Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR– Simpson Drive, between Fern Drive and Montreal Road, will be closed to through-traffic to repair the storm drainage system, beginning at 9 a.m., Monday, Feb. 4, through 9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 18. Road closure and detour signs will be placed in the area to advise motorists of traffic restrictions. For more information, contact the DeKalb County Roads and Drainage Department at 404-294-2878.

The DeKalb Board of Education will hold the following meetings on Monday, Feb. 4: 1:00 p.m.         Executive Session for the purpose of discussing a student appeal, personnel & legal matters Board Office Conference Room, Robert R. Freeman Administrative Complex 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard Stone Mountain, GA 30083 2:00 p.m.         Work Session & Committee of the Whole Cabinet Room, Robert R. Freeman Administrative Complex 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard Stone Mountain, GA 30083 5:45 p.m.         Community Input Session David Williamson Board Room, Robert R. Freeman Administrative Complex 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard Stone Mountain, GA 30083 7:00 p.m.         Business Meeting…

WorkSource DeKalb announces its Mobile Career Center schedule for February. The center will be stationed at locations throughout DeKalb County to help put DeKalb County citizens back to work. The mobile unit brings job assistance to residents of DeKalb by conveniently traveling all over the county. Residents have access to services like job search assistance, workshops, training and resume writing and interviewing tips. Businesses may also use the mobile unit for interviewing, training, pre-employment screenings or recruiting. The Mobile Career Center is also aiding residents interested in applying for the DeKalb year-round internship program. The program provides short-term internship opportunities…

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Board of Directors has appointed Jill Savitt as chief executive officer effective March 11. Savitt, a genocide prevention expert, will resign as acting director for the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Interim CEO, Brian Tolleson, will step down but continue serving on The Center’s board. “Jill Savitt has the distinct caliber and experience to lead The Center. Throughout last year, Brian has catapulted our operational and financial health, and Jill begins her tenure at a fantastic moment for us,” said Shirley Franklin, former…

Story Updated Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant New Birth hosts huge Super Bowl Party for homeless By Valerie J. Morgan On Super Bowl Sunday, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is sending a caravan of buses into Atlanta to pick up the city’s homeless. The DeKalb County mega church, located in the city of Stonecrest, is bringing those who are homeless to its worship service and a star-studded Super Bowl party that will follow with food and entertainment. The “Soup and Souls” event is part of a larger initiative New Birth’s newly-appointed senior pastor, Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, has launched to help combat homelessness…

The Center for Civil & Human Rights Museum pays homage to the American Civil Rights Movement through historical exhibits and explains the role the center plays in protecting the rights of all people, Saturday, Feb. 9, 1 to 2 p.m., Scott Candler Public Library, 1917 Candler Road, Decatur.

Stonecrest Councilman George Turner received a Certificate of Recognition from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute during the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) Annual Mayors’ Day Conference in Atlanta on Jan. 27.  Turner is the current mayor pro tem on the City Council. Councilwoman Diane Adoma also received a certificate of recognition from the institute for completion of training. Adoma served as the city’s first mayor pro tem. The Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, a cooperative effort of GMA and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, provides a nationally-recognized series of training opportunities for city officials. …

The Conyers Police Department is currently conducting the annual Service Satisfaction Survey for calendar year 2018. The goals of the service satisfaction survey are to measure levels of citizen concern for safety, levels of police performance, public confidence in the department as well as to provide an opportunity for public comment on police performance. “It is helpful to know how we are viewed by our citizens to gauge the quality of our work.  We aim to judge the different facets of our job to include contact with the public, the way we protect our citizens and their property, and the…

The city of Stonecrest took a significant step on Jan. 28 toward getting the city’s potholes repaired. The City Council gave city staff the green light to move forward with a digital analysis of the city’s 283-mile roadways. City staffers have received bids for the project and estimate the cost will be $71,000 for the analysis, which will report the condition of the roads, prioritizing them from worst to best.  The road analysis will also give the city an assessment of the number of street lights needed to help alleviate the city’s dark areas. “Citizens should see work begin around…

Left to right: Rockdale County Clerk of Courts and Middle School Oratorical founder Ruth Wilson; Memorial Middle School teacher DaMeka Whitehead; first place winner for seventh grade Joshua Jamison of MMS; RCPS Superintendent  Terry Oatts; first place winner for eighth grade Laila Wood of Edwards Middle School; EMS teacher Hazel Lammie; Gen. Ray Davis Middle School teacher Lisa Tompkins; first place winner for sixth grade Barkley Dowdy; and Conyers Rotary President Mike Lassiter. The Rotary Club of Conyers honored the first place winners of the 2018 Rockdale County Middle School Oratorical Competition at the club’s luncheon on Jan. 31.…