Author: On Common Ground News

Hundreds turned out for the town hall meeting on the abrupt Stonecrest Sam’s Club closing hosted tonight (Jan. 16) by State Rep. Vernon Jones. Many said Wal-Mart, the parent company for Sam’s Club, did not provide detailed answers on why the store suddenly closed Jan. 11. Glen Wilkins said performance, the future growth of Sam’s Clubs and the impact of other clubs in the area is what officials based their decision on to close the club. However, one employees said the Stonecrest store was earning over $100,000 a day. DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson blasted Wal-Mart executives in handling the…

Josie Dean, who heads Rockdale County’s Think Tank civic organization, worked with local officials to host the first-ever MLK Day Parade on Main Street in Conyers. The historic event was supported by a cross-section of the community. Following the parade, a celebration and awards program were held at the Rockdale Auditorium. Photos and videography by On Common Ground News Publisher Glenn L. Morgan

The Stonecrest City Council has rescheduled the time of its meeting. The council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Please share this information.

Helping Hands Outreach Clinic plans to use the MLK holiday to assist the Stonecrest Sams’s Club workers who were laid off and others in need of healthcare. Janice Morris, executive director, said she received several calls from those workers who found themselves abruptly let go without any health insurance. “Many of them now have no way to get prescriptions that they need for chronic illnesses and our volunteer physicians are ready to help them,” said Morris. The MLK holiday is a perfect opportunity for us to spend the day on serving the community as Dr. King would have wanted it.…

Notice is given that there will be introduced at the regular 2018 session of the General Assembly of Georgia a bill to amend an Act to incorporate the City of Stonecrest in DeKalb County, approved April 21, 2016 (Ga. L. 2016, p. 3538), and for other purposes.

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary said he is seeking another wholesale warehouse store after the abrupt Jan. 11 closing of the Sam’s Club at 2994 Turner Hill Road. The Stonecrest store is one of 63 that the warehouse giant abruptly closed across the nation, laying off thousands of employees. “I’ve already contacted Costco and they’re interested,” Lary said. Lary said he was outraged to learn the Stonecrest store was closing. Loyal members, who have supported the store for years, expressed their shock, and employees, who learned they no longer had jobs when they reported to work. “It caught us completely…

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is celebrating a milestone as Georgia’s first National Historical Park. The announcement comes as the nation observes this year’s MLK National Holiday and the 50th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s death. The historic site will be the first national park honoring an African American. President Trump signed the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park Act into law on Jan. 8, a week before the King holiday. The president was on his way to visit Atlanta to attend the national college championship football game when he signed the new law as King’s…

Republican Brian Strickland soared to victory in the Nov. 9 special election for Senate District 17, which covers parts of Rockdale, Newton and Henry counties. The election was held to fill the unexpired term of Republican Rick Jeffares, who stepped down to devote more time to his bid for lieutenant governor. Strickland, who vacated the House District 111 seat to run for the Senate seat, received 61.99 percent (5,001 votes) in the four-way contest, according to unofficial results. Phyllis Hatcher, the lone Democrat in the race, placed second with 35.36 percent (2,772 votes). Ed Toney received 2.45 percent (198), and…

The New Year is here and Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes is presenting a series of free workshops at its Conyers and Lawrenceville chapels to help you live your best life. The long-time family-owned business has partnered with healthcare professionals, financial planners, law professionals, grief counselors and others to discuss topics that impact everyday living. The Levett family rolled out the initiative during a weekend of free concerts it sponsored featuring jazz artist Kenny Lattimore at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with special events all year. The Levett family…

Vince Evans was sworn in as the City of Conyers’ new mayor on Jan. 10 before a packed audience that included his 90-year-old father-in-law at the Cherokee Run Golf Club in Conyers. Chief Superior Court Judge David Irwin administered the oath of office to Evans, as well as councilmembers Cleveland Stroud, who was re-elected, and the newly-elected Blair Barksdale. Evans is the city’s first new mayor in 20 years, succeeding Randy Mills, who served two decades as mayor and 8 years on the City Council. Evans served with Mills 18 years on the City Council, including 8 years as mayor…