Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb Library Board of Trustees recently announced a “Fine-Free Summer” starting June 1 and ending Aug. 31.  During this time, any materials from the children’s and teen’s collections can be returned late without incurring fines. The program applies to books, audiobooks, music CDs and some DVDs. Library patrons will still be fined for lost or damaged items. For more details about the “Fine-Free Summer” program, library branch locations, and hours of operation, visit dekalblibrary.org.

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Zoning Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, at 9 a.m. has been canceled. There are no items to be heard

ATLANTA – Georgia’s big jackpots are growing. Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot is $144 million, and Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is an estimated $121 million. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown since May 8 and has rolled 10 times. Mega Millions offers two jackpot payment options: the $144 million annuity prize paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual graduated payments; or the cash option, which is approximately $85 million. Powerball began growing May 23 and has rolled 6 times. Powerball offers two jackpot payment options: the $121 million jackpot prize paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments;…

The city of Tucker’s “TKR Summer of Fun” series kicked off with “Movies on Main” on June 8. The city blocked off Main Street for the public to watch a free screening of “The Greatest Showman.” The next free event will be on July 3 the City of Tucker and Old Town Tucker Merchants Association (OTTMA) will team up to host the “Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular.” The show, which will be staged on the practice field behind Tucker High School, will best be viewed from Main Street. Volunteers from OTTMA have organized a street festival including live music,…

The first city of Stonecrest’s Comprehensive Plan Community Outreach meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 12, 6 to 8 p.m., at Ousley United Methodist Church, 3261 Panola Road, Lithonia. The meeting will repeat on Saturday, June 16, 10 a.m. to noon., at Big Miller Grove Church, 3800 Miles E. Fowler Way, Lithonia. The community is invited to provide input on the city’s footprint for the future.

Judge Gregory Adams is not a Candidate for DeKalb Commissioner District 7 Ahead of the July 24 run-off elections, DeKalb County Judge Gregory A. Adams has issued a statement to clarify to the public that he is not a candidate for DeKalb County Commission District 7. The person who is running is not related to Judge Gregory A. Adams by blood or marriage, the news release said. Judge Adams was initially elected to the bench in 2004. Prior to Judge Adams’s election to the Superior Court, he served as the Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court for 10 years. On…

By Valerie J. Morgan  A national search will be conducted to find a successor for Bishop Stephen A. Davis who has resigned from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.  Church officials announced Davis’ resignation on June 6, saying that he resigned to concentrate on the two churches he founded in Alabama.  Thomas W. Dortch Jr.,  chairman of the church’s board of directors, told On Common Ground News that Davis was challenged in making the weekly drive to Stonecrest while trying to oversee his church in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.     “It was a lot for him. We appreciate what he did. He…

ATLANTA – The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the Georgia Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement officers are reminding Georgia drivers that the new hands-free driving law becomes effective July 1. There will be no grace period for citations, officials said today. State Rep. John Carson (R-Marietta) today clarified that Georgia drivers may utilize music streaming applications under House Bill 673, the Hands-Free Georgia Act, which he sponsored. The new law takes effect on July 1. The new law prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a wireless telecommunication device or a stand-alone electronic device while operating a…

By Valerie J. Morgan  Ruth Johnson Floyd can easily count the number of times over the last month the parties she has heard going on in her Panola Lakes Circle community. The retired DeKalb County educator said a vacation rental home in her community has become a nuisance and she and her neighbors want the Stonecrest City Council to do something about it.   “We have had parties there May 1, May 5, May 13, May 18, May 19, May 20, May 22, and just this weekend (June 2), there was a family there from North Carolina,” Floyd told the…

The DeKalb Cultural Exchange will host its monthly community breakfast on Saturday, June 9, 9 a.m., at The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The community is invited to come out and meet the Democratic nominees for Georgia’s Labor Commissioner (Richard Keatley) and Insurance Commissioner (Janice Laws).  They will have a Q&A.  Stonecrest City Councilmember Rob Turner and his wife, School Board member Vickie Turner, who host the DeKalb Cultural Exchange, also will provide updates on the city of  Stonecrest and the DeKalb School District.