Author: On Common Ground News

Guardianships can take away a person’s rights to decide to marry, make contracts, consent to medical treatment, and establish a residence. Conservatorships allow the appointee to manage the ward’s finances and assets, buy and sell property, and enter into business and commercial transactions. Both the guardianship and conservatorship can also take away a person’s right to bring and defend actions in court. There are several other, less intrusive ways to act on behalf of someone with diminished mental or physical capacity. One or more of the following alternatives may serve the needs of an incapacitated adult without unnecessarily limiting his…

  By Valerie J. Morgan Atlanta’s Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson, founder of the Be Someone mentoring program for youths, was one of the “Points of Light” honorees selected to attend today’s farewell ceremony for the award’s founder, President George H.W. Bush. President Bush died Nov. 30 in Houston at age 94. His wife of 73 years, Barbara, passed away in April. The funeral for the nation’s 41stpresident took place at the Washington National Cathedral. The farewell ceremony was held at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., where Hudson, a DeKalb County resident and other Points of Life honorees paid…

The passing of a President of the United States is a demarcation point in the life of this nation. This morning, I would like to mark the passage of President George H.W. Bush. I did not vote for him in 1988. Nor did I vote for him in 1992. But in 1990 President Bush was Commander-in-Chief of American armed forces when I was a Captain in the US Army. In other words he was my Commander-in-Chief. It was on his orders that I, along with thousands of other Americans, was deployed to the Middle East for Operation Desert Shield…

The City of Atlanta announced that it will open an emergency warming center in anticipation of frigid temperatures. The center will open today, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m.The warming center is located at the Old Adamsville Recreation Center, 3404 Delmar Lane NW, Atlanta. Transportation will be provided by Fulton County from Gateway, 275 Pryor Street, beginning at 6 p.m. Men, women and children are welcome. Socks and hygiene kits will be provided by U First, Inc. For more information,  contact the Office of Constituent Services at 404-330-6023. Assistance information also is available by dialing ATL311 or 404-546-0311.

The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the county’s newest pier on Dec. 14, at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be held at Chapel Hill Park, 4002 Lehigh Blvd., Decatur. A total of $158,000 was contributed to construct a fishing pier with a pavilion and a trail to improve connectivity. The public is invited to join county officials, parks staff and Park Pride representatives at the ceremony.

The Conyers Tractor Supply Company wants your furry friends to get in the holiday spirit. On Dec. 16, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., the store is inviting customers to bring their pets to the store for Pet Photos with Santa. A local photographer will be on site during the event taking holiday-themed photos of Santa’s Little Helpers and their owners. The first 25 customers who get a photo taken will also receive a free magnetic picture frame. “Pets are as much our customers as their owners are,” said Richie Carter, manager of Conyers Tractor Supply store. “This is one…

  At TEDWomen 2018, Former House Democratic Leader and Founder and Chair of Fair Fight Stacey Abrams spoke about ambition, charting the future, and why, even in the face of setbacks, she will always find a way to move forward. In the talk, Abrams outlined the questions she always asks herself when at a crossroads: “What do I want? Why do I want it? And how do I get it?” Answering these questions help create a pathway towards success and fulfillment. You can see her full talk here.

“Lights @ Costley Mill” kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. (gates open at 5:30), 2599 NE Salem Church Road. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience holiday lights and enjoy festive entertainment weekly Thursday to Sunday until Jan. 6, 2019. Photo ops with Santa will be held on Fridays and Saturdays. Guests will also enjoy a petting zoo, face painting, arts and crafts, bounce houses, live entertainment and holiday characters. Snacks and concessions will be onsite and available for purchase. General admission is $5, seniors $3, and children 2 and under are free. Purchase tickets online…

The “Bags of Love” clothing drive to assist homeless citizens in DeKalb County has been extended. DeKalb Commissioner Gregory Adams and Pinch of Excellence will collect sleeping bags, hats, gloves, heavy duty socks and other garments through Dec. 7. Donations may be dropped off in the lobby are area at the Manuel J. Maloof building, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. The goal is to provide sleeping bags and garments for 250 homeless DeKalb citizens. For more information,  contact Commissioner Gregory Adams office at 404-371-2899 or via email at gregoryadams@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Attorney General Chris Carr announced today that Georgia has joined 41 states and the District of Columbia in reaching a settlement with Encore Capital Group Inc., one of the nation’s largest debt buyers, and its subsidiaries Midland Credit Management, Inc. and Midland Funding, LLC. “Robo-signing by Encore Capital Group Inc. and its subsidiaries was unjust and hurt consumers,” said Attorney General Carr. “I am proud of our Consumer Protection Division’s work throughout this process to protect the citizens of Georgia and hope this action sends a strong message to debt collectors that this behavior will not be tolerated.” Debt buying involves…