Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA– Tuesday, July 9, is expected to be a scorcher in the metro Atlanta area. In response to National Weather Service forecasts of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, DeKalb County is opening cooling centers for those who need a place to cool off. For a list of available cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. DeKalb County recreation centers and libraries will be available as cooling centers during the locations’ normal business hours. Water fountains will be accessible at recreation centers and libraries. A room in each available recreation center will be designated as a cooling center and water fountains will be accessible. During…

UPDATE: The Atlanta HBCU Alumni Alliance would like to thank every volunteer, sponsor, supporter, vendor, director, and Alliance members who made a huge impact with assisting raising over $111k scholarship funds for students to attend an HBCU. Race day participants 3300 and still going for virtual participants until July 6th. The 17th Annual HBCU Alumni Alliance Run/Walk was amazing By Taylor Duncan ATLANTA–I participated in the 17th Annual Atlanta Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Alliance 5K RunWalk on June 29. It was amazing to witness over 1,000 alumni united for two important causes: fundraising to assist students currently…

ROCKDALE COUNTY—The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office today(July 3) released new information concerning an argument between two women that led to a fatal shooting of one of the women. Authorities said that according to an autopsy report, Kyla Cooper, 24, was not pregnant at the time that she was fatally shot by Arkia Tate on June 20. Tate is facing Felony Murder charges in connection with the case, the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office said. A cousin of Cooper had told news reporters at the scene on the morning of the shooting that Cooper went to her boyfriend’s home to tell him that she…

 Defendant will serve 40 years for trafficking pills laced with deadly Fentanyl LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A Lawrenceville man connected to two Fentanyl overdose deaths will spend 40 years in prison for selling pills containing the substance to a 22-year-old Lilburn man who died of an overdose in November 2023.  Devin Duvall Wells, 32, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, felony distribution of Fentanyl, possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance with intent to distribute, and three counts of illegal use of communication facility in connection with the death of Gannon McDermott. In a related case, Wells was convicted of trafficking Fentanyl, keeping…

Rec centers to open pools for free on July 4  DEKALB COUNTY, GA– In response to the National Weather Service forecasts of heat indexes exceeding 100 degrees, DeKalb County is opening cooling centers on Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5. For a list of available cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. On July 4, DeKalb County libraries will be closed. Recreation centers will open swimming pools countywide for free from 12 noon to 6 p.m. on July 4 and the following recreation centers: Redan Recreation Center,1839 Phillips Road, Lithonia Tobie Grant Recreation Center,593 Parkdale Drive, Scottsdale Mason Mill Recreation Centerat 1340 McConnell…

ATLANTA — District 4 Atlanta City Council member Jason Dozier issued the following statement in the wake of a triple shooting at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex early Tuesday morning that left two teen boys dead and a third injured. All three victims range from 12 to 14 years old, city officials said. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic shooting that occurred last night in Oakland City. Two young lives were lost because of gun violence, and another young soul was critically injured. The ages of all three victims range from 12 to 14 years old, underscoring the senselessness of this…

ATLANTA —The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution authorizing a $2 million donation to the nonprofit Star-C Corporation to support the continued administration of an eviction diversion program for low-income city residents. Since its launch in December 2023, Star-C has prevented the displacement of more than 220 families (24-R-3708). Other items that the Council adopted on July 1 include: An ordinance amending 23-O-1656 relating to “excess vacation” hours and “vacation extra carryover” hours occurring during and since the COVID-19 pandemic (24-O-1342). This item was sent to the Mayor post-haste. An ordinance ratifying the City’s application for $15 million from the U.S.…

DEKALB COUNTY–DeKalb County State Court, Division B, will host the Traffic Violators Impact Program(“TVIP”) on Thursday, July 11, 5:30 until 7 p.m. in courtroom B-8 of the DeKalb County State Court, Division B,  3630 Camp Circle, Decatur. The DeKalb County State Court hosts quarterly TVIP presentations for young drivers charged with traffic violations to raise awareness of the dangers of risky driving behaviors. Drivers charged with offenses including, but not limited to, high speeding tickets, texting while driving, or causing an accident by violating the rules of the road, will gather to hear and watch stories of young people who thought a serious crash would never happen to them, but learned the tragic consequences of taking risks and failing to pay attention while driving. Courts and prosecutors in many jurisdictions send attendees to complete TVIP for traffic citations in addition to Department of Driver Services-approved driver improvement courses. For more information, visit www.tvip.org. Participants may register online or in person at the event. There is a $50 fee for…