Author: On Common Ground News

Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church, 2152 Rock Chapel Road, Lithonia, will host its annual Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. 2 p.m. The expo will be held in the church’s Fellowship Hall.  The community is invited to come out for free blood pressure and glucose screenings, information from DeKalb County’s Board of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, hospice care, mental health advocates, breast cancer awareness and AIDS organizations and others. Expo highlights include a kids’ healthy snack contest and a women’s health skit. Representatives from DeKalb County’s Police and Fire Departments will also be on hand.…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan  Rockdale County Commissioner Sherri Washington is doing her  part to make the community more aware of sickle cell anemia as the nation observes Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September.  Washington knows firsthand how devastating sickle cell anemia can be. Her  sister,  Lori Davis, died from complications of the disease last November.  “Sickle cell is an autoimmune deficiency disease that affects primarily African Americans. If you’ve never had to live with anyone who has been through that, you’re blessed,” Washington said during comments at the Rockdale Board of Commission meeting on Sept. 26.   Sickle cell is…

High school students and their families are invited to a scholarship fair sponsored by the Infinite Scholars Program and The Leadership Team USA on Oct. 17 and 18, at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road, Lithonia.  The free event will hosts representatives from more than 40 colleges and universities who will discuss scholarship opportunities at their schools. The representatives will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. during the fair.   “This is a great opportunity for college-bound high school students and their parents to meet with college representatives about scholarship opportunities,”…

ATLANTA — More than 30 women leaders from across Georgia penned have sent a letter to Brian Kemp urging him to rescind his support for the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Last month, Kemp wrote a letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee expressing his support. The New York Times reported today, Sept. 26, that Judge Kavanaugh was accused by another woman of engaging in sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s. Julie Swetnick, 55,  said in a statement posted on Twitter by her attorney, Michael Avenatti…

Honey Creek Elementary School students and faculty returned to school on Tuesday, Sept. 25, after the school underwent a thorough “scrub.” School officials ordered faculty not to report and parents to keep their children home on Monday so that a thorough cleaning of the school could be conducted in response to a number of absences last week believed to be caused by a gastrointestinal virus. School officials had sent out a letter and robo call advising parents   about 20 percent of the students and staff became sick with a gastrointestinal virus last week. Cindy Ball, the school district’s spokesperson, said 91.26…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday, Sept. 25, to approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the cities of Pine Lake and Stone Mountain to provide sanitation service. Pending approval of their city councils, sanitation service in the city of Pine Lake is scheduled to begin Dec. 1, 2018, and Jan. 1, 2019, for the city of Stone Mountain. “The City of Stone Mountain is committed to providing value to our residents and business owners,” said Stone Mountain Mayor Pat Wheeler. “The intergovernmental agreement to provide sanitation service to the city of Stone Mountain will further enhance our…

DeKalb County’s Super District 7 Commissioner Gregory Adams and City of Stonecrest District 1 Councilman Jimmy Clanton will host town hall meeting on Thursday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m.at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Stonecrest. The public is invited for an evening of community conversation and engagement with both DeKalb County and the City of Stonecrest. “Keeping our community abreast to what is occurring as well as providing updates on our continued public service is a top priority,” said Commissioner Adams. There will be presenters from DeKalb Public Safety, Keep DeKalb Beautiful and the City of Stonecrest’s Code…

The next meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, September 27, 3 p.m., in the Bohan Auditorium, located in the Richardson Health Center at 445 Winn Way, Decatur. The public is invited to attend. Agenda items for the meeting include the approval of minutes from previous meetings, service award presentations, a director’s report, and the financial status report. Anyone who would like to bring an issue before the board can be placed on the agenda by contacting India Dyer at 404-294-3787. Written comments to the board will be accepted at:  Office of the Director, DeKalb…

Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the State of Georgia, along with 49 states and the District of Columbia, has settled with California-based ride-sharing company Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber) to address the company’s one-year delay in reporting a data breach to its affected drivers. As part of the nationwide settlement, Uber has agreed to pay $148 million to the states. Georgia will receive $4,137,509.67. In addition, Uber has agreed to strengthen its corporate governance and data security practices to help prevent a similar occurrence in the future. “Personal identifying information that is obtained in a data breach can expose…

Rockdale County School District school officials have announced that Honey Creek Elementary School will be closed on Monday, Sept. 24 due to an increase of a gastrointestinal virus. The sick-out day is for Honey Creek Elementary School students only. About 20 percent of the students  and staff became sick with the virus last week, officials said. School officials issued a robo call notifying parents of the reported illnesses and a letter from Principal Susan Norton that read: Dear Parent or Guardian: Recently, an increase in gastrointestinal illness has been reported among students and staff at Honey Creek Elementary School.  Our school…