Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA— Tonya Bloodworth, a longtime distinguished educator and community leader, was sworn into office as the newest member of the Rockdale County Board of Education at the board’s work session. Bloodworth’s aunt, Mary McCrimmon, and her cousin, Jeffery Dinkins, stood beside her during the swearing-in ceremony administered by Rockdale Superior Court Judge Nancy N. Bills.  Bloodworth is completing the four-year term of Justin T. Kenny, set to expire Dec. 31, 2028. The Rockdale County Public Schools District issued a formal call to the public to fill the unexpired term. Applications, including a letter of interest and resume, were directed to…

ATLANTA—City officials are urging motorists to avoid the area in Midtown near 10th Street N.W. and Hemphill Ave. N.W. due to large valve replacement work beginning March 16.  The City of Atlanta’s Watershed Management Department said the emergency closure at the intersection is expected to last about four weeks, weather permitting. The work will take place Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As part of the City’s water distribution maintenance program, crews will perform replacement of 36-inch valves in that area. Traffic control measures and signage are in place to safely guide motorists around the work zone, City officials said. Residents and…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—A  South DeKalb youth baseball coach will remain in jail after a judge denied him bond in a 2008 cold case rape. Elzie Fulks, now 44, was indicted by a DeKalb County Grand Jury in November 2025 on one count of Rape and two counts of Aggravated Sodomy in connection with the attack of a 17-year-old girl in July 2008.  An arrest warrant was issued for Fulks, whose jail records show he lived in Conyers, GA. He was taken into custody and booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Jan. 16, 2026.  In a hearing held Wednesday, March…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Wesley Cooley, a 64-year-old serial rapist was sentenced to life on today (March 12), after pleading guilty to sexual assault cold cases spanning nearly two decades.  The unsolved rapes occurred in the metro Atlanta area from 1999 to 2017, District Attorney Sherry Boston said. Authorities got a break in the case from the April 2017 rape of a female in Tucker, GA.  DNA evidence from that case linked the same attacker to seven other unsolved sexual assault cases including four in DeKalb, two in Atlanta, and one in Conyers. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 38, authorities…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— Weather permitting, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) construction partners will temporarily close interstate lanes for the I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. The project will reconstruct the interstate system-to-system ramps at the I-285/I-20 East Interchange and add a combination of collector-distributor (CD), or connecting lanes, and auxiliary lanes along I-20 east of the interchange and I-285 north of the interchange. Where/When: Traffic impacts on the I-285/I-20 Interchange project from Friday, March 13,  through Friday, March 20.   DAYTIME CLOSURES:   Friday, March 13, through Friday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  I-20 Eastbound: Single, right- or left-lane and shoulder closure from…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— DeKalb County Police announced today(March 12) that Jerome Grogan, 27, has been arrested on sexual battery charges after slapping and groping strangers at local grocery stores–attacks that occurred over several months.   According to the investigation, one of the victims, a 73-year-old great-grandmother, told police that she was traumatized after being slapped hard on her backside by the suspect, who was unknown to her while shopping at a Kroger grocery store.   Grogan was identified and arrested on March 10 in connection with four assaults at the following grocery stores in South DeKalb: ·      Kroger, 4919 Flat Shoals…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—The Gwinnett County Board of Education has announced that Dr. Alexandra Estrella has been named the sole finalist to serve as the next Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Estrella was selected following a national search and rigorous evaluation of a strong pool of candidates, the Board said, stating that she was the most qualified candidate considered who is best prepared to guide Gwinnett County Public Schools. The Board partnered with Alma Advisory Group, a nationally recognized executive search firm, to lead a transparent process that included surveys, focus groups, student engagement opportunities, and community listening sessions across…

ATLANTA— Live Nation Urban (LNU) and Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) have announced a stacked lineup for the inaugural HBCU AWAREFEST.   The weeklong event, featuring a star-studded concert, panel discussions, small business fair, health and wellness events, and free food trucks, will be held March 21-26. The activities kicks off with the 2026 HBCU Impact Fest at the Atlanta University Center’s Robert W. Woodruff Library and Promenade with a number of panel discussions.  Students and the public are invited to attend the panels, which include “Building Wisdom, Not Debt: A Real Conversation About Money” with MC Lyte and Dr. Lynn Richardson, and “Health is Wealth: Protecting Your Power, Your Joy, & Your Future,”…

DECATUR, GA – The DeKalb County Board of Ethics will conduct its Regular Public Meeting on Thursday, March 19, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at 178 Sams Street, Room A1201 – A & B, Decatur. Agenda Callto Order Adoptionof Agenda  III.            Administrative Items Approval of the Minutes Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting of February 19, 2026 Report of Committees  Ethics Officer’s Monthly Report Probable Cause Hearing  Dianne C. Moore v. Johnny Mitchell, Case No. 2025-8 Dianne C. Moore v. Kimberly K. Washington, Case No. 2025-16 Public Comments Comments from the Board of Ethics VII.         Executive Session to Discuss Pending Litigation…