Author: On Common Ground News

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DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader, presiding officer of the Board of Commissioners, today  announced the revised 2019 Board of Commissioners committee assignments: First and Third Tuesdays (“Committee of the Whole” days) Finance, Audit & Budget (FAB) o   Time: 1 to 2:15 p.m. o   Members: Commissioners Nancy Jester (chair), Kathie Gannon and Larry Johnson Procurement Ad Hoc Committee o   TBD o   Members: Commissioners Steve Bradshaw and Jeff Rader Employee Relations & Public Safety (ERPS) o   Time: 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. o   Members: Commissioners Mereda Davis Johnson (chair), Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Rader Public Works…

DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management and construction contractor Ruby-Collins will be performing emergency repairs on a collapsed sewer pipe. Crews will work to replace 300 feet of aging 30-inch-diameter concrete sewer pipe with ductile iron pipe. Flowers Road South, from Woodstock Boulevard to Brandywine Road, will be closed from Tuesday, Jan. 22, beginning at 9:30 a.m., through Wednesday, Feb. 18. Detour signs and traffic personnel will be in place to assist motorists. For more information, call the DWM Project Information Line at 1-800-986-1108 or email projectinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

  The House Committee on Assignments, chaired by Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), announced committee assignments for the 2019-2020 term. “The Committee on Assignments thoughtfully discussed and deliberated on these important assignments, and I am proud to say we reached a unanimous decision,” said Speaker Ralston. “We are blessed to have a deep bench of talented leaders in the House. I know all of our new and returning chairmen will do their best to serve the House and the citizens of our great state. I congratulate them all on their appointments.” Committee chairmen for the legislative term are as follows:…

The Stone Mountain Pirates finished off a girls/boys home sweep in Region 5-3A basketball action with a 73-62 win in the nightcap against the Redan Raiders on Friday, Jan. 11. Redan cut a 12-point (38-26) Pirates lead to seven (52-45) heading into the fourth quarter when the Pirates went on an 11-2 run to extend the lead to 16 (63-47) with 3:54 to play in the game. Jevon Rubin got the Pirates rolling with a three-pointer from the right corner to make it 55-45. Bryson Dennis then sandwiched Stone Mountain’s Dee Richardson’s layup with four consecutive free throws before Samari…

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is seeking eligible child and adult care facilities to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP is a federally-funded U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition program available to child care centers, adult day care centers, Head Start programs, emergency shelters, and before- and after-school programs. The program reimburses approved facilities for nutritious meals and snacks served to children and adults in care. Approved or exempt institutions that offer a structured after-school program with educational or enrichment activities may be eligible to participate…

  Pastors from DeKalb County churches came together to pray for community, state and national leaders on Jan. 12 at Greater Travelers Rest Church (House of Hope) in Decatur.  Stonecrest Councilman Rob Turner and his wife, DeKalb School Board member Vickie B. Turner, invited the pastors to the prayer breakfast , the first meeting of the year for  the DeKalb Cultural Exchange, which the couple founded last year.   The prayers were led by Bishop William Murphy, III, of the Dream Center Church; Dr. Sherry Gaither of Stronghold Christian Church; the Rev. Demetrius McCoy, pastor of The Life Center; the…

Every month, Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers opens its food pantry to those who need a helping hand. This month, however, the church is especially reaching out to furloughed federal workers in the community and inviting those impacted by the government’s shut down to come to the church and get food to feed their families. “We want our federal workers to know that we’re there for them—to supplement some of the things that they need,” said Pastor Eric W. Lee, Sr., who serves as senior pastor Springfield. “As a church, we are intentional about giving back to the community,” said…

Helping Hands Outreach Community Health Clinic, 2442 Lake Rockaway Road, Conyers, is offering free primary care to furloughed federal workers and military veterans in the metro-Atlanta area who need health care. Federal workers and vets must show identification. Scheduled appointments as well as walk-ins are welcomed. Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Second and fourth Saturdays, 9 to noon. For more information, visit helpinghandsga.org or call 678-607-0759 or 404-276-7674.

Demonstrators plan to protest the federal government shutdown and economic inequities on Jan. 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the MLK Federal Building, 77 Forsyth Street S.W. in downtown Atlanta. Dr. Tarece Johnson, Ed.D., who is organizing the event, is partnering with Alliance for Black Lives, Multicultural Jewish Alliance and the Georgia Alliance for Social Justice to host the rally. Johnson is founder of The Global Purpose Approach and Global Purpose Academy, and a leader in Gwinnett Branch of the NAACP and the Alliance for Black Lives among other organization groups. Johnson said the rally will be a peaceful…