Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA– Kentavious Hardnett, a 28-year-old Decatur man, has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend’s 19-month-old son, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. A jury found Hardnett guilty on Thursday, May 21, in connection with the toddler’s death on Jan. 24, 2021. Harnett was convicted of Felony Murder and Cruelty to Children in the First Degre after an investigation determined he severely beat the child, whom the mother had left in his care while she was at work.  According to the investigation, the victim’s mother had known Hardnett for two years and had been in a relationship with…

ATLANTA –City officials are reminding residents in the downtown corridor to boil tap water for at least one minute before use. The advisory is expected to be lifted by Saturday, May 23, at 1 p.m., pending confirmation of water quality results. The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) issued the advisory after experiencing a temporary loss of electrical service at the Hemphill Electric Pumping Station due to an internal power failure. This disruption resulted in low water pressure in portions of the system. While power has been restored and the facility is now fully operational, a precautionary boil water…

DECATUR, GA– In observance of Memorial Day, all DeKalb County Tax Commissioner office locations will be closed for the holiday on Monday, May 25 and will reopen Tuesday, May 26.  To avoid delays, taxpayers can go online to renew their vehicle registration, pay insurance fines, check their vehicle title and insurance status, change their vehicle registration address, and more at https://eservices.drives.ga.gov. Self-service tag renewal kiosks are also available at participating Kroger stores to renew eligible vehicle tags and pay insurance fines. Limited DDS transactions are also available, including renewing eligible driver’s license and identification cards. For kiosk locations, visit https://DeKalbtax.org/kiosks. A valid…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– The Gwinnett County Board of Assessors mailed approximately 311,000 annual Notices of Assessment to residential and commercial property owners on Thursday, May 21.   State law requires that annual notices be sent to property owners advising them of the appraised value of their property as of Jan. 1. The annual Notice of Assessment provides last year’s value and the 2026 value. The annual Notice of Assessment is not a tax bill but includes the value of the owner’s property and any exemptions, preferential assessments, or credits that will be applied when property taxes are calculated later in the year.  The Board of…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– Gwinnett County officials will honor fallen military and public service heroes during its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 25, at 1 p.m. Due to forecasted inclement weather, the ceremony will be held indoors in the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center auditorium, located at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. Two fallen public safety heroes will be inducted into the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial during the ceremony:  Gwinnett County Police Officer Pradeep Tamang died in the line of duty on Feb. 1, during a dispatch call. He joined the Police Department in July 2024 and graduated from the 121st Police…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – State Rep. Rhonda Taylor (D-Conyers) will host a “2026 Constituents Speak Series Kickoff: Post-Session Legislative Update” town hall meeting on Saturday, May 23, at 10 a.m., at the Conyers-Rockdale Library. “Our communities deserve transparency, accountability and access to information about the decisions being made under the Gold Dome,” said Taylor. “This town hall is an opportunity for constituents to hear directly from lawmakers, ask questions and ensure their voices continue to shape public policy. We encourage residents to come out, stay informed and remain actively engaged in the legislative process.” The community town hall will provide residents…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) invites outstanding teaching candidates to the RCPS Teacher Job Fair on Monday, June 8, 1- 5 p.m., at Conyers Middle School, 400 Sigman Road NE, Conyers. Participants must pre-register by visiting www.rockdaleschools.org/jobfair. We seek candidates for teaching positions in the 2026-2027 school year. On-site interviews will be held during the RCPS Teacher Job Fair. RCPS has 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three traditional high schools, a virtual campus for grades 6-12 and five non-traditional schools (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology Grades 4-8, Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology Grades 9-12,…

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…