Author: On Common Ground News

Jason Lary will be the special guest on the upcoming Black Top Table Talk Podcast hosted by Sharon Love. Tune in live on or catch the recorded show.    

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– Gwinnett County, through its Urban Redevelopment Agency and in partnership with CBRE, has announced a nationwide request for proposals (RFP) to identify a qualified developer partner to design, finance, construct and deliver the Gwinnett Place Mall site redevelopment.  County official say the property is well positioned for redevelopment into a dense, mixed-use activity center that is green and walkable, while preserving the cultural diversity and international character of the area.  Close to Interstate 85 and State Route 120, the former Gwinnett Place Mall site is located on more than 72 acres of highly visible land in the heart of Gwinnett County.…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA- Russell Mathis, a former DeKalb County Police officer, has been rei-indicted for shooting and killing a man inside his Stone Mountain home.   On Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, a DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted Mathis, now 32, of Tucker, on charges of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Conduct stemming from the death of Marando Salmon, 37, on Nov. 4, 2022.   According to the preliminary investigation, Mathis and another officer responded to a call about a stolen car parked in the driveway of a home on Autumn Crest Court in Stone Mountain.  As part of their investigation, they knocked on…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The Rockbridge Coalition is inviting the community to a virtual meeting on Sept. 20, 10 a.m., to discuss concerns surrounding a proposed data center in the Ellenwood area of Southeast DeKalb.  Text Link The Coalition, whose mission is to preserve the quality of life in local communities, says the proposed project raises important questions about how and where these large-scale data facilities should be located.  A data center is a large, secure building that holds powerful computers  called servers. These servers store and process information people use when going online to shop, email, social media and other activities.   Because…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– The DeKalb Human Services Department will host Human Services Day on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Avenue, Clarkston. “Human Services Day is a chance for us to come together as a community to recognize the hard work and dedication of those who serve others,” said Damon Scott, Director of DeKalb Human Services. “By shining a light on human services, we hope to inspire more people to get involved and support their neighbors in need.” The annual event will bring together over 35 local organizations to showcase…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA—Students in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will have a scheduled Digital Learning Day (DLD) on Friday, Sept. 19.  On scheduled Digital Learning Days, students access lessons in Google Classroom through their Learning Space but do not have virtual class time with their teachers. This means that students will be required to complete activities and assignments (asynchronous learning) on their own time to meet assignment deadlines. To ensure that students have a nutritious meal to fuel their learning, bus drivers will be on the road and at every bus stop to deliver meals prepared by the School Nutrition Program staff.  Families…

ATLANTA —The City of Atlanta has announced the launch of ATL BIZ, a modern, user-friendly online platform that will replace ATL CORE as the city’s primary portal for business services. The updated system is designed to streamline processes and better support the needs of Atlanta’s business community. “We are proud to provide this new way of doing business with the City of Atlanta for our business community. ATL BIZ offers Atlanta businesses a modern, more user-friendly and intuitive way to meet their finance needs,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “This furthers our Administration’s mission of making it easier to connect with our business…

DECATUR, GA– A former DeKalb County detention officer has been arrested on felony charges, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said on Sept. 15. Deshawn Robinson, 24, is facing felony charges including Possession of Synthetic Cannabinoid, Marijuana or K2 With the Intent to Distribute, Items Prohibited for Possession by Inmates, and Violation of Oath by Public Officer. He was arrested on Sept. 11 and has been released on bond, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation and stated the agency has no further comment at this time.

ATLANTA, GA– DeKalb County will host a public memorial service for Master Firefighter Preston Fant on Thursday, Sept. 18.  Firefighter Fant’s body will lie in state beginning at 1 p.m., with the memorial service scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Truist Park, 755 Battery Ave., S.E., Atlanta.   Firefighter Fant died in the line of duty trying to save a colleague while battling a warehouse fire in Stone Mountain on Sept. 8. He was 53.  Fant, a 21-year veteran firefighter, is survived by his wife and five children.  The memorial service is open to the public. The service also will be…