Author: On Common Ground News

TUCKER, GA–A detour will be in effect for Tucker Industrial Road beginning Monday, June 24, throughMonday, Sept. 9, as crews replace aging sewer lines.   Night work will take place June 24-27 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. near the intersection of Tucker Industrial Road and Elmdale Drive.   Day work will resume on June 28. Normal construction hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.    Signs and flaggers will be in the area during the road closure to advise motorists of construction work in the area and of local traffic restrictions. For more information, visit the DWM website at www.dekalbwatershed.com, call the DWM Project Information…

All three incumbents defeated ROCKDALE COUNTY. GA— The three-member Rockdale County Board of Commissioners will be run by women beginning in January 2025. The change will come as JaNice VanNess takes office the first female  in the county’s modern history to hold the office of Chairman of the Board, after soundly defeating incumbent Oz Nesbitt, Sr.  in a heated runoff on Tuesday, June 18.. Van Ness will be joined by political newcomer Tuwanya Smith, who overwhelmingly defeated incumbent Sherri Washington for the Post 1 Commissioner seat. The third woman already serving on the Board of Commissioners is Post 2 Commissioner…

DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections to certify results June 24 DECATUR, GA— DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) has concluded initial unofficial and incomplete tabulations of the June 18 Primary Election Runoff. The runoff election included five contests:  State Senate – District 55; Chief Executive Officer; County Commissioner District 4; State Court Judge Division A-3 and Board of Education – District 5. Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) ballots must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 21. Any provisional ballots also will be factored into the final certified results. “Throughout this election cycle, we’ve…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Lorraine Cochran-Johnson claimed the victory in Tuesday’s hotly-contested runoff with Larry Johnson, well on her way to becoming the first African-American woman who will hold the office of DeKalb County CEO. Cochran-Johnson will be the second woman ever to hold DeKalb’s top leadership position, standing on the shoulders of Liane Levetan, who was the first woman to hold the seat and succeeding the term-limited Michael Thurmond. Cochran-Johnson was ahead in the race with 25,608 votes (59.96 percent), according to unofficial results. Larry Johnson had 17,104 votes ( 40.04 percent). The winner only needs to earn 50 percent plus…

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Annual tax bills will be mailed mid-August DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding homeowners that assessment notices are not tax bills. Property owners are currently receiving their annual assessment notices ,which are estimates of potential tax bills. “It’s important to understand that this office works collaboratively with the county’s Property Appraisal & Assessment Department to provide a seamless billing and collection process for ad valorem taxes in DeKalb,” said Johnson. “Homeowners should initiate their assessment appeal with the assessor’s office before the July 15 deadline. Actual tax bills are expected to be mailed in August,…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA— Three races will be decided in Rockdale County’s runoff elections on Tuesday, June 18.  Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham is reminding voters to go to their assigned precincts to cast their ballots on Election Day. The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can confirm their precincts by visiting the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.co Be sure and bring identification to the precinct.   Here’s a look at the sample ballots provided by Willingham:

ATLANTA—Thousands of businesses and their employees who suffered financial losses after recent water main breaks will get assistance, thanks to the Atlanta City Council’s unanimous approval of the City’s Recovery Fund  on Monday, June 17. The fund increased from a proposed $5M to $7.5M to assist Atlanta businesses and now includes employee compensation compensation (24-O-1301). City officials said the increase was approved to ensure businesses that need help would be assisted and would cover losses not covered by insurance. The application process for the Recovery Fund will open June 24. The city has been grappling with aging infrastructure breaks since…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is reminding voters that the General Primary runoff election is Tuesday, June 18.  Polls will be open from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned precinct. Before heading to the polls, voters should verify their precinct information at www.DeKalbVotes.com. Wait times can be viewed here. It’s important to note that provisional ballots will not be available for voters who arrive at the incorrect precinct until the final hour of voting. Additionally, the weather will be warm and voters are encouraged to bring water to drink while waiting in…