Author: On Common Ground News

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED By Valerie J. Morgan   State Rep. Vernon Jones said that he is working with city officials to seek legal action against Sam’s Club. Jones said Sam’s Club violated the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) when it abruptly closed the Stonecrest store on Jan. 11, and could face penalties for failure to properly notify workers and city officials of the massive layoffs. “This has been sloppy from Day 1,” Jones said. “Sam’s Club violated the federal WARN Act. I will be talking with legal counsel, officials, the community as well as employees affected. They failed…

The Stonecrest Toys “R” Us™ on Turner Hill Road is not closing as part of the corporation’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan. However, the Babies “R” Us at Stonecrest, which is owned by Toys “R” Us,™ is closing, Nicole Hayes, a spokesperson for the corporation, said today. According to reports, the company has not had an annual profit since 2013. Toys “R” Us™ plans to close up to 182 stores nationally and abroad as part of a reorganization to ease its debt, officials of the company, headquartered in Wayne, NJ, announced. The company is holding going-out-of-business sales at 25 stores…

Oct. 5, 1940-Jan. 18, 2018 Family and friends gathered today for the homegoing celebration of Gilbert “Dr. Turman,” Jr., a former principal of Southwest DeKalb High School and founder of the South DeKalb Neighborhood Coalition. Turman also was known in Newton County, where he worked as an educator before working in DeKalb. Mr. Turman died on Jan. 18. He was 77. The Rev. Aaron Park officiated the 1 p.m. funeral, which was held at Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 6275 Campbellton Road, Atlanta. Mr. Turman is survived by his wife of 49 years, Anne; three children: Carla Turman Burnett (Collie); Gilbert…

The next meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 25, in the Bohan Auditorium, Richardson Health Center, 445 Winn Way, Decatur.   The meeting will begin at 3 p.m.  The public is invited to attend. Agenda items for the meeting include the presentation of the contract for approval for the renovation of the North DeKalb Health Center.  Also included are service award presentations, a director’s report, and the financial status report. Anyone who would like to bring an issue before the board can be placed on the agenda by contacting Erica Brooks at 404-294-3787. Written…

The public is invited to a public meet and greet with new DeKalb County deputy chief operating officer of public safety, Joseph “Jack” H. Lumpkin on February 3, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive Decatur, GA 30030.

A domestic violence disturbance rocked a quiet community in Rockdale County on Sunday and now Rockdale Sheriff’s deputies have a 41-year-old man in custody for fatally shooting his wife. Letron Jerome Bell, 41, was charged with the death of his wife, Lisa LaShawn Samuel Bell. The suspect was taken into custody after police responded to a call, arriving at the family’s home on 4680 Habersham Way in Conyers on Sunday, Jan. 21, around 11:54 a.m. There were three children ages 7, 10 and 17 in the home at the time of the shooting, authorities said. When deputies arrived on the scene,…

The Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center is celebrating a decade of the performing arts in South DeKalb with a calendar filled with events. David Manuel, interim deputy director of DeKalb Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs,  said that 2018 will be jam-packed with programs from now until the annual “Urban Nutcracker” musical, which will be held in December. “We’re having events all year round. This is our way of saying thank you to the community for helping us celebrate 10 years of bringing the best of arts and culture to South DeKalb,” said Manuel, who has been over the Porter…

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt is hosting a meet-and-greet to welcome the Honorable Alisha Adams Johnson as the new District Attorney in Rockdale. The meet-and-greet will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m., at J.P. Carr Community Center, 981 Taylor St., Conyers.  Johnson became Rockdale’s first African American and the county’s first woman to hold the seat after she was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal in December to fill the unexpired term of Richard Read, who announced his resignation. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from Spelman College. During her third year of law school at Georgia…

Vickie B. Turner and Rob Turner held their inaugural monthly community breakfast, “The Cultural Exchange,” on Jan. 14 with several elected and appointed officials, community leaders and constituents in attendance at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur. Among the speakers were Congressman Hank Johnson, DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green, State Rep. Howard Mosby, and Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary. Vickie Turner, who represents District 5 on the DeKalb School Board, and her husband, Rob Turner, who represents Stonecrest City Council’s District 2, said they launched The Cultural Exchange as a way for constituents and local leaders to connect s…