Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is hosting a Job Fair today, June 1, from 9 a.m.-noon at Columbia Middle School, t 3001 Columbia Drive ,Decatur. Certified and classified opportunities are currently available. ALL DCSD employees are eligible for retention incentives, and many new hires qualify for sign-on bonuses. The benefits of joining the DCSD Team can be found HERE. For the complete listing of available positions with the DeKalb County School District, click the link below: https://www.applitrack.com/dekalbschoolsga/onlineapp/default.aspx

STONECREST, GA – The City of Stonecrest’s Municipal Court will join cities across the state of Georgia to celebrate Municipal Court Clerks Week from Monday, June 5, through Friday, June 9. The Stonecrest City Council adopted a resolution to recognize the week, and the significant contributions of Municipal Court Clerks during its May 22 meeting. “We are thrilled to honor the effort and commitment that Municipal Court Clerks make toward supporting the development and prosperity of cities around the state,” said Court Administrator and Georgia Municipal Court Clerks Council member Mallory Minor. “This year, and in years to come, we…

STONECREST, GA – The City of Stonecrest will host its second annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom event at the Southeast Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 17, 4 to 9 p.m. The program will include giveaways, food, music, live entertainment, and more. Entry gates will open at 3 p.m. The City’s celebration will conclude with a firework display at 9 p.m. Guests will enjoy a special appearance by the Black Buffalo Soldiers, and artist performances in spoken word and dance. The event will feature an expanded kids’ fun zone with bounce houses and a petting zoo. “Juneteenth is a powerful reminder…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the murder case against a former attorney accused of stabbing and beating his mother to death. Jurors returned guilty verdicts in just one hour on Wednesday, May 24against 49-year-old Richard Merritt on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder (two counts), Aggravated Assault (two counts), and Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the 2019 stabbing and beating death of his mother, Shirley Merritt, 77, at her DeKalb home. At the time of the fatal incident on Feb. 1, 2019, Merritt…

DECATUR, GA— The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is proposing to remove the words “diversity” “equity” and “inclusion” (DEI) from the 2023 educator program prep standards. The NAACP DeKalb County branch, however, is opposing the removal. The commission is the certifying board for all Georgia teachers,counselors, and administrators. “The removal of these words from the 2023 educator program prep standards is a step backward said Lance Hammonds,” NAACP DeKalb President. “This country is built on the concepts of equality and today there is a diverse population that need not be ignored. The NAACP has worked hard over the last 114 years…

ATLANTA – The MARTA Police Department (MPD) is continuing the distribution of steering wheel locks to MARTA patrons who own Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Through a partnership with car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai, MARTA received 640 steering wheel locks to help deter and prevent thefts after a spike in incidents involving those vehicles. Police nationwide have noticed a spike in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles after a post on social media showed how to start these cars without a key. MPD officers will distribute the steering wheel locks to MARTA patrons who own a Kia or Hyundai model year…

The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold the following meeting on Wednesday, May 31, 2023: 11:30am PUBLIC ETHICS HEARING The public ethics hearing agenda is attached and can be accessed online by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org, click on Leadership, go to Simbli (formally known as eBoard) Home Page and click on the date for the meeting agenda/information. The public ethics hearing can be viewed at the following link on DeKalb Schools TV (DSTV) by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org/communications/dstv.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced today (May 30) that an inmate died this week while in custody of the DeKalb County Jail. Doraville, Georgia resident Enil Guillen, 20, was found hanging in his jail cell and unresponsive on Monday, May 29, 2023. He was pronounced deceased following unsuccessful emergency medical treatment by on-site inmate health services and DeKalb EMS. Preliminary reports indicate suicide as the possible cause of death. Guillen had been in custody of the DeKalb County Jail since his arrest on May 11, 2023, by Dunwoody Police Department on warrants for Felony Theft by…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) reminds customers to continue to always carry your physical driver’s license with you, it’s the law. The newly-launched Georgia Digital Driver’s License and ID is only accepted at select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints (https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/when-will-phased-digital-id-rollout-start-which-airportsstates). If stopped by law enforcement, motorists will be required to display their physical driver’s licenses (hard card or paper temporary). Law enforcement officials do not accept Digital Driver’s Licenses at this time. “With the busy holiday weekend upon us, please continue to carry the hard copy of your Georgia driver’s license or ID. It will be necessary…

DECATUR, GA — Today, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced he is working with the Wounded Warrior Program by opening an application process for a veteran to work in his district office in Decatur. The two-year, fulltime paid position – which is part of the Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for veterans within member offices – entails working with the military and veteran constituents to handle veterans-related casework and act as a facilitator between constituents and federal, state, and local agencies. The salary range…