Author: On Common Ground News

The installation ceremony for Rockdale County’s re-elected officials will be held on Dec. 12, 7 p.m., at the Rockdale Courthouse, 922 Court St., Conyers. The community is invited. The following four positions elected during the 2018 primary and general elections will be celebrated at the event:   • County Commissioner, Post 2   • District Attorney of Rockdale County   • Board of Education, Post 1   • Board of Education, Post 2 The ceremony is open to the public. No RSVPs are needed. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony in the courthouse rotunda.

Zoning Public Hearing: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 9 a.m. Combined Work Session/Voting Session and First Reading of Budget Ordinance: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m. Work Session: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. Voting Session and Second Reading/Adoption of Budget Ordinance: Tuesday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m. All meetings will be held at The Assembly Hall, 901 Main St., Conyers.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners recently voted to approve a request of the Human Services Department to allocate $807,629 in grant awards to 48 non-profit organizations. Resources for these grants originate from two areas: $617,808 from the county’s general fund and $189,821 from a Victims Assistance Fund, which is supported by the collection of court fees. The Human Services Grant Program is designed to provide supplemental funding to non-profit organizations serving their communities. Service areas that will be addressed through these grants include youth development and education, family and human services, crisis intervention and prevention for women and children,…

  Even as Democrat Stacey Abrams refused to concede, Republican Brian Kemp stepped down on Nov. 8 as Secretary of State to begin his transition to governor-elect. Unofficial election results showed that only one percentage point separated Kemp, who had 50 percent of the vote to Abrams 49 percent. Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Robyn A. Crittenden, a resident of Tucker, to fill the vacancy created by Kemp’s resignation. Crittendon took the oath of office to serve the remainder of Kemp’s term. The race for Secretary of State was tight with Republican Brad Raffensperger and Democrat John Barrow headed for a…

Voters overwhelmingly chose to continue the 20-year tradition of collecting pennies for public education in Rockdale County by approving the Education Special Purpose Local Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) ballot initiative on Nov 6, 2018 by a more than 2-to-1 margin. About 69.61 percent of voters approved E-SPLOST V with 30.39 percent against, with a turnout of about 62.62 percent of registered voters in Rockdale County. E-SPLOST is a one penny, five-year sales tax that allows for shared contribution to education, including visitors to the county who spend money on gas, food, hotels, and retail items. E-SPLOST can be used for capital…

The Women in NAACP, DeKalb County branch and DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, will host its annual holiday turkey giveaway on Saturday, Nov. 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Gallery of South DeKalb Mall parking lot, 2801 Candler Road, Decatur. The free turkeys will be given away on a first-come, first served basis (one per household). Anyone who would like to help those in need can make a donation at www.gofundme.com/NAACP-WIN.

By Travis Hudgons Metro-area voters overwhelming supported the Sunday brunch alcohol sales. On Nov. 6, Georgia voters in several counties and municipalities including DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties decided that restaurants can serve alcohol starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday. In May, Gov. Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 17—also referred to as the “Brunch Bill,” which allows local governments to put the referendum on their ballots. Before the referendum, restaurants in Georgia could not serve alcohol before 12:30 p.m. on Sundays. According to the Georgia Restaurant Association, restaurants that serve brunch on Sundays could make $25K extra per year…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in the murder of a Decatur man. A warrant issued on Oct. 30 charges 18-year-old Nathan Antonious Jones of Decatur with causing the death of Jordan Gratton by shooting him several times on Oct. 21, 2018 on Woodland Cove in Decatur. On Nov. 7, 2018, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit located and arrested Jones without incident at a residence in College Park, Georgia with the assistance of the College Park Police Department. Jones was transported to the DeKalb County Jail, where he will be held on a charge of…

Columbia Senior Residences at Decatur East, an affordable senior housing complex located near the Avondale MARTA station, has opened and is accepting applicants who would like to rent an apartment. DeKalb County provided $2.2 million in funding to support the development, which is located at 5090 Freeman St. in Decatur. “DeKalb County is committed to providing affordable housing opportunities for residents,“ said Allen Mitchell, Community Development director. “The partnership with Columbia Senior Residences at Decatur East will help to expand housing opportunities and improve the quality of life for DeKalb County seniors.” The five-story building includes 92 units with one-and…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson is preparing for his 20thAnnual Tree of Love Event.  Over the years, this event has helped impact thousands of children living in foster care, single-parent and low-income households to have an enjoyable Christmas. Johnson said the holiday event is one that he looks forward to every year. “I want to be able to ensure that children can wake up surrounded with family, love and gifts. This is my way of helping contribute to that moment,” said Johnson. “The community and various organizations have always poured out their hearts to help make this a memorable occasion each…