Author: On Common Ground News

CITY OF STONECREST, GEORGIA Honorable Mayor Jason Lary, Sr. Council Member Jimmy Clanton, Jr. – District 1         Council Member Rob Turner- District 2 Council Member Jazzmin Cobble – District 3          Council Member George Turner- District 4 Council Member Diane Adoma – District 5 WORK SESSION MEETING AGENDA July 12, 2017 6:00p.m. Stonecrest Library 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia, Georgia I. CALL TO ORDER:   Mayor Lary II. ROLL CALL: Brenda James, Acting City Clerk III. OPENING REMARKS: Mayor Lary IV. PRESENTATION:   V. AGENDA ITEMS:   Status Update on the Zoning Ordinance   Status update on the moratorium Appointment of the…

Splashin’ at Vacation Myrtle Beach Resorts.This group has 14 resorts and hotels that are both family-friendly and budget-friendly.  Call 888-965-5750 or check out their website at vacationmyrtlebeach.com. The site guarantees the lowest prices and frequently has amazing discounts, specials, free nights, military discounts, family packages and more. Their upscale hotels include Beach Cove Resort known as “the friendliest resort on the beach”, Sea Watch Resort with 10 hot tubs and South Wind on the Ocean featuring beautiful gardens.  Their more moderately priced lodgings have much to offer as well.  Hotel Blue is popular for millennials and has many amenities including a…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by guilty plea in the murder case against a Brookhaven man charged with killing his cousin. During a pre-trial hearing on Thursday, July 6, 21-year-old Carlos Eduardo Morales-Gallardo, opted to enter a guilty plea to a charge of  felony murder in lieu of proceeding to trial for the shooting death of Nicolas Morales-Garcia, 20. Morales-Garcia was shot and killed on Nov. 28, 2015. Brookhaven police officers, responding to a ‘person shot’ call, discovered the victim’s lifeless body in the parking lot of the Esquire Apartment complex on Buford Highway. He had…

DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs and District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw held a groundbreaking ceremony today (July 7) for the Hairston Park playground renovation, 911 South Hairston Road, Stone Mountain. Attendees had a chance to learn more about the Friends of Hairston Park, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. In addition to the renovation of the Hairston Park playground, Commissioner Bradshaw, park officials and Friends of Hairston Park are planning other upgrades including, water fountains, picnic tables, grills, landscaping and a pavilion. In May, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved Bradshaw’s request to add more than…

A suspect is in custody at the DeKalb County Jail charged with shooting a man inside a Chinese restaurant in Decatur last month. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, assisted by the Doraville Police Department, arrested Travis Traion Minor, 33, Decatur, on July 5, on a warrant issued the same day.  The warrant alleges that Minor shot and killed Dedrick Davis on June 8 at the Lucky Panda restaurant on South Hairston Road in Decatur.  It further states that a surveillance video shows the suspect fleeing the scene and that witnesses observed him saying “This is for my cousin,”…

The city of Stonecrest has finalized its lease agreement for its new City Hall, which will be located in the Strayer University building at 3120 Stonecrest Blvd., city officials announced at the July 5 City Council meeting. City officials said the agreement with Stonecrest Center LLC includes a 3,000-square-foot suite that will be used until the build-out of the 12,500-square-foot City Hall space. Both, the temporary suite and City Hall, will be located on the first floor of the Strayer building. The City Hall space is expected to be completed around October or November, Harris said. Officials said they…

Join us this Sunday, July 9, 9 a.m., at Transforming Faith Church, organized by Lee and Robin May. We will be holding our 2nd worship service of the summer at Southwest DeKalb High School, 2863 Kelley Chapel Road, Decatur (Performing Arts Auditorium). Come worship with us. Come see what is going on with this phenomenal ministry experience. Come hear how God will TRANSFORM this generation for Christ. Come partner with us to change lives and to change communities. Kids’ church offered from Kindergarten to 5th Grade. Be on time. Service won’t last all day! We were out in an hour…

Suite 20 Xpress, the brainchild of platform stylist Kristy Gaiters to provide affordable healthy hair in the booming Atlanta hair industry, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month in the South DeKalb community. The salon, located at 5561 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, is not only known for providing quality hairdos at affordable prices but for honoring community leaders at its annual International Trailblazers Awards. “We are excited about our 10-year celebration and the International Trailblazers Awards. It is our honor to pay tribute to those who have given to our communities,” said Gaiters, who grew her business from humble beginnings.…

Yielding to pleas from the business community and others, the Stonecrest City Council unanimously adopted a zero millage rate, effectively voting down a proposed 1 percent millage increase. The council reached its decision on July 5 after holding its third and final public hearing as required by law. No one spoke in favor of the increase at any of the hearings. Homeowners who currently have homestead exemption would not have been impacted by the increase because the 1 percent homestead exemption would have offset the hike and the net effect would have been zero. Owners of commercial and rental…

MARTA is reminding customers to upgrade to the new silver Breeze cards. After July 10, the blue Breeze cards will no longer be accepted at MARTA fare readers. The new silver cards, which can be purchased for $2, offer added security to combat fraud and abuse. “Although we first introduced our new cards in January of last year, we still have a few remaining customers who haven’t fully converted to our new silver Breeze cards,” said MARTA GM/CEO Keith Parker. “We want to encourage everyone to upgrade to the silver Breeze card to help minimize any confusion on July…