Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA – The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the Georgia Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement officers are reminding Georgia drivers that the new hands-free driving law becomes effective July 1. There will be no grace period for citations, officials said today. State Rep. John Carson (R-Marietta) today clarified that Georgia drivers may utilize music streaming applications under House Bill 673, the Hands-Free Georgia Act, which he sponsored. The new law takes effect on July 1. The new law prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a wireless telecommunication device or a stand-alone electronic device while operating a…

By Valerie J. Morgan  Ruth Johnson Floyd can easily count the number of times over the last month the parties she has heard going on in her Panola Lakes Circle community. The retired DeKalb County educator said a vacation rental home in her community has become a nuisance and she and her neighbors want the Stonecrest City Council to do something about it.   “We have had parties there May 1, May 5, May 13, May 18, May 19, May 20, May 22, and just this weekend (June 2), there was a family there from North Carolina,” Floyd told the…

The DeKalb Cultural Exchange will host its monthly community breakfast on Saturday, June 9, 9 a.m., at The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The community is invited to come out and meet the Democratic nominees for Georgia’s Labor Commissioner (Richard Keatley) and Insurance Commissioner (Janice Laws).  They will have a Q&A.  Stonecrest City Councilmember Rob Turner and his wife, School Board member Vickie Turner, who host the DeKalb Cultural Exchange, also will provide updates on the city of  Stonecrest and the DeKalb School District.  

The new Lithonia-Stonecrest Kiwanis Club held a charter ceremony on June 2 during a breakfast meeting. The new club has 27 members, said Donald Fleary, who serves on the board of directors. Thomas Legall is president of the new club.     The original Lithonia club, which was chartered in 1992, had been inactive since 2001, Fleary said.  “Many of the members had moved away,” said Fleary. “We are excited about having this new club.”  Mayor Jason Lary, who attended the charter ceremony, welcomed the new club to the city. Lary acknowledged some of the previous community service work the…

  The city of Pine Lake will host an opening ceremony for its first public art exhibit on the city’s new art wall, “Public Works at Public Works,” on June 16.  The inaugural installation will feature photographs themed on nature and the environment in Pine Lake by Pine Lake photographers Jennifer Bridges, Cindy M. Brown, Matthew J. Collins, Dwight Harriman, Kari Loomis, Julie Odom and Danielle S. Ross.   The public is invited to a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. at the city’s Clubhouse, 300 Clubhouse Drive. Attendees may meet the artists, enjoy live music, and stay for the…

The DeKalb branch of the NAACP is partnering with the 4th Annual “I AM A FATHER 5K Run/Walk” to host its 2nd Annual Juneteenth: “A Celebration of Freedom” event. The celebrations will be held on Saturday, June 16, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Families, teams, and individuals will start the 5K at Greenforest Community Baptist Church, 3250 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. After returning the run/walk, the Juneteenth festivities will continue across the street at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. There will be entertainment, workshops, cultural foods and vendors. Juneteenth is the celebration that marks the freedom…

Four high school graduates from the class of 2018 were each awarded $1,000 scholarships from the Rockdale branch NAACP on June 4. The presentation was held at Antioch Baptist Church. The scholarship recipients were: Alexis Berry, a graduate of Salem High School, who plans to attend the University of West Georgia to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. David Duncan, a graduate of Rockdale High School, who plans to attend Mercer University to pursue a career as a veterinarian.  Tredarius Lassiter, a graduate of Heritage High School, who plans to attend Tennessee State University to pursue a career as…

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson is urging the community to unite against gun violence plaguing neighborhoods. Johnson is hosting a Prayer with a Purpose Walk & Rally on Friday, June 15, 6:30 p.m., at New Life Church, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur.  “As concerned community activists and residents, we will not allow violence to continue to ravish our neighborhoods without a fight. It is time for us to rise up and show that we will not tolerate the senseless killings,” Johnson said. “Please come out and join us if you are willing to take a stand and be a voice…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced the 25 students who were nominated to attend a U.S. Service Academy: Military Academy (West Point), Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. Six of the 25 students who were nominated received appointments to attend a Service Academy. Every year, members of Congress nominate students to attend the nation’s military academies. Those nominees who are accepted into the academies are awarded four-year scholarships that include tuition, books, room and board, medical and dental care.  The average award per appointment is worth $425,000. “Each year, I consider it an honor to…

By Ruth A. Wilson, Clerk of Courts   The right to trial by jury is a cornerstone of our Democracy. It is both an obligation and a right of American citizenship. The U.S. courts cannot function properly without the active involvement and cooperation of the public. It puts the power in the hands of the people to decide guilt or liability. It should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. When you receive your jury summons, DO NOT ignore it under penalty of law and possibly an even greater inconvenience.  If you have an issue that prevents you from serving on…