Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by guilty plea in the case of an Ellenwood man charged with attacking his stepfather and another man. On Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, Jarvis Oneal Cloption, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of Abuse of an Elder Person and three counts of Aggravated Assault in connection with the violent assaults of his 72-year-old stepfather and his stepfather’s 52-year-old friend. According to the investigation, Cloption was staying at  his stepfather’s home in the 2200 block of Boulder Run Trail in Ellenwood after being released from prison.  At around 1 a.m.…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office, located at 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur, will have extended hours for property tax customers now through Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. All tax office locations are closed on Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. “Each year we see an influx of walk-in customers as the payment deadline approaches. Many are unaware of alternative payment systems we have in place to save time and resources,” said Johnson. “I highly encourage taxpayers to review their options and consider online payment, pay-by-phone, and secure drop box options to avoid…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Honey Creek Elementary School was recently named a Literacy Leader School by the Georgia Department of Education for exceptional growth in reading levels. Specifically, Honey Creek was recognized for 3rd Grade Gateway Growth for their growth on the Georgia Milestones Assessment in the percentage of students reading on or above grade level in third grade. Georgia Milestones results show Honey Creek improved a significant 13.5% from 2023 to 2024. “The teachers, administrators, and support staff at Honey Creek Elementary have done an excellent job at embracing and implementing our district-wide literacy initiatives,” said Superintendent Terry Oatts. “I applaud…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA— The Big Haynes Creek Nature Center (BHCNC) has completed and opened its new state-of-the-art kayak launch designed for universal access and equipped with safety features and ADA functionality. The new amenity is suitable for kayaks and canoes and promises to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities for all visitors, regardless of their physical abilities. The kayak launch is situated along the purple trail at the boardwalk, just a short distance from the trailhead. From this launching point, paddlers can explore the wetlands, navigating through vibrant rookeries and lush vegetation while keeping an eye out for birds, beavers, turtles, and other wildlife.…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The office of DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry  Boston is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who tied two dogs to the back of a car and dragged them along the roadway, killing one of them.  At approximately 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, surveillance camera video showed a man pulling into the parking lot of the Redan Recreation Center on Phillips Road in Lithonia dragging two dogs behind his vehicle.  The man got out of the car, untied the dogs from the bumper, and then left them for dead.  The driver appeared to back…

By Mark Brock DCSD Athletics Specialist Ten DeKalb County School District(DCSD) football teams are playing for either a playoff berth or seeding heading into the state playoffs in two weeks as the regular season finishes this weekend. Lakeside (4-5, 3-3) and Dunwoody (3-6, 2-4) need wins to keep playoff hopes alive as they play key Region 4-5A contests on Friday. Lakeside needs a win over region leader Woodward Academy (6-3, 6-0) and a win from Dunwoody against Shiloh (3-6, 3-3). A Lakeside loss and a Dunwoody win puts the Wildcats into the playoffs. Losses by both teams eliminates them from…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – A Duluth man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a 19-year-old woman at his home and dumping her body in Flowery Branch.  Timothy James Krueger, 52, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the June 16, 2022 stabbing death of Sarai Llanos Gomez, a mother of two children. Krueger was convicted in August 2024 of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault for the death. “We are grateful for the Court’s decision in this sentencing,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “This victim’s two young children were left motherless. Our hearts…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) formally announced the winners of the “I Voted” Sticker Design Challenge, a creative initiative to foster civic engagement among young artists in the community, during the DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections meeting on Thursday, October 10. The winners of the challenge are as follows: Grand Prize – Charlie Anderson, 11th grader at Druid Hills High School 1st Runner-up – Laylah Lewis, 12th grader at DeKalb Early College Academy 2nd Runner-up – Kamryn Pierce, 11th grader at DeKalb School of the Arts “These talented students have demonstrated exceptional creativity in designing…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Eric W. Lee, pastor of Springfield Baptist Church, is refuting a blogger’s post that he was arrested on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, and that he had a previous arrest in 2018. Lee lives in Newton County. Springfield Baptist Church is located in neighboring Rockdale County.  The allegations were made by The Newton Exposer on Wednesday, Oct. 30.  On Common Ground News checked jail records, but did not find any arrests concerning Lee in the Newton County jail’s database. The post was removed late Wednesday. Lee spoke with On Common Ground News, saying he put put out on social media that…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Police Department is seeking help locating two home invasion suspects. On July 29, officers responded to a local area hospital and met with the victim in this case. The victim stated that just hours before, a known associate of his, Jian Sun, 41, of Norcross, and an unknown male who was later identified as Stephen Carlos Valenzuela, 24, of Atlanta, assaulted him at his home in Duluth. The victim said that Jian Sun knocked on his door, and when he opened the door, he was beaten and zip-tied by the two suspects. The victim…