Author: On Common Ground News

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Dr. Jamal Bryant and an army of volunteers gloved up this morning(March 21) to pass out bags of groceries to those in need. The Stonecrest mega-church’s “Father’s Table” food pantry provided nonperishables and other items to hundreds of families. The food was distributed in a drive-through format to adhere to CDC recommendations concerning social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19. “As our nation and world responds to this pandemic, it is important to remember those families and individuals who may have limited access to healthcare, are reliant on school meals for nourishment and…

Effective Monday, March 23, the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court’s office will initiate socially distant service delivery until April 13. The office will fulfill its constitutional mandates in a primarily virtual environment in line with the Supreme Courts Emergency Order. Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry made the decision to offer socially distant services to protect her staff and to be responsible to the greater DeKalb community. “We want to be part of flattening the curve of COVID-19,” DeBerry said. Customers can electronically file criminal, civil, and real estate documents at www.dksuperiorclerk.com. If you are a victim of domestic…

Today(March 21), the U.S. Census Bureau released the initial response rates for every state, county and city across the nation – 16.7% of households have responded to the 2020 Census since invitations began arriving in mailboxes on March 12. The2020 Census response rate mapshows how cities and towns across the country are now responding. The map will be updated daily for everyone to see the response rate in their area and compare it to other areas across the nation. The map also shows the comparable response rate from the 2010 Census for each geography. Earlier this year, the Census Bureau…

Congressman creates Fourth Congressional District one-stop webpage for pandemic information  On Monday, March 16, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) held an informational telephone town hall on COVID-19. The Congressman called more than 75,000 people in Georgia’s Fourth District to answer their questions and listen to their concerns about the coronavirus. Experts from Emory University, the DeKalb County Board of Health, Oakhurst Medical Center, DeKalb County Jail and DeKalb Schools were on the call with the Congressman to address participants questions and discuss the best way for callers to help prevent the spread of the disease and protect themselves and their families.…

Today, (March 21), Gov. Brian P. Kemp and Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Spencer R. Moore announced an emergency operation plan for the Agency, which includes a 60-day extension for many Georgians with a driver’s license and/or ID Card nearing expiration.  Along with the extended expiration dates, the DDS customer service centers will cease customer-facing services until further notice for the well-being of customers and DDS team members alike. Gov. Kemp said: “To maintain a safe and healthy environment for our citizens and the DDS Team who assist them at the Centers, this is an important step. Having…

Morehouse College has moved its 136th annual Commencement to Dec. 13, a date that was chosen by students and administrators to reduce the community’s exposure to the novel coronavirus disease. The decision was made in partnership with leaders from the Class of 2020 and the Student Government Association after careful consideration of federal guidance on strategies to curb the spread of COVID-19 during the global pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends canceling events that attract 50 people or more for the next eight weeks to keep the virus from reaching new communities. Morehouse’s original graduation date was May 17.…

KEEPING YOU UPDATED  Dear Neighbors,  The Senate has suspended all actives as its members enter quarantine. One member of the senate has confirmered he had Coronavirus so out a abundance of caution the senate has suspended activities. Do you have these symptoms? The Georgia Department of Public Health published a COVID-19 hotline:
(844)442-2681
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you call your doctor if you show signs of the virus. These signs can be very similar to the common flu or allergies.
**Take a deep breath and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If you complete this test succesfully without coughing, without…

March 21, 2020 Dear DeKalb County Family: It is with extreme care and caution that we want to provide timely information so that you can remain vigilant about protecting the health and safety of you and your family. The Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry was notified on March 20, 2020, of a potential exposure to COVID-19 by a member of her staff. On March 12, 2020, all County employees received a memo from DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond requiring staff to remain at home if they were experiencing common cold or flu like symptoms. This staff member did…

Members and volunteers with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church will distribute food and other non-perishable items to the community as part of the ministry’s Father’s Table food pantry on Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Last Tuesday, New Birth served more than 300 families as lines of cars wrapped around the church’s parking lot hours before the food pantry’s official opening. Ministry leaders and volunteers will distribute food and other items in a “drive-through” format to adhere to CDC recommendations and exercise social distancing while serving members of the community. The food will be distributed at New Birth’s…

Conyers Mayor and City Council met in an emergency meeting on Friday, March 20, and unanimously passed an ordinance restricting restaurants to take out or delivery of food only, closing certain entertainment businesses in which public health could be compromised, and allowing restaurants licensed to sell beer and wine for on-premises consumption to sell beer or wine for take-out consumption off-premises. The Conyers City Council approved a resolution declaring a state of emergency at its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, March 18. Based on information provided from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and local authorities, the…