Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— DeKalb County Police are seeking the public’s help in stopping a series of home break-ins throughout several neighborhoods. Over the last year, burglars have targeted many homes located in the South Precinct, in neighborhoods within the borders of 2nd Avenue, Tilson, McAfee, Candler and Whites Mill roads.  The burglaries have typically happened in the dusk and overnight hours, between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Burglars in some video footage are possibly juvenile males and men in their early twenties. They force their way through rear windows or doors, disabling or covering any cameras in the area.  They have been…

CONYERS, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) recently announced the top three finalists for the district Teacher of the Year with surprise visits to finalists’ schools. The district finalists for RCPS Teacher of the Year are Gretchen Gault of Lorraine Elementary School, Latonya Saunders of Memorial Middle School, and Danyel Stancil of C.J. Hicks Elementary School. Each finalist received a surprise visit at their school Wednesday morning by RCPS Superintendent Shirley Chesser, Rockdale County Board of Education (BOE) Chairwoman Sandra Jackson-Lett, BOE members Pam Brown, Akita Parmer, Justin Kenney, cabinet members, school leaders and staff, who commended the finalists. “I am…

LAWRENCEVILLE – A crew of men and women face racketeering charges for accusations that they stole high-value items from more than a dozen retailers across the Metro Atlanta area and sold the merchandise for more than $3.6 million through an eBay store, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office announced on  Oct. 2.  A dozen people were named in the indictment that charges two counts of violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The first count is conspiracy to participate in an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. The second count is acquiring property through a pattern of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— A nine-hour operation by DeKalb County Police led to the arrests of two suspects and the seizure of multiple weapons, drugs and cash during coordinated raids on three homes on Oct. 1. DeKalb County S.W.A.T., K9 and aerial support executed search warrants at the following locations: 1700 block of Mountain Industrial Boulevard 400 block of Chartley Trail 1700 block of Stoney Creek Inside, investigators found ecstasy, cocaine, fentanyl, meth, marijuana, two rifles, three handguns and thousands of dollars in cash. Police arrested Alexis Terrell, 42, and Matthew Diggs, 32, on multiple charges.  DKPD’s Narcotics and Gang Units led the…

ATLANTA —The City of Atlanta has announced the launch of ATL BIZ, a modern, user-friendly online platform that will replace ATL CORE as the city’s primary portal for business services. The updated system is designed to streamline processes and better support the needs of Atlanta’s business community. “We are proud to provide this new way of doing business with the City of Atlanta for our business community. ATL BIZ offers Atlanta businesses a modern, more user-friendly and intuitive way to meet their finance needs,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “This furthers our Administration’s mission of making it easier to connect with our business…

DECATUR, GA – The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a suspect in connection with the recent homicide of a Decatur, Georgia resident. Talisha Moore-Real, age 34, of College Park, Georgia, has been charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault, both felony offenses.  According to arrest warrants, on Sept. 29, Moore-Real allegedly struck 47-year-old Laquita Baker with a silver SUV and subsequently ran over her at the Gulf American Inns on Flat Shoals Road in Decatur, resulting in Baker’s death. Moore-Real was taken into custody without incident at a gas station located at 5022 Old National Highway in Atlanta. She…

CONYERS, GA—The Celebration of Life service for Judge Ronald B. Ramsey, Sr. will be held on Friday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Springfield Baptist Church, 1877 Iris Drive SE, Conyers, GA, the family announced in its online obituary published on Legacy.com on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to gather in remembrance of Judge Ramsey’s impactful journey and to share in moments of reflection and gratitude. The Rev. Eric Wendel Lee, Sr. will deliver the eulogy. Arrangements entrusted to Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory South DeKalb Chapel.  Following the service, a repast will take…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Rockdale County Public Schools’ (RCPS) graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 89.52% with the Class of 2025, eclipsing last year’s rate as the highest ever since Georgia began calculating the federally-required four-year graduation cohort rate.  For the third year in a row, RCPS also topped the state average, which came in at 87.2 %. The Georgia Department of Education recently released the 2025 Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rates for the state and RCPS increased its rate by .77 percentage points over last year’s 88.75%. “We are committed to ensuring every student crosses the graduation stage prepared for…