Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY – A 15-year-old suspect has been charged and is in custody for making social media threats against a local high school, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office announced in a post on X.  Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) confirmed the social media threats were made against Heritage High School over the winter break and on Sunday, Feb. 23.  The Sheriff’s Office said the juvenile was taken into custody on Feb. 26 and faces the following charges: Two counts of Terroristic Threats (felonies) Disruption of School (misdemeanor). Investigation timeline:  Feb. 19 –The Sheriff’s Office was first alerted to a social…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA –Lee Daffin, a 57-year-old Rockdale County resident, has been charged with the murder of Jocelyn Camille Goodwine, a Rockdale resident who was reported missing on Feb. 17, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office(RCSO) announced today.   Goodwine’s body was found on Feb. 20 in Cornelia, Georgia in Habersham County, approximately 80 miles north of Rockdale County and was later positively identified.   Authorities confirmed today that Daffin and Goodwine knew one another, but did not disclose details about their relationship. Daffin became a “person of interest” after Rockdale Sheriff’s deputies responded to a welfare check at a home in the 1100 block of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—A Lithonia High School teacher has been placed on administrative leave as DeKalb County school officials investigate allegations that she was seen vaping in her classroom filled with students.  Video footage of the incident, captured by students, has been shared on social media, according to parents who spoke with On Common Ground News(ocgnews.com) today. The video shows Mrs. A. King, who teaches business classes and oversees the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) program, vaping as she stands before the classroom.    Some parents expressed concerns about the incident but noted that King is popular among students.  “I guess…

ATLANTA— Mayor Andre Dickens has appointed Ricky Smith as the new General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, effective April 2.  Smith brings extensive experience in aviation leadership, having  most recently served as Executive Director and CEO of Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA). In his role, he oversaw the management and operations of Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and regional aviation initiatives throughout the State of Maryland.  As part of the leadership transition, current Interim Airport General Manager Jan Lennon will be promoted to a new role as Executive Deputy General Manager within the airport. In this role she will…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—John Pittman of Discovery High School has been named Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) 2025 Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Student of the Year. The 12th-grade student  was recognized at the CTAE award ceremony on Feb. 25. The event recognizes student achievements in CTAE courses during their high school careers. This year, 26 students were selected from a field of high-performing GCPS high school students, including Jabari Morrison of Shiloh High School, who was named 1st runner-up, and Landon Sturgeon of Mountain View High School, who was named 2nd runner-up. The 2025 GCPS local school winners are: Sebastian Ciocu-Jitian of Archer HS   Edgar Encarnacion Gomez of Berkmar HS   Vyom Thakkar of Brookwood HS   Mamadou…

Atlanta — A Special Election will be held in November for two seats on the all-Republican Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities that provide electric, natural gas, and telecommunications services in the state.   Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger formallycalled for the two special elections on Wednesday (Feb. 26), which will be on the ballot along municipal elections. Qualifying for the Nov. 4 election will be held April 1-3. A primary is set for June 17, with a runoff on July 15, if needed. The winners will compete in November’s general election. Commissioner Tim Echols, who represents a large portion of east…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is introducing evening town hall meetings as a new addition to its regular schedule, beginning in March. The initiative aims to increase transparency and encourage more community interaction, officials said. As part of the revised schedule, the board will host the town halls separately, consolidating its Work and Voting Sessions into a single comprehensive morning meeting. Traditionally, the BOC meetings have served for discussing and deciding critical issues impacting Rockdale County.  Under the revised schedule: Regular Work Sessions and Voting Meetings now will be held on the 2nd and 4th…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Due to forecasted cold weather, DeKalb County will open four warming centers for residents this weekend. A storm currently over the northern Pacific Ocean is projected to push onshore in the northwestern United States this weekend, heading across the Rockies on Monday (March 3), according to Accuweather.com. The storm’s path is expected to continue across the Southern states, where it will tap Gulf moisture. The combination of that moisture, building warmth and a strong jet stream will boost the risk of severe weather and likely some tornadoes, according to weather reports.  The following DeKalb warming centers will open…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet will host its monthly community breakfast on Saturday, March 1, 9 to 11 a.m., at Chapel Hill Middle School, 3535 Dogwood Farms Rd, Decatur, GA.                   The guest speakers will be Georgia Public Service Commissioner Fritz Johnson; DeKalb County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Temika Murry; DeKalb County Juvenile Justice Council; and Pam Hill of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.  Additionally, members of the DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet, including State Represrntatives Omari Crawford(D-Decatur), Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) and Dewey McClain (D-Lawrenceville), along with Howard Mosby and founder…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA–– Partnership Gwinnett, dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County, recently celebrated more than 1,600 new jobs representing $275M in capital.   A reception, sponsored by Hogan Construction Group, was held to honor those businesses that chose Gwinnett in which to locate or expand in 2024. This year’s event welcomed companies across the initiative’s target sectors, each playing a pivotal role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and enhancing the local business ecosystem. Among those companies honored were Elemaster, GreenBoom, maeirAMERICA, McKesson, NanoLumens, OFS, RealTruck, Sortimo, and Thermacell. “When companies choose Gwinnett, they are choosing…