Author: On Common Ground News

The Jesse “Jay” Cunningham Foundation, in Partnership with Ark Of the Covenant Fellowship Center and Foresters Financial, will host a Back-to-School backpack giveaway on Aug. 18, 6 to 7 p.m., at the church, 568 Ladonna Drive, Decatur.  The foundation was set up in memory for  Jesse Jay Cunningham, who formerly served as a DeKalb County School Board member. Cunningham died on April 6 after health complications.  Organizers said backpacks will be given while supplies last.   

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs announces that most county pools will close on Aug. 5. From Aug. 11 through Sept. 3, the following select pools will be open on a modified schedule. Browns Mill Family Aquatic Facility, 4929 Browns Mill Rd., Lithonia, GA 30038 Hours: Saturday’s, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday’s, 1 to 7 p.m. Exchange Splash Pad, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30034 Hours:  Saturday’s, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday’s, noon to 7 p.m. Gresham Park, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta, GA 30316 Hours: Saturday’s, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday’s, 1 to 6 p.m. Lithonia Park,…

The Cultural Exchange Breakfast, hosted by Stonecrest City Councilman Rob Turner and his wife, DeKalb School Board member Vicki Turner, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 11, 9 a.m., at Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church (House of Hope), 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur.   The meeting will feature newly-elected officials serving South DeKalb and nominees for the upcoming General Election. There also will be an update from DeKalb County Schools.  For more information, email:  thedekalbexchange@gmail.com. 

Four high school graduates will start their freshman year with scholarships provided by the Voices of Faith Church’s 50+ Ministry. Each student received a $500 scholarship from the seniors’ ministry, which held fundraisers to provide the awards.  Voices of Faith, which has a campus in Conyers and Stone Mountain, is under the leadership of Bishop Gary Hawkins, Sr. The following students were selected after completing an application and essay:      Kayla Beal  (Daughters of Faith & the Youth Ministry) Parent: Naomi Beal Alcovy High School Georgia State University- Atlanta, Georgia Major: Nursing,     Minor: Nutrition “I aspire to be a…

Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia’s Fourth District, announced that the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference held in September will including a short film festival competition around the theme: “The Dream Still Demands,” which is also the theme of the larger conference. “Whether that image invokes visions of Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deferred” or Martin Luther King Jr’s prolific words reverberating down the Lincoln Memorial, we are confident this theme will inspire unique and relevant commentary on our world today,” said Johnson. Johnson serves as Chair of the Congressional Caucus for the Advancement of Studio, Talent, (CAST) and Film Diversity. As…

The Rockdale Youth Leadership (RYL) program is now accepting applications until Sept. 6 from high school sophomores aspiring to leadership with a passion for serving the community. The eight-month program, a collaboration of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce and Rockdale County Public Schools, provides leadership development and community awareness training for 10th grade students in Rockdale County. For applications, go to www.rockdaleschools.org/ryl Aspiring youth leaders will have the opportunity during the program to interact with community leaders, local elected officials, and school administrators to enhance their awareness of community needs and resources. Through interactive workshops, special tours, and community…

The DeKalb History Center and the Flat Rock Archives will host an evening reception on Aug. 24, 7 – 8:30 p.m., at the DeKalb Historic Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur, to announce the opening of an exhibit dedicated to the historic Flat Rock Community – one of the oldest African American communities in DeKalb County. The Flat Rock exhibit will replace “Tears and Curses: a Human Look at the Civil War” and will officially launch in February 2019. The Flat Rock Archives was co-founded in 2006 by Johnny Waits, the late Rev. T.A. Bryant, Jr., and Vera Whitaker and…

State Sen. Gloria Butler (D – Stone Mountain) is partnering with Overcomers House Inc., 2100 Fountain Square, Suite C, Snellville,  to host the 10th annual ‘Back to School Giveaway’ on Saturday, Aug. 4, 11 a.m. Children must be present to receive the giveaway items, which include back packs, school supplies and food. “It’s important to give back to the community and welcoming students back to school with the supplies they need is my favorite way to do so,” said Butler. “Teachers oftentimes spend much of their hard earned paychecks on supplies, so this event is a small way to help…

DeKalb County Marshal’s Office deputies are now equipped with life-saving antidotes for opiate overdose victims.  In a fast-growing response to the resurgence of prescription drug and heroine abuse, the use of Narcan often is the critical difference of survival for the overdose victim.   Narcan kits contain nasal syringes prefilled with naloxone, which blocks or reverses the effects of opioids.  DeKalb Marshal’s Office deputies are now trained to recognize and administer the drug into the nasal passages of the patient when overdose is suspected. The drug’s action immediately begins to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. “By having our deputies equipped…

The Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservations for its “2019 Memorials of World War II European Tour.” The public is invited to join the Chamber on this unforgettable 10-day trip, which includes tours of London, England and Paris, France on the 75th anniversary of D-Day when Allied forces invaded northern France bringing World War II to an end. After landing in London, travelers will explore one of the cities that served as the backdrop to World War II while discovering the city’s rich cultural and historical legacy. There will be expert guides and front-row seats to some of…