Author: On Common Ground News

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority is embarking on a $17 million makeover of Centennial Olympic Park following the conclusion of the park’s 20th anniversary capital campaign. Although the park will remain open to the public while the work is in progress, public access will be restricted at times. The Fountain of Rings, playgrounds, and some monuments will be impacted as areas in the park become active work sites. Prior to visiting the park, visitors should get updates on public access restrictions by visiting gwcca.org/park or calling 404-222-PARK (7275). As outlined in the Authority’s 2020 Vision strategic plan, the renovations…

Conyers Police arrested nine men as a result of a pandering sting operation Wednesday night, April 19.  This is the fourteenth such operation Conyers Police have conducted since 2013. In early summer of 2013, two violent incidents occurred which brought to light prostitution occurring at local motels.  One panderer, or “john,” was robbed by two men after setting up a meeting with a prostitute using Craigslist.  One month later, four men were arrested after kidnapping, raping, and robbing two women who had posted an ad for prostitution on www.backpage.com.  These men were responsible for other similar incidents in the region.…

The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department is seeking qualified applicants for the position of fire recruit and firefighter. Applications are currently being accepted through April 30 and interested candidates must complete and submit the online application by visiting dekalbfirerescue.org. Minimum requirements include a high school diploma or GED, supplemented by one year of work experience in any field that shows an ability to maintain steady employment preferred; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this job. The starting salary for fire recruits is $36,555 and for firefighters is $38,151.…

On April 24-28, childcare centers all over the Conyers/Rockdale area will celebrate Hands on Literacy Week to encourage reading. Teaching programs this week will be geared toward encouraging young children to read through activities such as crafts, story-telling, and projects. A cross-section of the community including parents, grandparents and community leaders will come in to read to the children during this week’s celebration. The celebration will end with the Hands On Literacy Parade in Olde Town Conyers on Friday at approximately 10 a.m. Children dressed as their favorite book characters will walk down Main Street to Center Street with the…

Conyers Police investigators are seeking the public’s helping in finding two suspects who robbed Kay Jewelers, 1620 Dogwood Drive and the BP gas station, 607 Sigman Road, within one day of each other. The jewelry holdup took place on Tuesday, April 18, at approximately 10:20 a.m. A black male and a black female suspect entered Kay Jewelers. The male, who was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun, jumped the counter after a short conversation with an employee. An undisclosed amount of jewelry was taken from the glass display case. The male suspect is described as 5’10 and 150 pounds, wearing…

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is helping to make commuting easier for bike enthusiasts with the installation of new bike racks and repair stands at 37 train stations. Additionally, MARTA is partnering with the City of Atlanta’s Relay bike share program to place 500 bikes at 65 locations around the city. The program began with 100 bikes at 22 sites. “We are proud to partner with Mayor Kasim Reed and the City of Atlanta in the expansion of their bike share programs that allows riders to reserve, ride and return a bike to the same location or another…

FEATURED EVENT Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes set   Join the historic Inman Park community for the 46th Inman Park Spring Festival and Tour Of Homes on April 29-30, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Inman Park Spring Festival features a tour of homes Friday to Sunday, street parade (2 p.m. Saturday), artists’ market, live music, food vendors, and kids’ activities in Inman Park. Guests are encouraged to walk, bike or catch public transportation to the event. For more information, visit www.inmanparkfestival.org. ATLANTA Author to discuss Modern Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta The Atlanta-Fulton Public…

Two teens are in custody after they were located trespassing at Towers High School in DeKalb County on April 11.  They were occupying a vehicle stolen out of Conyers.  The 16-year-old and a 17-year-old also possessed items stolen from more than a dozen vehicles in the Calloway Crossing and Travers Creek neighborhoods in Conyers earlier that morning. Jontavious Clark, 17, of Decatur was driving a vehicle stolen off of Calloway Loop when he was stopped in Towers High School’s parking lot by DeKalb County School Police.  Three other juveniles, who are not Towers students, were also in the vehicle at…

Learn what it takes to secure a grant for your nonprofit by attending an introductory grant-finding workshop on Wednesday, April 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur. Discover what funders are looking for in nonprofits seeking grants and how to find potential funders. This workshop is presented by Asia Hadley of the Foundation Center-Atlanta. Register at the Decatur Library’s reference desk or by calling the library at 404-370-3070 or contact the Foundation Center at 404-880-0094. For more information, visit grantspace.org/training/calendar/Atlanta.

Last week, DeKalb County’s Operation Clean Sweep removed more than 16 tons of debris and litter on Columbia Drive between Katie Kerr Road and Santa Monica Drive. To date, Operation Clean Sweep crews have removed more than 160 tons of debris from county roads. Operation Clean Sweep is targeting arterial roadways before turning a focus to collector, then residential, streets. Crews clear grass, trash and debris from roadway drains and curbs, mow rights-of-way and remove litter. On Saturday, April 22, crews will continue Operation Clean Sweep on Glenwood Road from Covington Highway to Interstate-20. Motorists are reminded to drive with…