Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the murder case against a former attorney accused of stabbing and beating his mother to death. Jurors returned guilty verdicts in just one hour on Wednesday, May 24against 49-year-old Richard Merritt on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder (two counts), Aggravated Assault (two counts), and Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Felony in connection with the 2019 stabbing and beating death of his mother, Shirley Merritt, 77, at her DeKalb home. At the time of the fatal incident on Feb. 1, 2019, Merritt…

DECATUR, GA— The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is proposing to remove the words “diversity” “equity” and “inclusion” (DEI) from the 2023 educator program prep standards. The NAACP DeKalb County branch, however, is opposing the removal. The commission is the certifying board for all Georgia teachers,counselors, and administrators. “The removal of these words from the 2023 educator program prep standards is a step backward said Lance Hammonds,” NAACP DeKalb President. “This country is built on the concepts of equality and today there is a diverse population that need not be ignored. The NAACP has worked hard over the last 114 years…

ATLANTA – The MARTA Police Department (MPD) is continuing the distribution of steering wheel locks to MARTA patrons who own Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Through a partnership with car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai, MARTA received 640 steering wheel locks to help deter and prevent thefts after a spike in incidents involving those vehicles. Police nationwide have noticed a spike in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles after a post on social media showed how to start these cars without a key. MPD officers will distribute the steering wheel locks to MARTA patrons who own a Kia or Hyundai model year…

The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold the following meeting on Wednesday, May 31, 2023: 11:30am PUBLIC ETHICS HEARING The public ethics hearing agenda is attached and can be accessed online by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org, click on Leadership, go to Simbli (formally known as eBoard) Home Page and click on the date for the meeting agenda/information. The public ethics hearing can be viewed at the following link on DeKalb Schools TV (DSTV) by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org/communications/dstv.

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced today (May 30) that an inmate died this week while in custody of the DeKalb County Jail. Doraville, Georgia resident Enil Guillen, 20, was found hanging in his jail cell and unresponsive on Monday, May 29, 2023. He was pronounced deceased following unsuccessful emergency medical treatment by on-site inmate health services and DeKalb EMS. Preliminary reports indicate suicide as the possible cause of death. Guillen had been in custody of the DeKalb County Jail since his arrest on May 11, 2023, by Dunwoody Police Department on warrants for Felony Theft by…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) reminds customers to continue to always carry your physical driver’s license with you, it’s the law. The newly-launched Georgia Digital Driver’s License and ID is only accepted at select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints (https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/when-will-phased-digital-id-rollout-start-which-airportsstates). If stopped by law enforcement, motorists will be required to display their physical driver’s licenses (hard card or paper temporary). Law enforcement officials do not accept Digital Driver’s Licenses at this time. “With the busy holiday weekend upon us, please continue to carry the hard copy of your Georgia driver’s license or ID. It will be necessary…

DECATUR, GA — Today, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced he is working with the Wounded Warrior Program by opening an application process for a veteran to work in his district office in Decatur. The two-year, fulltime paid position – which is part of the Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for veterans within member offices – entails working with the military and veteran constituents to handle veterans-related casework and act as a facilitator between constituents and federal, state, and local agencies. The salary range…

DECATUR, GA— Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently allocated $10.3 million in grants for six parks in DeKalb County. A total of $6.1 million dollars will be awarded to DeKalb County District 3 for park improvement to three parks. Those parks are as follows: • Gresham Park—$1.7 million for the installation of an LED system on eight athletic fields, replacement of the outdated football fieldhouse and batting cages. • N.H. Scott Park—$2.2 million for the reconstruction of the pool and bathhouse. • Truelove Park—$2.1 million for the renovation of athletic fields and concession building. “I would like to thank Gov. Kemp…

DECATUR, Ga.—The DeKalb County Police Department will host Virtual Mental Health Forum to discuss: • Available free mental health resources • The roles of 988, a new mental health program • The role of our Mobile Crisis Unit. • When to call 988 vs 911 This forum will take place on May 31, 2023, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The goal of the mental health forum is to educate our community on resources available to them and how their police department is supporting mental health awareness. The link to the forum is https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/81906897619. Participants will learn about…

DECATUR, Ga. – DeKalb County’s pools will open Memorial Day weekend starting on Saturday, May 27. The official season runs May 27th through August 6th. Select pools will remain open on weekends through Labor Day, September 4th.Residents can splash into summer by visiting a neighborhood pool. The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will also offer various programs including swim lessons, water aerobics and more. For more information contact (770) 414-2119.   Pool locations and hours of operation *Exchange Splash Pad, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur, GA 30034 Hours: Monday, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday…