Author: On Common Ground News

Today, Fair Fight Action submitted over 200 signed declarations from Georgia voters who faced burdens when attempting to cast their ballots during the 2018 General Election and December runoff to opposing counsel and sent summaries to the court, the organization said in a news release. “Today, Fair Fight Action releases our first wave of sworn statements by Georgia voters detailing the many forms of voter suppression. These declarations highlight the depth and reach of voter suppression in Georgia,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight. “Georgians, particularly Georgians of color, faced a myriad of issues: They were turned away without…

The Beverly Cunningham Outreach Program, Inc. and its partners will host “Let’s Talk: Sex Trafficking, HIV, and Healthcare” on Thursday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Stonecrest Library Auditorium,  3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest. The event will feature DeKalb elected officials, prosecutors, sororities and concerned citizens. Speakers include: Gilead Science, Ed Duda and Saving Our Children And Families, Inc. Dequanda Sanders. Panelist will include: Bob Rodgers-Minor, Sex Trafficking; Adriane Brown, Sex Trafficking; Shante Miller-Regional HIV Educator; Harralyn Rawls, Sex Trafficking survivor; Kim Moon,HIV survivor; William Francis-HIV Survivor, Cynthia Allen-HIV Survivor. Moderator: Diamond Lewis, executive producer, DeKalb County Television Host: Deborah…

“As President of Morehouse College, I would like to congratulate Spike Lee on his historic Oscar win,” said Dr. David A. Thomas. “Spike is an outstanding Morehouse Man. His collective work has touched millions of movie audiences around the world. His expertise as a filmmaker and storyteller uplifts the progression of black men and black culture at a global level. We are humbled each time he returns to his alma mater to reconnect with alumni and students who recognize his status as a living legend. We are educating men of Morehouse to follow in his footsteps.”

The Rockdale Career Academy’s 9th annual RUN RCA 5K/1-Mile Run will be held on Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m. – noon. The annual tradition raises funds to help RCA students participate in career pathway-related competitions and real-world projects. The course, which tours nearby industries, starts and ends at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers. The moderate terrain is family-friendly, stroller-friendly and a great way to achieve a great course time. This year’s race also involves a professional challenge between local first responders participating in the race.  Free health screenings by RCA healthcare pathway students, snacks, and a fun warm-up…

Kennedy Boothe, an eighth grader at General Ray Davis Elementary School, is the 2019 Spelling Bee champ for Rockdale County Public Schools. After many nail-biting rounds eliminating contestants, Boothe correctly spelled “hallucinations” and “conspicuous” to win the district trophy.  The 2019 RCPS Spelling Bee was held at Memorial Middle School on Feb. 8, and sponsored by the Rockdale Association of Educators. The runner-up in the competition was Zaccheus Fairman, a fourth grader at C.J. Hicks Elementary. Each RCPS elementary and middle school entered the top speller in their school to the district competition. Here are the names of the other…

The Stonecrest City Council is scheduled to vote on the city’s controversial SPLOST management contact on Monday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m. The upcoming vote follows the council’s 4-2 approval on Feb. 11 to award a $3.3 million contract to Grice Consulting Group, LLC. That decision follows infighting among council members that has persisted for more than a year and a half after city officials questioned invoices ($162,000 worth) that Grice submitted for pre-SPLOST work. The city settled and paid Grice $40,000. With the council’s recent vote to move ahead, council members instructed city attorneys to have drafts of the contract…

Executive order creates 17-member commission to review county charter   DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has announced the creation of a DeKalb Charter Review Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the Organizational Act that established the county’s current Chief Executive Officer and Board of Commissioners form of governance. “The purpose of this commission is to study DeKalb’s current form of government to ensure the county is responsive to the ever-changing needs and demands of county government,” said CEO Thurmond. “It has been 40 years since the Organizational Act was initially passed in a public referendum. Jimmy Carter was president;…

First COLA adjustment in 14 years  DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has proposed a two percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the county’s retirees and beneficiaries in the FY2019 budget amendment. If approved by the Board of Commissioners, the increase will become effective on July 1. The annualized cost of the adjustment will be $2.1 million. “I am heartbroken that our 11,000 retirees and beneficiaries have been denied a cost-of-living adjustment since 2005,” said CEO Thurmond. “Eliminating a structural budget deficit and increasing the rainy-day fund have provided the county with the revenue needed to reduce DeKalb’s unfunded pension liabilities and…

LifeLine Animal Project staff had no idea that they’d be receiving a lot more than lunch when Petco Foundation representatives showed up to honor them. However, when longtime LifeLine supporter and celebrity trainer Victoria Stilwell (star of CBS “Greatest American Dog” and Animal Planet’s “It’s me or the Dog”) dropped in to make an announcement, staff began wondering what was really going on. Stilwell presented LifeLine Animal Project CEO Rebecca Guinn and LifeLine Board Chair David Midler with a giant Valentine Card with messages of support to all of the staff members and volunteers. “This is just to say thank…

Instead of sleeping in late, watching television or cruising the internet, a group of students from Rockdale and Newton counties spent President’s Day learning about the judicial system. The students, who are in grades 8-12, were participants in the Fourth Annual Youth Law Camp founded by Rockdale Chief Magistrate Judge Phinia  Aten. The free, daylong camp offered students a chance to hear from guest speakers who are involved in the judicial system and participate in interactive activities including a mock trial.  Judge Aten said the goal of the program is to expose students who might have an interest in pursuing…