Author: On Common Ground News

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA–The Gwinnett County Police Department will host its second annual College Campus Connect Open House for college students and faculty on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. This event provides an excellent opportunity for dialogue and collaboration with the student community. College students, teachers, or faculty advisors, are invited to attend the open house, which will be held at the Gwinnett County Police Training Center,854 Winder Highway, Lawrenceville, GA. This is a great chance to engage with law enforcement professionals and learn about the vital role the Gwinnett County Police play in fostering a safe and supportive…

GWINNETT COUNTY,GA—The Gwinnett County Police Department has received multiple calls concerning police activity on Sugarwood Lane in Norcross. This is part of a planned Gwinnett County Police training exercise. There is no incident and no danger to the public, authorities stated in a news release around 12:30 p.m. today, Feb. 2. 

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) will host a candidate workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 17, to support individuals interested in running for local public office. The workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the DeKalb VRE office, located at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur. The free workshop will provide an overview of DeKalb County candidate qualifying requirements, campaign signage placement rules, key election dates and deadlines, and how to navigate election services. Candidate Qualifying for the 2026 General Election Cycle will take place Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 6, 2026.  DeKalb…

With heavy hearts, we share that our beloved father, Dr. Thomas L. Coleman, passed away peacefully this morning. “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” Proverbs 10:7 Our father lived a life defined by service, integrity, and love for his family and community. From his military service to his work with the Department of Juvenile Justice and his community leadership,  he was deeply committed to helping others and leaving every place better than he found it. The values he instilled in us, faith, discipline, compassion, and justice, shaped who we are, both personally and professionally. Any good we have…

ATLANTA – As a winter storm continues to move across the state, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is actively responding to changing conditions and monitoring impacts statewide.  Snow is currently falling in several north and northeast Georgia counties, and additional bands of snow are expected to move farther south and east as the storm continues to evolve. Updated forecasts suggest that some locations previously expected to receive heavier snowfall may see little to no snow or reduced accumulations, while other areas remain at risk for winter weather impacts. Georgians are urged to remain apprised of local conditions and not assume roads are clear in…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA — The Rockdale County Clerk of Courts Janice Morris will host a free public program on Real Estate Law as part of the 2026 Law Library Speaker Series on Saturday, Feb. 7, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Rockdale County Auditorium, 903 North Main St. N.W., Conyers. The event will feature Attorney Karen Scott, founder of The Scott Law Firm, as the guest speaker. Scott will discuss common legal issues related to real estate and answer questions during this interactive session. The program is designed for homeowners, renters, buyers, sellers, and anyone interested in learning more about real…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—  The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office has released a forensic facial image of a deceased child believed to be about  years old and is seeking the public’s help in its investigation.  On Nov. 14, 2025, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a wooded area near Honey Creek Road and Tucker Mill Road after receiving a call from an individual who discovered skeletal remains. Upon arrival, deputies confirmed the skeletal remains to be human. It has been determined that the skeletal remains belong to a child no older than 8 years old. A forensic facial approximation was conducted to create a photo of the…

STONECREST, GA—Dozens of Arabia Mountain High School students held an anti-ICE demonstration on the school’s football field on Friday, Jan. 30, showing solidarity with nationwide protests following two recent fatal shootings involving federal  immigration agents in Minneapolis Minnesota. Arabia’s students chanted “No more ICE,”as they rallied on Friday around 11:30 a.m. Students had planned a walkout, according to social media posts. School, officials, however, permitted the peaceful demonstration on campus.  The high school protest followed growing public outrage in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good, 37,  on Jan. 7 and that of Minneapolis resident Alex Pratt on…

ATLANTA – Gov.Brian P. Kemp declared a statewide State of Emergency today ahead of this weekend’s winter storm. This is a separate executive order from the one issued on January 22 ahead of Winter Storm Fern. Governor Kemp also directed the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) to activate the State Operations Center (SOC), beginning at noon today. The current State of Emergency will run through February 6 and can be found here. “While Mother Nature may not be giving us a break with these back-to-back storms, the good news is we don’t take any days off when it comes to…

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson attended the Georgia Trend Influential Leaders Luncheon at the Georgia Aquarium to receive her award as one of the 2026 100 Most Influential Georgians. The annual event honors leaders from across Georgia representing a range of industries and sectors, including government, business, education, healthcare, and nonprofit service. The recognition highlights individuals whose leadership and impact are shaping communities and driving progress statewide. “I’m grateful to be recognized by Georgia Trend as one of the 2026 100 Most Influential Georgians,” CEO Cochran-Johnson shared.