Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding residents that all homestead applications must be received by the April 3 deadline in order for the exemptions to be granted and applied to the 2017 annual property taxes. Although applications are accepted year round, any approved application received after the April 3 deadline will be granted for the 2018 tax year. DeKalb residents who owned and resided in their property on Jan. 1, 2017 may qualify for a basic homestead exemption. The homestead exemption, which provides a significant tax savings to homeowners, must be applied for in person, by mail…

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host the 31st Annual DeKalb County Senior Olympics, May 1-10, at venues across the county. Participant registration is available through April 15. Participants are encouraged to register as individuals or as teams and will compete in a variety of sports, including free-throw basketball, bowling, horseshoes, track and field, billiards, swimming, table tennis and water volleyball. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each event. The DeKalb County Senior Olympic Games is open to all residents of DeKalb and surrounding counties. Online registration is available at…

Christopher Smith, a junior at Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County, is the new state president of the Future Business Leaders of America(FBLA). As president for 2017-2018, Smith will lead the largest chapter in the nation with over 25, 000 members. Smith was elected at the Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference, which was held in Athens March 12-14. In addition to his election as president, Smith also received the Business Achievement Award-America Level and he placed ninth in “Website Design.“ His two teammates, Jayden Shepherd and Jeremiah Adeola, placed second in the “Emerging Business Issues” category, advancing to the national competition,…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is proud to announce two students from the International Entertainment and Business Leadership Academy at Salem High School (SHS) – senior Gradea Harris and junior Demetrious Sampson – will compete at the national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition in Anaheim, California this June. This is the first time RCPS students have advanced to the national FBLA stage in more than 14 years. Gradea Harris won first place in Healthcare Administration, beating out 206 students at the state competition. She previously placed fifth in the same category at the regional level. Demetrious Sampson won…

Ten DeKalb County 4-H members received honors in their project areas in the Northwest District Project Achievement competition held on March 10-12. Twenty-three students represented the DeKalb Cooperative Extension’s 4-H club at the district competition at Rock Eagle 4-H Center, which attracted 275 middle school and 378 high school 4-H members from 36 competing counties in the Northwest District. Senior District project winners include: Ansley Lockett, Nia Morrison, and Artis Trice of Arabia Mountain High School, first place, food safety and preservation, environmental, and fruits, nuts and vegetable categories. Quan Usher of Columbia High and Evans Bryn of Greater…

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host its second annual Poetry Slam on Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m., at Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur. DeKalb youth ages 5 to 17 can participate in the slam and must register by April 7. The Poetry Slam features young poets and writers from DeKalb during a special evening that celebrates the power of words, music and the triumph of hope. Admission is $5. To access online registration, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks and click the “Register Now” button on the department’s home…

State Rep. Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain), along with Towers Action Group, Partners in Action for Healthy Living, Inc. and Belvedere East Lake Terrace, invite the community to attend “Take Back Your Community: Communities in Action!” on Tuesday, March 28, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., at Bethune Middle School, 5200 Covington Highway, Decatur. The event will include presentations and a question-and-answer period with the DeKalb County Police Department and Tapestri Inc. To RSVP, contact Towers Action Group at: towersactionsgroupdekalb@gmail.com.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will roll out ten, 30-foot buses, offering right-sized service to neighborhoods with narrow and challenging roadways. The recently purchased “Vicinity” buses will allow MARTA to better navigate Community Circulator routes located throughout MARTA’s service area.  The first communities to see the new buses will include Belvedere, Boulder Park and Lovejoy and will expand “last mile connectivity.”  Additionally, the new vehicles will also be used on routes with lighter ridership, such as Routes 56 and 192, until additional Community Circulator routes are introduced. The superior turn radius, light curb weight, increased gas mileage and…

A DeKalb County jury has convicted a man who shot his girlfriend and left her to die in the middle of the street, moments before she was run over by another vehicle. Jurors returned guilty verdicts against 27-year-old Dominque Richardson on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Richardson was convicted of the shooting and subsequent death of 22-year-old Taylor Holcombe. The incident happened on Oct. 24, 2015 at the intersection of Glenwood Road and Meadow Lane. The two were riding in the victim’s car, when the defendant suddenly…

Register to attend the “ABCs of Running for Office” informational session. The session will be held Saturday, April 1, at noon, CWA Local 3204, 279 Logan St, S.E., Atlanta. The workshop is open to all candidates who have not already submitted their Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions (FORM DOI) for the November 2017 elections. Elections will be held on Nov. 7, 2017, and all seats are open. Pre-registration is required for this informational session. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 29. To RSVP for the workshop, email: ABCsofRunning@gmail.com Include your name, Cell phone number, position you are interested in…