Author: On Common Ground News

The city of Stonecrest and Smart Reach Digital are launching a digital marketing campaign in Seattle, Washington to win Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters. Employees at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, along with CEO Jeff Bezos, will receive pop-up messages on their smart phones and other devices about the benefits of creating Amazon as a corporate city,Mayor Jason Lary said during a press conference at City Hall on Dec. 13. Lary said it is important that Amazon knows the city is serious about its bid for the company’s second world headquarters, which would bring 50,000 jobs to the area. The ads, Lary said, are…

Rockdale County is preparing to remember the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a way the county has never before honored the civil rights leader. As the nation remembers King on Jan. 15, his birthday and the national holiday, Rockdale plans to hold its first ever parade and celebration in Olde Town with a rainbow of citizens. Rockdale County Think Tank Executive Director Josie Dean, with the blessings of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners and the city of Conyers, is working with a dedicated team to organize the event.  Dean said the parade is going down Main Street…

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond fulfilled a promise made in January to usher in a new era of government transparency and financial accountability by proposing a FY2018 budget free of deficit spending. Officials say the budget that will be delivered to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 15 bucks the trend of county budgets that included millions of dollars of deficit spending and unstable or non-existent fund balances. “We have gotten our fiscal house in order by ending deficit spending and building a $75 million fund balance, or rainy day fund. We must take the next critical step and address long-festering…

DeKalb NAACP’s recruitment drive, launched in October, has yielded 103 people who have registered to become volunteers with the DeKalb County School District. Officials said 31 of those who registered attended the first training session, which was held on Dec. 12 with Deputy Superintendent Vasanne Tinsley at the school district’s Administrative Instruction Center. NAACP Education Chair Lance Hammonds said people from all walks of life have signed up to volunteer. “We’re very encouraged by the turnout and the feedback we have received from those who want to get involved in our schools,” said Hammonds. “We have young and old, working…

Stonecrest District 2 Councilman Rob Turner and his wife, Vicki B. Turner, District 5 DeKalb County School Board member, are launching a monthly community breakfast meeting that will focus on relevant issues and promote community resources. The Turners are hosting the inaugural Cultural Exchange meeting on Jan. 13, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Ray of Hope Christian Church’s Family Life Center, 2778 Snapfinger Drive, Decatur. “We will be hosting the Cultural Exchange community breakfast on the second Saturday of each month (unless otherwise noted). The meeting will provide stakeholders with current updates as it relates to their quality of…

Rockdale County Parks and Recreation will create public canvases in two communities as part of the Rockdale Youth Mural Exhibit (RYME). The first mural, at the J.P. Carr Gymnasium, will represent the facility’s historical significance and be completed during Black History Month. The J.P. Carr complex is built on the former site of the J.P. Carr School, the school for African-American students in Rockdale County during segregation. The facility is named after brick mason John Philip Carr, a prominent leader in the black community, who donated the land in 1950 to replace the school after it was destroyed by fire. The…

Kerri Redding, a reputed member of the Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted for the murder of 19-year-old Christopher Kenyatta. DeKalb Superior Court Judge Gail Flake handed down the sentence on Dec. 12. Redding, 26, was found guilty of murder, felony murder and aggravated assault. Kenyatta’s body was discovered on July 6, 2016 by a passerby walking along a trail behind the Treehills Parkway apartment building in Stone Mountain. He had been fatally shot in the chest. According to the investigation, Redding and the victim were involved in an ongoing dispute over money. Witnesses reported…

Some needy families already have their turkey for the upcoming holiday dinner, thanks to the Pan Hellenic Council of DeKalb County. The council, which is comprised of eight of the nine black International Greek letter sororities and fraternities, collaborated with Wayfield Foods in Lithonia to purchase and distribute 135 frozen turkeys to needy families on Dec. 2 at Browns Mill Elementary School. The school’s principal, Dr. Tiffany Brown, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was among those who participated in the event. Dr. Tanyeeta Goodjiones, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. who is the school counselor,…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) delivered more than 50 books on Nov. 27 to three elementary schools in his district. Johnson delivered the books to schools in both DeKalb and Gwinnett counties: Anderson-Livsey Elementary School in Gwinnett; and Fairington Elementary School and Flat Rock Elementary School, both in DeKalb. Principals and media center specialists at each school were also given three books: “Women in Congress,” “African Americans in Congress” and “Hispanic Americans in Congress.” Each school also received official flags that flew over the U.S. Capitol. The books provided to the students were made available by the Library of Congress’ surplus books…

The DeKalb County Public Library System and Conyers-Rockdale Library System will receive grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities totaling $61,922, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced. The DeKalb County Public Library System, under the direction of Gina Jenkins, will use its $50,000 Humanities Access Grant to fund the Prime Time preschool program. The family literacy program assists low-income families with creative ways to educate their children through expert storytellers. The Conyers-Rockdale Library System, under the direction of Project Director Mary Harrison, will use their $11,922 Common Heritage grant to fund their African-American Faith and Heritage in Rockdale County project.…