Author: On Common Ground News

Celebrating Black History Month has taken on a new meaning for the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Eric J. Levett made history of his own when he took office in 2013 to become Rockdale County’s first African-American Sheriff. Recently, as Sheriff Levett and a few of his staff members drove through a neighborhood in South Rockdale, he shared what it means to be the first African-American elected Sheriff in Rockdale County. “I’m sure somebody somewhere is saying, ‘Hey, this is a milestone for race relations in Rockdale County,’ but I just see myself as another resident who has taken…

Governor Brian  Kemp announced on March 5 that CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, will create more than 300 jobs for its new Customer Experience Center opening in Peachtree Corners early this summer. Over the coming months, CarMax will hire customer experience consultants, assistants, and managers to work at the location. “As a member of Georgia’s corporate family, it is exciting to see CarMax expand operations and create more jobs for hardworking Georgians,” said Governor Kemp. “This investment will ensure greater opportunities for metro-Atlanta’s talented and diverse workforce while providing an innovative service to car buyers across the state…

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of people to assist with the 2020 Census count. A variety of temporary jobs are being offered  including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff and supervisory staff. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security Number and be a U.S. citizen.  The jobs offer weekly pay, competitive pay rates, flexible hours and paid training. Veterans who are claiming preference must also submit documentation of eligibility. Applications must be made online:  https://bit.ly/2xhJnHG      

A convicted gunman has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for his role in a deadly armed robbery scheme, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said on Friday. Jurors returned guilty verdicts against 20-year-old Gregory Montgomery on charges of murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault and weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 26-year-old Justuss Rogers. Rogers was gunned down on Oct. 23, 2017 in the 4300 block of Pinnacle Drive in Stone Mountain. According to the investigation, he was lured to the location by co-defendant Lakoaia Johnson, who told the…

State Rep. Vernon Jones will host a Town Hall meeting on Medical Marijuana on March 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Rockdale County Auditorium on Main Street in Conyers. Jones along with Rep. Doreen Carter and Rep. Pam Stephenson will discuss House Bill 324 relating to the production, manufacturing, and dispensing of Medical Marijuana (THC oil) http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20192020/HB/324 They also will speak about the much debated HB 316 regarding voting legislation, and the creation of a new state court judgeship in Rockdale County. This town hall is open to the public.

Wednesday, March 6 | 7pm → more dates through March 17, 2019 The UniverSoul Circus comes to the Gwinnett Place Mall, 2100 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, March 6-17, 7 p.m. UniverSoul was established in 1994 by Cedric Walker, an African American man who had a vision of creating a circus with a large percentage of people of color performing. Walker began searching for people from all around the world with incredible talents. The circus currently has performers from at least 24 different countries around the world. For ticket information, visit: www.universoulcircus.com.

The DeKalb History Center, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur, will host its annual meeting and  on Friday March 22, 6 to 8:30 p.m. The free event is a great night out to support the DeKalb History Center. The annual fundraiser will feature hors d’oeuvres from several select caterers.

City Winery at Ponce City Market in downtown Atlanta announces the return of Wine Down Weekends, a free music series held on its expansive, dog-friendly patio every Friday and Saturday this spring from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Kicking off on Friday, March 8, with a high-energy show from Lerogie, the series will take place through May 2019. Featuring new faces, old favorites and wine, the spring performer lineup of the biannual series includes: Lerogie, March 8 Joshua Ketchmark and Denny Smith, March 9 Farrel and Doug, March 15 The Scullin Fraser Duo, March 16 James Patrick Regan, March 22+23 Campbell Station, March 29+30 City Winery offers 315+…

Rockdale County Tax Commissioner Tisa Smart-Washington wants the public to know about major changes upcoming in Georgia’s motor vehicle and titling system that will affect all Rockdale drivers. DRIVES, which stands for Driver Record and Integrated Vehicle Enterprise System, will replace the current 20-year-old Georgia Registration and Title Information System (GRATIS) on May 27th. “The new system will bring positive changes for tax offices across the state, but I want residents to be aware that services may be impacted as we move closer to May 27th,” said Smart-Washington. Rockdale has taken an active role in the leadup to DRIVES. Smart-Washington…

WorkSource DeKalb announces its Mobile Career Center schedule for March. The center will be stationed at locations throughout DeKalb County to help put DeKalb County citizens back to work. The mobile unit brings job assistance to residents of DeKalb by conveniently traveling all over the county. Residents have access to services like job search assistance, workshops, training and resume writing and interviewing tips. Businesses may also use the mobile unit for interviewing, training, pre-employment screenings or recruiting. The Mobile Career Center is also aiding residents interested in applying for the DeKalb year-round internship program. The program provides short-term internship opportunities…