Author: On Common Ground News

The City of Stonecrest plans to continue repaving its roads, tackling three of the city’s major thoroughfares—Rockland, Salem and Thompson Mill roads, utilizing a portion of the city’s special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST). In a 5-1 vote at its May 28 meeting, the City Council authorized city staff members to release an invitation for contractors to bid on the next round of road resurfacing projects. Councilwoman Diane Adoma cast the dissenting vote. “We don’t have a comprehensive process to continue to bid out work,” Adoma said in defending her vote. Mayor Jason Lary said he is confident the…

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, is celebrating National Get Outdoors Day by hosting a Fun with Fireflies family hike on June 8, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Children of all ages can enjoy the family-friendly night hike. The goal of the day is to create a healthy, fun day of outdoor adventure aimed at reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting children to the outdoors. Bring a flashlight, refillable water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs public relations specialist, at lsdavis@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Dads and their children are invited to a “Fishing with Fathers” excursion on June 16, 8 to 11 a.m., at the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center, 3787 Klondike Rd., Stonecrest. DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs welcomes children of all ages to participate in the fun-filled, relaxing morning of fishing in the park. Participants will learn the basics of freshwater fishing with their fathers at their sides. Light refreshments will be served prior to departure to the lake. Supplies are limited and may be rented on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing gear. For…

The DeKalb History Center will present Laurel Wilson, MHP, who will discuss the “African American Heritage of Decatur” at its June 11 Lunch & Learn. The free program, open to the public, will be held from noon to 1 p.m.at the DeKalb History Center, 101 E Court Square, Decatur. Wilson will share her research on “Section 6” of the Decatur Cemetery. Attendees may bring their own lunch to the program.  

DeKalb County Sanitation Division’s Operation Spring Clean Sweep 2019begins Friday, June 7.The initiativeincludes free residential curbside collection, paper shredding, litter collection and roadside enhancement activities. The campaign will feature residential bulky item curbside collection activities on Fridays and Saturdays from June 7 – 29. Curb bumping, streetscaping, litter collection and grass mowing activities will occur in predetermined areas throughout the month of June. A free paper shredding event is also scheduled for Saturday, June 15. Events and activities are free and only open to residents within the DeKalb County Sanitation Division service area. Proof of residency may be requested for…

Antioch A.M.E Church, 765 S. Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, will host a free dinner and premiere of the documentary film, “Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook,” on Friday, June 14. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the film will start at 7 p.m. The documentary, narrated by Emmy and Tony Award winning actor Jeffery Wright (“Shaft”), discusses voter suppression in the United States including removing voter rolls and violation of voter ID laws, creating new barriers to voter registration and more. There also will be a panel discussion featuring community leaders following the film.

The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC) in partnership with DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson launched the Your Community, Your Litter – Pick It Up!campaign in March to encourage DeKalb residents to clean up their communities and eliminate litter throughout the county. As of part of the campaign, a jingle contest and video contest were held to build litter awareness and promote community pride. Students from DeKalb County were invited to participate and develop original content supporting the campaign theme. The winning jingle, “Stop, Drop, Pick It Up,” was created by Victoria Waterman and Mieya Moore, students at Eldridge…

A DeKalb County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against a DeKalb County Police Officer accused of using his baton to repeatedly striking a woman inside a Decatur convenience store. Phillip Larscheid, 29, is charged with one count of Aggravated Assault and one count of Violation of Oath, both felonies, in connection with the 2017 incident involving Katie McCrary that was captured on cell phone video that went viral a month after he had been cleared of using excessive force. Authorities reopened the case after the video of his viciously beating her became public. “We determined that the case warranted…

Hundreds of jobs are coming to Atlanta as Invesco, one of the world’s leading investment managers, expands its global headquarters in Midtown. Invesco will move to a new building in Midtown Union, currently under development by MetLife Investment Management & Granite Properties and scheduled for completion in August 2022. Officials say the expansion represents a $70 million investment that will increase its workforce by 500. Invesco first came to Atlanta in 1978, moving its global headquarters in 2007. “We’re excited by the opportunity to build on our 40-year presence in the city and meaningfully expand our local team…

The DeKalb County Marshal’s Office (DKMO) has begun fully implementing its body camera program after extensive research and field testing. DKMO took lessons learned from other law enforcement agencies to tailor a body camera program specific to its operations using the latest technology. Each deputy is assigned a camera which is usually worn in an outer ballistic vest carrier specially equipped to accommodate the camera. When responding to calls for service, or upon deputy contact with the public, cameras will be activated. Other technology allows for the cameras to be turned on automatically depending on the nature of the…