Author: On Common Ground News

MG 34 Jalen Buckner Coach Eric Hoxie’s Arabia Mountain Rams remained in the thick of the hunt for another regular season Region 5-AAAAA crown, rolling past Miller Grove (13-3) March 25 and Miller Grove (16-4) again on March 27 in moving to 7-1 in the league and 9-3 overall. Junior Desmore Joseph (2-3; 2 RS; 1 2B) and senior Micah Sanders (2-3; 2 RBI; 1 RS) paced the Arabia Mountain offense in a 13-3 triumph over Miller Grove March 25. Freshman Devin Tavington earned the mound victory for the Rams, striking out five and walking two over three…

DeKalb School Superintendent R. Stephen Green will discuss the “State of Education in DeKalb County” and present scholarships to the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 recipients. The luncheon meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at This Is It! Banquet Hall, 2853 Panola Road, Stonecrest. The luncheon is open to business professionals and the public at large. Advance registration is $20 or $25 at the door. Chamber members are admitted free with advance registration. Visit us at https://www.greaterlithoniachamber.com

DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson will hold ribbon cutting ceremonies for two new tag renewal kiosks opening in Kroger grocery stores. Ceremonies will be held on April 9, 11 a.m., at 4498 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody, and at 2 p.m., 4919 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The new location store hours are Sunday through Saturday, 6 a.m. until 1am. The new Kroger kiosks will bring the total number to five located in DeKalb. The other three stores are as follows:            2875 N. Decatur Road                      Decatur                                  24 hours 3559 Chamblee Tucker Road Atlanta                      24 hours 6678…

Congressman Johnson Highlights Impact of Free Tax Preparation, Importance of Tax Time Savings DECATUR—On April 6, (GA-04) teamed up with the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) to inform residents about the Internal Revenue Service’s and state funded free tax preparation options available this tax season such as the Free File, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and AARP Tax-Aide programs. The event was held at Hillcrest Church of Christ in Decatur. Congressman Johnson has participated in Free File awareness events throughout Georgia’s 4th district for the past several years. “The Free File and VITA programs are…

    Stacey Abrams discusses standing in the face of adversity Democrat Stacey Abrams, who has risen to national prominence as the first African-American female gubernatorial candidate since her bid for Georgia governor in November 2018, hinted that she might seek a higher office in 2020 during a recent visit at Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain. “I stood for election thinking that my opportunity was to become governor and instead, I’m now having to argue about whether I want to be Vice President of the U.S.,” Abrams said during the church’s March 31 celebration honoring her and a group…

Atlanta has launched its own Emoji app to promote connectivity and city pride  Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launched the “One Atlanta” Emoji app, a smartphone keyboard composed of relatable emoji characters that highlight residents’ shared experiences while promoting connectivity citywide. Bottoms has also partnered with Pandora to share her favorite Atlanta-themed songs in a personal playlist. The One Atlanta Emoji app offers more than a dozen Atlanta-themed images, which foster a sense of collective culture and community pride. The animated icons of figures, objects and symbols celebrate the common experiences of diverse Atlantans, while highlighting popular sentiments and familiar attractions…

DeKalb County began installing new water meters on April 2 as part of the New Day Water Meter Exchange and Upgrade Initiative, a three-year program to replace 102,000 aging and potentially defective water meters. “DeKalb County has worked tirelessly to address the long-festering problems in our water and sewer billing and meter reading processes,” said CEO Michael Thurmond. “With new state-of-the-art meters, water customers can expect accurate billing and meter reading, increased customer service and restored trust.” All 194,000 DeKalb County water customers have received a letter from  Thurmond announcing the initiative and results to date of the New Day…

Antioch-Lithonia AME recently celebrated its 150- year anniversary, or sesquicentennial, with a classical gospel concert held at the Lithonia church on March 31. The memorial concert was held in honor of the church’s ancestors and founding members. The extravaganza, led by Antioch’s Pastor James C. Ward, included the inaugural performance of an original composition entitled “The Heritage Hymn,” scheduled to be published Fall 2019. Pastor James C. Ward, who has a background in classical music, leads the chorale in the rendering of the inaugural performance of “The Heritage Hymn.” The South DeKalb pastor is an accomplished songwriter and 2018 recipient…

By Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. Probate Judge I recently had the pleasure of having a Salem High School student shadow me for a day. When I received the request, I questioned whether she would really be interested in the daily operations of the probate court. However, after meeting her, I quickly realized that she had a thirst for knowledge and lots of questions to assist her with making decisions about her future. According to the student, someone recommended me to her as a person she should shadow. Although I am not sure who this person was, I am honored that…

The Urban League of Greater Atlanta has selected State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, District 93, as an honoree in the “Political Advocate” category for the 2019 Dream Catchers Awards. The awards program will be held on May 10 at the Coca Cola headquarters in Atlanta. Kendrick, who is the Chief Deputy Whip of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, serves on the Small Business Development and Job Creation Committee and Juvenile Justice and Judiciary Committee. Kendrick’s district includes 54,000 residents in east DeKalb County (unincorporated Stone Mountain and Lithonia) and South Gwinnett County(unincorporated Snellvile and Loganville.