Author: On Common Ground News

Grand Prize recipient Imani Sylvain poses for a picture with Congressman Hank Johnson and Octavius Terry after being announced as the grand prize winner of the 2019 art competition. Congressman Hank Johnson addresses a crowd of parents, teachers, students and other members of the community at his 2019 Congressional Art Competition reception in Stone Mountain. On April 27 at his Congressional Arts reception, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced the winners of his 2019 Congressional Arts Competition at the ART Station Theatre in Stone Mountain. Four students were awarded college scholarships worth more than $69,000. The grand prize winner was…

Rockdale Constitutional Corner By Clerk of Courts Ruth A. Wilson Georgia is among the states that use a grand jury system to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against a suspect. The purpose of the grand jury is to consider the evidence presented and decide whether there is enough probable cause (evidence) to indict someone for the charged crime. Generally, a Rockdale citizen age 18 or older who has not been convicted of a felony, not an office holder and not mentally incompetent is qualified to serve. No one is exempt because of his or her job, race, color, religion, sex, national…

DeKalb County is continuing its efforts to fight blight at Brannon Hill Condominiums. Demolition crews recently wiped out 56 dilapidated and neglected units . The dilapidated condos, located near Memorial Drive and the city of Clarkston, became a haven for crime, squatters and gangs for more than a decade after repeated fires ravaged buildings and owners abandoned the properties. In 2017, DeKalb County stepped in to declare the property unsafe and a public nuisance.  DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond enhanced the county’s blight fighting initiatives to address derelict properties at Brannon Hill and throughout  the county. To date, DeKalb…

CONYERS—The Pointe in Olde Town Conyers has colorful new signs, thanks to students enrolled in the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. The students worked with the Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts, in partnership with the city of Conyers, to restore vintage signs on the building at 939 Railroad Street. The students worked on the project as part of UGAs “Color the World Bright” program. The Pointe, built in 1925, was formerly a locally-owned furniture warehouse, a mill owned by the Georgia Railroad, an antiques store, and has been the home of the bar/tavern, The Pointe, since 2007.…

Rockdale Youth Leadership (RYL) celebrated the development of another cohort of young leaders with a graduation ceremony on April 29 at Rockdale Career Academy. The eight-month program, modeled after the Leadership Rockdale program by the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, is conducted by Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) and the Chamber. High school sophomores who participate in the program learn about the industries, institutions, government agencies, and community in Conyers-Rockdale and Georgia. Participants hone leadership skills, receive networking opportunities, and often go on to become student leaders during their junior and senior years at RCPS. Graduates also will be able to…

DeKalb County Cooperative Extension will host “Basic Bonsai” as part of the 2019 Gardening in Georgia Series. The class will be held on May 21, 6:45 to 8:30 p.m., at the DeKalb County Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur.  During this class, attendees will learn about bonsai plant selection, common tools and methods used to maintain style. The cost is $10 per person.  To register, call the DeKalb County Cooperative Extension Office at 404-298-4080.

Rockdale County is hosting the 2019 Rockdale Employment Summit on Friday, June 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Salem High School, 3551 Underwood Road, S.E., Conyers.  The job fair will include a mobile career lab that will assist with resume building and job training. The event also will have services for veterans as well as training and employment information concerning Rockdale Works.  The summit will offer record restriction services. Persons who have been arrested in Rockdale but were not convicted may be eligible to have their arrest record restricted and potentially sealed by the courts for free.  Applications for…

The Rockdale County Board of Assessors is offering extended hours on Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m. – noon, at their offices, 981 Milstead Ave., Conyers. Chairman Will Barkley said the extended Saturday service would give those who are unable to come in during the week the chance to do so on a weekend day. “We owe it to the citizens of Rockdale County to be as accessible as possible to ensure they are able to ask questions regarding their property assessments and exemptions,” Barkley said.  “We realize the need to sometimes do things outside of the scope of our daily…

DeKalb County hosted Park Prescription Day recently at 11 parks throughout the county. Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who represents the county’s Super District 7, and her staff members were honored to support Park Rx Day at Hairston Park, located in Stone Mountain on April 28. The Friends of Hairston Park presented a day filled with yoga, nature walks, scavenger hunts, calorie burning challenges, healthy snacks, gift bags and outdoor games for children. Photos by Allison M. Slocum.  

Mayor Jason Lary: City of Stonecrest is fiscally on track, fixing potholes and poised for economic development  At his State of the City Address tonight at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary touted the city’s progress in finally beginning its much-needed roads repaving program, an $800,000 surplus in the city’s operating budget, a boom in residential and commercial development and a partnership with DeKalb County government that will keep Browns Mill Recreation Center’s summer camp in tact this year. The mayor said he worked last week with senior officials of DeKalb to restore the summer camp program…