Author: On Common Ground News

The qualifying period for the City of Stonecrest elections began on Monday, Aug. 21, and will end on Friday, Aug. 25. So far, Council member George Turner, District 4,  is the only incumbent who is not facing a challenger. Here are the candidates who have qualified ft so far:

DECATUR, GA—For the third consecutive year, DeKalb County Government has won national recognition as a top national leader leader in the innovative use of technology, including its work enhancing the county’s cyber security.  The Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties (NACo) ranked DeKalb County second in the nation among counties with a population of 500,000 to 999,999 in the 19th annual Digital Counties Survey. Out of the 88 counties in this category, only three were from Georgia, including Gwinnett and Cobb that ranked seventh and ninth, respectively.    Since 2017, DeKalb County has been recognized annually…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County announced today(Aug. 22) that it is making recreation centers and libraries throughout the county available as cooling centers due to a heat advisory. As defined by the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City Forecast Office, a heat advisory is issued when “feels like” temperatures are expected to reach or be greater than 103 degrees, or when the actual air temperature is expected to be at 105 degrees or greater. All DeKalb County libraries and recreation centers will be available as cooling centers, during the locations’ normal business hours. For a list of DeKalb County recreation centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. A…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – The Gwinnett County Police Department needs the public’s help in locating Jamel Leslie Cooke, 44, who is wanted for shooting a female at a local hotel. Cooke  has active warrants for Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, authorities said. His current location is unknown. Cooke is considered armed and dangerous. On Tuesday, Aug. 15, at around 12:00 p.m., officers assigned to the West Precinct were dispatched to a “person shot” call at 5945 Oakbrook Parkway in unincorporated Norcross. When…

CONYERS, GA. – Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is honoring 104 students recently named 2023 Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars – including two AP Capstone Diploma recipients and one AP Seminar and Research Certificate recipient – for their outstanding performance on the 2022-2023 exams. This is an increase of 21 students from the previous year with all three of our high schools represented among AP Scholars. The percentage of RCPS students scoring 3 or higher also increased 5 percentage points over the previous year. “I commend our Advanced Academics Coordinator and her outstanding team to include our gifted specialist, school counselors, school…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Community activist Josie Dean is calling on the community to stand in unity with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as Fulton officials await the surrender of Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election case. The former president and his 18 associates have until Aug. 25 to turn themselves in to the Fulton County Sheriff’s officials after being criminally charged as  being part of a “criminal enterprise” that conspired to overturn Trump’s electoral defeat. Last week, CNN reported that the FBI was looking into allegations of threats against Fulton County officials, including Willis. Threats reportedly have…

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UPDATE: DeKalb County Police have arrested the child’s father, 23-year-old Artavious North  and  charged him with making False Statements and False Report of a Crime.  North was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 17.    Investigators said there was no armed robbery or kidnapping in DeKalb County.  The location of 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell is still unknown. At this time, the East Point Police Department will be the lead investigating agency, the DeKalb County Police Department stated. All future inquires should be directed to their department.  Update: The DeKalb County Police Department is investigating a report of a missing child.  Two-Year-old…

On Common Ground News extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of the Rev. Steven N. Dial. While my wife, Val, and I were saddened to learn of his passing this morning, we rejoice in knowing that he is with our Father. Rev. Dial was an awesome leader who not only had a deep commitment and love for his congregation at Rainbow Park Baptist Church in Decatur, but DeKalb County and the metro Atlanta community at large.  For years, Rev. Dial hosted the Jan. 1 Jubilee Day Celebration for the DeKalb County NAACP at Rainbow Park Baptist. His church…