Author: On Common Ground News

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is reviewing its security protocol after two men unleashed pepper spray during the Oct. 20 worship service at the mega church, which is located in the city of Stonecrest. Authorities said more than two dozen people became sick and one person was taken to the hospital. The parishioners complained of difficulty breathing and burning eyes. The incident happened during the Sunday worship service between 10:30 and 11 a.m., officials said. New Birth’s senior pastor, Jamal Bryant, was preaching when the incident happened in a section of the sanctuary. People were coughing and running as the…

The Stonecrest Library Friends group will host its “Super Holiday Book Sale” on Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. There will be used books available for purchase in all categories including  fiction, non-fiction, biographies, encyclopedias, romance, history, crafts, magazines, books on tapes, CDs and DVDs. Proceeds benefit the Stonecrest Library’s children and adult programs.

By Mackenzie N. Morgan OCG News Staff Writer Prominent businessman and funeral director Gregory B. Levett and his wife, Betty Levett, will soon have a school with their names on it after making a $500K contribution to Columbia, South Carolina’s Allen University’s school of education. The new school will be called the Dr. Gregory B. and Mrs. Betty Levett School of Education and will be listed on all future diplomas of students graduating from the education program.   Levett recently received an honorary doctoral degree from the university after being nominated by his pastor, the Rev. Dr. William D. Watley of Saint Philip AME Church in Atlanta,…

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Oz Nesbitt announced the shutdown of the Family Dollar store at 2460 Salem Road, Conyers after the store failed to address repeated violations cited by the county’s code enforcement officers, fire marshal and community improvement team. Nesbitt said the shutdown was effective Oct. 23 and would remain in place until Family Dollar submits a comprehensive plan to address the code violations, including maintaining a clean location. Family Dollar is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Courton Dec. 3, Nesbitt said. “Family Dollar is a big enough corporation that they can do better,” Nesbitt said. Nesbitt said…

The City of Lithonia, Mayor and Councilmembers will  honor Maggie “Mc” Woods, on Oct. 28, 5:30 pm, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate a street topper at the corner of Magnolia Street and Williams Reynolds Grant Drive, in front of the home where she lived. In 1972, Maggie Woods became the first African-American Councilwoman in Lithonia. A resident of Lithonia since 1935, Mrs. Woods raised all eight of her children in the city, including her daughter Marcia, who would become Lithonia’s first African-American female mayor in 1995, and her son Jerome Woods, who was elected as police…

Join the North Georgia Live Steamers for miniature steam train rides on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers. The train takes passengers on a wooded path in the horse park. Rides begin operation at 1 p.m.  The last train ride is  at 4:30 p.m. The cost to ride is $2 per person. Run days may be canceled for inclement weather. For more information, call 770-860-4190.

The Stonecrest Library Friends group will host its “Super Holiday Book Sale” on Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. There will be used books available for purchase in all categories including  fiction, non-fiction, biographies, encyclopedias, romance, history, crafts, magazines, books on tapes,  CDs and DVDs. Proceeds benefit the Stonecrest Library’s children and adult programs.

The NAACP DeKalb County branch and Salem Bible Church Political/Social Action Ministry will host the “2020 Vision: Education for a Better Tomorrow” forum on Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The forum will be held at Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive, Lithonia and feature subject matter experts on legislative bills, voter education, the 2020 U.S. Census and redistricting and gerrymandering. Political strategist Fred Hicks will serve as moderator. The panelists include
Taifa Smith Butler, executive director of Georgia Policy and Budget Institute; Tharon Johnson, political consultant;
Attorney Jerry Wilson; Sam Tillman, DeKalb Board of Voter Registration; Aklima…

State Rep. Karen L. Bennett, chairwoman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, will honor breast cancer survivors and pay tribute to her grandmother and the families of loved ones who died from the disease during the Emma B. Allen Pink Sash Parade on Sunday, Oct. 27. The tribute will be held at Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church, 2125 Rock Chapel Road, Lithonia,     during the 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship services. The Emma B. Allen Pink Sash Parade was named in memory of  Bennett’s grandmother, who died from breast cancer at an early age in 1962, just…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announces sewer repairs at “Ground Zero.” DeKalb County has begun Phase 2 work on its worst sewer spill site. Officials held a press conference on Oct. 23 to announce that another round of repairs are underway  near Melanie Court, where 22 sewer spills have been reported since 2014. Construction crews demolished a house near the site as they began work at what DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond called “Ground Zero.” “This is Ground Zero for the challenges my administration has faced with the long-delayed repairs and maintenance to DeKalb’s sanitary sewer system,” said Thurmond.…