Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Incumbent Oz Nesbitt, Sr., who will face JaNice VanNess in the June 18 runoff for Chairman of the Rockdale Board of Commissioners, submitted the following letter to On Common Ground News:   The Importance of Integrity in Political Representation  I am writing today to express my disappointment in the recent actions of JaNice Van Ness, who has switched political parties solely for personal gain. As a concerned citizen, I believe it is crucial to uphold integrity and honesty in our political system. It is disheartening to see a candidate manipulate their party affiliation to win an election, with plans…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Voters in Rockdale are facing a critical decision, as early voting for the June 18 runoff elections gets underway in Rockdale on Saturday, June 8. Voters must decide who will become Chairman of Rockdale County—one of the most hotly contested races that will be on the ballot. The showdown for the county’s top leadership position is between two veteran politicians: Oz Nesbitt, Sr., who has served 16 years on the Board of Commissioners (he has served two 4-year terms as Post 1 commissioner and is currently serving a second 4-year term as Chairman) and JaNice VanNess, who served…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Supporters of JaNice VanNess cheered and cars honked as VanNess held a press conference on Thursday, June 6, to lay out her plans to clean up the mess in Rockdale,  if voters give her the chance to become the next Chairman of the Rockdale Board of Commissioners. She said addressing wasteful spending, soaring property taxes and operating with integrity are  her top priorities. At the press conference, VanNess discussed “the decisions that Chairman Oz Nesbitt has made” and the costs associated with those decisions  including sending a sexually explicit video  to an employee who sued and won an…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA— A group of supporters pushing to get Oz Nesbitt re-elected as Chairman of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners were publicly rebuked by one of their own speakers at the press conference they held today on the Rockdale County Courthouse steps. Brian Jenkins, who placed fourth in the May 21 five-way race for Chairman, blasted the Nesbitt supporters, demanding to know where were they before the runoff, and the Rockdale Democratic Party for failing to spend any of the $40K it received from candidates’ qualifying fees to promote the primary election. Jenkins criticized Nesbitt for the high…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management crews are currently making repairs to a broken 12-inch-diameter water main on South Candler Street near Kirk Road, officials said tonight (June 5). County officials issued a media advisory about the broken pipe at 9:52 p.m. More updates will be provided as available. The water main break at South Candler further underscores the aging infrastructure in DeKalb—a problem CEO Michael Thurmond said this week must be addressed immediately. Thurmond called for a water/sewer rate hike in an appeal to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, June 4. His administration is expected to present a detailed…

Announces Public Meetings to Maintain Current Millage Rate Three Hearings with Public Comment Set for June 17 and June 24, 2024 (STONE MOUNTAIN, GA)- Georgia law deems an increase in the property tax digest produced by the reassessments of the Board of Tax Assessors to be a tax increase if the tax millage rate is not rolled back to produce the same revenue as last year. Accordingly, the DeKalb County Board of Education (DCBE) today announced its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 7.62 percentage points. The tentative increase will result in a millage…

LITHONIA, GA—The community is invited to celebrate the grand opening expansion of Royal Style Pharmacy and Retail Store at its new location, 6516 Covington Highway, Lithonia, GA. The store will host a festival and fashion show extravaganza on Saturday, June 8, noon to 4 p.m. The community is invited to enjoy music, games, prizes, live performances and discover unique finds. “Royal Style Pharmacy is more than just a pharmacy, as we aim to be your one-stop go-to shop for all health, beauty, fashion and travel needs,” said owner Omishola Adeyemo. Adeyemo, who founded the store in 2011, has expanded and moved to a…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Fire-Rescue (RCFR) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fire Station #10, located on the north side of Rockdale County. The event will take place on Monday, June 10, at 11 a.m., 3100 Highway 138, NE, Conyers. The community is encouraged to join in the celebration as the county marks the completion of fire coverage across Rockdale County. The ribbon-cutting event will include refreshments, a bounce house for children, and blood pressure checks for those in need. The 8,000-square-foot station was constructed by Kevin Price Construction at a cost of approximately $3.6 million and funded by…

ATLANTA –MARTA, in partnership with Community Farmers Markets (CFM), announces the launch of the MARTA Markets 2024 regular season.   Festivities will kick off on Tuesday, June 11, 3 to 6 p.m., at West Endstation, 680 Lee Street, Atlanta. There will be live music, giveaways, and chef demonstrations.  MARTA Markets source locally-grown produce from farmers affiliated with Community Farmers Markets and several local food hubs. This allows local farmers to sell more produce to customers who might not otherwise make it to a farmer’s market. Non-local produce complements the fresh food available.  Each MARTA Market farm stand will operate one day per week, 3 to 6 p.m., at the…