Author: On Common Ground News

L-R: Pastor Marty Barrett, Ms. Bertley Bernard, Jerald Bryant and Pastor Mauricio Sonny Honor Thy Father, Inc., a DeKalb County nonprofit, hosted an awards dinner to recognize three outstanding community volunteers on June 15 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Tucker. Jerald Bryant Jr., a school football coach, Pastor Mauricio Sonny and Pastor Marty Barrett were recognized for the guidance and counsel they have provided to numerous individuals and single-parent households headed mainly by mothers. For the third consecutive year, during the Father’s Day Weekend, Honor Thy Father Inc. honored men who have tirelessly cared for the future…

More African-American students in Atlanta, DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties could have a chance to learn Mandarin at an early age, helping them gain a more competitive edge to participate in cultural exchange programs with China. The idea is one that was discussed recently at a forum co-hosted by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) and Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents the Fourth District, at Clark Atlanta University. A delegation of elected official held the roundtable to develop ways to expose African-American students to China, the second-wealthiest country behind the U.S. About two-dozen invited guests attended the meeting, among them…

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive on June 24 to examine all aspects of the Conyers Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, Police Chief Gene Wilson announced. Verification by the team that the Conyers Police Department meets the Commission’s best practices and model policies is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, Chief Wilson said. As a part of the site based assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer…

Rockdale Community Ambassadors removed litter and illegal signs from the county’s gateways on June 15. In total, six volunteers picked up five bags of trash, four fallen road signs, five signs placed illegally in the right of way, and three adhesive signs that were located on the guardrails along the exits of I-20. Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. thanked the volunteers for hosting their first Cleanup Bash, saying the drive was successful. Nesbitt created the ambassador board as a way to promote Rockdale County in a positive light. The next trash bash will be held on Saturday, Aug.…

Danielle Nguyen, Sydnee Hairston and Jose Ayala Three Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology students were honored this month at the Rockdale Soil and Water Conservation summer education program. Danielle Nguyen, Jose Refujio Ayala and Sydnee Nicole Hairston were brought home top honors from the Natural Resource Conservation Workshop, which was held June 9-13 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton, Georgia. Out of 159 counties in the state of Georgia, Rockdale had 17 students—the largest group this year—to participate this year, said Kenny A. Johnson, board chairman and district supervisor for Rockdale Soil and Water Conservation.…

Southwest DeKalb and Lakeside place second and third respectively By Mark Brock DCSD Athletics Specialist Three state titles propelled the Chamblee Bulldogs’ athletic program to the top of the DeKalb County School District’s All-Sports Award standings for the third consecutive year. Collecting Class 5A state championship trophies in girls’ tennis (third consecutive), boys’ tennis and girls’ swimming helped the Bulldog program to score 352.0 All-Sports points to outdistance second place Southwest DeKalb (307.0) and third place Lakeside (301.0) in the standings. Chamblee also collected six Region 5-5A titles in tennis (boys’ and girls’), girls’ soccer,…

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is accepting applications for volunteers to serve on the E-SPLOST (Education Special-Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) Advisory Committee. Applications can be submitted online until Friday, July 12. The E-SPLOST Advisory Committee provides citizen input, oversight, and review of a voter-approved project list paid for with E-SPLOST revenue. The committee consists of members of the public who share the common goal of maintaining transparency and communication from DCSD to the DeKalb County community. Candidates must be residents within DCSD boundaries. Members may not be DeKalb County Board of Education members, DCSD employees, or have any…

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce will honor eight local businesses at its 2019 APEX Awards on June 26, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, 130 Clairemont Ave., Decatur. The awards luncheon recognizes businesses for their exemplary standards and contributions to DeKalb County and the metro Atlanta region. “Every day our DeKalb businesses play a role in strengthening our workforce and stimulating the economy,” said Katerina Taylor, DeKalb Chamber President and CEO. “The APEX Awards is our way to thank these businesses for choosing to make a difference in DeKalb.” The following awards will…

Rockdale County will celebrate the opening of South Rockdale Park’s mountain bike trails with a ribbon cutting ceremony and inaugural bike ride on Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. at 3909 East Fairview Road, Stockbridge. MTB Atlanta and Rockdale County Recreation & Maintenance have worked together to build 6-miles of beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails at South Rockdale Park in Rockdale County on the Rockdale River Trail. “Cyclists will be able to enjoy new multi-use mountain bike trails, the first of its kind in our park system that provides a picturesque view of South Rockdale Park,” said Sue Sanders, director of…

Viewing today, June 16   Photos by William Thomas/OCG News A bouquet of pink balloons rose to the sky on Saturday as supporters and loved ones gathered at the Zaxby’s restaurant, 451 S. Deshon Road in Stone Mountain, to remember 17-year-old Elyse Purefoy. The Arabia Mountain High School student, who was on the honor roll and a member of the DeKalb County school’s dance team, worked part time at the restaurant where co-workers and managers held the vigil on Saturday evening. Purefoy collapsed during a workout with dance team members on June 10 and was pronounced dead…