Author: On Common Ground News

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Georgia set all-time highs again in April as the labor force and employed residents in the state continued to surge. The state continues to approach the 5-million mark for employed residents. At the same time, the state posted more than 4.5 million jobs and a labor force of more than 5.1 million. Both labor force and employed residents were records again in April. The jobless rate, meanwhile, dropped by .1 percent. “The state really is prospering,” Butler said. “We continue to see our current businesses expanding and companies moving to Georgia to…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the homicide case against three gang members, including a female decoy, tied to a deadly online dating scheme. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on May  16 against 28-year-old Demarco “Blazalino” Butler, 26-year-old Antonio “Killa” Avery, and 22-year-old Nashea Poole on charges of Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and weapons offenses for the shooting death of Jordan Collins, 23, and gunshot injuries to his brother, Chad Collins, 26. The incident happened on Sept. 1, 2016 in Lithonia at the…

It’s official. The U.S. Postal service recently added Stonecrest, GA to its list of acceptable city and state designations.  City residents may now use Stonecrest, instead of Lithonia when mailing letters or packages using the Postal Service.  Stonecrest ZIP codes will remain the same. “This is one more step that will help put Stonecrest on the map,” Mayor Jason Lary said. The news comes as the city turned a year old this month. Amazon, United Parcel Service, and FedEx have not officially followed suit. However, the USPS change will make it easier to bring the other three shipping services up…

The city of Stonecrest’s building officials have introduced an online portal that allows residents and builders to obtain building permits and schedule inspections. New business owners and residents interested in remodeling their homes can also use the online service to determine if a business license or permit is needed, obtain submittal requirements, apply and pay the licensing and permitting fees as well as view the status of their application. Existing business owners can renew their current business license online, provided the existing license was issued by the City of Stonecrest instead of DeKalb County. On June 1, the city is…

Former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson is facing a $9,000 fine by the DeKalb County Ethics Board for using public resources and donations from county vendors for his re-election campaign. The board held its hearing on May 17. Neither Watson nor his attorney, Pam Stephenson, attended the hearing. Watson told On Common Ground News that he was not aware of the Ethics Board’s decision and he had not had a chance to speak with Stephenson. He deferred questions to her. She could not be reached late Thursday, May 17. Watson’s former aide, Kelly Cato, Jay Vinicki, DeKalb’s budget director, and…

LifeLine presents its DeKalb County Animal Services Pet of the Week, Darby.  This amazing dog has been at the DeKalb shelter for 365 days!  We don’t understand why, because she is the perfect dog! If you are looking for a dog you can take with you to Atlanta’s dog-friendly restaurant patios and decks, Darby is your gal.  This sweet girl can relax just about anywhere, and on a recent outing, she was not bothered by large crowds and chose to take a quick nap in the middle of Ponce City Market! Darby rides wonderfully in the car too, and she…

Watchdogs for Justice (WFJ) is sponsoring a “Keeping Kids out of Prison” seminar on Saturday May 26, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. WFJ is a nonprofit organization established to decrease the number of young people entering the criminal justice system.  The seminars are designed to educate youths, their parents, and concerned citizens about the pitfalls that lure young people into behavior that can land them in prison. The community is urged to invite young people and their parents to attend and learn: What to do if stopped by…

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is inviting parents to learn more about summer day camp programs during an orientation on Thursday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m. Summer day camp programs are offered for youth ages 5-15 and information sessions will be held at all recreation centers, except Redan Recreation Center. For more information, contact LaShanda Davis, Public Relations Specialist, at (404) 371-3643. DeKalb County Recreation Centers   ·      Browns Mill Recreation Center: 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia, GA 30038 ·      Exchange Recreation Center: 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30034 ·      Gresham Recreation Center: 3113 Gresham…

The City of Clarkston will host its Work Session mixer on May 29, 6 to 7 p.m., at Clarkston’s City Hall, 3921 Church Street, Clarkston. Clarkston residents and other stakeholders are invited to mix and mingle with elected officials, City of Clarkston administrative staff and community leaders before the Council’s regularly scheduled City Council Work Session. City Manager Keith Barker said the council’s pre-Work Session mixers are  believed to be the first held in DeKalb County. “Mixers are another forum in which the City will continue to provide opportunities for civic and community engagement,” said Barker. Appetizers and beverages…

The Rockdale Community Ambassadors is hosting its second “Trash Bash” clean-up event on Saturday, June 9, weather permitting. The event will take place in Zone 2, the Windridge and Queenie Woods Neighborhoods, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meet-up location will be at Pine Log Park, 1451 Pine Log Road, Conyers. If weather conditions change, the clean-up will be held on Saturday, June 16. Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. created the Rockdale Community Ambassadors program to promote Rockdale County in a positive light. Within the Trash Bash campaign, there will be four separate community clean-up events, each hosted in four different…