Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) was recently awarded more than $1.5 million by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to  increase access for students to participate in athletics at the middle school and high school level. RCPS was one of only six districts selected by the Foundation for thegrant, awarded over three years. The grant will alleviate the cost for students to participate – including transportation costs – in boys and girls soccer, girls flag football, tackle football and volleyball at the middle school level, and in boys and girls golf, swimming, tennis and wrestling at the…

DECATUR, GA — DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) announced the release of its 2026 Deputy Registrar Training Schedule, reinforcing the county’s commitment to civic engagement, voter access, and accurate voter registration as preparation begins for the upcoming election year. The 2026 election cycle includes a statewide Gubernatorial Election on May 19, 2026, along with contests for major federal, state, and local offices. Deputy Registrars play a critical role in ensuring eligible citizens are properly registered to vote and able to participate fully in the democratic process. “As we prepare for a significant election year, it is essential that…

CONYERS, GA—Connie Alsobrook will be sworn in as the first black mayor of the City of Conyers on Jan. 7, 6 p.m. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Cherokee Run Golf Club, 1595 Centennial Olympic Parkway N.E., Conyers.  Alsobrook, who served on the City Council for five years before winning the election on Nov. 4, 2025, succeeds Vince Evans, who did not seek re-election after serving on the City Council for 26 years (8 as mayor). Evans became the city’s first new mayor elected in 20 years when he won in 2017.  The swearing-in ceremony will mark the second…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— On Sunday, Jan, 4, at approximately 6:53 p.m., officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 300 block of North Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road. When officers arrived, they found a young child suffering from a gunshot wound. That child was immediately transported to the hospital and remains in critical condition. “What we know at this point is deeply troubling. A verbal altercation between several individuals outside a nearby gas station escalated into gunfire,” said DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick. “During that exchange, a vehicle stopped in traffic was struck…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–The Rockdale County Branch of the NAACP is inviting the community to its  annual MLK Breakfast. The breakfast will be held on Monday, Jan. 19, at 8 a.m., at the Rockdale Career Academy. “As we kick off our year of service, we hope that you will consider purchasing a table for our community breakfast. The cost of the table is $320 and includes eight tickets to the event. Individual tickets may be purchased for $40 each. Join us as we bring together community members, leaders, and organizations to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” the…

ATLANTA — Several items were introduced during the Jan. 5 organizational meeting of the City Council that will be considered in committee next week, including: An ordinance requiring primary, street-fronting pedestrian entrances of all buildings, except for single-family and two-family structures, to provide push-button activators that enable easy access to buildings and public spaces for people with disabilities and mobility aids. An ordinance amending the Atlanta Sign Ordinance to change the definition of “public entertainment district” and allow, under certain circumstances, the use of projection and wrap signs upon Council activation of a public entertainment district in conjunction with large…

DECATUR, GA – The DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Darro C. Willey–Administrative Center, 3560 Kensington Road, Decatur. To listen in on the meeting,  request the link from weissingera@dekalblibrary.org no later than Jan. 12 at noon. For more details and the agenda, click here.

ATLANTA — Council President Marci Collier Overstreet announced the 2026 committee chairpersons and appointments during the first organizational meeting of the full Council on Monday. City Utilities Committee: Dustin Hillis – Chair Jason Dozier Liliana Bakhtiari Mary Norwood Kelsea Bond Alex Wan Andrea L. Boone City Utilities has jurisdiction over the following matters: Solid waste, sanitation, and recycling matters pertaining to the city’s cable service; city franchise agreements; the Metropolitan Atlanta River Protection Act; the Department of Watershed Management; the Department of Public Works; and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience. Community Development/Human Services: Matt Westmoreland – Chair Eshé…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into a police-involved fatal shooting that took place on Oct. 30 as authorities   seek  to identify the deceased suspect.   The Gwinnett County Police Department responded to a pursuit around 11:30 p.m. in the area of the 5700 block of Peachtree Industrial Blvd. regarding a vehicle that was involved in an incident in another jurisdiction. During the encounter, the suspect rammed a marked patrol vehicle, disabling it, and fled the area. Additional officers located the vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit came to an end when the suspect’s…