Author: On Common Ground News

Six candidates filed qualifying papers for the Tucker’s City elections, which will be held on Nov. 7. Four of the candidates are incumbents seeking re-election: Mayor Frank Auman, District1; Councilmember Honey Van De Kreke, District 2; Councilmember Matt Robbins and District 3Councilmember Michelle Penkava). In District 1, Van De Kreke will be challenged by Pat Soltys, while District 3 will see Penkava and challenger David Deaton on the ballot. Tucker’s City Council elections are staggered, meaning the three remaining seats will be on the ballot in November 2019. Here’s a look at candidates running in other municipal races in DeKalb:

The Gwinnett County Voter Registrations and Elections Division mailed its first official bilingual mass mailing Friday, Aug. 18, sending approximately 12,000 bilingual letters to Lilburn and Snellville voters advising them of city polling location changes. The Voter Registrations and Elections Division provides voter registration material and oral assistance in Spanish and continues to seek input from the public about ways to better serve the Hispanic community. The division created an online feedback form, and its staff is attending community events to publicize these new changes and recruit for bilingual poll officials. Gwinnett County is the first county in Georgia to…

Tucker city officials are preparing for an overflow crowd anticipated for the City Council’s special called meeting on Aug. 30 to vote on The Rise, an 88-acre mixed-use development proposed for the former Sears distribution center site. The property is located near the corner of Hugh Howell Road and Mountain Industrial Boulevard off Highway 78. While proponents say the project would boost economic development, opponents fear it will bring more traffic and congestion to the area. A crowd packed City Hall at the July 28 Planning Commission’s meeting, where plans…

The Friends of Stonecrest will host its first Craft Expo, “Christmas in September,” on Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road (in the upper parking lot). Vendors are invited to showcase their hand-made goods. For more information regarding set up, call 770-482-3828. Proceeds will support library programs.

Eleven scholarships representing diverse roles and backgrounds, were awarded during DeKalb Medical Foundation’s annual scholarship awards reception on July 18. The Audrey and Jack Morgan Foundation Scholarship was awarded to DeKalb Medical employees who want to pursue educational opportunities and  enhance their skills and contributions to the community.  The 2017 winners are: Melissa Waters, Outpatient Rehab Services/North Decatur, who will attend the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Program and Videostroboscopy Certified Training Program; Shatavia Smith, Revenue Integrity/North Decatur, who will receive additional training at Chronicles Billing School; Jodean LaPointe, Cancer Center Clinical Trials/North Decatur, who will attend the Chamberlain College of…

The Nancy Guinn Memorial Library presented a “Special Storytime” on Aug. 24 to a group of preschoolers featuring Congressman Hank Johnson. Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District, which includes portions of DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties, read a favorite children’s book, “The Cat In the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. Johnson engaged the children, asking them questions along the way and encouraging them to get a library card, if they didn’t have one. Johnson had promised Rockdale library staff members that he would participate in one of the library’s reading programs after they came to Washington, D.C.  to thank him for…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has issued emergency orders for county workers and contractors to inspect all sewer pipes near Nancy Creek in Brookhaven and Snapfinger Creek in unincorporated Lithonia after massive sewer spills were discovered. The spills have been reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Environmental Protection Division. County officials say the Nancy Creek spill, which included nearly 4 million gallons of raw sewage, is the biggest spill recorded in the last 10 years in the county’s consent decree, DeKalb’s binding agreement with federal and state authorities to improve its sewer system. County inspectors discovered that…

Stonecrest city officials have been fielding calls from angry Snapping Shoals EMC customers regarding a 4 percent fee that will become effective on their monthly electric bills on Sept. 1. Snapping Shoals notified customers the fee hike is the result of a franchise fee the utility company must now pay the newly-incorporated Stonecrest. Through an e-mail, the company referring questions concerning the fee to Assistant City Manager Plez A. Joyner with his telephone number at City Hall. Joyner said the utility company sent the notification to customers after the city finalized an ordinance on Aug. 21 to enter into an…

Two of the three incumbents seeking re-election to the Stonecrest City Council will face no challengers in the Nov. 7 election. Jimmy Clanton, Jr., Post 1, and Diane Adoma, Post 5 are running unopposed and with their re-election will serve four-year terms. Incumbent Jazzmin Cobble, Post 3, will face challenger Alecia L. Washington. Although the three incumbents have only held office since June in the newly-formed city, they must run again because all odd-numbered municipal posts are up for re-election this year. Washington said she decided to throw her name in the hat because she wants to be a part…

The DeKalb County School District is participating in a national program to help close the “Homework Gap” in Georgia. DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green helped kick off the Sprint 1Million Project on Aug. 22 at Cedar Grove High School. Nearly 300 Cedar Grove students received mobile wireless hotspots from Sprint in support of the district’s Digital Dreamers initiative, an effort to assist students from low-income families with their studies at home. Students will be able to take the hotspots off campus and link up to five devices per unit. The hotspots, equipped with safeguards to protect students online, will…