Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County residents now have two more options to renew automobile tags in as little as one minute. DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson recently celebrated the opening of the new tag renewal kiosks on April 9 at the DeKalb Kroger stores located at 4498 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody and 4919 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. The new location store hours are Sunday through Saturday, 6 a.m. until 1a.m. Customers can scan their Georgia driver’s license, or enter registration information, then follow the easy-to-use touch screen prompts to renew up to 10 vehicles at a time. The new…

A team of 25 volunteers of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce went from door to door on April 17 visiting the Chamber’s 475 members at their places of business. The volunteers gave each member a blue cup filled with candy to say thank you for their support of the Chamber. Rhonda C. Frederick, a certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor, received her gift from Fred Boscarino, Chamber President.  Boscarino said the event gives the Chamber not only the chance to say thank you but look over and update member information if needed, and pass on any comments and suggestions to take back to…

DeKalb County has added two rapid response vehicles to its fleet.   The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department has deployed two rapid response vehicles to respond to emergency medical and fire suppression calls after a successful year-long pilot program during which response times, maintenance and operation costs were reduced, county officials say. Nine additional rapid response vehicles will be deployed around the county by December 2019. “DeKalb County is building a state-of-the-art emergency response and transport system,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. “These vehicles will be an essential component in responding to all non-fire emergency calls in a timely…

Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) is holding an Electronics Recycling & Paper Shredding event for Rockdale residents and business owners. The E-Recycling and Paper Shredding Event will be held Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., 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 county for both shredding and…

DeKalb County Cooperative Extension will host “Herbalicious-Herb Garden” as part of the 2019 Gardening in Georgia Series.  The class will be held on Thursday, April 25, 6:45 to 8:30 p.m., at the DeKalb County Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur. During this class, attendees will learn practical tips for selecting, growing, harvesting, using and sharing herbs. The cost is $10 per person. To register, call the DeKalb County Extension Office at 404-298-4080, or email yc42298@uga.edu.

DeKalb County is gearing up for its 33rd Annual DeKalb Senior Olympic Games. The county is inviting senior citizens in DeKalb and surrounding counties who are ages 50 and older to compete in a variety of games. The registration deadline is April 26. The 10-day games will kick off on May 1, 10 a.m., at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. The Olympic-style sports festival, which runs through May 10, will include free-throw basketball, bowling, track and field, billiards, swimming, table tennis, line dancing, water volleyball and more and will be held at various venues across…

Watchdogs for Justice Team will conduct a free seminar, “Keeping Kids Out of Prison,”  on May 4, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur.  The seminar will consist of interactive skits and a question-and-answer session involving the following topics: What your constitutional rights are and how to safely exercise them Four primary reasons youth end up in the system What to do if stopped by the police When to talk and when to keep silent What “3 strikes and you are out” means Watchdogs for Justice is a nonprofit whose mission…

DeKalb County is celebrating National Park RX Day on Sunday, April 28. Park RX Day is designed to promote outdoor activities and good health across the nation. DeKalb has planned an array of free activities on this day including yoga, tai chi, guided walking tours, planting, dancing, blood pressure screenings, health education and food The DeKalb County Board of Health is coordinating the county’s observance of Park Rx Day. The following county parks are participating:   Mason Mill Park (Flagship Event) 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Activities: Yoga, cardio, guided walking tour, kid-focused fitness, health education…

The Stonecrest Citizens Coalition will host its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. The featured speaker will be Attorney Gina Mangham, who has a depth of professional experience as a Chief of Staff at the DeKalb Board of Commissioners; a legislative aide with the Georgia House of Representatives; managing attorney at Legal Aid; corporate experience in financial analysis, and marketing and training with IBM. Mangham is currently advocating for the extension of MARTA rail to southeast DeKalb County. The Stonecrest Citizens Coalition invites the community to join in…

This month, DeKalb County’s District Attorney Office and Parks and Recreation Department are hosting a shoe drive to commemorate National Child Abuse Prevention Month, recognized annually each April. The agencies are raising awareness about child abuse through the inaugural children’s shoe drive, “A Mile in their Shoes,” a figurative and literal acknowledgement of the plight of children suffering from abuse. New and gently-used shoes will be accepted at donation sites throughout the county beginning April 22.  The shoe drive runs through May 10. The shoes will be donated to the DeKalb County Division of Family and Children Services to benefit…