Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY – A Rockdale man was arrested after barricading himself inside his home and firing at a deputy, the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office said.  The suspect, identified as Lorenzo Banks, was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and taken into custody.  The incident occurred on Jan. 7, around 11 p.m. when a deputy was dispatched to a call reporting an alarm and shots fired in the 1500 block of Locomotive Road.  As the deputy approached the house, the suspect began firing shots at the deputy, who returned fire.  The suspect barricaded himself inside the house, prompting the…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– A 23-year-old man was arrested minutes after committing a $5,000 theft involving the sale of a vehicle, Gwinnett County Police said. The suspect, Kobe Isaia Romain-Grant, of Suwanee, was charged with felony theft by taking after analysts from the Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center used FLOCK and DOT cameras to track him as he fled the scene. The Jan. 6 incident began at 1625 Pleasant Hill Road in unincorporated Duluth. The victim told police that he was attempting to purchase a white Dodge Charger from a male he met on Facebook Marketplace. The suspect took $5,000…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Due to forecasted cold weather, DeKalb County has opened four warming centers for residents 24 hours a day. County officials announced the four centers that have been open since 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6, will be open around the clock until further notice: Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Rd. Tobie Grant Recreation Center, 593 Parkdale Drive Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive (see pickup schedule below for transportation to Frontline) Exchange Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive (see pickup schedule below for transportation to Frontline) DeKalb County’s overnight only warming center is available to residents at the…

ATLANTA, GA – With a winter weather system expected to hit the northern half of Georgia early Friday morning, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is coordinating brine operations and staffing plans in an effort to respond to the pending threat of icy conditions and snow accumulation. As part of its winter weather response plan, Georgia DOT treats roadways, bridges and overpasses prior to a winter storm’s arrival with brine, a mixture of salt and water that is used as a preventative treatment to limit the bonding of ice to the pavement. Brine operations started today, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett has announced new inmate mail procedures are being implemented at the Rockdale County Jail to prevent contraband from entering the facility.  The crackdown follows a recent incident involving a Rockdale jail detention deputy and a former employee who were arrested in connection with contraband smuggled into the jail.  The Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests in December but did not disclose the identities of the suspects or the specific items that were smuggled, stating that the investigation was ongoing.  Sheriff Levett praised his team’s investigative work and promised that action would be taken against those involved. …

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) is hosting four town halls in the month of January. Starting on Jan. 7, 2025, these open forums will allow community members to come together to discuss important issues, ask questions and learn from DKPD about the challenges and successes in 2024 and the goals for 2025.  The community also will have a chance to check out the DKPD’s new Mobile Precinct, which will be showcased at the meetings. The mobile precinct made its first deployment on Dec. 24 to LA Fitness on Church Street in Decatur. Officials say the mobile precinct…

ROCKDALE COUNTY—Join State Rep. Rhonda Taylor (District 92) for a Zoom discussion on Georgia’s new House Bill 581 on Jan. 8, 6:30 p.m. Taylor, who represents portions of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, will facilitate the discussion.    HB 581, effective Jan.1, 2925, introduces a statewide homestead exemption that caps the annual increase in property values for tax purposes. This exemption impacts property taxes for cities, counties, and school districts. To opt out, local governments or school districts must adopt a resolution and complete several steps between Jan. 1 and March 1, 2025: Don’t miss this chance to learn how this new…

DECATUR, GA–The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections meeting for the purpose of conducting its normal monthly business will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9, 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 your email must include your…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 13, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at Darro C. Willey–Administrative Center, 3560 Kensington Rd., Decatur.  The meeting will also be livestreamed. To receive a link to the livestream, contact weissingera@dekalblibrary.org no later than Monday, Jan. 13, at noon.