Author: On Common Ground News

By Dave Marcus I’ve got a number of thoughts following tonight’s (March 20) slightly raucous town hall meeting with the three senators representing Stonecrest in the Georgia Senate. None of the three senators support HB 1060 and I am guessing that it has little chance of passing. There were four mistakes made in this episode and I hope we learn from them. Number one mistake.  The council packaged all their requests – including the controversial mayoral pay increase and part-time to full-time change – in a bill that ended up being 54 pages.  There are a LOT of different subjects…

By Calvin E. Sims, Sr. In reference to State Sen. Fran Millar challenging DeKalb County commissioners’ 60 percent pay raise, I don’t support the pay increase either because commissioners are not working hard enough for the good of DeKalb. In South and South East County for instance, crime rates are high, litter is every where (inspite of a DeKalb Litter Control Ordinance which is not being enforced), retail stores are closing and jobs are being lost, adding to a community already plagued with home mortgages under water. In contrast North and Central DeKalb appear to be thriving with new developments…

By Mark Brock DeKalb County School District Athletics Southwest DeKalb High School’s Tennis Program is hosting the 2018 Panther Invitational Tennis Tournament this weekend. This GHSA-sanctioned tournament is the first of what Coach Lance Davenport hopes will be many such events where some of the top Atlanta-Area high school players will compete in this setting. Girls and boys team matches will be played at Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Club, 2706 Bouldercrest Road, S.E., Atlanta. First round matches begin on Friday, March 23, 3 p.m. Match play will continue on Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m., with the championship round is…

by Mark Brock – DeKalb County Athletics The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs retained their DCSD Middle School Track title with a convincing 96 to 56 win over the Lithonia Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday at Godfrey Stadium. It is Chamblee’s fifth title in the past 10 seasons (2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018) as Jordyn Parker won the Most Valuable Girls’ Track Athlete Award by contributing 23.5 points to the team’s cause and Coach Terrance Jett was named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. Chamblee trailed Cedar Grove by one point after the field events and 1600 meter run on…

Tucker Middle School, 2160 Idlewood Road, will host STEMCon Night 2018 from 4 to 6 p.m. today. The event is the result of a partnership between Dekalb County School District, Atlanta Science Festival and Northrop Grumman. The free public event invites students, parents, staff and stakeholders to a night filled with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related activities that include solving hypothetical outbreaks, extracting strawberry DNA, exploring the power of solar energy and an in-depth look at the James Webb Space Telescope. Employees from one of Tucker Middle’s STEM partners, Northrop Grumman—a global cyber-security company—will lead activities and…

MARTA will provide additional service on Thursday, March 22, and Saturday, March 24, for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The NCAA Sweet Sixteen matchups on Thursday and Elite Eight rounds on Saturday are expected to draw tens of thousands of people to Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. MARTA will provide additional rail and bus service on both evenings, with extra trains and buses on standby. Airport service will be available on both the Red and Gold Lines until game crowds clear. In addition, Philips Arena and Five Points Stations will be staffed with more station agents to load…

Today, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announced Phase II of the ongoing effort to restore public trust and confidence in the DeKalb’s water billing system. This phase will focus on strengthening management and oversight, streamlining organizational alignment, completing the installation of a state-of-the-art electronic billing system, replacing aging water meters and addressing the unpaid portion of formerly held bills. “There will be no surprises for DeKalb water bill customers,” CEO Thurmond said. “Prior to any final decisions about unpaid portions of previously held bills, I will present a plan of action to a public meeting of the Board of Commissioners.” Thurmond…

The Stonecrest City Council will have a work session and special called City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 21, at City Hall to discuss a proposed ordinance to amend the city’s 2018 operating budget. The works session starts at 6 p.m. and the council meeting begins at 6:15 p.m. The amendment was deferred last night (March 19) after City Council members raised several questions concerning proposed adjustments to the contract for CH2M, the firm hired to oversee the management of the city. The amendment includes seven new positions and four new vehicles that would add over $600,000 to CH2M’s $16…

DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency is hosting two free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Workshops. The first nine-week workshop begins on April 3 and will be held on Tuesday evenings from 7–9:30 p.m. at DeKalb Fire Rescue Headquarters, 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker. A second nine-week CERT workshop begins on April 5 and will be held on Thursday evenings from 7–9:30 p.m. at DeKalb Fire Rescue Headquarters. Participants will learn what to do before, during and after a disaster occurs. The workshop also will train citizens to care for family members and neighbors. Course topics include: Free emergency response…

On March 24,Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) will host its annual statewide candlelight vigil on March 24, 1 to 3 p.m., Springfield Baptist Church, 1877 Iris drive S.E., Conyers. Minister Arthur Mitchell, executive minister, Springfield Baptist Church invites the community to come out and hear from Michelle Toledo Cainas, who will be the motivational speaker. Mothers Against Drunk Driving provides free services to local counties. Each victim and survivor will be provided a candle to light in memory for their loved ones.  This annual event is an evening of remembrance and hope tribute for victims and survivors of drunk and…