Author: On Common Ground News

The Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families has announced that the 2020 recipient of the F. William Hughey Community Service Award is Ruth Wilson, recently retired Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts and community service advocate. Wilson was elected to serve as the Clerk of Superior and State Courts, taking office in January 2009. She was the first African- American elected to a constitutional office in Rockdale County. Prior to seeking elective office, Wilson served for 26 years with AT&T. Her experience as marketing director for AT&T, where she created and managed interdisciplinary teams and a $250 million…

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) is updating its current systems to distribute federal unemployment funds as part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security), bringing relief to many Georgians who are currently ineligible for state unemployment benefits. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance  (PUA) is the program that will provide unemployment benefits to those not ordinarily eligible for them. This includes individuals who are self-employed, gig workers, 1099 independent contractors, or those with limited work history who will not qualify for state unemployment benefits. The modified application is expected to be available on Monday, April 13 on the GDOL…

State officials have announced a new date for Georgia’s 2020 elections: June 9 instead of May 19. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said on Thursday that Georgia’s elections have been delayed because of health risks concerning COVID-19.  Raffensperger said he could not delay the election until Gov. Brian Kemp extended Georgia’s public health state of emergency Wednesday. “This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe,” Raffensperger said. Meanwhile, Fulton County Director of Elections Richard Barron broke the news of the delay to his board during…

OCG News Editor’s Note: The 2020 elections are just around the corner. Many Georgia voters now have applications that were mailed to their homes so they could receive an absentee ballot. Have you requested yours? Don’t let COVID-19 steal your chance to choose your elected officials in this election! The Fulton County Board of Registrations & Elections will meet today, April 9, 10 a.m., to discuss preparations for the May 19, 2020 elections in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public can join the meeting. The meeting will be aired live on the Fulton Government Television YouTube page and…

Pictured: Vernon Jones and “Ma” in a January 2020 Facebook post The mother of Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones passed away today. Rufer Jones was blessed to be 90 years old. Jones told On Common Ground News that he was at her beside when she made her transition. “She looked so pretty. Her hair was all laid back. She looked really peaceful,” Jones said. Jones was filled with emotion as he spoke of his “Ma,” recalling her tenacity in working their family farm in North Carolina, her ability to take a little something and turn it into wonderful…

Did you witness last night’s supermoon? On Common Ground Newsphotographer Glenn L. Morgan captured these shots of the astronomical event from his front porch while sheltering in place on April 7. The full moon occurred at 10:35 p.m. and it was the biggest, brightest moon of 2020, one of three this year. While the coronavirus may be invisible, there was no mistaking this awesome wonder.

On Thursday, April 9, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is hosting a small business webinar on COVID-19. He’s calling more than 2,500 small business owners in Georgia Fourth District to answer their questions and address their concerns about resources available to them in the age of the coronavirus. Johnson and his guests will discuss how small businesses, sole proprietors and independent contractors can overcome the challenges created by the crisis. The Congressman will be joined by Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Terri Denison, Georgia District Director of the Small Business Administration and Ruby C. Riesinger,…

A panel of medical and psychiatric experts are prepared to tackle tough questions and issues during DeKalb County’s third COVID-19 virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, April 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. One key topic of discussion will focus on recent reporting highlighting disproportionate rates of COVID-19 infections in black Americans.  The virtual town hall will be hosted by DeKalb’s COVID-19 Strategic Task Force. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond formed the task force to provide professional, technical and strategic counsel related to protecting the health, safety and economic well-being of DeKalb’s 750,000 residents. “Doctors and healthcare professionals should lead America’s…

City officials, others team up to provide assistance   STONECREST—Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and City Councilman Jimmy Clanton were on the scene this morning (April 8) at the Retreat At Stonecrest apartment complex, where a fire displaced 26 families. The apartment complex on Amanda Drive sits in Councilman Clanton’s District 1. Stunned residents, some of them standing outside of their vehicles, described a chaotic scene to the mayor and Clanton. They said that people were scrambling to get out of their apartments as neighbors knocked on doors to wake those who were sleeping when the fire broke out around 1:30 a.m.…

Today, April 8, Gov. Brian P. Kemp and Amy M. Jacobs, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, issued the following joint statement regarding measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring that our state’s essential workforce has access to licensed childcare. “On Thursday, April 2, 2020, the Executive Order to Ensure a Safe & Healthy Georgia – commonly called the shelter-in-place order – was issued. The order became effective beginning Friday, April 3 at 6:00 PM and is set to expire Monday, April 13 at 11:59 PM. This order allows all licensed childcare facilities…