Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA— Mayor Andre Dickens has appointed Ricky Smith as the new General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, effective April 2.  Smith brings extensive experience in aviation leadership, having  most recently served as Executive Director and CEO of Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA). In his role, he oversaw the management and operations of Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and regional aviation initiatives throughout the State of Maryland.  As part of the leadership transition, current Interim Airport General Manager Jan Lennon will be promoted to a new role as Executive Deputy General Manager within the airport. In this role she will…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—John Pittman of Discovery High School has been named Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) 2025 Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Student of the Year. The 12th-grade student  was recognized at the CTAE award ceremony on Feb. 25. The event recognizes student achievements in CTAE courses during their high school careers. This year, 26 students were selected from a field of high-performing GCPS high school students, including Jabari Morrison of Shiloh High School, who was named 1st runner-up, and Landon Sturgeon of Mountain View High School, who was named 2nd runner-up. The 2025 GCPS local school winners are: Sebastian Ciocu-Jitian of Archer HS   Edgar Encarnacion Gomez of Berkmar HS   Vyom Thakkar of Brookwood HS   Mamadou…

Atlanta — A Special Election will be held in November for two seats on the all-Republican Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities that provide electric, natural gas, and telecommunications services in the state.   Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger formallycalled for the two special elections on Wednesday (Feb. 26), which will be on the ballot along municipal elections. Qualifying for the Nov. 4 election will be held April 1-3. A primary is set for June 17, with a runoff on July 15, if needed. The winners will compete in November’s general election. Commissioner Tim Echols, who represents a large portion of east…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is introducing evening town hall meetings as a new addition to its regular schedule, beginning in March. The initiative aims to increase transparency and encourage more community interaction, officials said. As part of the revised schedule, the board will host the town halls separately, consolidating its Work and Voting Sessions into a single comprehensive morning meeting. Traditionally, the BOC meetings have served for discussing and deciding critical issues impacting Rockdale County.  Under the revised schedule: Regular Work Sessions and Voting Meetings now will be held on the 2nd and 4th…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Due to forecasted cold weather, DeKalb County will open four warming centers for residents this weekend. A storm currently over the northern Pacific Ocean is projected to push onshore in the northwestern United States this weekend, heading across the Rockies on Monday (March 3), according to Accuweather.com. The storm’s path is expected to continue across the Southern states, where it will tap Gulf moisture. The combination of that moisture, building warmth and a strong jet stream will boost the risk of severe weather and likely some tornadoes, according to weather reports.  The following DeKalb warming centers will open…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet will host its monthly community breakfast on Saturday, March 1, 9 to 11 a.m., at Chapel Hill Middle School, 3535 Dogwood Farms Rd, Decatur, GA.                   The guest speakers will be Georgia Public Service Commissioner Fritz Johnson; DeKalb County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Temika Murry; DeKalb County Juvenile Justice Council; and Pam Hill of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.  Additionally, members of the DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet, including State Represrntatives Omari Crawford(D-Decatur), Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) and Dewey McClain (D-Lawrenceville), along with Howard Mosby and founder…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA–– Partnership Gwinnett, dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County, recently celebrated more than 1,600 new jobs representing $275M in capital.   A reception, sponsored by Hogan Construction Group, was held to honor those businesses that chose Gwinnett in which to locate or expand in 2024. This year’s event welcomed companies across the initiative’s target sectors, each playing a pivotal role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and enhancing the local business ecosystem. Among those companies honored were Elemaster, GreenBoom, maeirAMERICA, McKesson, NanoLumens, OFS, RealTruck, Sortimo, and Thermacell. “When companies choose Gwinnett, they are choosing…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents to discuss with their children the gravity of making threats against a school system, as its investigation continues at a local high school. Rockdale County Public Schools implemented two consecutive lockdowns this week after graphic social media posts described a “shooting plan” that allegedly was to be executed at Heritage High School. In response, the Sheriff’s Office launched an immediate investigation and identified two students responsible for the initial threat.  School officials declared Monday, Feb. 24, as a virtual learning day for high school students, while  soft lockdowns were implemented…

DECATUR, GA- DeKalb County made history on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Less than 60 days into her administration, CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson secured the Board of Commissioner approval for a $4.27 billion infrastructure investment, the largest in DeKalb’s history.  The initiative, centers on a “10 x 10” (10 percent annual increases over 10 years) water and sewer rate adjustments that will reverse decades of underfunding, strengthen economic development, and elevate DeKalb County from an “F” to a “C” in our water distribution infrastructure performance, the county stated in a news release. “The future of DeKalb County depends on adequate infrastructure investments, and…

DeKalb County, GA – On Saturday, March 15, 2025, students, educators, school leaders, and community members from across DeKalb County will gather for “Changemaker Hub,” a day-long event designed to spark critical thinking and creativity about the future of education.  The Rockbridge Coalition, in partnership with the Georgia Alliance of Black School Educators, AchieveIt Educational Services, DeKalb County School District, and event host World Savvy, will lead theinteractive experience that challenges students to reflect on their educational journeys, engage in meaningful discussions across generations and roles, and collaboratively envision a system that prepares them to thrive in both community and…