Author: On Common Ground News

MARTA will hold a police job fair on Saturday, May 5,  9 a.m. until 1 p.m., in the atrium of MARTA headquarters, 2424 Piedmont Road N.E. The event will provide information about job openings within the MARTA Police Department. MARTA Police Department is seeking to hire 40 officers to ensure the police force is fully staffed for the Super Bowl in February 2019, when hundreds of thousands of football fans will ride MARTA to events all over the city. Applicants must meet the following requirements: Be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s license Pass all required…

If you are unsure of your precinct, visit My Voter Page at https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do. DeKalb County sample ballot – General Primary Election – May 22, 2018 Democratic Sample Ballot Republican Sample Ballot Advance Voting Infomation The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections has approved advance voting locations in DeKalb County for the upcoming general primary and nonpartisan elections. Beginning Monday, April 30, through Friday, May 13, in-person advance voting for the May 22 election will be as follows: Central DeKalb: Voter Registration & Elections Office (Two areas–one exclusively for senior and disabled voters) 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur Monday through Friday,…

By Mark Brock, DCSD Athletics Cedar Grove swept the Region 5-3A boys’ and girls’ track championships last weekend as part of six region titles that were brought home to DeKalb County. The Lady Saints outdueled Westminster 163-158 while qualifying nine track and field individuals and 3 relay teams for Saturday’s Class 3A State Sectional B at Bremen High School. Four Cedar Grove participants brought home gold medals including Roben Heard (100m dash, 12.68), Chanlor McGhee (100m hurdles, 15.48), Antania Swain (discus, 107-05.00) and the 4×100 meter relay team of Hadiya Barnwell, Bobbi Turner, Macaya Johnson and Chanlor…

City of Stonecrest will have a special called meeting on May 2, 2018. Special Called Meeting 05022018

By Sheriff Eric J. Levett  Summertime is approaching once again and it’s one of our busiest times of year. Summer brings with it many community activities, schools will be dismissing, and many of its citizens leaving for vacation. It is the goal of the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that our citizens have a safe environment to enjoy summer activities, as well as to protect the property of those leaving for vacation. This year, there will be many activities occurring throughout the county. These events include the Grand Opening at Costley Mill Park, Milstead Splash Pad Opening, free and…

by Mackenzie N. Morgan In addition to electing local, state and federal officials, DeKalb voters who pull a Democratic Party ballot will have four straw poll questions to answer. The questions on the ballot are to gauge popular opinion about certain issues.  Here are the questions and a short summary of their background or origin:     Should the sale and distribution of bump stocks be prohibited in the state of Georgia?  This bill deals with blocking the sale of bump stocks–firearm modifications used to convert semiautomatic weapons into high powered military-style rifles allowing users to fire at the rate of…

by Valerie J. Morgan DeKalb Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson is being challenged by long-time Attorney Genet Hopewell in the non-partisan election on May 22. Johnson is seeking her third term. She was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.   Hopewell is a partner at Johnson Hopewell Coleman, where DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson is also a partner in the law firm. She has sat as a judge in DeKalb’s recorder’s, magistrate and juvenile courts. The hotly contested race is one of several local races where DeKalb incumbents are facing challengers including: DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson  DeKalb…

H. Maxine Daniels, retired director of Voter Registration & Elections in DeKalb County, and Cynthia Welch, supervisor of Rockdale County Board of Elections & Voter Registration, have been appointed to Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s 18-member SAFE Commission.  Kemp created the Secure, Accessible & Fair Elections Commission (SAFE) to study options for Georgia’s next voting system. The SAFE Commission will conduct thorough discussions on all options – including the feasibility of using all hand-marked paper ballots to all electronic machines with a voter-verified paper trail – and travel the state to solicit feedback from stakeholders. Members will conduct cost analysis…

On Monday, April 30, the first day of early voting, candidate for governor and former House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams will kick off a bus tour throughout Georgia. She will be joined by Uzo Aduba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Aisha Hinds, Rashida Jones, and local leaders as they visit Atlanta, Albany, Macon, Fort Valley, Columbus and Atlanta. The bus tour stops in Macon, 8:30-9:30 a.m., 1501 Mercer University Dr.  Abrams and the group will be in Fort Valley, 10:15-11:15 a.m., at 1005 State University Drive. The bus will be in Albany from 12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., at the Ray Charles…

DeKalb County will receive $3.6 million in mass transit improvements through a federal grant issued to MARTA. The award will enhance public transportation in the county and includes new buses that are environmentally friendly, officials announced.   The funding from the Federal Transit Administration will upgrade and replace 40-foot diesel-fueled buses with 60-foot Compressed Natural Gas buses. The new buses will be stationed in central DeKalb County at the Laredo Bus Depot in Scottdale. They will be used to enhance service on MARTA Route 121, which connects riders to the Avondale Station and the city of Stone Mountain. The bus…