Author: On Common Ground News

Planning your wedding or want to see the latest bridal and tuxedo fashions? Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) is hosting the 2018 Wedding Expo and Fashion Show on Sunday, March 18, at Stone Ridge Event Center, 1750 Stone Ridge Drive Suite A, Stone Mountain. The expo, which starts at noon, will be a premiere event offering attendees the opportunity to interact with wedding planning professionals including event venues, photographers, cake designers, bridal gown and tuxedo vendors, musicians, and caterers among others. “Our goal is to help you plan your dream wedding in a fun, and exciting way. This expo has brought together…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) addressed the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today (March 13) as part of the opening session of the High Court’s Judicial Conference. The United States Judicial Conference, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, oversees the governance of the federal judiciary, from amending the rules of evidence to updating the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Introduced by Chief Justice Roberts, Johnson attended the session as Ranking Member of Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made opening remarks and invited Members of Congress – Chairs and Ranking Members of…

Today (March 12), three DeKalb County School District (DCSD) elementary schools sent pinwheels to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Under the leadership of Austin Elementary principal Ann Culbreath, students at Austin, Kingsley and Dunwoody Elementary schools will deliver 3,500 pinwheels with artwork and uplifting messages to the Florida school. Students at all three DeKalb schools held a Pinwheels for Parkland” event last Friday in which students crafted the pinwheels. An Atlanta-based moving company, Bulldog Movers, is delivering the pinwheels free of charge. The pinwheels will be presented to Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Wednesday, March 14, for the…

The qualifying period the May 22, 2018 elections ended on Friday, March 9, at noon. Here is a look at candidates certified for key local races:  DeKalb County Board of Commissioners District 2 Jeff Rader, Democrat, Incumbent District 3 Felton Wright, Democrat, Retired Larry Johnson, Incumbent District 7 Gregory Adams, Democrat, Incumbent John E. Tolbert, Jr., Democrat, Regional Manager General Motors Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Associate Publisher/CEO Ed Williams, Democrat, University Professor Board of Education, District 2 (Non-partisan race) Candice D. McKinley, Attorney Marshall Orson, Incumbent, Consultant/Attorney Board of Education, District 4 Allyson Gevertz, Non-Partisan, Former School Psychologist…

Five outstanding students invested in community service in Rockdale County are finalists for the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families’ 2018 John K. Morgan Scholarship. This is the eighth year the Rockdale Coalition has offered the $4,000 scholarship for a student who has demonstrated outstanding community service in Rockdale County and plans to continue that level of commitment while pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is named for John K. Morgan, former president and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands Lighting and community advocate. Since the inception of the John K. Morgan Scholarship, more than $45,500 has been awarded to…

As crews worked around the clock to repair a 60-foot-long section of a water main break, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced that a full-scale investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the massive break on March 7. Thurmond said he learned around 5:30 a.m. that day about the break. Officials said a 48-inch-wide water main, one of four major mains in the county, broke at 5718 Buford Highway in Doraville, wreaking havoc. In some places, the water pressure dropped so low that toilets couldn’t be flushed. Schools and colleges were shut down, along with government offices and…

State lawmakers are establishing a House Study Committee on School Security in the wake of the massacre at a South Florida high school. Meanwhile, Rockdale County elections officials announced last week it was eliminating school-based voting precincts. Elections supervisor of Elections Cynthia Welch said the Rockdale Board of Elections and a citizens committee began looking at making the moves last summer. Welch said about 43,000 voters will be assigned new precincts ahead of the May 22 elections. State lawmakers moved to establish a committee to study school safety as growing national attention is focused on the Parkland, Florida massacre. “In…

The first four days of qualifying have yielded challengers vying for seats in DeKalb and Rockdale currently held by veteran incumbents. Here’s a look at the incumbents and challengers as of Thursday, March 8, (qualifying for the May 22 election end on Friday, March 9, at noon): DeKalb County District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson will face challenger Felton Wright. District 43 State Sen. Tonya P. Anderson, Democrat, will face Joel Thibodeaux, also a Democrat. State Rep. Howard Mosby, District 83, will face Becky Evans. Both are Democrats. State Rep. Michelle Henson, District 86, will face Joscelyn C. Oneil. Both are…

An 11-year-old boy was bitten by a rabid dog on Feb. 27 near Stone Mountain after two Rottweilers escaped from a residence in the Rivercliff subdivision near Anniston Road and showed up at the home of a nearby family. The boy was bitten when the two Rottweilers attacked his dog, which was on a leash, as he was moving it from a kennel to the garage. Shortly afterward, one of the Rottweilers was fatally injured by a car. Subsequent tests show the deceased Rottweiler had rabies. The boy’s family identified the rabid dog as the one that bit him. The…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan Beasley Drug Company knows what it takes to keep customers coming through the door – a good recipe, a smile and a perfect health score. The downtown Conyers pharmacy and restaurant recently earned perfect health inspection marks. The eatery offers a smorgasbord of inexpensive breakfast and lunch items in a relaxed setting reminiscent of a 1940s lunch counter. The historic pharmacy and restaurant is owned by Ora Bailey, whose grandfather purchased the store in 1934.The restaurant, which opened in 1942, started out with just one soda fountain and a hamburger machine. Popularly known for their house…