Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA – The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a suspect in connection with the recent homicide of a Decatur, Georgia resident. Talisha Moore-Real, age 34, of College Park, Georgia, has been charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault, both felony offenses.  According to arrest warrants, on Sept. 29, Moore-Real allegedly struck 47-year-old Laquita Baker with a silver SUV and subsequently ran over her at the Gulf American Inns on Flat Shoals Road in Decatur, resulting in Baker’s death. Moore-Real was taken into custody without incident at a gas station located at 5022 Old National Highway in Atlanta. She…

CONYERS, GA—The Celebration of Life service for Judge Ronald B. Ramsey, Sr. will be held on Friday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Springfield Baptist Church, 1877 Iris Drive SE, Conyers, GA, the family announced in its online obituary published on Legacy.com on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to gather in remembrance of Judge Ramsey’s impactful journey and to share in moments of reflection and gratitude. The Rev. Eric Wendel Lee, Sr. will deliver the eulogy. Arrangements entrusted to Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory South DeKalb Chapel.  Following the service, a repast will take…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Rockdale County Public Schools’ (RCPS) graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 89.52% with the Class of 2025, eclipsing last year’s rate as the highest ever since Georgia began calculating the federally-required four-year graduation cohort rate.  For the third year in a row, RCPS also topped the state average, which came in at 87.2 %. The Georgia Department of Education recently released the 2025 Four-Year Cohort Graduation Rates for the state and RCPS increased its rate by .77 percentage points over last year’s 88.75%. “We are committed to ensuring every student crosses the graduation stage prepared for…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is celebrating another year of academic progress as its Class of 2025 achieved an 85.4% graduation rate—the district’s highest rate in a decade for the second consecutive year.   According to the Georgia Department of Education, Gwinnett’s Class of 2025’s four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate rose from the district’s Class of 2024 from 84.1%.  Federal guidelines stipulate that the rates are based on the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. From the beginning of…

TONE MOUNTAIN, GA – The DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) graduation rate rose to 81.4 percent in 2025, marking a 2.7 point increase from the previous year and its highest rate in more than a decade. Four schools—DeKalb Early College Academy, Arabia Mountain High School, DeKalb School of the Arts, and Tapestry Public Charter—celebrated a 100% graduation rate.  Eighteen of 23 high schools (78%) improved their rates, with six schools showing remarkable double-digit gains, officials said. Elizabeth Andrews High School led with a 28.8-point increase, while Lithonia High School (+12.1) and Cross Keys High School (+9.4) also made historic progress. This progress allows Cross Keys…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Elections Supervisor Cynthia Willingham has released the sample ballots and key information for citizens in the City of Conyers and Rockdale County to prepare for upcoming elections.    The City of Conyers will have elections for the office of mayor,  and City Council District 2 and District 3 seats. Only registered voters in each district will be eligible to cast ballots for the Nov. 4 municipal elections.  City voters’ ballots also will include the statewide Public Service Commission(PSC) Districts 2 and 3 races. There are 12,356 eligible city voters, Willingham stated. City elections are decided by…

September 24, 2025 — The flavors of the future will be on full display at this year’s A Taste of Chamblee, as the festival brings back its highly anticipated youth culinary competition spotlighting the next generation of chefs on Saturday, Oct. 18. The festival will be held in downtown Chamblee. The City of Chamblee is continuing its partnership with the Navigate Foundation and C.H.E.F. Academy to provide a “taco themed” youth culinary competition sponsored by Talpa Supermercados. Three teams of students will compete to prepare an international dish with a “taco twist” in front of a live audience. Attendees will…

DECATUR, GA–The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections will hold its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 4:30 p.m. The in-person meeting will be held at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, in Decatur, and is open to the public. Public comments may be made in person or submitted by sending an email of one printed page or less at a minimum font of 12 to electionspubliccmnt@dekalbcountyga.gov which must be received between 35 and 5 minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting. The body of your email must include your first and last name.  By submitting an…