Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb offers free virtual programming for seniors The DeKalb County Human Services Department is celebrating Older Americans Month   this May with free virtual programming for the county’s seniors. From now through May 29, seniors are invited to participate from the comfort of their homes in approximately 50 classes normally held in person. The virtual platform allows seniors to maintain safe social distancing while interacting with their peers and class instructors. Classes topics include exercise, cooking, computer, foreign language, art and more. Virtual programming has been developed in collaboration with DeKalb County Public Library. A full schedule is available…

Atlanta Public Schools(APS) plans to hold virtual graduation celebrations for the Class of 2020 in May, respecting social gathering restrictions in Georgia due to COVID-19. The district hopes to hold traditional ceremonies this summer, possibly July, The district reached this decision based on input from graduating seniors across all 14 high schools. Of the more than 1,650 APS seniors surveyed, an overwhelming percentage expressed interest for a delayed open-air (78%) or fall (71%) ceremony while fewer did so for a virtual ceremony from home (19%) or a local drive-in theater (27%) in May. Seniors originated #WorthTheWait, emphasizing their desires to…

75,000. That is the number of young people reached by Be Someone, Inc. since its inception in 2001.  Making that number even more impressive is the fact that many of those youngsters were considered to be “at risk”… at risk of failing and causing pain and sorrow both to themselves and others. How were they reached? On a chess board.  That’s right, a chess board! Be Someone Inc. founder Orrin Hudson was an at-risk youngster himself when a teacher saw potential and taught him the game.  That proved the gateway to life-changing success. He will tell you, “It opened up a…

Efforts target neighborhoods hit hard by COVID-19 DeKalb County will pass out 4,000 COVID-19 care kits containing two non-surgical masks and hand sanitizer to residents tomorrow, May 6, and Saturday, May 9, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. DeKalb County Board of Health is supporting the initiative. “Last Saturday, approximately 80 police and fire rescue recruits distributed 2,000 COVID-19 care packets, and they will be back out tomorrow and Saturday,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. “The DeKalb County Government and the Board of Health are redoubling our ongoing efforts to educate and protect our residents.” The COVID-19 care…

Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced there are currently 66 active COVID-19 specimen collection sites across Georgia. The state added 19 sites in the past eleven days, including one-day-only sites, with plans to open additional sites in the coming days. “I want to thank Dr. Toomey and her team at the Georgia Department of Public Health for their tireless work as we continue to drastically ramp up testing in Georgia,” said Gov. Kemp. “Expanded testing remains one of our top priorities to continue the process of safely reopening our state. I am calling…

ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC), chaired by State Rep. Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), is urging Gov. Brian Kemp to reinstate Georgia’s shelter-in-place order until officials can determine why there are so many blacks suffering from COVID-19. The black lawmakers say they are concerned about a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control that shows black Georgians are disproportionately suffering from COVID-19. The GLBC issued the following statement: “At a time when Gov. Kemp has reopened certain businesses and allowed the shelter-in-place order to sunset, this revealing study highlights what many in our community already know: African…

Georgia drivers now have until June 15 to update annual tag registrations following a recent Georgia Department of Revenue announcement. The extension will provide motorists whose vehicle registrations are set to expire between March 16 and June 14 with an extension to June 15 without incurring late fees. The new date applies to provide owners of personal passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, vehicles registered in the International Registration Plan (IRP) and Temporary Operating Permits (TOPs). Vehicle registrations that expired before March 16, do not qualify for this extension. Registration suspensions also do not qualify. Across the state, a number of…

https://youtu.be/n0iXIWD4Hkg This video was shot by an On Common Ground News reader on Sunday, May 3, two days after Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the shelter in place and reopened additional businesses in his efforts to restore Georgia’s economy.  The warm weather has done it again. Ignoring  posted warning signs, dozens of people flocked this weekend to the polluted South River near Panola and Snapfinger Roads in DeKalb County to frolic and splash. With temperatures rising into the 80s over the weekend, some decided to cool off at the South River. For years, the county has warned people that the water…

CONYERS—Hostage negotiators and SWAT members were in a standoff for several hours on Sunday, May 2, after the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call that someone was being held against their will at the Pawn Depot, 2605 Old Covington Highway, Conyers. After a long standoff, which began at 11:14 a.m., the owner of the shop came out of the building and was taken in for questioning, said Sheriff’s spokesman Lee A. Thomas. The owner appeared to be inebriated and was neither arrested nor any charges filed against him, Thomas said. Authorities, who had obtained a search warrant,…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, re-introduced two pieces of legislation to protect Americans’ digital privacy – the bipartisan Application Privacy, Protection and Security (APPS) Act of 2020 (H.R. 6677), and the Data Broker Transparency and Accountability Act of 2020 (H.R. 6675). “As more people access the internet through mobile devices, we need basic federal rules governing collection and use of consumers’ data that promote transparency and consumer control in the collection and use of data on mobile devices,” said Johnson. “In the age…