Author: On Common Ground News

By Ruth A. Wilson Clerk of Courts By law, we, in the Clerk of Courts Office, are not permitted to provide legal advice or referrals even though we are regularly asked to do so. We want to be as helpful as possible to the public we serve so we make a great effort to provide regular information on where legal assistance can be found. One great resource which is not well known is the Nancy Guinn (Conyers-Rockdale) Law Library. In the coming months, we will expand services and support available to Self-Represented Litigants, also known…

Rockdale Democrats will host State Rep. Vernon Jones as the special guest for its “Politics After Dark” event on Oct. 14, 7 to 9 p.m., at Nancy’s Pizza, 1360 Dogwood Drive S.E., Conyers. Come out and learn more about your community politics. Meet your elected officials and new candidates. Politics After Dark is hosted every second Monday at various businesses in the Rockdale community. Rockdale Democrats meet every fourth Saturday, 9 a.m., at the Marriott Courtyard, 1337 Old Covington Highway, Conyers.  

The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce is inviting business professionals and community leaders to join the Chamber for its Member Appreciation luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at This Is It banquet hall, 2853 Panola Road, Lithonia. The luncheon is being held to recognize and thank members for their support of the Chamber and the community. All Chamber members will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and provide a two-minute pitch about their business or organization at the luncheon. Business professionals and community leaders will have an opportunity to network and connect. Real estate consultant Bill…

Celebrate fall and Conyers’ longest-running crafts festival in the streets of historic Olde Town Conyers on Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival includes arts and crafts vendors, music, children’s activities, food and more. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 770-602-2606.

Join the DeKalb History Center on a special edition tour featuring the Southeastern Institute of Paranormal Research on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. on the first floor of the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. Recount the history of the building and look into some unexplained occurrences that have happened over the years. The Historic DeKalb Courthouse has been in its current location in downtown Decatur since 1829. Up until 1967, this building served as the official county courthouse, holding countless court proceedings and serving as the center for legal business in DeKalb County. The…

The Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., is hosting Atlanta-based musical artist Joseph E. Reed in concert on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7 to 8 p.m. The free event is funded by the Friends of the Decatur Library Reed plays guitar and violin and utilizes a looper pedal to create exciting polyphonic pieces live. He plays a variety of instrumental cover songs by popular musicians. For more information, visit josephereed.com.

The 2019 “Uniting DeKalb for a Cure” 5K run/walk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Northlake Mall, Tucker, 4800 Briarcliff Road N.E., Atlanta. To register, visit www.komenatlanta.org/dekalb5kor contact Nichole Simms at jnsimms@dekalbcountyga.gov for more information.

Pictured L-R: Taron Williams, Trayvon Williams, Jermel Campbell One suspect wanted on murder charges in connection with the Sept. 29 shooting at The Mall At Stonecrest is in custody, DeKalb County police said on Wednesday (Oct. 9). Nineteen-year-old Taron Williams, whose address is listed as Covington in jail records, turned himself in to the DeKalb Police Department and was booked into the DeKalb County Jail, police said. Two other suspects — Trayvon Williams, 25, and Jermel Campbell, 26 — are still sought in connection with the shooting, said DeKalb Police spokesperson Michaela N. Vincent. She said she did not know…

Expanding its footprint as an international leader in the development of social activists, Morehouse College will host its first annual Human Rights Film Festival Thursday through Saturday at the Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center. The inaugural festival will honor Spike Lee’s lifetime achievement in film and offer a platform to other independent filmmakers whose work promotes cultural understanding and exposes the injustices of the world. Top festival entries will be screened for audiences along with some of Hollywood’s most anticipated movies. “Harriet,” Kasi Lemmons’ new, epic film on the life of Harriet Tubman will be shown at 7…

DCSD kicks off Superintendent Search Community Engagement Phase The DeKalb County Board of Education formally initiated its search for a new superintendent on Monday, Oct. 7 with presentations fro Debra Hill, Kevin Castner and Percy Mack of BWP and Associates (www.BWPassociates.com). BWP and Associates is a national search firm, specializing in assisting boards seeking superintendents. The firm has conducted more than 800 successful national searches. “Selecting a new superintendent is the most important task we have as a board, and we are starting the process by asking the community for input,” said Board Chair Michael A. Erwin.…