Author: On Common Ground News

The city of Lithonia has narrowed its search for the position of City Administrator to four candidates.  Mayor Deborah A. Jackson and the City Council are pleased to announce the following as the final panel of candidates: Timothy E. O’Briant Alan C. Peterson Meschery Pollard Lathaydra L. Sands A decision will be made on the final candidate in February. There will be an opportunity for the community to meet the finalists on Feb. 4, 6 p.m., before the City Council meeting at City Hall, 6920 Main Street, Lithonia. “This is an important decision and we want to make sure we…

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is seeking substitutes to work in a variety of positions as needed throughout the district. The district’s Substitute Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 1 to 4 p.m., at Elizabeth Andrews High School, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain. Employee screenings and in-person interviews will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Candidates applying for substitute teacher are required to complete a minimum of six hours of non-paid initial substitute teacher training. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher from Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced today that he has made three high-level appointments to address the county’s consent decree regarding the sewer system, improving its watershed system and the county’s finances. “These appointments underline our commitment to repair and strengthen the county’s infrastructure while protecting our financial resources,” said Thurmond. Maria Houser has been appointed the county’s first director of consent decree and environmental compliance. Houser, both an attorney and a civil engineer, has more than 12 years of experience as a compliance expert in the utility sector and has practiced law at Troutman Sanders in the Environmental and…

Newly-elected State Rep. Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) has been appointed to the Georgia House of Representatives Insurance, Interstate Cooperation and Science & Technology committees. Davis was sworn into office as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives on Jan. 14,  marking her first day of the 2019-2020 legislative term. She represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. “I am proud to represent the taxpayers and voters of DeKalb County,” said Rep. Davis. “I will make every effort to focus on problems and solutions within my district.” The House Committee on Assignments, chaired by House Speaker…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs377xtsgOs&nohtml5=1 Click to watch the video of the Jan. 22 town hall.  

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) managed two bills that passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on Tuesday. The first bill, H.R. 439, the “National FFA Organization’s Federal Charter Amendment’s Act,” is a bipartisan effort to update and modernize the Federal Charter for the National FFA Organization (formerly known as the Future Farmers of America). The bill updates the FFA’s charter to make it more consistent with the modern organization, and to provide additional flexibility as it looks toward the future. As lead co-sponsor, Johnson also managed time on H.R. 498, the “Clean up the Code Act.” It repeals several…

The Atlanta City Council is urging President Trump and members of the U.S. Congress to immediately re-open the federal government. At the Tuesday City Council meeting, Council member Jennifer Ide introduced a resolution calling for the re-opening. The resolution notes that the shutdown affects the overall economic growth of the U.S. and calls for all back pay to be extended to government contractors affected by the shutdown. It was passed unanimously. “The ongoing government shutdown has impacted lives across Atlanta and the Council District that I represent, District 6. From the airport to the CDC in my district, critical institutions of…

The Georgia Federation of Teachers, JEEPAC and the DeKalb Chapter of the NAACP are hosting a free screening of the documentary, “Backpack Full of Cash,” on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m., at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. The documentary, narrated by Matt Damon, a Cambridge, MA public school graduate, exams how charter schools, vouchers and the privatization movement are threatening the nation’s public schools. Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch, writer David Kirp and policy expert Linda Darling Hammond are among the national thought leaders who provide analysis in the film. Filmed in Philadelphia,…

The frigid temperatures did not stop the  DeKalb NAACP’s 2019 MLK Parade, Photo Essay On Common Ground News (Official) Facebook

Members of the Salem High School choir Congressman Hank Johnson  received the county’s MLK Day “Excellence in Public Service award Rockdale School Board member Heather Duncan received the 2019 MLK Leadership Award Young people from Rockdale County Public Schools and the community demonstrated their amazing talent before a packed crowd today, drawing standing ovations for their performances. Anchor and reporter JenniferBellamy of 11Alive served as MC of the two-hour event, which was held at the Rockdale Career Academy. At the program, Rockdale Chairman Oz Nesbitt announced Congressman Hank Johnson as the recipient of the county’s MLK celebration’s “Excellence in…