Author: On Common Ground News

Carmellia Burgess and Anthony Dickerson, parents of baby AJ Burgess, thank the public for prayers and support. The parents of 2-year-old AJ Burgess took their son home on Nov. 8 after the toddler was released from Egleston’s Children’s Hospital, where he was treated for a potentially deadly infection and pneumonia, attorneys for the family said. AJ will be home recovering with his family in preparation for a transplant surgery to receive his father’s kidney, said Attorney Mawuli Davis of the Davis Bozeman Law Firm in DeKalb County. AJ was born without kidneys. His father, Anthony Dickerson, volunteered to give him…

The Rockdale-Newton Section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and its president, Rhonda Taylor, honored 13 community trailblazers at the organization’s Third Annual “The Lady Loved Her Hats” Celebration. The event was held on Nov. 3 at the J.P. Carr Community Center in honor of the late Dorothy Heights, who served as the NCNW’s president from 1957 to 1998, when she became Chair of the Board and President Emerita until her death in 2010. The notable civil rights and women’s rights activist, who loved wearing matching hats with her outfits, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992…

L-R: Darryl Andrews, Mayor Jason Lary, and Curtis Nelson Each week, Darryl Andrews and Curtis Nelson show their pride for the city of Stonecrest by volunteering several times to pick up trash and litter in the city. The two retired veterans’ efforts have not gone unnoticed. Recently, Mayor Jason Lary thanked Andrews, a retired U.S. Marine, and Nelson, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, as they filled bags of trash they had collected along Mall Parkway near Evans Mill Road. “Who is going to invest in a dirty community?” Nelson demanded when asked why he volunteers. Nelson added that he wants…

Mayor Jason Lary, the Stonecrest City Council, and city staff will host the grand opening of their new city hall. The dedication ceremony will begin on Saturday, Nov. 11, at noon. City hall is located at 3120 Stonecrest Boulevard, Stonecrest, GA. A short festival and celebration will occur, featuring the Arabia Mountain High School Marching Band, and talent from Salem Middle and Flat Rock Elementary Schools. Popular jazz and R&B band, Gritz & Jelly Butter will also perform. The community is invited.

Stonecrest City Councilwoman Diane Adoma hosted a Town Hall meeting and Veterans Day program on Nov. 6, just ahead of the Nov. 11 national holiday. Every military veteran who attended the event at the Stonecrest Library was honored, said Adoma. “We had all of the veterans to stand on stage. We asked everyone to take a moment of silence to thank the veterans for their service,” said Adoma. State Sen. Tonya Peterson, District 43, served as the keynote speaker for the program. Peterson, who served in the U.S. Air Force, also was honored and thanked for her service during a…

State Rep. Pam Stephenson (D-Decatur), along with Nicole Garner Scott, founder and president of 100 Female Entrepreneurs, and Tiara L. Johnson, founder and CEO of TLJ Headlines, will host Women’s Entrepreneurship Day at the Georgia Capitol on Friday, Nov. 17, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The event, one of the largest gatherings of women in business, will unite women from across the state to celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Stephenson and female entrepreneurs will deliver remarks and attendees will learn more about the 100 Female Entrepreneurs Atlanta Chapter, which is launching in 2018. A luncheon will follow the remarks. To register…

Jean Yontz was announced as the Woman of the Year at the first annual we3 Women’s Conference, presented by the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce. Yontz, executive director of Phoenix Pass, a nonprofit for transitional housing for women and children, was presented the award on Oct. 20. She was recognized as a woman who has distinguished herself, her profession, and her commitment to uplifting women in the Conyers-Rockdale community. Other finalists were Robin Chance, branch manager for Georgia United Credit Union, and Vickie Stevenson, executive director of Project Renewal Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Inc. Over 250 women attended the conference, which…

On Nov. 7, DeKalb County voters approved a one-cent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) to address serious transportation needs and other capital improvements. Proposed by DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and the 12 cities wholly within the county, the measure will increase the current sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent in April 2018. “For the first time in DeKalb County’s history, voters have approved a blueprint for success with the passage of the SPLOST,” said CEO Michael Thurmond. “We take this vote of trust seriously and will continue to work with…

Updated: Vince Evans and his wife, Cyndi, are all smiles as they celebrate his victory at the Celtic Tavern in Conyers. Photo by William E. Thomas/Special to OCG News Voters in the city of Conyers overwhelmingly elected long-time City Council member Vince Evans as its first new mayor in 20 years. E vans, who served 18 years on the City Council (the last 8 as mayor pro tem) will succeed Randy Mills, who served as mayor of Conyers for two decades and did not seek re-election, deciding instead to spend more time with his family. At his victory celebration, which…

The Stonecrest Business Alliance Board of Directors will host a community breakfast meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8 – 10 a.m., at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 7850 Stonecrest Square. Attendees will receive an update regarding the Overlay District zoning codes and efforts to form a Stonecrest Community Improvement District. Guest speakers include Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, Stonecrest Economic Development Manager Sabrina Wright and APD Solutions CEO Vaughn Irons. Information will be provided regarding city-wide progress and an update on Atlanta Sports City, followed by a Q&A session. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact Kimia…