Author: On Common Ground News

Six-year-old Brendon Moore, brought Black History Month to life with his school project, a live Wax Museum of black trailblazers. Brendon, a kindergarten student at Johnson’s Learning Center in Decatur, dressed up as former Secretary of State Gen. Colin L. Powell – eyeglasses, uniform, U.S. Army patches and all. Brendon’s mom, Miriam Moore, submitted photos of Brendon to Gen. Powell’s social media and Powell recognized Brendon’s project on his official Facebook page and congratulated Brendon on his hard work this month. “It was a great honor to have the first African American Secretary of State to acknowledge Brendon’s…

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The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners today(Feb. 28) voted to extend a moratorium on certain special land use permits (SLUPs) to May 23. Originally adopted on Jan. 26, 2016, the moratorium covers the acceptance, issuance or denial of SLUP applications for the establishment or expansion of alcohol outlets, gas stations, car repair and maintenance shops, automobile service stations, check cashing establishments, convenience stores, drive-through restaurants and pawn shops in commercial districts. The moratorium is intended to allow DeKalb officials additional time to review the county’s current ordinances “to ensure that its laws preserve the quality of life for citizens…

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All three Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) high schools – Heritage, Rockdale County and Salem – were named 2017 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools by State School Superintendent Richard Woods, a distinction RCPS high schools have achieved for more than seven consecutive years. “Advanced Placement coursework provides the highest level of rigor in addition to the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school,” said RCPS Superintendent Richard Autry. “I am proud of our teachers, students and administrators for consistently achieving this recognition over many years, demonstrating their commitment to academic excellence in all of our high schools. In…

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A $200 million sports complex expected to create 2,000 jobs and bring spectators, and teams and tourists from around the country is coming to the new city of Stonecrest. Atlanta Sports Connection, in partnership with Atlanta Partners for Development (APD) and Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau announced plans for the privately-funded “Atlanta Sports City at Stonecrest” on Feb. 22. As the project’s partners unveiled a huge banner bearing the sports facility’s name, the crowd attending the launch cheered and applauded with excitement. “As a resident, I’m proud to be here and as a developer, APD is privileged to…

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DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond provided an update on the county’s water billing crisis, promising to improve customer service and billing within the next 90 days. Thurmond and staff members rolled out his “A New Day In DeKalb” plan to address the county’s water problems, outlining short and long-term solutions during a special-called meeting with commissioners, residents and the media.  Thurmond said 37,000 customers’ bills have been held since last fall as county officials sought to determine if the bills were accurate or inaccurate due to faulty meters, meter readers, data entry mistakes or even the customers themselves through usage.…

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With Election Day scheduled for March 21, organizations and homeowner groups are hosting forums and meet-and-greets to give residents in the new city of Stonecrest the opportunity to hear from the 20 candidates who are running for public offices in the city. The following organizations have notified On Common Ground News of upcoming events to help voters get ready for the elections: The DeKalb County NAACP will host a candidate forum for the city of Stonecrest contestants on Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m., at Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale Drive. “Our non-partisan candidate forums are designed to empower communities by…

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This is a weekly post that lists all of the events going on around town.  If you would like your event featured, email editor@ocgnews.com. ATLANTA Ballethnic dance company pays homage to Apollo Theater In honor of Black History Month, Ballethnic Dance Company will perform a tribute to the famous Apollo Theater Sunday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center, 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park. Set to a swingin’ soundtrack inspired by the Amateur Night early days in the 1930s, Apollo Nights features adult and youth performers dancing to tunes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and…

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Beginning March 8, Rockdale County’s Probate Court, will offer extended hours for the public, opening on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The office will be open from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. the other weekdays. Judge Clarence Cuthper said he decided to extend the hours on Wednesdays after conducting a survey among customers who said that it was difficult to transact business at the Probate Court because of work duties during the day.

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Congressman Hank Johnson (District 4) will host a town hall meeting with seniors to discuss the impact of the Republican Congress plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Johnson said he plans to discuss proposed changes for Medicare service that would, among other things, shorten the solvency of the federally-subsidized program. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 1, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia. Under the proposed ACA repeal, millions of seniors would have to pay more for their prescription drugs and face hefty co-pays for key preventive services…

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