Author: On Common Ground News

Children at the Atlanta Mission Shelter will have a brighter Christmas this year, thanks to a little boy’s classroom assignment and his big heart. Grant Callaway, a 2nd grader at Genesis Innovation Academy in Atlanta, launched his business, Toys are Great this year, and collected 55 toys to donate to kids in need. “Every kid should have toys they love. Some kids don’t have brothers or sisters to play with, but they should have toys,” said Grant. Earlier this year, teacher Terrentena Grant tasked her class with creating a business and a logo. At the next parent-teacher conference, Grant’s mother,…

State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) and the Georgia Economic Bill of Rights Task Force will hold a series of public hearings on five topics that effect Georgians on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in rooms 606 and 514 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta. The schedule for the event is as follows: 9 – 10 a.m., Room 606: Healthcare discussion moderated by Rep. Kendrick and featuring guest speakers Jewell Gooding, Executive Director of Mental Health America of Georgia, and Laura Colbert, Executive Director of Georgians for a Healthy Future; 10 – 11 a.m., Room 606: Affordable…

The city of Lithonia has been approved by the State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to recruit someone to serve in the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. The city plans to use the community liaison to promote financial literacy by securing speakers and entities to host workshops on money management and savings, said Mayor Deborah A. Jackson. The position is a temporary, full-time position funded by the State AmeriCorps Office for a one-year period.  A monthly stipend of $1,026 is provided, along with health and other benefits.  An educational award is available…

Originally posted in the Richard Zorza Access to Justice Blog July 8, 2017 By Ruth A. Wilson Rockdale Clerk of Courts We, at the Rockdale Clerk of Courts Office, are clear about our Purpose in service to the Courts and to the Public: Preserving the Past While Preparing for the Future. We spend a lot of time actively educating ourselves on emerging court technologies and at the same time staying abreast of the rapidly changing demands of the law, the public and evolving social norms. It is a never-ending challenge. Following is a somewhat humorous example of how we need…

  Today, the city of Stonecrest and Smart Reach Digital announced plans to launch a digital marketing campaign in Seattle, Washington to win Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters. Mayor Jason Lary said 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 a corporate city of Amazon. Stonecrest has voted to de-annex 345 acres of its city and donate it to Amazon to build its own corporate city. The ads, which start today, will link to the city of Stonecrest’s web site: http://stonecrestga.gov/focus City of Stonecrest.php.…

Supporters of the proposed city of Greenhaven are opening a new headquarters at 3203 Glenwood Road, Suite D., Decatur, the Concerned Citizens of City of South DeKalb, Inc. (CCCSD) announced today. A motorcade will leave on Saturday, Dec. 16, 11:30 a.m., from the parking lot of the Gallery of South DeKalb mall and travel to the new headquarters. The grand opening will begin at 1 p.m. CCCSD plans to utilize the new headquarters as a base of operations to educate residents about the proposed city of Greenhaven as it seeks approval from state lawmakers to offer a cityhood referendum to…

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Assurant, Inc., a global leader in risk management solutions, will create 335 new jobs and invest $2.2 million in a technical support center in Duluth. “Georgia’s top-ranked economic environment and skilled workforce continue to attract industry leaders like Assurant,” said Deal. “Assurant recognizes the benefits of operating in the No. 1 state for business and will build upon Georgia’s strategic resources to grow in all areas of technological innovation. With this investment, Assurant will create jobs for Georgia citizens, while further solidifying Georgia’s reputation as a premier destination for job creators. I appreciate Assurant’s…

Dear Citizens: The First Lady and I would like to invite each of you to participate in our first annual “Stonecrest Claus.” Our goal is to provide gifts for the Stonecrest children that may miss Christmas because of circumstances beyond their control. We have been so blessed in our lives with good health, great kids, super friends and family, and now the world class City of Stonecrest. We pray that each of your lives are fulfilled with whatever brings you joy. Unfortunately, Debbie and I get to see the side of the sad faces of children that can’t celebrate the…

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is hosting its holiday drop-in on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Board of Commissioners office, 962 Milstead Ave., Conyers. BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt invites the community to stop by for refreshments, say hello and snap a holiday selfie. He says those who come need to move through quickly. The annual event draws a crowd.

The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect believed to be responsible for bank robberies in Conyers, Athens and North Augusta, S.C. Frank Douglas, 58, who has multiple aliases, was released from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Sept. 29, 2017. He is charged with a bank robbery that occurred in North Augusta, S.C. on Nov. 27. Douglas is also a suspect in the following bank robberies: On Nov. 30, 2017, at approximately 12:11 p.m.,BB&T, located at 1887 GA-20 SE, Conyers, was robbed. The suspect passed a demand note to bank employees and left the location with…