Author: On Common Ground News

It’s official. The U.S. Postal service recently added Stonecrest, GA to its list of acceptable city and state designations.  City residents may now use Stonecrest, instead of Lithonia when mailing letters or packages using the Postal Service.  Stonecrest ZIP codes will remain the same. “This is one more step that will help put Stonecrest on the map,” Mayor Jason Lary said. The news comes as the city turned a year old this month. Amazon, United Parcel Service, and FedEx have not officially followed suit. However, the USPS change will make it easier to bring the other three shipping services up…

The city of Stonecrest’s building officials have introduced an online portal that allows residents and builders to obtain building permits and schedule inspections. New business owners and residents interested in remodeling their homes can also use the online service to determine if a business license or permit is needed, obtain submittal requirements, apply and pay the licensing and permitting fees as well as view the status of their application. Existing business owners can renew their current business license online, provided the existing license was issued by the City of Stonecrest instead of DeKalb County. On June 1, the city is…

Former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson is facing a $9,000 fine by the DeKalb County Ethics Board for using public resources and donations from county vendors for his re-election campaign. The board held its hearing on May 17. Neither Watson nor his attorney, Pam Stephenson, attended the hearing. Watson told On Common Ground News that he was not aware of the Ethics Board’s decision and he had not had a chance to speak with Stephenson. He deferred questions to her. She could not be reached late Thursday, May 17. Watson’s former aide, Kelly Cato, Jay Vinicki, DeKalb’s budget director, and…

LifeLine presents its DeKalb County Animal Services Pet of the Week, Darby.  This amazing dog has been at the DeKalb shelter for 365 days!  We don’t understand why, because she is the perfect dog! If you are looking for a dog you can take with you to Atlanta’s dog-friendly restaurant patios and decks, Darby is your gal.  This sweet girl can relax just about anywhere, and on a recent outing, she was not bothered by large crowds and chose to take a quick nap in the middle of Ponce City Market! Darby rides wonderfully in the car too, and she…

Watchdogs for Justice (WFJ) is sponsoring a “Keeping Kids out of Prison” seminar on Saturday May 26, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. WFJ is a nonprofit organization established to decrease the number of young people entering the criminal justice system.  The seminars are designed to educate youths, their parents, and concerned citizens about the pitfalls that lure young people into behavior that can land them in prison. The community is urged to invite young people and their parents to attend and learn: What to do if stopped by…

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is inviting parents to learn more about summer day camp programs during an orientation on Thursday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m. Summer day camp programs are offered for youth ages 5-15 and information sessions will be held at all recreation centers, except Redan Recreation Center. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Public Relations Specialist, at (404) 371-3643. DeKalb County Recreation Centers   ·      Browns Mill Recreation Center: 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia, GA 30038 ·      Exchange Recreation Center: 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30034 ·      Gresham Recreation Center: 3113 Gresham…

The City of Clarkston will host its Work Session mixer on May 29, 6 to 7 p.m., at Clarkston’s City Hall, 3921 Church Street, Clarkston. Clarkston residents and other stakeholders are invited to mix and mingle with elected officials, City of Clarkston administrative staff and community leaders before the Council’s regularly scheduled City Council Work Session. City Manager Keith Barker said the council’s pre-Work Session mixers are  believed to be the first held in DeKalb County. “Mixers are another forum in which the City will continue to provide opportunities for civic and community engagement,” said Barker. Appetizers and beverages…

The Rockdale Community Ambassadors is hosting its second “Trash Bash” clean-up event on Saturday, June 9, weather permitting. The event will take place in Zone 2, the Windridge and Queenie Woods Neighborhoods, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meet-up location will be at Pine Log Park, 1451 Pine Log Road, Conyers. If weather conditions change, the clean-up will be held on Saturday, June 16. Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. created the Rockdale Community Ambassadors program to promote Rockdale County in a positive light. Within the Trash Bash campaign, there will be four separate community clean-up events, each hosted in four different…

I had no idea when I woke up May 10 I would be flying a plane. It was a regular day and as I headed to my interview, I thought about what I might ask a retired pilot. When I arrived at my subject’s home, I was amazed to find a plane parked in the yard. Before I had time to process how the plane got there, my dad, Glenn Morgan, who is publisher of On Common Ground News, and I were greeted by the plane’s owner, Charles “Chuck” Roberts. Roberts, who will celebrate his 74th birthday in June, recently…

What Georgia race could directly impact your monthly household budget? The most important race you’ve never heard of: Georgia’s Public Service Commissioner. While the Public Service Commission has many responsibilities, it ultimately has the power to regulate utility costs. Impact on the African American Community Atlanta has the fourth highest energy burden in the country. We pay a higher proportion of our income toward utility bills than almost any city in the United States. This energy burden falls heavily on black families in the metro area. Bad decisions by representatives on the Public Service Commission have led to these increased…