Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon kicked off a month-long food drive to help DeKalb residents who are in need. Gannon is partnering with District Attorney Sherry Boston, Solicitor General Donna Coleman-Stribling, Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry and Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson to promote donations. The food will be distributed by the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help restock their pantry, which serves citizens in DeKalb and surrounding metro areas. This year’s event began on Feb. 13 and will run through March 5. Last year, DeKalb donated nearly 3.5 tons of food, which converts to 5,855 meals. Gannon has been sponsoring the…

By Rockdale Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. The primary duties and responsibilities of a guardian for an adult ward include, but are not limited to, managing the ward’s healthcare, general well-being, place of residency, care and support needs, and at all times, act as a fiduciary in the ward’s best interest. Additionally, within 60 days after appointment, and within 60 days after each anniversary date of appointment, the guardian must file with the court and provide to the ward and to the conservator, if any, a personal status report concerning the ward. In the absence of a conservator, the guardian…

By Ed Williams The more things seem to change, the more they seem to stay the same.  Another mass school shooting has occurred. This time, 17 people were killed at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Florida is a pivotal Electoral College state and many of the politicians will be paying attention to the protests.  It was just over four months ago that there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas where 58 people were killed. What is it about this school incident that will make the difference? Recently, many states have passed Stand Your Ground laws and other laws…

The funeral service for Frank John Lovelace will be held on Saturday, March 3, at 11 a.m., First Baptist Church, Reverend Norman Thomas, Jr., 2394 Gresham Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316. The funeral reception (Repass) will be held in the fellowship hall at the church. The visitation hours are at Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home on Friday, March 2, 2018, 10 a.m.  to 8 p.m. and family hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home is located at 4347 Flat Shoal Pkwy, Decatur, GA, 30034. The final resting place is Kennedy Memorial Gardens, 2509…

Registration is now open for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia’s (SCFG) Southeastern Sickle Cell Conference for patients and their families. The conference will be held on Saturday, March 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Morehouse School of Medicine, National Center for Primary Care, 720 Westview Drive, Suite 300, Atlanta. The event brings patients together with the nation’s foremost authorities – including health care providers, researchers, and pain specialists. Held in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine at its National Center for Primary Care, the conference features panelists and exhibits from the Centers for Disease Control, Emory University, the…

A DeKalb County Grand Jury has indicted two nurses and an aide in connection with the death of an elderly patient. Former licensed nurse practitioner Loyce Pickquet Agyeman of Snellville is charged with felony murder and neglect to an elderly person. Wanda Nuckles of Buford, also a former licensed nurse practitioner, is charged with depriving an elder person of essential services, while Mable Turman, a certified nurse assistant from College Park, is charged with neglect to an elder person. All three women were also indicted on a single count of concealing the death of another in the five-count indictment returned…

On Feb. 20, the Phoenix Leadership Foundation and the DeKalb Entertainment Commission brought Wakanda to Atlanta with a special screening of the new Black Panther movie for local high school students. 700 students from six Dekalb County schools and six Atlanta Public Schools viewed the critically acclaimed Marvel Blockbuster film at the Movie Tavern at Northlake Festival. The Phoenix Leadership Foundation is headed by James “Jay” and Blayne Alexander Bailey and is dedicated to funding and creating programs that create positive role models. The Dekalb Entertainment Commission is charged with stimulating economic growth across the county in film, television, music and…

Evangelist Billy Graham died today (Feb. 21) of natural causes at his home in North Carolina. He was 99. Described by many as “America’s pastor,” he evangelized to nearly 215 million people over six decades. He prayed with U.S. Presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.   Congressman John Lewis issued the following statement: “Billy Graham was a noble man — a true servant of God; he had the ability to speak truth to power.  He was like a shepherd looking over the flock of humankind.  He was a man of hope, a man of faith—a man of love, and…

By Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson The latest senseless school shooting has taken more young lives and changed countless others forever. Many call for more gun control to stop the carnage.  Although we can look at ways to make it harder for the wrong people to obtain firearms, I do not believe radical gun control methods will make a difference. According to the U.S. government, there are an estimated 300 million guns in the nation. Will more laws stop the violence or should we be looking at other long-term and long-lasting approaches?  What can we do in identifying and treating minds that…