Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office is hosting its second series of Tax Bill seminars. The “Understanding Your Tax Bill” seminar hosted by the Hartwood Estates HOA will be held on Thursday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m., at the DeKalb Community Achievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The Bruce Street Senior Center will host a seminar on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 10 .am. , at 2584 Bruce St., Lithonia. Attend either seminar for an in-depth look at how property taxes are calculated and a detailed explanation of your tax bill. The seminars are open to the community. Feel free to bring…

Hundreds of supporters held a prayer vigil on Sunday, Aug. 7, to remember Southwest DeKalb High School’s head football coach, Michael Tanks. The popular coach passed away Aug. 3, 10 days following a massive stroke. He was 48. Mr. Tanks is a Southwest DeKalb alumnus who played for the school’s legendary Coach Buck Godfrey in 1983-84 as a linebacker and went on to become an All-America center at Florida State University in 1989. Mr. Tanks took the reigns from Godfrey as Southwest’s head coach in 2013. The Panthers were 4-6 in 2015. The funeral service for Mr. Tanks will be…

The DeKalb County School District will host two public input meetings for the Secondary School Facility Planning and Feasibility Study for middle schools and high schools. Staff will present recommendations for middle and high school feeder patterns, re-clustering attendance areas, additions to schools and new/replacement schools. Community feedback from these meetings and an online survey will be incorporated into the 2017-2022 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) list later this Fall. The recommendations to be presented at these meetings will be available online e on Tuesday, Aug. 23, starting at noon: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/secondaryschoolfacilitystudy The meetings will be held at: Clarkston…

Six arrests have been made in connection with the shooting death of 15-year-old Keiara Palmer, who was killed in a hail of gunfire on Aug. 3. Authorities said today the arrests were made after a joint investigation by the DeKalb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Section, Gang and Intelligence Unit, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Squad and the U.S. Marshalls joined forces in the investigation and apprehension. Two juveniles and four adults have been apprehended: 17-year-old Roderick Harris, 22-year-old Michael Miller, 18-year-old Sharod Jackson and 18-year-old Roderick Jackson are in custody and charged with Felony Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault…

The DeKalb County Board of Health is seeking 20 county youths and 15 adults who are active social media users to help spread healthy messages to their friends and family. “To be more efficient in sharing messages with the public about the importance of healthy lifestyles, we need those who are already on social media to help amplify the stories,” said Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, District Health Director/CEO of the Board of Health.  “The viral network will be a way for participants to make a difference in the lives of those they care about just by furthering their social media…

DeKalb County students returned to school today and several had a chance to hear from DeKalb County Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green. Green announced during his stop at Sagamore Hills Elementary School has earned the distinction as the only school in Georgia to receive dual accreditation from the State of Georgia fand AdvancED or the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program. The district is the state leader in STEM certification with 12 certified schools. STEM is an interdisciplinary, collaborative learning approach that is based on problem solving. There are 98 District schools that have STEM programs in their curriculum. Sagamore…

The DeKalb County 911 Communications Department is seeking qualified applicants to join its communications team. Ten E911 Communication Officer I positions are currently open. Interested candidates can apply during a five-day period beginning Monday, Aug. 8, and closing Friday, Aug. 12. All applicants must submit and complete the online application listed in the “job opportunities” section on the county website: dekalbcountyga.gov. All candidates must meet minimum requirements: At lease 18 years of age S. Citizen High school diploma or GED Applicants must successfully pass a computer skills test (keyboarding, data entry, listening and prioritization, pass a background investigation and complete…

CONYERS – The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) welcomes the public to attend its next Strategic Planning session on Aug. 18. The meeting will be at 10 a.m. at the Government Annex Building, Lobby B, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. Discussion topics planned include determining short, medium and long-range priorities, reviewing survey results, considering cost levels for priorities, and identifying any overlaps with other local governments. Staff members of the Atlanta Regional Commission have been invited to attend to help facilitate the discussion. For more information, contact Post II Commissioner Doreen Williams at 770-278-7008 or doreen.williams@rockdalecountyga.gov.

CONYERS–The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has announced its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 4.09 percent over the amount that would be generated by the 2016 roll-back rate, as defined by state law, for the County’s maintenance and operations (M&O). The proposed County M&O millage rate is 20.19, the same as last year’s rate. Based on a formula the State outlined, Rockdale County’s rollback rate for 2016 is 19.4 mills. Each year, the Tax Assessor is required to review the assessed value of property in the County for tax purposes. When the…

  The funeral service for SWD high School football coach Michael Tanks will be held Aug. 13, 11 a.m., St. Philip AME Church, 240 Candler Road, Atlanta. Mr. Tanks passed away Aug. 3, 10 days following a massive stroke. He was 48. Students, supporters and members of his family held a prayer vigil on Sunday, Aug. 7, at SWD High School. The vigil was attended by hundreds. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -…