Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County’s new code enforcement manager, Troy A. Smith, is spearheading a countywide cleanup day on June 10, 7 to 11 a.m.   Free T-shirts and brunch will be provided to volunteers while available. Check-in and registration will be held at the Rockdale County Courthouse. Smith is encouraging community-wide participation and inviting citizens and groups to roll up their sleeves and work along side county staff members. For more information and advance registration, call 770-278-7052. Registration forms for the Rockin’ Rockdale Countywide Cleanup can be found at www.rockdalecountyga.gov.

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS), Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER), and Bread of Life Deliverance (BOLD) Ministries partner this summer in the fourth annual “Be Bright, Eat Right Rockdale” Summer Feeding Program to ensure Rockdale County’s children receive healthy, balanced and delicious meals throughout the summer. If your child (up to age 18) lives in one of the neighborhoods served, they can receive a free lunch Monday through Friday during the summer (see locations and times below). Servers will be wearing bright blue “Be Bright, Eat Right Rockdale” T-shirts. RCPS will deliver bagged lunches and books via school bus to locations…

Written by Rockdale Clerk of
 Courts Ruth A. Wilson In a concerted effort to make it easier for people to serve as jurors, the Rockdale Clerk of
 Courts Office is embracing technologies aimed at reducing wait times, paperwork, and trips to the courthouse. We want jurors to have positive experiences with the courts. We recognize that while jury service is an important civic duty, it can be seen as an inconvenience, which is why we have implemented systems to foster better communication between jurors and our Office. One of the major innovations in recent years was adoption of an electronic…

Stonecrest District 2 Councilmember Rob Turner hosted his first town hall meeting on June 1 at the Lou Walker Senior Center. About 40 people attended the meeting. Congressman Hank Johnson, DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and School Board member Vicki Turner, who are all residents of Stonecrest, spoke at the meeting. State Rep. Doreen Carter, Stonecrest Acting City Manager Michael Harris and Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary also provided brief updates. Stonecrest City Council member Jazzmin Cobble, District 3, will host a town hall meeting for constituents on June 8, 7 p.m., Ousley United Methodist Church, 3261 Panola Road, Lithonia. Stonecrest…

Stonecrest District 5 Councilwoman Diane Daniels Adoma helped coordinate a free  youth intervention program called the ACT Prep Boot Camp. Adoma said the event was held at the Salem Panola Library with every seat occupied. The boot camp was sponsored by Henry C. Cotton, founder and CEO of Sage Group America, a leader and innovator in education and technology since 1991 with a focus on meeting state and national standardized test goals. Cotton was recently elected mayor of Bastrop, LA. Adoma said she partnered with SageGroup to present the boot camp because her goal is to help support students to…

David Manuel is preparing to host his third annual I AM a Father 5K event for fitness, family fun and fathers. The event, which will be held at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in Decatur on Fathers’ Day weekend, June 17, focuses on health and wellness, youth development and mentoring, and family engagement. Manuel says the event has expanded and includes an inaugural event that will be held in his hometown of Birmingham, AL on June 3, at 8:30 a.m. The race starts at Kelly Ingram Park, winds through downtown and returns to the park. The festivities include live…

  DeKalb County’s pools opened Memorial Day weekend starting on Saturday, May 27. The official seasons runs May 27 through July 30. Select pools will remain open on weekends through Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4. Residents are encouraged to splash into summer by visiting a neighborhood pool. The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs also offers various programs including swim lessons, water aerobics and more.  For more information, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks or contact (770) 414-2113. Pool locations and hours of operation   Browns Mill Aquatic Facility, 4929 Browns Mill Rd, Lithonia, GA 30038 Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.…

John Noel, a 20-year resident of Atlanta, small business owner, and former member of the Georgia Legislature, officially announced his campaign for Georgia Public Service Commission on Wednesday (May 31) in Decatur. Surrounded by dozens of supporters, Noel spoke about his experience in energy consulting and environmental protection. “I’m looking forward to a positive campaign dedicated to debating the many environmental, utility and leadership challenges our Public Service Commission faces,” Noel said. “As our next Public Service Commissioner, I will ensure that Georgia keeps up with the best energy practices and technology. I will make sure we invests wisely in clean and renewable energy,…

The third annual Kingdom Builders Gospel Awards will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26, 6 p.m., at Georgia Piedmont’s Conference Center in Clarkston. The Kingdom Builders Gospel Awards is a national gospel awards show that recognizes outstanding contributions and achievement in the Christian community.  Nominations are open for the public to nominate outstanding leaders, churches and organizations until June 30 by visiting www.kingdombuildersawards.com. The Kingdom Builders Gospel Awards is a multicultural, black-tie awards program that honors Christian men, women, youth and business owners who exemplify a standard of excellence in carrying out the works of…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at his “Extending the Legacy” program on Friday, June 2, 1 p.m., at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia. The commemoration’s primary objective, as penned by Congress, is to thank and honor the Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the nation. The commemoration recognizes all who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975 and their families. “We make no distinction between veterans who…