Author: On Common Ground News

 Walk-ins to use UGA Extension entrance, disabled to use main entrance  DECATUR, GA –Anticipating an influx of customers coming in to pay their tax bills this time of year, the DeKalb Tax Commissioner’s Office is temorarily re-routing walk-in traffic at its main office, located at 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur. Walk-in customers will use the UGA Extension entrance at the front of the building Sept. 16–30, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Extended hours will be available Sept. 23–30 until 6 p.m. Customers with disabilities may still use the main entrance located off Northern Avenue. In-person service is also available…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—The Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) is seeking the public’s help in identifying two suspects who took thousands of dollars using an “ATM Jackpotting” scam. On Aug. 27, two suspects entered a Texaco gas station located at 1670 Pleasant Hill Road in unincorporated Duluth. They made their way to the stand-alone ATM machine inside the business and began to simulate a transaction. The suspects introduced a form of malware into the machine’s software, allowing them to withdraw large amounts of cash without utilizing a legitimate bank card. On Aug.29, the same two suspects targeted a Chevron gas station located…

Lithonia, GA –The Freedom Dreams Mass Meeting will take place on Oct. 19, 12:00 noon, at First Saint Paul AME Church, 2624 Klondike Road, Lithonia. The event will feature the inspiring Albany Civil Rights Institute Singers and a lineup of passionate community speakers. Together, they will highlight the ongoing journey toward greater freedom and the power of collective dreams. In a tradition of unity and hope, this mass meeting seeks to honor the practice of coming together in the name of love, freedom, and a more inclusive American democracy. It’s a call for the community to reflect on its shared goals…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Weather permitting, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) construction partners will temporarily close interstate lanes at the locations below for the I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. The project will reconstruct the interstate system-to-system ramps at the I-285/I-20 East Interchange and add a combination of collector-distributor, or connecting lanes, and auxiliary lanes along I-20 east of the interchange and I-285 north of the interchange. Beginning Thursday, Sept. 19, 11 p.m., through Friday, Sept. 20, 5 a.m., overnight, traffic will be shifted to the widened left shoulder of the I-20 eastbound to I-285 southbound ramp in time for the Friday morning…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Fire Rescue is hosting a Community Information and Feedback Meeting to discuss the future of fire rescue services on Thursday, Sept. 26, 5 to 7 p.m., at the J. P. Carr Community Center, 981 Taylor St., Conyers. This is an opportunity for the public to ask questions and offer recommendations that will help shape a new comprehensive five-year strategic plan to guide public safety efforts in the coming years. Meeting Details Date: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Location: J.P. Carr Community Center, 981 Taylor St., Conyers, GA For more information about the Reimagine Rockdale Together Strategic…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Police Department has arrested a DeKalb County School teacher for multiple crimes against a child. Marcus Knight, 49, Lawrenceville, was charged with aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and obscene internet contact with a child. Authorities said the 14-year-old victim was not a student of Knight. According to the investigation, detectives assigned to the Gwinnett County Police Department Special Victims Unit were alerted on Sept. 3 about a possible adult male having sexual intercourse with a child. The victim’s mother discovered sexually explicit conversations between the child and an unknown male…

By Mark Brock Athletic Specialist DeKalb County School District DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Three DeKalb vs. DeKalb high school football games are set for tonight with a total of nine games in DeKalb Stadiums this weekend. Thursday night’s lineup of four games includes the Arabia Mountain Rams (1-2) and Lakeside Vikings (1-2) in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Godfrey Stadium. The Rams hold a 2-0 advantage in the series against the Vikings since the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Both teams are coming off a bye in this Region 4-5A clash. Senior quarterback, Julian Shanks, leads the Arabia Mountain offense with 747 yards…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—A father and son have been arrested in connection with terroristic threats that prompted a lockdown on Wednesday (Sept. 11) at Edwards Middle School, and now both men have been terminated from their employment at the school, officials said today. No one at the school was harmed, officials said. Paul Schwartz, a math teacher, is no longer an employee of Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS). Schwartz was employed as a math teacher at Edwards Middle from December 2023 to September 2024. Before that, he worked as a substitute teacher from January 2015-November 2023. Paul Schwartz, Jr., the son,…