Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Human Services Department’s Office of Youth Services will host a “Sights N’ Sounds” Arts Showcase on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m., at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur.  The Arts Showcase will feature work of DeKalb County high school students who participated in the “Sights N’ Sounds” arts pilot program. Students will perform original songs they have written, produced and recorded while participating in the program.   The Arts Showcase is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.  To learn more about current youth programs…

Rockdale County Chairman, Oz Nesbitt, Sr., will host the fourth Shop Talk forum on Saturday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at DT’s Barber Shop, 1240 Sigman Road N.W., Conyers. This fourth event in the series will feature the following speakers to answer questions and concerns from a candid audience: •George Levett, Coroner •Cynthia Willingham, Board of Elections Director Shop Talk is a grassroots approach to getting to know the community by interacting and engaging in an “open air” dialogue. The series will also be introducing elected officials to those who may not know who they are, what their…

The DeKalb County Sanitation Division will host its final recycling roll cart exchange event on Dec. 8, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at North DeKalb Mall, 2050 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur. The mandatory recycling bin trade-in deadline is Dec. 28. Existing recycling subscribers will have an opportunity to complete the mandatory recycling bin trade-in process, by exchanging an 18-gallon recycling bin for a complimentary 35-gallon recycling roll cart, or upgrading to a 65-gallon recycling roll cart for a one-time $15 prepaid fee. New recycling subscriptions can also be processed during the event.  Only 500 roll carts will be available, and requests…

DeKalb County Commissioner Gregory Adams is partnering with Pinch of Excellence’s CEO, Michelle Stanton, on the “Bags of Love” drive to assist the homeless.      Bags of Love is a clothing drive that will provide homeless citizens in DeKalb with sleeping bags, hats, gloves, heavy duty socks and other garments needed for the winter weather. The donations to help 250 homeless people were collected through November at the Manuel Maloof building in downtown Decatur.  Homelessness is a global concern and is seen right here in DeKalb. In January 2018, volunteers, including 80 from DeKalb, found 3,572 homeless people in…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two suspects in the murder of a man at a Citgo gas station in Lithonia on the eve of Thanksgiving Day. Arrest warrants for both suspects allege that the victim, Traveon Quandarius Smith, 20, was lured out of a vehicle by one of the suspects on Nov. 21 at a gas station located at 301 North Stone Mountain Road in Lithonia. Smith was then shot multiple times in the back and head, causing his death.  Warrants say that surveillance video recorded the incident. An arrest warrant was issued on Nov. 23 charging 24-year-old…

Rockdale County has been awarded a $27 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to finance the construction of a new water pollution control plant. The construction of the new plant is set to begin in the first quarter of 2019 and expected to be completed within 18-24 months, county officials said. The construction of the 3 million-gallon-per-day water pollution control plant will replace an outdated 450,000 gallon-per-day treatment plant and increase the county’s overall wastewater treatment capacity by 2.55 million gallons. The county will pay 1.89 percent interest on the 20-year…

Rockdale County government plans to help those looking to go in to business and small businesses seeking to grow through a summit it plans to host early next year.  Rockdale County, in partnership with Georgia Power, will  present the “Small Business Entrepreneurship Summit” in 2019. The summit will be held at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Dr. SW, Conyers.  Entrepreneurs have the option of choosing from three consecutive Saturdays to attend: Feb. 16, Feb. 23 and March 2, 2019, 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The summit will provide attendees with the tools needed to start or grow their business.…

The application deadline for Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) 2019-20 School Specialty and Choice programs is Dec. 21.  The application is available online only at www.rockdaleschools.org/specialtyandchoice. Students living in Rockdale County may apply for specialty programs outside of their assigned neighborhood school zone. For those without a computer or internet access, the RCPS Student Registration Office at 1143 West Avenue will be able to provide assistance during regular business hours to access the online application. Applicants to the Academy for Performing and Visual Arts at Davis Middle School and the Academy for Performing and Visual Arts at Heritage High…

By Ed Williams The Atlanta region now has a new transit authority to make decisions on public policy and funding for transit projects in metro Atlanta. The question is whether the new ATL authority is a bad deal for citizens?   Allow me to provide some background. The Georgia General Assembly created the new Atlanta-region Transit Link (ATL) authority when it passed HB930 this past spring. The new law that was created gerrymandered board member districts and put a group of people in control who are not exclusively elected by the voters.   The ATL authority was set up to serve…

By Rockdale Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr.  Guardianships can take away a person’s rights to decide to marry, make contracts, consent to medical treatment, and establish a residence. Conservatorships allow the appointee to manage the ward’s finances and assets, buy and sell property, and enter into business and commercial transactions. Both the guardianship and conservatorship can also take away a person’s right to bring and defend actions in court. There are several other, less intrusive ways to act on behalf of someone with diminished mental or physical capacity. One or more of the following alternatives may serve the needs of…