Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE CPUNTY, GA– Registration to be entered in the lottery for Georgia Pre-K in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) for the 2025-2026 school year is open online Feb. 1-28. No paperwork is required to register for the RCPS Pre-K lottery. The link for Pre-K lottery registration and more information is available at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek. For Georgia Pre-K, children must be 4 years old by Sept.1.  Pre-K lottery registration takes place online at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek. Parents will be notified by March 7, if their child was selected and of the next steps after selection. Students will be selected for Pre-K programs via a random lottery drawing. Students…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–The Rockdale County Board of Adjustment will hold a meeting on Monday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m. for the purpose of hearing the appeals of the items on the below agenda. This meeting will be held in the Rockdale County Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers. This meeting is open to the public.  Regular Meeting Agenda Feb. 3 Call to Order Determination of a Quorum Approval of the Agenda Approval of the Minutes: June 25, 2024 Rules of Procedure for Public Hearings Unfinished Business: None New Business: VAR2024-33: A Variance request from Section 206-10(e)(2)b to allow vehicular parking…

DECATUR, GA] – The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections is inviting public feedback on proposed changes to polling site locations aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility. DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) will host a community meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m., to discuss proposed polling site location changes and gather insights from voters. The meeting will be held in person at the DeKalb VRE office 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, and will also be livestreamed via DCTV. To make participation more convenient, DeKalb VRE has established three satellite locations where voters can watch…

DECATUR, GA–On Thursday, Jan.  30,  at 7 p.m., Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) will hold a virtual town hall with elected officials and local community stakeholders on what President Trump’s federal funding freeze and executive orders mean.  The freeze could impact those who receive housing and food services, veterans’ care, and programs such as Head Start and Meals on Wheels and other community services. WHO: Elected Officials and Stakeholders;  WHAT: Congressman Hank Johnson, elected officials, and community stakeholders are hosting a community conversation on President Trump’s federal funding freeze threat to Georgians WHERE: @RepHankJohnson on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and hankjohnson.house.gov/live; 

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston this week announced a conviction by guilty plea in the case against a Decatur man charged with injuring a police officer during a traffic stop in Dunwoody.    On Monday, Jan. 27, Derric Alexander Simpson, 40, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of Aggravated Assault Against a Law Enforcement Officer When Engaged in Official Duty; two counts of Aggravated Battery; Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer; Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Schedule II Controlled…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Three gang members were convicted Tuesday of murdering a New Orleans man in a violent 2022 carjacking attempt. Josiah Hughley, Jr., 22, David Jarrad Booker, 23, and Miles Collins, 22, were each found guilty of two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle, 10 counts of violation of the Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the July 2022 shooting death of 30-year-old Bradley Lamar Coleman. The three men were each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host the 9th Annual Father-Daughter Dance at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur, on Feb. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Registration is open now until Feb. 12. The Father-Daughter Dance is for all ages and costs $15 per couple, and $5 for each additional child. The event will include music, refreshments and dancing.  To register, visit any recreation center or visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks and click the yellow banner to register online on the department’s homepage. For more information, contact LaShanda…

DECATUR, GA— Two local public servants will be honored for their humanitarian work during DeKalb County’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration program. The program entitled “Mission: Possible; Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365,” will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta. The recipients will be honored with the Nathaniel Mosby Humanitarian Award, which celebrates their commitment to tireless community service and outstanding dedication to being an agent for positive change. The recipients are: Mawuli Mel Davis, the founding partner of Davis Bozeman Johnson…