Author: On Common Ground News

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…

The city of Stonecrest held a swearing-in ceremony at the Aug. 21 City Council meeting for the city’s two code enforcement officers: Al Ferrell, chief code enforcement officer, and Officer W. Kirkland. The officers have been out in the community responding to calls and are cracking down on signs that are illegally place in right of ways in the city. “We recently went out and picked up more than 60 signs that were illegally placed,” said Al Ferrell, Chief Code Enforcement Officer. Placing signs in right of ways such as on the grass adjacent to Turner Hill Road is illegal…

Four people will compete for three at-large seats for Lithonia’s City Council.  Incumbents William Ric Dodd, Diane W. Howard and Tracy-Ann Williams and along with Amelia Inman are running. The top three candidates who earn the most votes will be elected on Nov. 7. Like the neighboring city of Stonecrest, Lithonia’s three-day qualifying period ended on Aug. 23. To find out the candidates who qualified in other DeKalb municipalities, visit: www.dekalbcountyga.gov/voter-registration-elections/current-election-information. The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 7 election is Oct. 10. The advance voting period will be held Oct. 16 through Nov. 3.

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary honored four state legislators, the mayor pro-tem, a news editor, an executive director, community leaders and several city employees at a recent city council meeting.  The honorees were all women. “Citizens don’t understand how we got here today,” Lary said, referring to the city’s recent progress as well as its inception.  “I want to honor this group of ladies because if it were not for the women of Stonecrest, there would be no city of Stonecrest.” The mayor’s first honorees were former State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler and State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick were instrumental with getting key…

Elizabeth Ashley Meta Young, a DeKalb County Jail Detention Officer, has been terminated from her employment with the Sheriff’s Office after being charged with providing contraband to an inmate. Young, 33, was arrested at the DeKalb County Jail on Aug. 18 and charged with Violation of Oath of Office and two counts of Crossing the State/County Guard Lines.  All charges are felonies. Deputies found large amounts of tobacco in her possession while she was on duty. According to warrants, the officer intended to deliver the tobacco to an inmate with whom she had been corresponding. An internal investigation led to…