Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA— MARTA plans to expand its fresh produce kiosks in 2018, thanks to a $500,000 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, the agency announced today. Currently, the transit authority has Fresh MARTA Markets located at four rail stations. The markets provide a convenient shopping alternative for fresh, affordable and locally grown produce. “We realize that all communities don’t have adequate access to fresh and affordable produce,” said Interim MARTA GM/CEO Elizabeth O’Neill. “This generous grant from the USDA enables MARTA to help bridge the nutritional gap from the convenience of our local stations and expand our increasingly popular Fresh…

At the request of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) has granted an additional 30 days – until Nov. 14 – for Georgia state and local governments and certain private nonprofits to submit Requests for Public Assistance for federal reimbursement of debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair or replacement of public infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma. A Request for Public Assistance is FEMA’s official application form that public and private nonprofit organizations use to apply for disaster assistance under the Public Assistance Grant Program. Once approved by the state and FEMA, the request starts…

State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) will host the Georgia House District 92 Nonprofit Summit on Saturday, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in Conyers. This event is a gathering of nonprofits in District 92 that work to make a difference in the community. The theme of the event is “Creating Connections, Building Bridges.” “My vision for the Nonprofit Summit is to reshape the way District 92’s nonprofits work together to leverage scarce resources, and this informative event will allow nonprofit leaders to learn from one another,” said Rep. Carter. “I hope that our discussions…

Stonecrest resident says she’s ready to be an “Amazonite” Susan Lee, a resident of Stonecrest, has become part of a growing movement to embrace Mayor Jason Lary’s idea to carve out a portion of the City of Stonecrest and name it Amazon, Georgia as a way to lure the giant to set up its second world headquarters here. When Lary pitched the idea a few days ago, news outlets from around the country carried the story. Lee told the City Council during public comments today that she’s ready to be an Amazonite. She said it was her research on the…

Early voters for municipal elections around the state began today as Rockdale County began using new voting machines, launching a pilot for the state of Georgia. State officials picked Rockdale to test the new system called Expressvote. The new system allows voters to make their selections on one machine and verify their selections before casting the ballot in a separate tabulator. If a mistake is made, the voter can turn in the ballot and get a new one and start over. Voters in the city of Conyers in Rockdale County are choosing a mayor and filling City Council seats for…

The second annual Conyers Latin Festival drew a crowd of supporters on Sunday at the field at 1400 Parker Road in Rockdale County. The free event, held in celebration of national Hispanic Heritage Month, featured the Panamanian Marching Band of Atlanta, a car show, music, ethnic food, arts and crafts, a magic show and vendor exhibits.

DeKalb County law enforcement officials, the District Attorney and Solicitor General are inviting clergy leaders to a joint meeting that will be held on Nov. 9, noon, at Clairmont Presbyterian Church. Officials are implementing an innovative new program called the One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP) initiative aimed at increasing public safety and strengthening police-community relations. The objectives of the OneCOP initiative include: 1) improving public safety through collaboration and information sharing to prevent, combat and solve crimes by tapping into the varied resources of faith-based institutions; 2) increasing community engagement with patrol-level officers, via congregations, resulting in decreased biases and…

Demolition began on the “Cinder Block Inn,” an eyesore so nicknamed after standing nearly 10 years unfinished along I-20 East at Turner Hill Road near the Mall at Stonecrest. When Zenon & Zenon Contractors, Inc. of Stockbridge arrived around 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, Mayor Jason Lary put on a hard hat and climbed into the excavator as if it were a giant Tonka truck. He didn’t hesitate to shift the gears to help bring down the half-built structure. Lary said the demolition fulfills a 2016 campaign promise he made to rid the city of the abandoned hotel, which…

Please note that prices for the Expo on Oct. 21 have been removed, courtesy of the event supporters. By Mackenzie N. Morgan Over 200 influencers and tastemakers showed up to celebrate the launch of the DeKalb Entertainment Commission, a new division of Decide DeKalb, the county’s economic development authority. The Oct. 11 event at the DeKalb History Center in downtown Decatur brought together people from various industries in government, film, television, music and digital entertainment for an evening of networking, live music and hors d’oeuvres and libations provided by sponsor Jack Daniels. The event was emceed by radio personality…

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has signed an ordinance that eliminates jail time as a penalty for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. The maximum penalty would be $75 under the city’s new code. City officials said the ordinance does not legalize or decriminalize possession of marijuana. Rather, it addresses the disparity in the punishment for possession. “I am pleased to sign this ordinance, which eliminates jail time as a penalty for a conviction for possession of less than an ounce, into law,” said Mayor Reed. “People of color, young and low-income people are disproportionately jailed – with…