Author: On Common Ground News

STONECREST, GA– As the federal government shutdown stretches on, thousands of furloughed workers and families nationwide are facing immediate financial strain. In response, The King’s Table at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is intensifying its fight against food insecurity by providing essential groceries to 1,000 families this Saturday, Oct. 4, beginning at 9 a.m. at 6400 Woodrow Road in Stonecrest, GA. The drive-thru distribution will include fresh produce, protein, and pantry staples to help provide critical relief at a time when missed paychecks, rising grocery costs, and national uncertainty are compounding the pressures households already face. “Federal workers and contractors, who represent…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) is mobilizing resources to ensure Georgia’s more than 110,000 federal workers can quickly access benefits, services, and guidance during the ongoing federal government shutdown.   “The Georgia Department of Labor is committed to supporting every worker affected by the federal government shutdown,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “Millions of workers across industries — from manufacturing to healthcare — depend on stable government funding to keep paychecks coming and operations running. A lapse in funding threatens not only livelihoods, but also the momentum of our economic recovery. Protecting jobs means protecting families, communities, and…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The DeKalb County Police Department DKPD) helped take almost 23 pounds of methamphetamine off the streets and put two suspects behind bars on Oct. 2. The operation follows raids conducted in DeKalb on Oct. 1.   The Oct. 2 drug bust occurred around 3:30 p.m., DKPD and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint operation in the 3400 block of Pleasant Brook Village Lane. Investigators arrested Jacob Smith,20 without incident.  A second suspect, Javier Magallanes, 22, sped away. After a brief pursuit, however, DeKalb County investigators disabled his vehicle and arrested him.  Investigators seized a large amount of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA-DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Super District 7 Commissioner LaDena Bolton  will host a Data Center town hall on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur.  This Town Hall will address key areas including energy and water use, infrastructure and power, costs and economics such as taxation and jobs, as well as scalability and the future of AI and computing demands. Those who attend will hear from industry experts and leading authorities who have experience with data center development and infrastructure. “Our goal is to educate…

DECATUR, GA–The DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m. at 178 Sams Street, Training Room A1201-A & A1201-B (first floor), Decatur. The public also can attend the meeting virtually at  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81020464767?pwd=viAQ85iuujAGmr64keBGzGgsEARddE.1 Meeting ID: 810 2046 4767 Passcode: 2Q5Ny0 Or Telephone:     USA 602 333 0032     USA 8882709936 (US Toll Free)     Conference code: 436320 The meeting agenda is as follows: Approval of January & February 2025 Meeting Minutes Treasurer’s Report III. Attorney’s Property Title Status Report Chairman’s Report  Executive Director’s Report – Tamika Churchill ▪       Staff Update ▪       Project Applications ▪       Community Outreach and Training ▪       Other VII. Adjournment

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— DeKalb County Police are seeking the public’s help in stopping a series of home break-ins throughout several neighborhoods. Over the last year, burglars have targeted many homes located in the South Precinct, in neighborhoods within the borders of 2nd Avenue, Tilson, McAfee, Candler and Whites Mill roads.  The burglaries have typically happened in the dusk and overnight hours, between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Burglars in some video footage are possibly juvenile males and men in their early twenties. They force their way through rear windows or doors, disabling or covering any cameras in the area.  They have been…

CONYERS, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) recently announced the top three finalists for the district Teacher of the Year with surprise visits to finalists’ schools. The district finalists for RCPS Teacher of the Year are Gretchen Gault of Lorraine Elementary School, Latonya Saunders of Memorial Middle School, and Danyel Stancil of C.J. Hicks Elementary School. Each finalist received a surprise visit at their school Wednesday morning by RCPS Superintendent Shirley Chesser, Rockdale County Board of Education (BOE) Chairwoman Sandra Jackson-Lett, BOE members Pam Brown, Akita Parmer, Justin Kenney, cabinet members, school leaders and staff, who commended the finalists. “I am…

LAWRENCEVILLE – A crew of men and women face racketeering charges for accusations that they stole high-value items from more than a dozen retailers across the Metro Atlanta area and sold the merchandise for more than $3.6 million through an eBay store, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office announced on  Oct. 2.  A dozen people were named in the indictment that charges two counts of violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The first count is conspiracy to participate in an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. The second count is acquiring property through a pattern of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— A nine-hour operation by DeKalb County Police led to the arrests of two suspects and the seizure of multiple weapons, drugs and cash during coordinated raids on three homes on Oct. 1. DeKalb County S.W.A.T., K9 and aerial support executed search warrants at the following locations: 1700 block of Mountain Industrial Boulevard 400 block of Chartley Trail 1700 block of Stoney Creek Inside, investigators found ecstasy, cocaine, fentanyl, meth, marijuana, two rifles, three handguns and thousands of dollars in cash. Police arrested Alexis Terrell, 42, and Matthew Diggs, 32, on multiple charges.  DKPD’s Narcotics and Gang Units led the…

ATLANTA —The City of Atlanta has announced the launch of ATL BIZ, a modern, user-friendly online platform that will replace ATL CORE as the city’s primary portal for business services. The updated system is designed to streamline processes and better support the needs of Atlanta’s business community. “We are proud to provide this new way of doing business with the City of Atlanta for our business community. ATL BIZ offers Atlanta businesses a modern, more user-friendly and intuitive way to meet their finance needs,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “This furthers our Administration’s mission of making it easier to connect with our business…