Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– North Rockdale is getting a new fire station. Rockdale County Fire Rescue is hosting a groundbreaking for the new Fire Station #10 on May 17, 11:30 a.m. at 3100 Highway 138 NE. Conyers, GA. The new station will be an additional fire station that will house an engine and a quint to serve the north side of the County. The 8,000-square-foot, all-brick building will have three vehicle bays, day quarters with a kitchen, dining area, living room, and night quarters with 10 bunk rooms, showers, and a weight room. It will also include an office and a…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce the launch of the GEES & GEMS Youth Academy. The GEES (Gentlemen Exemplifying Extraordinary Strength) and GEMS (Girls Exemplifying Majestic Strength) is an opportunity for Rockdale County middle schoolers, ages 11-13, to learn more about the Sheriff’s Office, while the agency promotes career and character development geared toward public safety. During the four-week program, students will receive an overview of the agency’s various units, including the following: K9 Demonstration, SWAT scenario, Crime Scene Investigation, Jail Tour, Motorcycle Demonstration, Traffic Stop Scenario, Drone Demonstration, Georgia Law on Participation in Criminal Gang…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, April 19,  Congressman Hank Johnson (GA 04), Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) and stakeholder groups – led by the Center for Popular Democracy – will call on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign. Johnson is a ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee Courts. The call for Thomas’ resignation comes in the wake of ProPublica and Washington Post reports that showed the justice indulged himself and his wife in privately paid luxury travel, exorbitant gifts and sweetheart real estate deals with billionaire Republican megadonor Harlan Crow – none of which the justice disclosed. The real estate deal involved the sale of three properties in…

HOSCHTON, GA—Gwinnett County Police are seeking leads in three classic vehicles that were stolen from a home on Hog Mountain Road in Hoschton. Officers responded to the burglary and theft call on Hog Mountain Road on March 21. The owner reported that his house was burglarized, and a 2022 Delta Tilt Trailer, and three classic cars had been stolen. The trailer was recovered in Jackson County by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The three stolen vehicles are: (1) Red 1986 K10 Chevy Silverado 4×4 with a short bed, fleetside, 8cyl engine (2) Black 1987 R10 Chevy Silverado 2×4 short bed, fleetside, 8cyl…

ATLANTA– Celebration of Life services for Carolyn Long Banks, the first black woman to serve on the Atlanta City Council, will be held on Friday, April 21. Banks passed away on April 12. The public is invited to attend celebrating the civil rights activist. A viewing will be held on Thursday, April 20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. with family hour from 5-6 p.m. at the Murray Brothers Funeral Home Cascade Chapel, 1199 Utoy Springs Road S.W. A Catholic mass will be held Friday, April 21, with a viewing at 10 a.m. and mass at 11 a.m. at St. Paul of the…

ATLANTA– Along with all 50 states and U.S. territories, the state of Georgia has resumed checking eligibility for all Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® members for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Medicaid members can find their individual redetermination month and information about the process in their Gateway account at gateway.ga.gov. Members are reminded they should only share their personal information with official state representatives and on official state platforms. Due to changes in federal law throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids®members received continuous coverage, even if their eligibility status changed. States now have from April 2023…

After church, Val and I had brunch and then enjoyed Sunday afternoon at the Gwinnett County Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Lawrenceville. The plaza is a beautiful historic park that celebrates the county’s first 200 years of growth. Since we enjoy historic sites, we wanted to see what this plaza was all about and how Gwinnett’s history has been documented. It’s a nice place to walk and learn about Gwinnett’s history through a series of exhibits that are erected along the park’s paved walkways. In addition to the exhibits, there is a time capsule containing residents’ stories and other artifacts buried at the…

STONECREST, GA—The Stonecrest City Council will have a Special Called meeting today, April 17, 6 p.m. The agenda lists four key action items: A decision for City Manager Appointment, Extension of the City Manager vacancy, Stonecrest Development Authority Appointments and Decision for Stonecrest Development Authority Intergovernmental Agreement. According to information in the agenda packet, the Council will vote on extending the appointment of City Manager for an additional 30 days—making the appointment on or before May 17, 2023. Previously, the council had extended the 30-day period from March16, 2023 to April 17, 2023. Mayor Jazzmin Cobble will make a presentation…

District 4 resident Malaika Wells expressed her concern in an open letter sent to On Common Ground News stating that she believes the Stonecrest City Council is “operating in a vacuum.”   Wells is calling on the council to provide transparency in the appointment of a new city manager and a more detailed discussion of the Stonecrest Development Authority ahead of its vote on the matter at the Special Called meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. today, April, 17, 2023.  Here  is the link to the open letter: Dear Councilpersons Grimes, Graves, Turner, Washington, and Mayor Pro Tem: Once again, we are facing a crisis in…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA—Gwinnett County Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the shooting death of a man identified as Angel Mendoza, 39, of Lawrenceville. Mendoza’s identity was withheld until his next of kin could be notified of his death On Sunday (April 16), warrants were obtained for Esteven Avile-Vega and his girlfriend, Sulma Mejia-Orellana. Both are 26 years old and are from Lawrenceville. They were arrested at a home in Lawrenceville. The shooting took place on Sunday around 1:10 a.m. on Pepperwood Trail in Norcross. Gwinnett police were dispatched to a person shot call and when officers arrived on the scene,…