FREE
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 22
ocgnews.com
AUGUST 26, 2017
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
facebook.com/ocgnews
DeKalb CEO issues emergency orders after massive sewer spills
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 CEO Michael Thurmond 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 a 10-inch diameter pipe compromised by soil erosion caused the spill. Work crews contained the spill and made repairs on Aug. 17. Additional repairs to be completed by Aug. 30 include the replacement of 600 feet of root-clogged pipe with a 12-inch diameter pipe, followed by stream bank
restoration and landscaping. The county learned of the Nancy Creek spill on Aug. 8 after being notified by the City of Atlanta about high bacteria counts in the Nancy Creek area. Due to the remote location and large search area, it took a team of four inspectors nine days to locate the source of the spill by analyzing water samples from the creek and nearby tributaries. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has directed staff to issue an emergency task order to inspect hundreds of miles of pipes parallel to county creeks and tributaries. DeKalb County records reveal that due to location and staffing SEE SEWER, page 7
Closing the “Homework Gap”
DeKalb school district first to receive Sprint’s free electronic devices and internet services
DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green joined Brian Miller, Sprint Region president for Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, at Cedar Grove High’s media room as students activated their units. Sprint representative Sonya Kirkland helps distribute devices.
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 help prepare students for technology and the future. “Education today is digital and it’s key to college and career readiness. We want our students in DeKalb County who need internet access to have it beyond the classroom. Thankfully, these students will now have the tools they need for success,” Green said. DeKalb is among 119 school districts in 32 states participating in the first year of the Sprint 1Million Project. The Atlanta Public Schools held the first of three “Activation Fairs” following DeKalb’s morning launch. Five hundred Douglass High School students received their electronic devices that evening. Sprint plans to provide free devices and internet services to up to 25,000 APS students over the five-year period of the Sprint 1Million Project. Along with giving students the option of a Chromebook laptop, tablet, or smart phones, the Sprint 1Million Project is providing 3GB per month of Wi-Fi connections for students’ devices to connect to the internet and the school districts’ online learning resources. The DeKalb School District’s full rollout of the program will take place over the next two weeks at both middle and high schools. In the future, the Digital Dreamers project will be expanded to also include DeKalb’s elementary schools. Approximately 5 million U.S. families with school-aged children do not have high-speed Internet access at home, yet at least 70% of teachers assign homework that requires web access. A further study in Atlanta indicated that roughly 29 percent of households lack a computer and/or Internet connection.
City of Stonecrest responds to Snapping Shoals’ customers concerning franchise fees 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 agreement to collect franchise fees from Snapping Shoals, AT&T, Atlanta Gas Light, Comcast, and Georgia Power. The companies pay the fee for use of right of ways to provide service to customers. Joyner said while Georgia Power passes along about 65% of its franchise fee to its customers (amounting to about $2.60 being added to the average bill), Snapping Shoals made a “business decision” to pass along the entire 4 percent (about $4 for every $100 of the bill) to its customers. “Many times, these fees are listed on the bills and people have no idea of what the fees are for or that it is being passed on to
them,” Joyner said. “Throughout Georgia, utility companies, telephone and cable companies are required to pay franchise fees to cities. They can pass along the fee to customers—we don’t have any control over that— but we are researching to see if people can switch companies because callers have asked about that. Snapping Shoals and Georgia Power have certain territories for customers.” Joyner said Snapping Shoals has more than 6,400 customers in Stonecrest and Georgia Power has about 10,000 in the city. He said he has received about 50 inquiries from Snapping Shoals’ customers about the franchise fee. Franchise fees, which range from three to five percent of a customer’s gas, telephone, cable and electric bills, are set by Georgia’s Public Service Commission. Franchise fees are used to supplement cities’ operating budgets. Joyner said he is researching the franchise agreement terms for Atlanta Gas Light, Comcast and AT&T.
Snapping Shoals EMC
Service Territory within The City of Stonecrest Date Created: May 23, 2017 Note:
All Locations/Lines/Territories are approximations based on known data. No guarantees of accuracy or completeness are made.
Legend:
PAGE 2 •AUGUST 26, 2017 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
Hosted by DJ Mix Master Mitch
W I N D D OW N W E D N E S D AY E A S T Lithonia Amphitheater | 2515 Park Dr, Lithonia, GA 30058 Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Gates Open @ 5:00 | Show Runs 6-8:30 PM Coolers, Food, Beverages, Chairs & Cushions Permitted Tickets on Sale Now! E v e n t B r i t e . c o m W i n d D o w n We d n e s d a y E a s t $5.00 Gen. Admin | $15 VIP S e a s o n P a s s e s Av a i l a b l e General Parking $5.00 | VIP Parking $10.00
www.wdepartyinthepark.com | 404-852-9086 | WindDownwednesdayeast@gmail.com Like and follow us on
Our Sponsors
Thanks to our vendors and sponsors We want all of you to be successful!
Winddown East
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Valerie J. Morgan editor@ocgnews.com
GENERAL MANAGER Glenn L. Morgan gmorgan1@ocgnews.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill richardhill@ocgnews.com
On Common Ground News is published weekly by On Common Ground, Inc. The newspaper serves DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Henry counties. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or the newspaper’s advertisers. No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. We reserve the right to reject material and advertisements we deem inappropriate. On Common Ground News
P.O. Box 904 Lithonia, GA 30058 (678) 526-1910 News 24/7 @ www.ocgnews.com
AUGUST 26, 2017 • PAGE 3
Stonecrest Mayor Lary honors women of new city
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 Stonecrest bills passed in the Georgia Legislature. Dawkins-Haigler, Lary said, was the representative who brought Senate Bill 208 to the House of Representatives though many opposed her. “Had Dawkins-Haigler not stood before the House with courage amongst all those people, there would not be a Stonecrest because we would not have been on the ballot,” Lary said. Lary also recognized State Representatives Pamela Stephenson, Karen Bennett, and State Senator Tonya Anderson, who were not able to attend the meeting. Lary also honored Mayor Pro Tem Diane Daniels-Adoma for her support of the cityhood movement. Special honors were also given to several community members including Stacey Thibodeaux, who worked to help form the city and served on the Governor’s Commission for Stonecrest. Edwina Clanton was also honored. Clanton was a key advisor for the Stonecrest City Alliance and is a member of the Parks of Stonecrest Neighborhood Coalition. The mayor also recognized Susan Lee and Eleanor Alexander for the tireless support of the city before, during and after its formation. Lary recognized Michelle Emanuel, who also served on the Governor’s Commission and Barbara Lee. Lary honored DeKalb School Board Member Vickie Turner for her encouragement and and continued push for the city to make education one of its top priorities. The executive director of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, Mera Cardenas was honored for her work in promoting the Heritage area as gem for residents and tourists. The mayor honored On Common Ground News Editor Val-
Stonecrest incumbents Jimmy Clanton, Diane Adoma unopposed in upcoming elections
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. Jimmy Clanton 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 of laying the foundation for the new city. “I have always had the heart of my community and a passion for serving the community,” said Washington. “I’m running because I want to be a part of the new city, to help set and work on our priorities,” Washington said. Washington is founder of the nonprofit, The City of Hope Safe Haven, Inc., which provides transitional services to those in need. A community organizer who lives in the Glencroft community, she has been a resident of DeKalb County for nine years. The 65-year-old is a native of Chicago. Cobble said she hopes voters will re-elect her to continue representing them. “We’re just getting started. We’re making really great progress and I look forward to staying the course and serving the needs of our community,” said Cobble, who recently held a community cleanup day and community meeting. Councilwoman Adoma, who qualified on the first day of the qualifying period, said she is
Diane Adoma
Jazzmin Cobble
Alecia L. Washington
looking forward to continue serving on the City Council. “Leading Stonecrest, District 5 is about transforming the vision into reality. Now, I have been entrusted with four years to bring to fruition a better quality of life by creating projects that enhance our community,” said Adoma. “I am looking forward to working with all to implement new ideas to create high-paying jobs and safe neighborhoods. My passion for excellence will be accompanied by works.” Since taking office in May, Adoma has held several town hall meetings and coffee conversations with constituents. She has tackled a number of initiatives including launching a bootcamp to prepare students for the ACT and forming a young professionals Rotaract Club. Adoma attended the Georgia Municipal Association’s training for newly-elected officials in June. Adoma serves as Stonecrest’s Smart City liaison. Clanton has held town hall and community meetings to provide constituents in his district updates on the city’s progress. He has brought together community leaders to address a number of issues including code enforcement, crime and commercial development. Clanton also attended the Georgia Municipal Association’s training for new council members. He serves as industry liaison for the City Council.
Former State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler and State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick
erie Morgan for keeping the community abreast of the cityhood movement. “Getting here is one thing. Staying here is another,” the mayor said. He then recognized key members of the City Hall staff, calling them the foundation on which the city stands. They are: • Nicole Dozier, Director of Community Development • Audrey Mays, Account Manager • Tiyuanna Daniel, Permit Technician • Lilian Lowe, Administrative Assistant • Brenda James, City Clerk • Leah Rodriguez, Assistant City Clerk and Administrative Assistant. “These are the people who are holding up Stonecrest. Regardless of what you hear or read, women rule Stonecrest. We can’t do this without them. I want you to know how we got here and how we are going to stay here,” Lary said.
Susan Lee, Edwina Clanton, Stacey Thibodeaux, Vickie Turner, Mera Cardenas
Four running for three open seats in the City of Lithonia
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.
DeKalb to offer free emergency response training classes
DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) is hosting two free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes. The first nine-week class begins on Sept. 5 and will be held on Tuesday evenings from 7–9:30 p.m. at DeKalb Fire Rescue Headquarters, 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker. A second nine-week CERT class for the deaf and hearing-impaired, with certified American Sign Language interpreters, will begin on Sept. 7 and will be held on Thursday evenings from 7–9:30 p.m. at DeKalb Fire Rescue Headquarters. Participants will learn what to do before, during and after a disaster occurs. The training will also teach citizens to care for family members and neighbors. The workshop is free for DeKalb County citizens, and all participants must pass a background check. For more information or to register, contact Emergency Management Specialist Thomas Paige at tpaige@ dekalbcountyga.gov or 678-406-7858.
DeKalb Hosting SPLOST Information Meeting
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will host an informational meeting on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) on Thursday, Aug. 31, 10 to 11:30 a.m., at Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. Attendees will include state and county officials, city mayors and city managers who will discuss the next steps to introduce the SPLOST referendum before DeKalb County voters on Nov. 7.
PAGE 4 •AUGUST 26, 2017 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
Atlanta Gas Light business center breaks ground in DeKalb Construction is underway for the Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Metro Region Business Center located in DeKalb County’s District 3 at 2505 Brannen Road, Atlanta. County officials and Atlanta Gas Light executives held a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 18 for the new state-of-the-art business center. The 51,000-square-foot facility will offer a centralized location, enabling AGL to serve the growing metro-Atlanta service area. Officials said the project is expected to be completed some time in 2018. The architectural firm Goode Van Slyke will design the business center. Wendell Dallas, vice president of Atlanta Gas Light, said the company is delighted to bring the project to DeKalb. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Atlanta Gas Light to make an investment in DeKalb County, a community we live in and serve,” Dallas said. Commissioner Larry Johnson, who represents District 3, thanked stakeholders who have been involved in bringing the project to fruition. “This investment by Atlanta Gas Light will go a long way for economic revival of the district. This is the beginning of many corporate partnerships that we are leveraging across the county,” said Johnson. This is great to have in the Gresham park area. I see this center as an asset for not only the services it will provide but a place where the community, government and business owners can also meet,” said Johnson. Bryan Batson, president of Atlanta Gas Light, said the new location is prime real estate. “There is nothing that beats location. This is quick, easy, safe access to a major interstate system that allows our employees to respond to do their job for our customers.” Atlanta Gas Light, which merged with Georgia Power in 2016 to create the biggest electric and gas company in the nation, has a combined 9 million customers in nine states (1.6 of them in Georgia).
3-L Decatur Red Hatters donate clinic supplies to five DeKalb schools
M
embers of the Red Hat Society’s 3-L Decatur Chapter recently gathered at New Beginning Worship Center in Decatur to donate, sort and assemble boxes of clinic supplies for local elementary schools. The group purchased the supplies to assist school nurses in providing medical care to students. The boxes included bandages, cotton balls, cold compresses, water, juice, crackers, disinfectant wipes and hygiene products. The boxes were decorated and delivered to Kelley Lake, Toney, Snapfinger, Rainbow and Murphy-Candler elementary schools on Aug. 21. Principals and nurses from the selected schools were excited and grateful to receive the donations. The club’s future service projects include creating holiday boxes for a senior citizen home and feeding meals to homeless people in the area. The chapter was started by Yolandria Jones-Totten, a former DeKalb Schools educator. The Red Hat Society is a national organization that promotes socializing and sisterhood for women over 50 years of age. Members of the 3-L Decatur chapter (so named for “Ladies Loving Life”) have raised money for the American Cancer Society, donated toiletry-filled purses to needy mothers and sponsored a Christmas party for a community preschool. Group members show off their hearts after assembling boxes to give away to school For charitable assistance consideration or to inquire about club membership, call 404-323-0213. Sponsored by Rainbow Park Baptist Church and The DeKalb Pastors Alliance • Pastor Steven N. Dial, Sr.
THE REVEREND CLIFTON DIAL, SR. SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
8TH
G LF TOURNAMENT ANNUAL
Stress or Physical Pain?
Benefiting GED® Testing and Adult Literacy
SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 16, 9:00 Browns Mill Golf Course 480 Cleveland Ave. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30354 First, Second, Third Place Trophies • Give-aways • Food & Fellowship
A. M.
Entry Fee: $125 Per Player $400 per Team of 4 10% Senior Discount All donations 100% tax- deductible For more information: (404)-288-1910 RainbowParkBaptist.org
At Full Body Rejuvenation Center our staff offers the most effective quality health care to satisfy every individual's personal needs. Our combination of chiropractic therapy and physiotherapy allow us to focus on the physiological, as well as the biomechanical aspects of the body. Dr. Smith encourages you to come in and begin your healthy approach to pain management, weight loss or stress relief!
Chiropractic Treatment Physiotherapy Your path to Natural Health
Register at RCDialScholarshipFoundation.org
Bring in this ad and receive a
complementary chiropractic consultation
FULL BODY REJUVENATION CENTER 3636 Panola Rd, Ste B
Family Life Center- Building A 2500 Rockbridge Rd SW Stone Mountain, GA 30087 770-498-5850 voicesfaith.org
MOST MAJOR INSURANCES AND OBAMA CARE ACCEPTED!
Lithonia, GA 30038
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS
AUGUST 26, 2017 • PAGE 5
DeKalb Judge Ronald Ramsey elected to ABA leadership role DeKalb County State Court –Traffic Division Judge Ronald Ramsey was elected District 4 Representative for the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division – National Conference of Specialty Court Judges (NCSCJ), at its annual meeting in New York City. Ramsey will serve as an educational and membership resource to judges in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Puerto Rico. He will help to improve access to justice and other wide-ranging topics affecting the judiciary, with limited or specialized jurisdiction. Ramsey was also appointed to the NCSCJ Membership Committee and the Traffic Court Committee. He was named a presenter for the NCSCJ Traffic Seminar, which will be held in San Diego, CA in March 2018. The American Bar Association, founded in 1878, is a voluntary professional organization with over 400,000 members in North America. The ABA’s mission is to improve the legal profession with practical resources for eliminating bias, enhancing diversity and advancing the rule of law. “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent DeKalb County and the State of Georgia on this national and international stage to share some of the best practices we have achieved in our state and to continue to seek new ways to improve the administration of justice through the courts,” said Ramsey. Ramsey was the first African-Amer-
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.
Elizabeth Ashley Young
“Coffee with a Cop” set in Tucker
Judge Ronald Ramsey
ican judge to serve on the Municipal Court in Stone Mountain, from 20002007. Ramsey took the oath of office as State Senator for the 43rd District of Georgia from January 2007 to June 2015. On June 30, 2015, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Judge Ramsey to serve on the newly created DeKalb County State Court Traffic Division-D. Judge Ramsey was subsequently elected to the appointed position in May 2016 and is now serving the first year of a four-year term commencing January 1, 2017. Ramsey received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with honors from North Carolina Central University. Ramsey earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from John Marshall Law School and celebrated his 25th year as a licensed attorney in February 2017.
Conyers names Casey Duren Director of Human Resources
Casey Duren has been named director of human resources at the city of Conyers. “Casey brings a wealth of human resources knowledge and experience from his background in both the public and private sectors, which were appealing when we were interviewing for this position,” said City Manager Tony Lucas. “We’re eager to integrate his and the human resources industry’s best practices with the city’s existing policies and procedures for the betterment of our employees.” Duren previously served as an employer consultant with the Georgia Department of Labor, and in managerial and director positions in human resources at Inline Plastics, Hillphoenix and Omni Group International. “I’m very excited to join the city team and have three major objectives in my role, and HR’s role, in the city government,” said Duren. “First, I want to establish a strategic partnership with all departments where everyone is contributing to the development and accomplishments of all the city’s departments. Next, I want to insure the city is truly viewed as an advocate to our employ-
DeKalb Jail officer arrested, suspected of providing contraband to inmate
Casey Duren
ees and that the work environment is one in which employees will choose to be motivated, contributing and happy. Finally, I want to champion change to enable the city to remain compliant and competitive.” Duren earned his Associate of Science degree in accounting from DeKalb Technical College, a Bachelor of Science in human resources management from Columbia Southern University and a Master of Science in compliance law from National Juris University. He is a native of Conyers and a graduate of Rockdale County High School. He has an adult son, Tyler Duren.
DeKalb County’s North and Central police precincts will host a joint Coffee With A Cop on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6 to 8 p.m. at Shorty’s Pizza, 3701 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker. The evening coffee is being held for community residents to share concerns, ask questions and get to know officers in the neighborhood.
Public’s help sought in identifying suspect killed in Lithonia The DeKalb County Medical Examiner is asking for assistance from the public in identifying a John Doe. He was killed on Monday, July 24, after entering a residence on Beachwood Forest Drive in Lithonia and shot by the homeowner. The deceased is described as a black male, 20 to 30 years of age, no tattoos or scars and is 5 feet 6 inches tall.
Conyers police seek thief who stole package from front porch
Conyers police are seeking a suspect who was caught on camera stealing a package from the front porch of a residence on Tree Leaf Lane on Monday, Aug. 14, 7:20 p.m. The suspect was occupying a dark-color, four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Accord. Contact Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta with any information 404-577-TIPS. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. To view the video, go to: https://www.youtube.com/ConyersPoliceDept.
PAGE 6 •AUGUST 26, 2017 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
New Creation Christian Fellowship celebrates 20-year anniversary By: Nate M. Hill
STONE MOUNTAIN--New Creation Christian Fellowship (NCCF) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Aug. 20. The anniversary celebration featured guest speaker, Pastor Jeff Glover, founder of Perfecting the Saints Church International in Hampton, GA. Pastor Glover has served under the tutelage of Dr. Creflo A. Dollar of World Changers Church in College Park, GA for the past 24 years and he has been actively involved in the ministry at NCCF for many years. Bishop R.H. Parkinson, who ordained Apostle Dautrieve about five years ago, flew in from London for the milestone celebration, which included a banquet during the service. “I was very pleased and surprised that he came,” said Apostle Dautrieve. “We were excited that he came and brought remarks in person. He told us how proud he was of us and encouraged us to continue the vision the Lord had given us,” said First Lady Emma Dautrieve. Apostle Floyd Dautrieve and First Lady Emma Dautrieve founded NCCF in 1997. The Dautrieves relocated from California to DeKalb County in 1995 after fostering a relationship for more than 15 years in the Greater Los Angeles area under Dr. Fred Price and Bishop I.V. Hilliard. NCFF conducted its first service on Aug. 17, 1997 at a classroom at Maranatha School located in Stone Mountain, Georgia. From humble beginnings, the church grew large enough to quickly purchase and build a new sanctuary on 4.9 acres of land, which was completed in August 2008. Apostle Dautrieve said he is most proud of the fact that NCCF has been fiscally responsible and is debt free. The congregation
built the edifice in 1998 and paid off the mortgage in 10 years. “Our church leadership has always believed in being good stewards with God’s blessings,” Apostle Dautrieve said. NCFF is planning to build a Family Life Center on the property. The facility, estimated $600K to $700K, will have a gym, classrooms, children’s church, and a patio area. Apostle Dautrieve said the new facility will provide needed amenities to cater and minister to families, especially children who hold a special place in his heart. “I strongly believe in the family structure. It is my heart’s desire to see Christians grow and mature into the full knowledge of Christ through the teaching, learning and faithful application of The Word,” Apostle Dautrieve said.
New Creation Christian Fellowship’s worship services are held Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Bible Study is held Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer is held Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. The church is located at 806 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road, Stone Mountain. 770-465-0870.
RCPS to celebrate 2017 Teachers of the Year Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) will celebrate its 2017 Teachers of the Year at a ceremony that will be held on Sept. 25 at Rockdale Career Academy. The ceremony will feature all the school level 2017 Teachers of the Year, who were selected by their peers. The district-level Teacher of the Year, chosen to advance to the state level competition, will be announced at the end of the evening. This year’s Teachers of the Year are: Barksdale Elementary – Morgan Pye • C. J. Hicks Elementary – Tonya Price Flat Shoals Elementary – Allison Randall • Hightower Trail Elementary – Michelle Levin Honey Creek Elementary – Kathleen Ruff • J. H. House Elementary – Simone Hudson Lorraine Elementary – Denise Baker • Peek’s Chapel Elementary – Pernell Kirkland Pine Street Elementary – Genifer Keener • Shoal Creek Elementary – Nicole Smith Sims Elementary – Fatima Cheffen • Conyers Middle – Seneathia Lewis • Davis Middle – Dana Stone Edwards Middle – Shawana Green • Memorial Middle – Dexter Oden Heritage High – Scott Wade • Rockdale County High – Allison Yeomans Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology – Tyrone Huebsch Salem High – Tia Litman • Alpha Academy – Dr. Widza Robinson • Open Campus – Petria Redus Rockdale Career Academy – Ted Davis
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS
AUGUST 26, 2017 • PAGE 7
Stonecrest code enforcement officers cracking down on illegal signs
SEWER, from page 1
limitations, pipes in some areas have not been routinely inspected. “The preservation of our waterways is critical to sustaining a high quality of life in DeKalb County,” CEO Thurmond said. “It is imperative that The city of Stonecrest held a swearing-in we ensure our infrastructure is properly maintained and inspected on a ceremony at the Aug. 21 City Council regular basis to ensure the protection of our creeks, tributaries and ecosysmeeting for the city’s two code enforcement tem as a whole.” officers: Al Ferrell, chief code enforcement Caution signs will remain posted in the Nancy Creek area as the county officer, and Officer W. Kirkland. continues to warn residents to avoid the spill site. The officers have been out in the comResidents in the unincorporated Lithonia area near Eagle’s Beek Circle munity responding to calls and are cracking were warned to avoid the area after a spill was discovered on Aug. 24. Dedown on signs that are illegally place in partment of Watershed Management workers located the spill on a 48-inch right of ways in the city. creek crossing just north of the Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant “We recently went out and picked up after tracking high bacteria counts in the area. more than 60 signs that were illegally Officials say although the Lithonia spill does not affect drinking water, placed,” said Al Ferrell, Chief Code Enresidents in the area were warned to avoid the spill site and keep their pets from the waterway until further notice. forcement Officer. WSB TV reported earlier this year that DeKalb County was on track for Placing signs in right of ways such as on the grass adjacent to Turner Hill a 63-percent increase in sewer spills, most of them expected from heavy rain and flooding. That was not the case, however, with the Nancy Creek Road is illegal regardless of the size spill. and type of sign. This violates the city’s sign ordinance and can carry up to a $1,000 fine per sign. The offense is a misdemeanor and can go on an individual’s criminal record. Ferrell said that he and his officers are trying to gain compliance before issuing The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) will host an citations. “We are encouraging people not to violate these sign ordinances; howevinformational community meeting to discuss impending construction activities and er, after a warning, we will issue citations,” Ferrell said. In addition to tackling sign pollution, city officials have posted pictures of several traffic impacts related to the Clarkston Streetscapes Water Main Relocation project. other examples of violations on the city’s web site: stonecrestga.gov/code_enforce- The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6 - 7:30 p.m., at the Clarkston Public ment.html. To report violations, call the Code Enforcement Department at 770-224- Library, 951 N. Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston. The Clarkston Streetscapes Water Main Relocation project is part of DeKalb 0200 or e-mail codeenforcement@stonecrestga.gov. You may e-mail pictures with County’s $1.345 billion capital improvement program and will include the instalthe information sent. of more than 7,000 feet of pipe along East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Market DeKalb County Mobile Career Unit resumes service lation Street, Rowland Street and Norman Road. The public is encouraged to attend. After completing unscheduled repairs, WorkSource DeKalb’s mobile unit will For more information, visit the DWM website at www.dekalbwatershed.com or resume service Monday, Aug. 28. call the DWM Project Information Line at 1-800-986-1108. The mobile unit brings job assistance to residents of DeKalb by conveniently traveling all over the county. Below are some of the scheduled sites: Read On Common Ground News Monday , Aug. 28, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Flat Shoals Library, 4022 Flat Shoals Pkwy. Decatur. Online: Tuesday , Aug. 29, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Salem-Panola Library 5137 Salem Rd. Lithonia.
Community meeting planned for Clarkston water main relocation project
www.ocgnews.com
On Common Ground News Marketplace RESTAURANTS
HEALTH SERVICES
CHURCH
INSURANCE LINCOLN HERITAGE FUNERAL ADVANTAGE
What are your final wishes? Rosalind J. Myrick
Final Expense Specialist rosalind.myrickLH@gmail.com
404-552-2438
GALA
PAGE 8 •AUGUST 26, 2017 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM