Author: On Common Ground News

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A Gwinnett County jury found a wheelchair-bound man guilty of shooting and killing a Norcross man as retribution for being assaulted.  Willie Lee Jones, 48, was convicted on Thursday of two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon for the May 10, 2023, shooting death of 64-year-old Benjamin Alonzo Francis. Jones was sentenced to life in prison plus five years with the possibility of parole.  “Vigilantism is not the way to handle disputes,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “A man…

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the State of Georgia and its participating local governments will receive more than $55 million to expand access to opioid treatment, prevention, and recovery services as part of a recently finalized settlement agreement with Kroger.  The funds will be distributed over a period of time. The settlement agreement, which totals $1.37 billion overall and includes a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, resolves allegations that the company contributed to the opioid crisis. Kroger has also agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Vice President Kamala Harris swept Rockdale County, handily beating Former President Donald Trump with 72.93 percent of the vote, unofficial results show.  Even with a bevy of third-party and write-in candidates, Harris beat Trump by a larger margin than President Joe Biden did in 2020, when he earned 69.89 percent of the votes.  For Rockdale’s sole Congressional seat, Incumbent Democratic Congressman David Scott of District 13 beat Republican Jonathan Chavez with 74.38 percent of the vote. Scott, who last represented Rockdale in 2005 after Congressional maps were redrawn will represent Rockdale once again. Come Jan 1, Rockdale officially moves…

DECATUR, GA–Six DeKalb County voting precincts received bomb threats, as well as two other locations that were not precincts on Election Day around 5 p.m.   Officials said at 8:45 p.m. that police found no bombs at any of the sites.  Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the coordinated bomb threats were tied to Russian interference. DeKalb County Police Department performed bomb sweeps at the following locations: Precincts: New Bethel AME Church, 8350 Rockbridge Rd., Lithonia North DeKalb Senior Center, 3393 Malone Dr., Chamblee Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 Lavista Rd., Tucker Wesley Chapel Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Rd., Decatur New…

ATLANTA – MARTA Police Department (MPD) is enacting a simulated full-scale training exercise on Sunday, Nov. 10, at H.E. Holmes Station from midnight to 5 a.m. The exercise is designed to evaluate emergency response capabilities in the event of an actual threat to the system and is an opportunity for MPD and other MARTA staff to address critical incidents in a real-life setting. MARTA bus and rail service at H.E. Holmes Station will temporarily relocate to West Lake Station beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Bus shuttles will be available at West Lake for transportation to a stop near…

Service to run one day late for all customers  DEKALB COUNTY, GA– In observance of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11, garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection for residential customers will be based on a revised schedule as follows: Monday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day observed. No sanitation collection service.  Tuesday, Nov. 12 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Monday, Nov. 11, will be serviced on Tuesday, Nov. 12.  Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Tuesday, Nov. 12, will be serviced on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Thursday, Nov. 14 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Wednesday,…

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Be prepared before you head out to vote.   All Georgia voters must go to their assigned precincts on Election Day.  Make sure you know your precinct. Georgia voter locations can be found on the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.   What if I go to the wrong precinct?  On Election Day, you are required to vote at your assigned precinct. However, if you arrive at the wrong precinct after 5 p.m. and before the regular time that the poll closes on…

DECATUR, GA—The regular, special and committee meetings of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will be held at 178 Sams Street, Decatur, in Multipurpose Room A1201, beginning Nov. 8. Signs and personnel will be in place to direct meeting attendees to the entrance. The temporary relocation is due to the renovation of the Maloof Auditorium, which is expected to last 12-14 months. The Sams Street location features free public parking, with additional parking on and near East Freeman Street. The location also is accessible from the Avondale MARTA station. For meeting schedules and more information about the Board of Commissioners,…