Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – The DeKalb County Board of Education has announced that it intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for the DeKalb County School District (DCSD). Georgia voters passed the statewide legislation known as House Bill 581 in Nov. 5, 2024 to provide property tax relief to homeowners. The bill provides relief to homeowners by offering a statewide “floating” homestead exemption that limits annual tax assessment increases to the rate of inflation that is based on the consumer price index. The bill also provides optional sales tax to offset property taxes.…

ALANTA, GA— Several government entities in the metro Atlanta area have announced closings or modified schedules ahead of the winter storm expected to hit on Friday, Jan. 10. Below is a list  of notifications On Common Ground News has received so far in its news coverage areas (DeKalb, Fulton, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties). We will update the list as needed.   DeKalb tax commissioner’s office will be closed Jan. 10 DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Due to potential inclement weather, all DeKalb County tax commissioner’s office locations will be closed Friday, Jan. 10 and will re-open Monday, Jan. 13. Customers may still contact…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–As a result of the pending inclement weather, DeKalb County offices, senior centers, libraries, recreation centers, the Sanitation Division’s customer service desk and the Planning Department’s One Stop Shop will be closed Friday, Jan. 10. Public safety and other county employees who are required to maintain critical operations during the inclement weather event should check with their supervisors for instructions. County employees who are not required to deal with the emergency conditions in person will work remotely. For updated information about road closures and other pertinent information during the event, go to www.dekalbcountyga.gov. County residents are encouraged to sign…

ATLANTA- The American Association of Retired PersonsGeorgia (AARP) invites local, eligible, non-profit organizations and governments to apply for the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant program. The deadline to apply is March 5, 5 p.m. EST.  AARP Community Challenge grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and more. Now in its ninth year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communitiesinitiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural areas to become great places to live for all residents, especially those age 50 and older.  The Community Challenge is open to eligible 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and…

DECATUR, GA–The DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13, 6 p.m., at 2000 Airport Rd., Room 227, Atlanta.  The public also can attend the meeting virtually at https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/84958022051 or via phone by calling 602-333-0032 and using the conference code 482992. The meeting agenda is as follows: APPROVAL OF December 2024 MINUTES  INFORMATION/OLD BUSINESS DIRECTOR’S REPORT – Hunter Hines LED Airfield Project Rules and Regulations Lease Agreement with Epps Air Service, LLC DBA Aero Center EPPS Atlanta, LLC for tract 5C NOISE REPORT – Korey Barnes December 2024/Annual 2024 Noise and Operations Report OTHER III.  NEW BUSINESS PUBLIC COMMENTS

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees will hold its regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.  The meeting will be held at Darro C. Willey–Administrative Center, 3560 Kensington Rd., Decatur. The meeting also  will be livestreamed. To receive a link to the livestream, contact weissingera@dekalblibrary.org no later than Monday, Jan. 13 at noon.   For more details and the agenda, click here.

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian P. Kemp is urging Georgia families “to stay weather aware” and he has instructed relevant state and local agencies to prepare for the freezing wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow expected to move across Georgia by Friday. Kemp announced that he has notified Georgia’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS), Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and all relevant state agencies to monitor the winter weather forecast and prepare for the storm system expected to enter the state later this week. “As with any weather system that might impact…

ROCKDALE COUNTY – A Rockdale man was arrested after barricading himself inside his home and firing at a deputy, the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office said.  The suspect, identified as Lorenzo Banks, was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and taken into custody.  The incident occurred on Jan. 7, around 11 p.m. when a deputy was dispatched to a call reporting an alarm and shots fired in the 1500 block of Locomotive Road.  As the deputy approached the house, the suspect began firing shots at the deputy, who returned fire.  The suspect barricaded himself inside the house, prompting the…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– A 23-year-old man was arrested minutes after committing a $5,000 theft involving the sale of a vehicle, Gwinnett County Police said. The suspect, Kobe Isaia Romain-Grant, of Suwanee, was charged with felony theft by taking after analysts from the Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center used FLOCK and DOT cameras to track him as he fled the scene. The Jan. 6 incident began at 1625 Pleasant Hill Road in unincorporated Duluth. The victim told police that he was attempting to purchase a white Dodge Charger from a male he met on Facebook Marketplace. The suspect took $5,000…