Author: On Common Ground News

High school seniors interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field are invited to apply for the Dr. Gulshan S. Harjee Scholarship. Applications are due April 28, 2017. The Dr. Gulshan S. Harjee Scholarship was established in 2008. There have been 49 recipients and a more than $70,000 has been awarded. Named for well-known Atlanta-area internist, Gulshan Harjee, M.D., the scholarship will be awarded to students who embody her passion and dedication to caring for others, despite facing challenges in their lives. Eligible students will be finishing high school, accepted to an accredited college and university, and will be interested…

James C. Ward of Antioch Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church has been inducted in the Best Sellers’ Club as a noted music composer. The South DeKalb pastor, who is celebrating his 22-year anniversary this month at Antioch-Lithonia, was inducted after selling more than 100,000 copies of sheet music he composed. Pastor Ward collaborated with Victor Johnson to compose “King Jesus is Alive,” which has sold more than 50,000 copies, and worked with Heather Sorenson to compose “O Sing Unto the Lord,” which has sold 50,000 copies and was recorded at the state-of-the art Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida with Disney’s orchestra.…

The Georgia State Legislature is considering two bills: HB 338 and SB 30. HB 338 is a thinly veiled attempt to usurp the will of the people that went to the polls and roundly defeated the Amendment #1 “Opportunity School District” proposal. Instead of listening to the will of the people, state legislators introduced HB 338. I am amazed that the legislature continues to ignore the real reasons for low- performing schools—poverty and low parent and community involvement. I saw that Minority Leader Stacy Abrams and others from the DeKalb Delegation supported 338 because it now addresses poverty. The bill only mentions…

By Phyllis Hatcher The Georgia legislature failed to approve a bill that would have increased the size of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners from three commissioners to five commissioners. The failed legislation also requested a change that would have required that each commissioner would be elected to represent citizens of a specific district located within Rockdale County. Presently, each commissioner is elected at large to represent all of the citizens of Rockdale County. In an effort to raise awareness, Phyllis Hatcher candidate for Georgia Senate district 17 I believe that it is important that the citizens of Rockdale County…

Gwinnett County commissioners on March 7 gave approval for the Gwinnett County Comprehensive Correctional Complex to apply for an $86,600 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission. The Gwinnett facility is the only prison in Georgia that receives these funds for its inmate programs. “Since 1997, the resources available through WIOA have made a positive impact on prison inmates,” said Warden Darrell Johnson. “Over the years, the program has provided funds, personnel and textbooks. I’m extremely pleased with the program’s success and the opportunities it offers to offenders returning to our community.” In 2016, inmates…

State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) was recently selected to serve on the 2017 National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) Policy Committee. NFWL is the nation’s oldest non-partisan organization addressing the needs of elected women at the city, county and state levels of government. “It is an honor to be selected to serve on NFWL’s 2017 Policy Committee with other elected women from across the country,” said Drenner. “Women are vastly underrepresented in elected bodies throughout all levels of government, and the work NFWL does to bring together and empower elected women is crucial for creating more diverse and inclusive…

Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt announced the selection of Maria Brown and Joseph Spivey as 2017 Rockdale County Unsung Heroes during his March 9 State of the County address. Brown and Spivey were presented the awards at the evening event for their tireless involvement in the Rockdale community. Brown is an educator who has devoted 20 years in Rockdale as a proponent of education as a means to uplift the community. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management at Nyack University and Master of Education at Cambridge University. She is the mother of two, Bianca and Christina…

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