Author: On Common Ground News

More than a dozen young children filled the Stonecrest Library’s children’s’ room for its first Fancy Nancy tea party on Saturday, Sept. 22. Attendees age 3 and up came dressed to impress in frilly frocks, tiaras, hats and gloves – and a crown, donned by the only boy to attend the event. The children were captivated as Stonecrest librarian, Mickey Harvey, who heads the library’s children’s department, led the program. In addition to learning various aspects of tea etiquette, the tea session included beverages, snacks and a reading of the children’s book, Fancy Nancy , written by Jane O’Connor. The…

  DeKalb County Fire Rescue will host its 16th Annual Fire Safety Festival from noon to 4 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Plaza Fiesta, 4166 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta.  For the festival’s theme, the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department has adopted the National Fire Protection Association’s campaign, “Look, Listen, and Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”  The goal is to educate the community about these three basic, but essential steps, in reducing the chances of having a fire. Another goal is to develop a plan of escape in the event of a fire. Families are invited to enjoy…

DeKalb County, along with Susan G. Komen Atlanta and Northlake Mall, will host its third annual DeKalb Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Oct. 20.  A one-mile fun run, kids zone and health fair have been added to this year’s event.     Both routes begin at 9 a.m. and end at Northlake Mall, 4800 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Tucker. The kids’ zone and health fair opening immediately after the race.  Registration fees for the 5K and fun run are $15 (adults); $10 (seniors 55 and above and teams of 10 or more); and $5 (kids and employees).  Participants will…

Fall brings Conyers’ longest-running festival, the 38th edition of the Olde Town Fall Festival, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Center, Commercial and Railroad Streets in Olde Town. Coordinated by the city of Conyers, the festival features more than 80 artists, crafters, food vendors and local merchants, as well as a variety of children’s activities. “From woodworking and jewelry to baked goods and crocheted items, there is a fantastic variety of vendors lined up for this year’s festival,” said Sandy Fowler Daniels, event coordinator for Olde Town Conyers. The Olde Town Fall…

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…