Author: On Common Ground News

The City of Conyers has banned booting—the practice in which private companies use mechanical locking devices on unauthorized vehicles that have parked in privately-owned parking lots. The City Council recently passed an ordinance prohibiting the practice at the recommendation of the Conyers Police Department. Conyers Police Chief Gene Wilson called for action, saying that the regulation of the booting practice has become increasingly difficult to regulate. He said recent incidents involving booting companies have created a drain on public safety resources. “The experiences our officers and citizens have had with booting companies have often been contentious and the fines…

The Decatur Library will host Sam Wheelock for a song writing workshop and performance on Tuesday, Aug. 27 in the library’s auditorium, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur. The workshop will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a performance at 7:15 p.m. Sam Wheelock is an blend of the many musical influences of the Eastern Tennessee Mountains. He recalls members of the Carter Family playing in the front yard of a family home but also the influences of mountain blues and jazz. The event is funded by the Friends of the Decatur Library and is free to the public.…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson will host a  summit focused on the multi-billion dollar creative arts industry on Aug. 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. Industry leaders in the creative field from the metro Atlanta area will share their insights in plenary and breakout sessions on how to break into this multi-billion dollar industry and turn your passion into your profession. Some of the money makers include video and music production, web development and UX/UI design. The creative industry in Georgia generated a $62.5 billion in total economic impact…

Mayor Deborah Jackson and DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson Mark your calendars for the 4thAnnual Community Fun Day and Fish Fry on Saturday, Aug. 31, noon to 2 p.m. on Main Street in Lithonia. The City of Lithonia Mayor Deborah Jackson and DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson will co-host the event. There will be a petting zoo, horseback riding and other activities for the children with line dancing for the adults.

Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) will host its Electronics Recycling and Paper Shredding for Rockdale residents and business owners. The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., oruntil the shredding truck is full, in the parking lot of 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. The free, half-day event will provide the public a place to safely discard and recycle old documents and electronics, regardless of working condition. There is a maximum of 4 banker boxes per vehicle allowed for paper shredding, and participants must provide photo ID as proof of an address in the Countyfor both…

The Rockdale County UGA Cooperative Extension Office will host the first Rockdale County Food and Science Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Pine Street Elementary School, 500 Sigman Road, Conyers. The free event will showcase all three program areas of UGA Cooperative Extension: Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS), and 4-H. The goal is to highlight the relationship between food production and consumption and the impact it has on the body and mind in a fun festival-style event. Attendees will be able to navigate a path through more than 15 different…

The six-week annual summer “volunteen” program at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital recently concluded with students receiving scholarships during the Volunteen Awards Ceremony. The volunteen program is organized and overseen by the hospital’s Volunteer Auxiliary. This summer, two returning students received scholarships totaling $3,000 to further their education in medicine. Jaylynn Caudle will be attending Augusta University in the fall and plans to pursue a medical degree. She has hopes of becoming an OB/GYN physician. Caudle has served more than 64 hours through the volunteen program and was recognized as the Rockdale Career Academy Healthcare Student of the Year. Jazmyn Flakes will…

State Rep. Karen Bennett, District 94, in partnership with Redan Park Association, will once again host the Back to School Zone Sports Physicals for students ages 5 to 17 who are seeking to play recreational team sports this fall. The annual event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24, 9 a.m. to noon, at Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Philips Road, Lithonia. Students must be pre-registered in order to receive the sports physicals. A limited number of free sports physicals will be provided by a volunteer Board Certified doctor and volunteer nurses who will be available at the event.…

OBITUUARY Father James Stephen Behrens, OCSO, a monk at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Rockdale County, died on Thursday, Aug. 15, at the hospital as a result of complications from a lung biopsy procedure. A monk of 25 years and a priest of 45 years, he served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark for over 20 years before entering the monastery in 1994. Father James was 71 years old when the Lord called him. Fr James is the author of six books; two of them containing collections of photographs, each captivating image…

Rockdale County Public Schools Teachers of the Year for 2019-2020 pictured (left to right): Back Row – Michael Zellous (Open Campus), Reginald Jacobs (Rockdale County High), Janareau Murray (Pine Street Elementary), Natasha Belle (Memorial Middle), Josh Kammerer (Shoal Creek Elementary), Chris Anglin (Rockdale Career Academy). Middle Row – Vita Reed (Edwards Middle), Nabulungi Bolton-Johnson (Alpha Academy), Divya Kharod (C.J. Hicks Elementary), Precious Moon (Hightower Trail Elementary), Beth Withers (Salem High), Francoise Scott (Gen. Ray Davis Middle), Tracee Smith (Honey Creek Elemenary), Dametria Williams (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology), Cynthia Siren (Peek’s Chapel Elementary). Front Row – Kimberly Tomlinson…