Author: On Common Ground News

YOU’RE INVITED Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating 150 Years! Join Pastor James C. Ward and the Antioch-Lithonia family for a sky diving exhibition honoring veterans this Sunday, Nov. 10.

The City of Stonecrest Department of Parks and Recreation is developing its very first Parks and Recreation Master Plan and will host a public forum on Nov. 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Brown Mill Road. The city wants to hear from residents, business owners, special interest groups and any other interested parties. Community stakeholders are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting. Sean DePalma, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Stonecrest, said the Parks and Recreation Master Plan will examine the existing parks, recreational facilities, programs, and services, and determine the current…

Mayor Jason Lary and wife Debbie Lary Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary scored the winning touchdown on Nov. 5 in his bid for re-election, soundly defeating Charles Hill, II and Diane Adoma in the city’s three-way mayoral race. Lary won a four-year term with 3,049 votes (55.48 percent), while Hill placed second with 1,294 votes (23.54 percent). Diane Adoma came in third place with 1,131 votes (20.58 percent), early results showed.About 13.6 percent of the city’s 40,678 registered voters participated in the districtwide mayoral election, according to officials. Lary dominated the playing field, leading the votes at four of the city’s…

Shameka Reynolds Darold Honore’ and his wife Tammy Honore’  Vannaeriah Hawk-Wynn elected to Lithonia City Council  Shameka Reynolds swept the Lithonia mayoral race, defeating embattled challenger Cindy Thomas, who faced allegations of address fraud just days before the Nov. 5 election. Darold Honore and Vannaeriah Hawk-Wynn were elected to the City Council. Honore received 204 votes (36.82 percent), while Hawk-Wynn received 187 votes (33.75 percent). They were the top two vote getters in the three-way race for two city council seats. D. McCoy placed third with 163 votes (29.42 percent). Reynolds, who served on the City Council for…

In a low voter turnout, DeKalb County rejected a referendum restructuring the county’s ethics board with 33,555 voters (61.33 percent).  The measure received 21,160 yes votes (38.67 percent). Countywide, only 10.97 percent (56,412) of DeKalb’s 516,412 registered voters participated in the Nov. 5 elections, which included municipal races and the one referendum question on the ballot, officials reported. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said state lawmakers in the House and Senate must work together to resolve the issue, saying the “current state of affairs is unacceptable.” “The DeKalb voters have spoken. The focus now shifts back to the General Assembly where…

Charvez Ryals, 41, received a life sentence plus 65 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and for shooting a second man who survived. Ryals was sentenced on Nov. 4 during court proceedings before DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Clarence F. Seeliger. Jurors returned guilty verdicts against Ryals on Oct. 31 on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the second degree and weapons offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of Daniel Wise, 31, and the shooting of  Robbie Johnson, now 31, who survived the incident. Wise was gunned down on…

While voter turnout was dismal for the Nov. 5 election, two Conyers women made history: Connie Alsobrook and Valyncia Smith were elected as the first black women to the Conyers City Council in the city’s 165-year history. Alsobrook toppled incumbent Jacob Bailey for the Conyers City Council District 2, Post 2 seat. Alsobrook received 109 votes (57.67 percent), while Bailey received 79 votes (41.8 percent). The city has 7,034 active registered voters on the rolls, said Rockdale Elections Supervisor Cynthia Willingham. “I would like to thank everyone who supported and voted for me. It is an honor to make history…

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is redefining “Black Friday” with the inaugural Kwanzaa Plaza event beginning Nov. 29, at the church’s family life center, 6400 Woodrow Road in Stonecrest. The Kwanzaa Plaza will feature approximately 100 minority-owned and small businesses during a three-day event geared at highlighting local entrepreneurs and fostering commerce within the African-American community. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of the African-American culture that is marked by week-long acknowledgment of heritage, unity, creativity, faith and cooperative economics. While Kwanzaa is typically observed Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, New Birth’s Kwanzaa Plaza was established to take a new…

The graduation rate for Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) students involved in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) programs has reached 96.37 percent, closely aligned with the state-wide rate which rose to 96.54 percent for 2019. This rate applies to students who complete a Career Pathway. “Students are more engaged in their learning when they see the relevance and can relate it to real life experiences,” said Superintendent. Terry Oatts. “We have expanded our Career Pathway offerings to provide a wide variety of opportunities for students to connect with a pathway of their interests. We have also expanded our Work…

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Decatur-DeKalb Chapter, Inc. has elected Debra Curtis as its new president and Kianna Lawson as 1st vice president of programs and planning. Both women have served in the chapter for over 10 years in various leadership roles. Delois Grizzle, who has served as president since 2015, said she is passing the torch to devoted and capable community servants. “I have passed the torch and I know that this chapter will be in outstanding hands,” said Delois Grizzle, who has served as president since 2015. Both Curtis and Lawson received the NCBW Chapter’s…