Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County school teachers were honored at the 7thannual Heart of South DeKalb Festival. The two-day festival, which took place on Sept. 27 and 28 at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur, highlighted and celebrated educators and school personnel. District 3 Commissioner Lary Johnson hosted the event and recognized local educators and their impact in the community. The festival kicked off Friday night with the “Night Under the Stars” showcase at Rainbow Park featuring Motown and R&B tunes by The Ray Howard Trio. Attendees kicked back in lawn chairs and enjoyed live music and food from…

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, will be available Nov. 1. The federally-funded program assists low-income, elderly and disabled Georgians with heating bills through direct payments to home energy suppliers. Beginning Nov. 1, residents aged 65 and older or those who are homebound can apply for assistance through the Department’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. All other eligible residents may apply for assistance beginning Dec. 2. Funds are administered through local Community Action Agencies on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds are exhausted. In 2019,…

Stone Mountain Park is recruiting seasonal and full-time employees for the region’s popular events including Snow Mountain and Stone Mountain Christmas, which open Nov. 16. All applications must be completed online, with training beginning in October for many positions. Offering a variety of fun, flexible jobs as well as entry-level leadership, professional, administrative and management opportunities, Stone Mountain Park is now hiring team members in food service, attractions, merchandise and entertainment. Snow Mountain positions include lift operators, team members and technicians. Other available positions also include cooks, bussers, servers, dishwashers, custodians, railroad conductors, farmyard animal keeper, educational interpreters, campground host,…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) Parents as Teachers (PAT) members stop for a photo at Wheeler Park in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2019. Photo by Mackenzie Morgan for OCG News By Mackenzie N. Morgan OCG News Staff Writer A parade of preschool parents gathered at Rockdale Career Academy’s (RCA) Early Learning Center to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 8. The group, dressed in various shades of pink, walked in a caravan from RCA to Wheeler Park and back. The Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) Parents as Teachers (PAT) program hosted the walk in…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and Councilman Jimmy Clanton were amid more than 120 years of law enforcement experience at the Stonecrest Police Advisory Committee meeting this week.  The committee met to discuss crime in Stonecrest, a needs assessment, and plans for the new Sears out parcel, which is slated for a police department.    “This is the foundation for both our desire to collaborate with DeKalb County as well as our plans to move forward with a Stonecrest Police Department,” Lary said.  “Stonecrest is going to be a safe place and we have just the experience and knowledge on this committee…

Tom and Killian Smith have donated countless hours to make the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve the welcoming, accessible place it is today. They recently relocated to North Carolina. The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance is now accepting applications for a two-week park management and conservation internship at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, in honor of the impactful work of long-time volunteers Tom and Killian Smith. For almost 20 years, the Smiths donated their time, energy and knowledge to make the Nature Preserve a more welcoming place for everybody. Due in no small part to their efforts, Arabia Mountain has become a…

Metro-Atlanta area high school students and their families are invited to attend a college scholarship fair hosted by Infinite Scholars and The Leadership Team USA on Oct. 23 and 24, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and 4 to 8 p.m., at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest. Admission is free. Courtney L. Dillard, who is organizing the event, said the college fair, which is in its fourth year, provides an opportunity for students and their families to meet college representatives and to learn about scholarship opportunities. “This life-changing event gives hope after high school to every student…

Four Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) students are among the top performers recognized this year in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. Abigail Oser, a senior at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology (RMSST), was named a National Merit Semifinalist – part of an elite group of 16,000 identified out of 1.5 million students who entered in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Fellow RMSST seniors Sarah Goldgar, Shivam Vohra, and Ian Westcott were named Commended Students in the program. Their scores on the 2018 PSAT test put them in the top 34,000 of all test takers. “I…

Parents and students are invited to learn more about Dual Enrollment opportunities and eligibility at the Rockdale County Public Schools Dual Enrollment Information Session on Oct. 24,  at the Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers.  The first information session will take place 6-6:30 p.m. with a repeated session at 7–7:30 p.m. Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Point University and Georgia Military College will be available after each session to discuss programs at their schools. Dual Enrollment not only provides an opportunity for eligible students to be challenged with the rigor of a college-level course, but it also can cut…

Pictured left to right: Front row – SSEMC Public Relations Executive Leigh-Anne Burgess, Jessica Kiser (PSE), Nancy Kelly (RCPS Curriculum and Instruction), Donna Malone (RCPS Curriculum and Instruction), Reba Campbell (HCE), Jennifer Schie (FSE), Mary Jane Floyd (SHS). Middle row – SSEMC Vice President of Engineering Services Todd Mooney, Katy King (DMS), Allison Russell (HCE), Theresa Godbold (SES), Peggy Lawrence (RCPS School Food Services), Anna Burdett (CJH), Superintendent Dr. Terry Oatts. Back row – Terri Anschutz (PSE), Dawn Stocks-Martin (BES), Jessica McLaughlin (RCA), Eric Asbury (CJH), Thomas Schie (RCHS). Not pictured – Heather Webb (CJH), Dr. Linda Fay Adams (SCE).…