Author: On Common Ground News

State Rep. Doreen Carter, who represents House District 92, had Coffee and Conversation with seniors at the Rockdale Senior Center on Oct. 19. Carter said she enjoyed speaking with the seniors one on one and hearing their concerns about healthcare, aging in place, and public safety. “I love spending time with seniors. They fill the gap for me because my parents are deceased,” said Carter. Carter said her visit with the seniors also helped her to better understand the challenges that many face in retirement. “It was a great visit. I’m looking forward to working collaboratively with other community leaders to…

Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host a free workshop, “Basic Training to Run for Office,” designed to inform the community about the requirements to run for political office. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Georgia State University’s Decatur campus, 3521 Panthersville Road, Room SB 1190. “This training aims to educate the residents about running for office and to encourage more individuals to qualify and become candidates equipped with a fundamental understanding of campaigning,” said Betty P. Stuckey, president of the chapter. The panelists include DeKalb…

The Rockdale County Board of Education has appointed Chief Academic Officer Shirley Chesser as interim superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS). Until a permanent superintendent is named, Chesser will replace Richard Autry, who announced his retirement. “We are confident that Mrs. Chesser can lead the district until such time the Board appoints a permanent superintendent,” said Board Chairman Jim McBrayer. The Board intends to conduct a national superintendent search as part of their due diligence to find the best-qualified candidate. Current RCPS employees are encouraged to apply. Chesser has 20 years’ experience in education, serving the past 17 years…

Students in Rockdale County Public Schools will make up classroom time lost due to the tropical storm Sept. 11-14 beginning in November. The Rockdale County Board of Education on Oct. 19 adopted the following revisions to the 2017-18 school year calendar: The Independent Learning Early Release day Nov. 6, 2017 will now be a full instructional day. The Independent Learning Early Release Day, Feb. 6, 2018 will now be a full instructional day. Feb. 21-23, 2018 will be full instructional days. These Winter Intercession days were previously noted as potential inclement weather make-up days on the school calendar. Waive one…

Hurricane Irma kept Haile Gerima away from Atlanta in September. But the acclaimed filmmaker and writer has rescheduled his visit for Tuesday, Nov. 14, to screen his latest award-winning film, Teza. The event will be held at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road in Lithonia, beginning with a reception at 4 p.m. The film will be screened at 5 p.m. in the library’s auditorium, followed by a question-and-answer session with Gerima, who also created the iconic film, Sankofa, and has been a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. since 1975. Gerima’s visit is the inaugural program for DeKalb…

Eighteen DeKalb County cross country teams (10 boys, 8 girls) and one individual qualified for their respective state meets coming out of recent region competitions. Three-time defending state champion, Clarkston and Chamblee, won the Region 5-5A boys’ and girls’ titles, respectively, at the Druid Hills Middle School course on Oct. 21. The Angoras placed five runners in the Top 10, led individual medalist Rukundo Uwimana (17:17.50) and runner-up Mathurin Allawai (17:25.70) to top Chamblee 23-34 for the region title. Chamblee placed four runners in the Top…

By Larry Johnson DeKalb County Commissioner Middle-class homeowners have reason to be skeptical of Washington’s latest promise of tax cuts for the middle class.  As you may have heard, a group of leaders in Washington known as the “Big 6” recently unveiled its framework for tax reform, and their No. 1 promise was tax cuts for the middle class.  Unfortunately, it appears that many middle-income homeowners will see their taxes go up, not down, under the Big 6 plan.  A big reason why is that this plan takes away the most popular – and one of the most valuable –…

By Clarence Cuthpert Rockdale Probate Judge A birth certificate is an official recording of a birth that occurred in the state of Georgia. It may be used for a number of reasons including to establish one’s identity, enroll children in school, and to apply for a driver’s license. Certified copies of birth certificates may be obtained from the State Office of Vital Records, or any County vital records office in Georgia. In Rockdale County, birth certificates are issued by the Probate Court. Birth certificates are only issued to applicants having a direct and tangible interest, primary immediate family members, or…

Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District, released the following statement after learning that, according to the Associated Press, a computer server at the center of a lawsuit against Georgia election officials was quietly wiped clean just after the suit was filed: “What appears to be a willful and premeditated destruction of evidence by Georgia election officials heightens my suspicion that there was manipulation of the election results in the April 18th Sixth District congressional primary, in which Jon Ossoff came only 3,200 votes shy of winning outright without a runoff. The apparent deliberate destruction of evidence that could…

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says the unemployment rate in Rockdale County fell in September as the number of employed residents increased and unemployment insurance claims declined. The September unemployment rate, at 4.7 percent, was down from 5.4 percent in August. The September rate compares favorably to last September when the rate was 5.9 percent. “The combination of a falling unemployment rate and an increase in the number of employed residents shows a county on the rise,” Butler said. “Seeing the number of jobs increase is always a good indicator. However, seeing the number of employed Georgians increase is the…