itself as the South’s oldest restaurant chain. “The actions we…