Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA—DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is saluting former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for winning the Democratic Primary nomination for Georgia governor. Bottoms won in a crowded field of seven challengers on Tuesday, May 19.  Cochran-Johnson says Georgia voters have spoken, and she is urging voters to join her in giving Bottoms full support as Bottoms now heads for the Nov. 3 General Election.  “Today, the people of Georgia have spoken, and I proudly stand in full support of Keisha Lance Bottoms as the Democratic nominee for Governor of the State of Georgia. As the CEO of DeKalb County, and…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department announced the launch of DeKalb’s short-term rental program. All DeKalb short-term rental owners/operators must apply for and obtain a Short-Term Rental License within 30 days to comply.  What is a Short-Term Rental (STR)? A short-term rental is the rental of any room, lodging, or overnight accommodation for a period not exceeding 30 consecutive days, including properties advertised through platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and similar services.   Beginning May 20, 2026: Owners/operators of short-term rentals in unincorporated DeKalb County will be required to: Apply for and obtain a Short-Term Rental license •…

NORCROSS, GA–Gwinnett County Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Bernardo Antonio Romero-Linarte, who is wanted on multiple felony warrants related to crimes against a child. The warrants obtained for Romero-Linarte include kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, sexual battery, and child molestation. Romero-Linarte’s current whereabouts are unknown, but he was last known to be in the Norcross area.  Detectives are asking anyone who may know where he is to contact law enforcement immediately. Anyone who sees Romero-Linarte should not approach him and should call 911. Anyone who has information to share in this case should…

DECATUR, GAA–DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections (DeKalb VRE) announces the unofficial and incomplete results for the General Primary Election held ON Tuesday, May 19. https://dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/voter-registration-and-elections/election-results The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will hold a pre-certification meeting on Friday, May 22, at 8:30 a.m. The board will then vote to certify the election results on Tuesday, May 26, at noon. Both meetings will take place at the DeKalb VRE Office located at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300 in Decatur. Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) ballots must be received by Friday, May 22, by 5 p.m. A…

Dekalb County voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, May 19, in the 2026 General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election, setting the stage for races that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Here is what DeKalb residents should know as they look ahead: At the top of the ticket, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for Governor. On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson did not reach the 50 percent threshold required to win outright and will face each other in a runoff on June 16. Runoffs are also…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— DeKalb County Police are asking for the public’s help locating a woman who is the subject of a Mattie’s Call. Jacqulynn Foster (picture below), 81, was last seen May 19, around 6:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Pounds Lane, Clarkston, GA.  Foster is 5’7”, 125 lbs., and wore a teal shirt, black pants, and blue tennis shoes. She also wore a gray scarf covering her head.  Anyone who sees Foster is urged to call 911 or 770-724-7710. 

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale Career Academy celebrated the opening of its new student enterprise for car maintenance, The Pit Stop, and the new Electric Vehicle/Hybrid Vehicle Dual Enrollment program. Academy officials and Georgia Piedmont Technical College at RCA held a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 15, to celebrate the new programs.  RCA CEO/Principal Dr. Corey Williams thanked the businesses and community partners including Georgia Power, Citizens of Georgia Power, the Development Authority of Rockdale County, and Georgia Piedmont Technical College, for their support in making the programs possible.  The Pit Stop student enterprise will provide car maintenance services such as…

AVONDALE ESTATES, GA —For those spending Memorial Day weekend close to home, the community is invited to gather at the Avondale Estates Town Green for an afternoon of live theatre, music, and family-friendly programming at the Shakespeare Spring Series featuring Romeo and Juliet. The free event on Saturday, May 23, runs from 2 to 5 p.m. with family activities, culminating in the mainstage performance of Romeo & Juliet at 4 p.m. The event is part of A Shakespeare Happening Spring Series—an initiative designed to bring academic enrichment and high-quality, accessible theatre directly to the community, organizers say. This special production…

Story Updated at 1:45 p.m. 5.20.2026 ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA— Incumbent Doreen Williams and Melissa T. Mims are headed for a runoff for the Post 2 Board of Commissioners’ seat.  Since no one in the three-way race earned the required 50 percent plus one to win, Williams(45.49 percent of the vote) and Mims (28.73 percent of the vote)—the top two vote-getters–will be in the runoff on June 16.  Below are the results of the other Rockdale races.  To view the results of the statewide races and details of all of the local races,   CLICK HERE   The results for the local races…