Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—The community is rallying around baby Christopher, who needed someone to raise him. After he was born last Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, ihe was immediately given up for guardianship by his birth mom, who is unable to care for him and her other four children. Above Canei Lampkin (right) and baby Christoper are  pictured with Lampkin’s mother, Josie Dean. Canei Lampkin and her mother, Rockdale community activist Josie Dean, have welcomed the newborn into their hearts and home to raise him. They picked him up on Sunday   when the mother and baby…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts Janice Morris and the Conyers-Rockdale Library are resuming the Law Library Speaker Series this month. The first presentation takes place on Saturday, Nov.18, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Conyers-Rockdale Library 864 Green St. S.W., Conyers. Attorney David M. Walker, the guest speaker, will discuss “Learning How to Start a Business.”  Walker will instruct entrepreneurs on how to properly form and structure their businesses. “If you know someone who is a business owner or someone who would like to become a business owner, please encourage them to attend this…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Georgia Sen. Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) will lead a crucial town hall meeting to discuss House Bill 741. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, S.W., Conyers. Joining Anderson will be the bill’s author, State Rep. Rhonda Taylor (D-Conyers), and Stewart Morelli from the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Counsel. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and concerns. House Bill 741 proposes significant changes to the governance structure of Rockdale County. The bill seeks to increase the number of county commissioners from three to five, reshape…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Viola Davis (D–Stone Mountain) has been selected to receive the National Foundation of Women Legislators’ 2023 Elected Women of Excellence Award. Davis will be among 55 state legislators who will be honored at the 2023 Annual Conference on Nov. 16 – 18 in Orlando, Florida. “It’s an honor to be recognized as a woman of excellence by such an esteemed organization like the National Foundation of Women Legislators,” said Rep. Davis. “I commend the foundation and their tireless efforts to support women legislators across the country. This organization has allowed women like me who serve in…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County’s Juvenile Court will host its IMPACT Day Program Open House on Thursday, Nov.16, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the Youth Reporting Center, 2570 Old Covington Highway. The event is being held to showcase the positive influence of the “IMPACT Day Program,” a community-based alternative learning initiative designed to support at-risk youths in Rockdale County. The program targets youths ages 12 to 17 who demonstrate recurring behavioral issues necessitating intervention. The IMPACT Day Program is dedicated to equipping youths with essential life skills such as decision-making, leadership, stress management, and community engagement. These skills are instilled…

DECATUR, GA –– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office today made a donation to the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (WRCDV) that could make a positive impact on the lives of domestic violence victims. DeKalb Sheriff Melody M. Maddox presented 134 cell phones to WRCDV Director of Legal Services Ayonna Johnson. “These cell phones were confiscated from incidents involving arrests, jail cell searches, and attempts to smuggle illegal materials into inmates at the DeKalb County Jail,” says Sheriff Maddox. “Our investigators have verified that none of the phones belong to anyone, nor are they needed in the prosecution of…

Due to inclement weather expected on Saturday, Nov. 11, the Gwinnett County Veterans Day Ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial will move indoors to the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 11 a.m. The auditorium is located on the first floor of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins III will emcee the event with Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson and District 4 Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp providing remarks. Superior Court Judge Angela Duncan, an Army veteran, will serve as the keynote speaker. Judge Duncan served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years as a…

CONYERS, GA–Grit and Grace, a nonprofit that supports those in recovery from addiction, is hosting its inaugural turkey and food giveaway for families in need on Nov. 21, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Organizers said Grit and Grace is hosting the community outreach this Thanksgiving season  to show appreciation for the outpouring of support from the community, which has supported those in recovery. Grit and Grace is partnering with One Heart Ministries, The GNO Movement, and P.U.S.H. Ministries to give away 150 free turkeys from 2 to 5 p.m. at the center, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. The turkeys…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Otis D. Walker, of Lithonia, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after he killed his girlfriend, then shot and wounded a responding officer from the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD). DeKalb Superior Court Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith, who presided over the trial, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, sentenced Walker, 32, to life without parole plus 65 years to serve consecutively in connection with the murder of Aleka Simmons, 27, and the shooting of DKPD Officer Derek Nunn, who was 48 at the time. Jurors returned guilty verdicts against Walker on charges of Malice Murder, Felony…