Author: On Common Ground News

CEO Michael Thurmond is joined by county leaders at the Dec. 5 news conference.   DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has recommended to the county Board of Commissioners a 4 percent public safety salary increase. Included in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal, the raise would be effective the first pay period in January 2020. The total cost of the compensation increase is $5.4 million. “DeKalb County remains committed to ensuring that our community is safe,” said CEO Thurmond. “The county’s holistic approach to increase compensation for the men and women of public safety reflects the county’s commitment to protecting DeKalb…

Tammy Grimes is celebrating her victory and ready to serve on the Stonecrest City Council. Grimes, an instructional support specialist for the DeKalb County School District, defeated Dave Marcus, a retired strategic planner and financial analyst, in the Dec. 3 runoff for the Stonecrest District 5 City Council seat. Grimes said she is looking forward to “working with the citizens, mayor and City Council to make “Stonecrest proud.” “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!  I am humbled by all of the support that has been shown to me and my campaign during the November election and the December runoff.  I…

DeKalb County Department of Family & Children Services (DFCS) staff are preparing to move to a new location in early 2020. Officials say the current location, 178 Sams Street, Decatur, will close its doors on Friday, Jan. 31. The new office will open the following Monday, Feb. 3, at 8 a.m. at 2300 Parklake Drive, Atlanta. DFCS will move staff to the new location throughout the winter. The new 113,000-Square-foot office building will house over 500 DFCS staff and is expected to serve more than 100,000 families in DeKalb. DFCS administers The Georgia Food Stamp Program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP]), a…

The DeKalb County Human Services Department’s 2019 Grant Program will support 58 local nonprofits and provide approximately $851,000 in funding. “The Human Services Department is pleased to invest in local nonprofits that serve DeKalb County residents,” said Human Services Director Damon Scott. “During this grant cycle, DeKalb was able to extend the reach of the Human Services Department and support agencies that deliver extremely important and critical services countywide.” The Human Services Grant Program is designed to provide supplemental funding to community nonprofit organizations. Service areas that will be addressed in this grant cycle include youth and family development, crisis…

Praise 102.5’s Darlene McCoy will host the event for seniors.   Seniorsin DeKalb County will be getting some valuable keys as an early Christmas gift. While these keys won’t unlock a new car, they will unlock beneficial information that will get 2020 off to a healthy start. DeKalb County Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, in partnership with the DeKalb County Board of Health and the Lou Walker Senior Center, will sponsor “New Y ear, New You: Your Keys to Aging Well.” The event will take place Friday, Dec. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center,…

State Rep. Viola Davis, District 87, will host a series of town hall meetings at DeKalb County public libraries to discuss education, ethics, economic development, equity and other issues.  The schedule is as follows: 11 and Dec. 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the conference room, at the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 Lavista Road, Tucker. 12 and Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the conference room at the Hairston Crossing Library, 4911 Redan Road, Stone Mountain. 16, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in the conference room, Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 Lavista Road, Tucker. To schedule…

DeKalb organization to give away 1,000 toys and bikes to needy families Retired State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams and the DeKalb chapter of the Albany State University Alumni Association will be giving away over 1,000 toys and bikes to children in need this holiday season. Williams is inviting the public to submit the names of families in need by Dec. 14. Toys will be distributed on Dec. 21 at the Omega World Center, 3951 Snapfinger Parkway, Decatur.

The community is invited to take a journey celebrating gospel music with the Silver Leaf Baptist Church Choir of Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7 to 8 p.m., at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. The concert is free and open to the public. Funding is provided by the Friends of the Decatur Library.

DeKalb History Center and the Historic Oakland Cemetery will host its final “Hops at the History Center Author Event” for the year on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 6 to 7 p.m., at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 2ndfloor, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. Author Janice McDonald will discuss her newest book, “Residents of Oakland Cemetery” and share the stories ofOakland Cemetery’s most notable residents. Since 1850, Atlanta has been laying its residents to rest in a picturesque 48-acre piece of land now known as the Historic Oakland Cemetery. Among the 70,000 people buried in Oakland, are individuals from all walks of life,…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary put on a different hat over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Lary, an ordained deacon at Union Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, performed the marriage ceremony for Deborah and Sheldon Fleming on Nov. 30. Lary said Sheldon Fleming, who works in the city of Stonecrest’s Parks and Recreation Department, asked him to perform the ceremony and he gladly accepted. “I felt honored to be asked. It was the first wedding ceremony that I’ve performed. My pastor helped me to prepare for the wedding,” said Lary. Since Lary was ordained on Aug. 5, 2018 by his pastor, Edward…