Author: On Common Ground News

Conyers Police offer reward in Conyers murder case  Conyers Police, in conjunction with Crime Stoppers, is now offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the shooting death of Richard “ATL” Green. Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect. The reward was increased from $2,000. On Sunday, Oct. 22, at noon, Richard “ATL” Green was shot and killed inside a residence on Pinedale Circle in Conyers. The shooter is described as a tall slender black male with a “box” style haircut and a gap in his front teeth.  He was…

The Stonecrest Business Alliance Board of Directors will host a community breakfast meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8 – 10 a.m., at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 7850 Stonecrest Square. Attendees will receive an update regarding the Overlay District zoning codes and efforts to form a Stonecrest Community Improvement District. Guest speakers include Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, Stonecrest Economic Development Manager Sabrina Wright and APD Solutions CEO Vaughn Irons. Information will be provided regarding city-wide progress and an update on Atlanta Sports City, followed by a Q&A session. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact Kimia…

DeKalb County’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department is hosting GIS Day to promote GIS awareness on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Manuel Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. The DeKalb GIS event will showcase the newest GIS apps including Site Selector, a tool to identify available commercial property. The event will also showcase geocache capabilities, allowing citizens to find floodplain information for their properties and more. This event is free and open to the public. Current GIS apps are available online at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/gis by clicking “Maps and Appshttps://dekalbgis.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html.” Worldwide, GIS Day is an annual event…

The Redan Soul Line Dancers, a group of retired senior citizens, held its first extravaganza and donated $630 to the Redan Booster Club. Proceeds for the Sept. 9 dinner, which featured entertainment by the Soul Line Dancers, will be used to support mentoring programs for children and adult activities at the Redan Recreation Center. The check was presented to Booster Club Director Portia Perry. The recreation center invites retirees, seniors and other first-time dancers, to join the Redan Soul Line Dancers for classes, which are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The classes are free.…

The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) has awarded over $85,000 to four projects under the organization’s newly-created Urgent/Emergency Need Grant, a part of FTI’s expanded funding efforts to support historic Georgia theaters. The Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts was one of four venues awarded a grant. For the theater or historic performing arts venue to receive an Urgent/Emergency Needs Grant, the historic venue must have found operational needs that require immediate action to save the structure itself, or unanticipated delays that hindered the venue’s ability to maintain its current programming and economic health. The Urgent/Emergency Need Grant is one of…

Word Church International, 2030 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur is inviting the community to its “Game Day Sunday” on Nov. 12, 4 p.m., to fellowship and watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the Dallas Cowboys. There will be food, games and entertainment for all ages. Everyone is encouraged to wear your favorite team’s jersey. Also, the church will celebrate its Family and Friends Sunday on Nov. 19, 10 a.m. and the community is encouraged to attend worship service. For more information, call 404-288-3834.

Annually, Words of Comfort Ministries, Inc. (WOC) in Snellville hosts its holiday event, Adopt-A-Family Program, in an effort to assist families in need. During the Adopt-A-Family Program, WOC volunteers, along with other community partners, provide Christmas gifts, food baskets, gift cards and dinner to families in search of help during the holiday season. This year’s event will be held Saturday, Dec. 16 at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville. WOC is in need of non-perishable food items, unopened toys for children ages 1-17, wrapping paper and gift cards. If interested in assisting this ministry, please contact Saundra Houston at 678-520-0094 or email at info@wocministries.com.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) unveiled the college’s new, state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Center.  GPTC President Jabari Simama was joined by Commissioner Gretchen Corbin, Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Ralph Staffins, president/CEO of the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce, and other corporate, elected and civic leaders, for ribbon cutting ceremony. The Advanced Manufacturing Center is located on GPTC’s Newton Campus, Building C, 16200 Alcovy Road, Covington. “As we celebrate our Newton Campus 20th anniversary, I am pleased to announce we are delivering this Center on time and as scheduled, on a project that our team promised earlier this…

Middle and high school students are invited to develop their leadership skills and network with other teen leaders at the 6th Annual Teen Leadership Summit on Saturday, Nov. 11. The free event will be held from 8 a.m. – noon at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Road, Conyers. All participants will receive a free T-shirt. Organizers say the event is great for school clubs, career tech student organizations, athletes, school band members, peer mentors, school ambassadors, student council members, student government, academic clubs and civic clubs or for any teens interested in serving in a leadership role. Check-in…

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Amonzon.com Inc. will create more than 500 full-time jobs at a new fulfillment center in Macon-Bibb County. This will be Amazon’s fourth fulfillment center in the state. “Amazon’s continued investment in our state speaks to our dedication to improve, expand and modernize Georgia’s logistics and distribution network,” said Deal. “As a top national distribution hub, suppliers can reach 80 percent of the U.S. population from Georgia in just a 2-day truck drive or a 2-hour flight. Our robust technology network and world-class logistics infrastructure have been immeasurably beneficial in attracting new business to…