Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—As graduation nears, the DeKalb County School District is honoring 20 student athletes exiting their high school eras as standouts— valedictorians/salutatorians in the Class of 2025.  Eleven of the 20 athletes are graduating as valedictorians and nine as salutatorians.  Miller Grove High’s valedictorian, Saniya Francis, is a softball and track star. During the fall, Francis was part of the Wolverine softball team that made history for the school by reaching the Elite Eight of the Class 2A State Softball Tournament. Francis finished her track career at the Class 2A State Track and Field Championships by capturing the gold medal…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is reminding voters about the upcoming special election for the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Early voting runs from May 27 through June 13, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend advance voting also will be available on Saturdays, May 31 ,and June 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, June 1 and June 8, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. During the June 1, Special Primary Election, all voters will see District 2 and District 3 contests for the PSC on their ballots, regardless of where they live…

ATLANTA – The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) announced today, May 21, that the application period for the HEARTS (Housing Emergency Assistance and Recovery Through Sheltering) Georgia program will officially close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 15. While new applications will no longer be accepted after that date, the program will continue to assist approved participants through September 2025. The HEARTS Georgia program was established in response to the historic damage caused by Hurricane Helene. As a state-run, first-of-its-kind initiative, the program provided temporary, non-congregate sheltering options including hotels, motels, travel trailers, and RVs, for survivors whose primary residences were significantly…

DECATUR,GA– The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has released its 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The report confirms that DeKalb County continues to exceed all state and federal drinking water quality standards, delivering safe, high-quality drinking water to its customers.  Serving more than 760,000 residents, DWM is responsible for not only treating and distributing drinking water, but also collecting and treating wastewater across DeKalb County. In accordance with regulatory requirements, DWM rigorously tests the county’s tap water to ensure it meets or exceeds water quality standards. To maintain this high…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Over 75 citizens recently attended the Rockdale Soil Water Conservation District’s RSWCD) inaugural ice cream social at the University of Georgia’s Extension Office, 1127West Ave., Conyers . Several Agribusiness professionals,  advocates supporting efforts to protect natural resources and elected officials participated in the event, providing information to attendees. Guest speaker, Mike Worley, director of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, provided a presentation on the importance of Georgia’s Ecosystem. George Kelcheck, who chairs the RSWCD, expressed his enthusiasm for the positive community response to the event, which was attended by adults and children. Kelecheck said he plans to continue to shine…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA– Georgia’s PSC candidates will attend an in-person/virtual  forum  on Monday, May 19, 6:30 p.m. This meeting concerns candidates who are running for election to serve on the Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees the costs for utilities. You can watch the meeting online at the following link, which also will be archived for those who miss the important forum: The meeting will be archived at the link for future viewing. https://youtube.com/live/TdUPf_HdcfA?feature=share

This story has been updated to reflect correction from  Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.   LAWRENCEVILLE, GA –A would-be armed robber was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years of parole for the part he played in an attempted  drug heist that ended with the death of a fellow robber, the Gwinnett County District Attorney said today, May 19.  A Gwinnett County jury found Geno Gerard Hall, Jr., 22, guilty of felony murder, home invasion, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the April 2023, shooting death of 25-year-old Leon Van Summers, Jr.,…

ATLANTA – Today, State Representatives Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta), Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) and Sandra Scott (D-Rex) issued a condemnation of the state’s abortion law in response to the case of Adriana Smith – a young Black woman declared brain dead and being kept on life support because of her pregnancy: “This is not healthcare. This is sanctioned cruelty,” said Rep. Schofield. “Adriana’s family is being forced to endure months of emotional torture. Our state has turned a woman into an incubator against her will and stripped her family of the right to say goodbye. This is barbaric, and it must…