Author: On Common Ground News

A crowd celebrated the grand opening this past Saturday for the city of Stonecrest’s new City Hall. Mayor Jason Lary, his wife Debra, and the five-member City Council held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the historic occasion of the newly-formed city of 50,000 residents. Congressman Hank Johnson and his wife, DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, were among several dignitaries and officials who spoke before the ceremony. The half-day of festivities included performance by Arabia Mountain High School Band, talent from Salem Middle and Flat Rock Elementary  and entertainment by R&B band, Gritz and Jelly Butter , as well as…

Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced his plans to run for re-election for another term. “I want to thank the people of Georgia’s 4th Congressional District for entrusting me with the honor of representing them in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Johnson said. “Having served during the terms of three presidents, and I am committed now more than ever to public service. Because of the daunting challenges we face as a nation, I want to continue working to bring people together to get things done in Congress for the American people and my constituents specifically.” Johnson also…

By Mark Brock DeKalb County put four teams through to the Sweet 16 of the GHSA State Playoffs with three in host roles this weekend. The Class 6A No. 1 ranked Tucker Tigers (10-1) play host to a familiar playoff opponent as the No. 5 ranked Northside Eagles of Warner Robins travel up I-75 for a 7:30 pm date on Friday at Adams Stadium. The two teams have met in the state playoffs four times and are all even at 2-2 in the series that has featured some exciting finishes over the years. Tucker won 22-7 at Hallford Stadium…

  On Nov. 7, 70 percent of DeKalb County voters approved a one-cent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) to address serious transportation needs and other capital improvements. Proposed by DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and the 12 cities wholly within the county, the measure will increase the current sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent in April 2018. “For the first time in DeKalb County’s history, voters have approved a blueprint for success with the passage of the SPLOST,” said CEO Michael Thurmond. “We take this vote of trust seriously and…

The newly-formed city of Stonecrest is reviewing proposed changes to the city’s charter that include making the mayor’s position full time, clarifying responsibilities and powers of the position and separating the executive branch from legislative branch. The changes are among several recommendations the City Council discussed at its Nov. 8 work session, which lasted four hours. “We’re looking at several things in the charter and making suggestions to forward to the General Assembly,” said Councilman George Turner, noting that the upcoming Legislative Session begins in January. “We’re looking at having a full-time mayor. I believe we need a full-time mayor,…

                                                               Victor Gomez-Perez         Miguel Angel Ruiz-Serma      Jorge Alberto Vargas The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Surge team, along with state and local agencies, have made three major drug busts over the last three weeks, seizing over $3.5 million in cocaine and heroin. The most recent seizures and arrests were made on Nov. 1 when a search warrant was executed by the team and DEA…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and the Stonecrest City Council would like to thank the citizens for their overwhelming support of DeKalb County’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), which was overwhelming approved by voters on Nov. 7. The citizens of Stonecrest were vital to the passage of SPLOST. “The $47 million that Stonecrest will receive over the next six years will give us the ability to address many of our neglected infrastructure needs, including paving roads and repairing potholes,” said Mayor Lary. “We will move swiftly to engage the citizens of Stonecrest to complete a series of transportation improvement…

Carmellia Burgess and Anthony Dickerson, parents of baby AJ Burgess, thank the public for prayers and support. The parents of 2-year-old AJ Burgess took their son home on Nov. 8 after the toddler was released from Egleston’s Children’s Hospital, where he was treated for a potentially deadly infection and pneumonia, attorneys for the family said. AJ will be home recovering with his family in preparation for a transplant surgery to receive his father’s kidney, said Attorney Mawuli Davis of the Davis Bozeman Law Firm in DeKalb County. AJ was born without kidneys. His father, Anthony Dickerson, volunteered to give him…

The Rockdale-Newton Section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and its president, Rhonda Taylor, honored 13 community trailblazers at the organization’s Third Annual “The Lady Loved Her Hats” Celebration. The event was held on Nov. 3 at the J.P. Carr Community Center in honor of the late Dorothy Heights, who served as the NCNW’s president from 1957 to 1998, when she became Chair of the Board and President Emerita until her death in 2010. The notable civil rights and women’s rights activist, who loved wearing matching hats with her outfits, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992…

L-R: Darryl Andrews, Mayor Jason Lary, and Curtis Nelson Each week, Darryl Andrews and Curtis Nelson show their pride for the city of Stonecrest by volunteering several times to pick up trash and litter in the city. The two retired veterans’ efforts have not gone unnoticed. Recently, Mayor Jason Lary thanked Andrews, a retired U.S. Marine, and Nelson, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, as they filled bags of trash they had collected along Mall Parkway near Evans Mill Road. “Who is going to invest in a dirty community?” Nelson demanded when asked why he volunteers. Nelson added that he wants…