Author: On Common Ground News

This morning, MARTA opened its annual holiday shop for the previously selected families of 3,000 children who were granted gifts for Christmas. Through its Charity Club, MARTA employees and ATU Local 732 raised more than $65,000 to provide the gifts to the families previously signed up for the giveaway. This 30-year tradition is an unforgettable experience for families in need of assistance. The gifts were distributed today in the first floor atrium at MARTA headquarters, located at 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. MARTA Interim GM/CEO Elizabeth O’Neill joined Charity Club Chair Linda James and Executive Director Warren McMichael as they opened…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson will host his 4th Annual Random Acts of Kindness Bus Tour on Saturday, Dec. 23. Johnson and volunteers will board a bus at 8:40 a.m. from New Life Church Administration Building, 3592 Flat Shoals Roads. The team will deliver supplies to fire stations #20, #16, #7, #26, #6, #10, #4 and two women’s shelters. Johnson and the Heart of South DeKalb Inc. thanks Macy’s (South DeKalb) and Kroger (FlatShoals Parkway) for their continued support for this event.

“The Republican tax bill passed today is historically unpopular legislation that benefits corporations and the top one percent of Americans at the expense of the middle-class and working families that Mr. Trump vowed to help during his campaign. Middle-class families, local schools, drug-treatment centers and other essential public services all stand to lose under this tax scam masquerading as reform, while real-estate millionaires like Mr. Trump will reap the benefits. By adding nearly $1.5 trillion to the debt, Republicans have put our nation’s health and our children’s future at risk, by slashing funding to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other…

Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) and the Conyers Home Depot will host the Bring One for the Chipper program in Rockdale County on Saturday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., at Home Depot, 1330 Dogwood Drive, Conyers. The Chipper program offers citizens the opportunity to dispose their cut trees at a central location in the community, while recycling the trees for reuse for a good cause. Across the state, thousands of volunteers in hundreds of Georgia’s communities come together for the Chipper event. Since its inception in 1991, more than 25 years ago, the program has collected more than 6…

The DeKalb County Office of the Solicitor-General has formed a new unit to join DeKalb County’s Operation Clean Sweep initiative. The new unit is comprised of two assistant solicitor-generals, a community prosecutor, an investigator and a legal assistant. The division is responsible for the prosecution of all cases involving code violations, blight and other nuisances. “With the announcement of Operation Clean Sweep, we saw a need to expand our reach to efficiently and effectively address the concerns of citizens who suffered from ongoing blight and code violations,” said Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling. “I hired prosecutors who I know will work tirelessly…

In observance of Christmas Day on Monday, Dec. 25, garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection for residential customers will be based on a revised collection schedule as follows: Monday, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day observed; no collection service. Tuesday, Dec. 26 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Monday, Dec. 25, will be serviced on Tuesday, Dec. 26. Wednesday, Dec. 27 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Tuesday, Dec. 26, will be serviced on Wednesday, Dec. 27. Thursday, Dec. 28 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Wednesday, Dec. 27, will be serviced…

MARTA will close the Georgia Dome Station and suspend rail service from Five Points to Vine City beginning at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in preparation for a second implosion at the Georgia Dome site. Shuttle buses will be provided every 15 to 20 minutes from Five Points Station to Vine City Station for patrons needing transportation through that area. The first implosion, a month ago, failed to bring down the entire structure. Two remaining walls will be imploded at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Once the demolition crew gives the all-clear, MARTA safety teams will inspect the…

Christopher Seabrook, president of the newly-formed Stonecrest Chamber of Commerce, greeted business owners and stakeholders recently at a holiday breakfast reception. The meet-and-greet was held at the Rose Garden on Covington Highway on Dec. 19. Seabrook said the new Chamber is seeking businesses to grow with the organization. The Chamber is making plans to provide networking opportunities and resources to help businesses grow.

Stonecrest City councilman George Turner is inviting the community to join Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson’s Get Smart” event this Thursday. Watch the video HERE.

Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology (RMSST) seniors and student council leaders Bridgette Benefield, Madeline Burkey, Rachel Hill, Jestini Jordan, Jessica Kamuche, Asiah McWhorter, and Sydney Turner have successfully completed the National Student Council Student Leaders Program, earning national recognition as National Student Council Distinguished Student Leaders. Fewer than 900 students nation-wide achieved this highly sought-after honor. Sponsored by the National Student Council (NatStuCo) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Student Leaders Program serves to:  Give schools a tool to enhance and improve their efforts to develop student leaders.  Challenge students to work for recognition…