Author: On Common Ground News

The city of Stonecrest has awarded a $2 million paving contract to Blount Construction.  The company will begin paving and repairing 18 of the city’s worst streets as part of a project funded by a Local Maintenance Improvement Grant and matching Special Local Option Sales Tax funds. “We are moving forward as promised. We have selected our paving contractor through the competitive bid process, and we will be starting the priority paving next month,” Mayor Jason said. In addition to the 18 roads, Blount Construction will also pave a two-lane portion of Turner Hill Road from Rockland Road to…

DeKalb County will host three Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) open houses in April to give citizens an opportunity to review work completed, find out what is in progress and ask questions. Open house dates and locations are as follows: Tuesday, April 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 Wednesday, April 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Central DeKalb Senior Center, 1346 McConnell Drive, Decatur, GA 30033 Thursday, April 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia, GA 30058 County officials will be on hand to discuss projects…

The Rockdale County Department of Transportation will hold a public information open house on Thursday, April 25, 5 to 7 p.m.. at Heritage High School, 2400 Granade Rd. S.W., Conyers. The public is invited to drop in to gain insight and provide comment on RDOT’s upcoming sidewalk/multiuse trail project along Granade Road from SR 138 to McCollum Road. Representatives from Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Rockdale Water Resources and Stormwater will attend the meeting and answer questions. For more information, email Genetha Rice-Singleton at genetha.rice-singleton@rockdalecountyga.gov.

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will offer on-the-go breakfast and snacks, along with a hot lunch of fajita chicken, Amarillo rice and Italian green beans on Tuesday, April 2. The free meals are being provided to families during the Spring Break. Meal service on Tuesday will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Snapfinger Elementary School, 724 N. Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston. Because resources are limited, backpack distribution will be limited to one per family, officials said.. For more information, visit the DeKalb County School District’s School Nutrition Services website at www.dekalbschoolsga.org/school-nutrition.

Foster children will be the beneficiaries of donations collected during a community breakfast sponsored by DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. A suggested minimum donation of $20 is requested for the community breakfast on Saturday, April 27,9 a.m., at Greenforest Community Baptist Church, 3188 Rainbow Dr., Decatur. Currently in DeKalb County, there are 904 children under the age of 18 in the foster care system. “We partner with one common goal: to serve the children and families of DeKalb County,” said Kwesi Booker, director of the DeKalb office of the Division of Family and Children Services. Thurmond will give…

  Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) is inviting civic and neighborhood groups, churches, businesses individuals and families to participate in the Great American Cleanup (GAC) on Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Participants will kick off the event at Pine Log Park Pavilion, 500 Georgia Highway 138, Conyers. The deadline to register is April 22. KCRB is partnering with the City of Conyers and Rockdale County to host the event. Last year, 250 volunteers participated in the Great American Cleanup by sprucing up local roadways, subdivisions, commercial properties, parks, schools and illegal dumpsites across Rockdale. Volunteers will be provided cleaning…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church, one of DeKalb County’s oldest African-American churches, is celebrating a landmark anniversary.The church kicked off its anniversary festivities on March 24 with two worship services, which were led by Antioch-Lithonia’s Pastor James C. Ward and Pastor Robert Taylor of Jonesboro’s Shiloh Baptist Church, the oldest African-American church in Clayton County. The church’s sesquicentennial worship service and concert on March 31 will celebrate a legacy of leadership, love and loyalty since the church was founded 150 years ago. The “Day of Remembrance” concert will feature guest conductor Heather Sorenson, along with other…

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal will join Papa John’s pizza as a member of its Board of Directors, the company has announced. O’Neal, a franchisee of nine Papa John’s restaurants in the Atlanta area, also will enter into an $8.25 million marketing agreement to be an ambassador for the Papa John’s brand. O’Neal’s new assignment follows an about face for the corporation, which suffered public backlash last year over an offensive comment Papa John’s founder John Schnatter made. According to Forbesmagazine, Schnatter admitted he used the “N” word during a conference call with a marketing agency when he…

  Stonecrest City Council gives green light to buy tract for community park The city of Stonecrest is moving forward with its plans to purchase an 8.8-acre tract to build a community park at the corner of Evans Mill and Salem roads, after getting the nod from the City Council on March 25. In a 5-0 decision, Mayor Jason Lary and four City Council members approved spending up to $350,000 to buy the property, halting plans for a gas station and convenience store. City Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble was absent from the meeting and did not vote. The council’s approval drew…

Conyers Police arrested nine men in a pandering sting operation on March 22. The men who were charged ranged in age from 19 to 52. Police said those arrested used various online advertising sites and mobile applications to meet at motels. The police department’s Criminal Investigations Division, at the direction of Chief Gene Wilson, launched the sting operation to continue cracking down on such criminal activity. The department has conducted over 20 such operations since 2013 following two violent pandering incidents that occurred in early summer of that year. One  “john” was robbed by two men after setting up a…