Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Homecoming games dominate Week 7 of high school football including two to open play on Thursday, Oct. 1, and three on Friday at DeKalb stadiums. The McNair Mustangs (1-3, 0-1) is hosting the Redan Raiders (1-4, 0-2) in the Region 6-3A matchup at Godfrey Stadium on Thursday. The two DeKalb teams have not played since 2023, a 33-0 Redan win. Redan leads the series 16-7 but the two teams have split the past four meetings. In the other Thursday night homecoming game, the Cross Keys Phoenix (0-5) hosts Southwest Georgia S.T.E.M Charter School Aggies (0-4) in the game…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has appointed attorney, state legislator and civic leader Omari Crawford to serve as the County’s Chief of Strategic Initiatives. The appointment is effective today, Oct.1.  As a member of the CEO’s executive cabinet, Crawford will help advance the administration’s strategic priorities, coordinate high-impact initiatives across County departments and strengthen partnerships that support efficient government and improved outcomes for DeKalb County residents. “Omari Crawford is a proven leader who understands DeKalb County, public policy and the importance of turning ideas into measurable results,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “His experience in law, government and community service will be…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA— Gwinnett County is accepting applications for its new Healing from Opioid Addiction through Prevention Education(HOPE) grant program. The Gwinnett HOPE program will distribute approximately $1.9M of Georgia Opioid Settlement funds over three years to support community-based programs that address opioid prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction. Last year, the Gwinnett County Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee held a series of town halls to gather feedback from residents, health professionals and local leaders to help guide their recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. Now, to kick off the application process, the County is seeking innovative, evidence-based programs to prevent opioid…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed five measles cases in members of a Jasper County family. The individuals are siblings, and they were either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated. At least one sibling has a history of out-of-state travel. DPH is working to identify individuals who may have been exposed to measles through contact with these individuals. These cases are not related to the earlier outbreak in Cobb County, officials said.  With these five additional cases, Georgia has 21 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026. Georgia had 10 confirmed measles cases in 2025. Measles spreads through the air when an…

 LAWRENCEVILLE, GA–Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections is hosting two Election Information Open House events to help residents prepare for the Nov. 3 General Election and Special Election.  The events will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2 to 5 p.m. Both events will be held at the Voter Registrations and Elections Beauty P. Baldwin Building, 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, Lawrenceville. At these interactive events, residents can register to vote, update their voter registration, see what’s on their ballot, make a plan to vote and get a behind-the-scenes look at…

CONYERS, GA– Conyers Police Department is investigating the death of a male who was located on Wednesday, Sept. 30, around 9 a.m. at the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) construction site on Interstate 20 near Highway 138. Authorities issued an alert for motorists in rush-hour morning traffic to avoid the area.  The deceased was not a construction worker and was not associated with the Georgia Department of Transportation project, police stated in a press release. No threat to the public has been identified, police said. The man’s identity is being withheld at this time as detectives work to locate and…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – A Mississippi man was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenaged girl. A Gwinnett County jury found Caleb Jamal Burton, 25, guilty of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation, and six counts of child molestation for sex acts he committed against a 15-year-old girl in 2021 when he was 19. He was sentenced to 30 years to serve 25 in prison. “We are pleased that this outcome can begin to bring some closure to this victim and her family,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “And we are thankful for the trial team who worked diligently for…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections (BRE) will hold a Scheduled Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 4:30 p.m. This meeting will be conducted in person at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, and is open to the public. Public comments may be made in person or submitted by sending an email of one printed page or less at a minimum font of 12 to electionspubliccmnt@dekalbcountyga.gov , which must be received between 35 and 5 minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting. The body of the email must include your first and last name. By submitting an email…

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian P. Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing that the state broke tourism records for the fourth consecutive year and ranked No. 5 in the nation for domestic overnight visitation for the sixth year in a row. Speaking at the annual Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference on Sept. 30, Kemp shared that a record 175.6 million domestic and international visitors in calendar year 2025 spent $46.2 billion on Georgia’s lodging, restaurants, transportation, and other local businesses, surpassing the previous record set in 2024 by more than 2%. Those tourism dollars generated $5.3 billion in state…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction by jury trial of a man accused of shooting and killing a parking services employee who was dispatched to remove a boot from the defendant’s brother’s car.  On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Otis Blakes, 34, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Kerwin Hinds, 47, an employee of Empire Parking Services. DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Shondeana C. Morris, who presided over the trial, sentenced Blakes to Life in Prison, plus five years to serve.  Blakes was found guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault,…