Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Telephone issues concerning Rockdale County Government offices have been resolved, county officials stated in an advisory at 2:42 p.m. today (Jan. 20). County government had been experiencing sporadic telephone service issues due to a fiber cut. The disruption impacted incoming and outgoing telephone calls. The county stated that a vendor is working to repair these issues as quickly as possible.

STONECREST, GA – The City of Stonecrest will resurface 7.49 lane miles of streets through funds allocated from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue and funds secured from the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) program. The city received $548,187.97 in transportation funding through GDOT’s 2022 LMIG program in December 2022 and an additional $559,844.39 from the 2023 LMIG program this month.  The awarded amounts were based on Stonecrest’s population and road centerline mileage. The LMIG funds will be used to supplement the City’s 2023 Street Repair and Repaving Program, which is supported…

​ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Registration to be entered in the lottery for Georgia Pre-K in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) for the 2023-2024 school year is open online February 1-28, 2023. No paperwork is required to register for the RCPS Pre-K lottery. The link for Pre-K lottery registration and more information is available atwww.rockdaleschools.org/prek.  For Georgia Pre-K, children must be 4 years old by September 1st.  Pre-K lottery registration takes place online at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek. Parents will be notified by March 6, 2023, via email, if their child was selected and of the next steps after selection. Students will be selected for Pre-K programs via a…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The NAACP DeKalb County branch, in observance of Black History Month, will host a panel discussion about Georgia’s new laws restricting Black History in public schools. The panel discussion entitled, “Our History is Under Attack—Save Our History!”  will be presented on Saturday, Feb. 4, 10 a.m., at Rainbow Park Baptist Church, 2941 Columbia Drive, Decatur.  The discussion, which will include legislators, educators, administrators, parents, and students, will focus on Georgia’s new House Bill 1084 and Senate Bill 377, new laws concerning “divisive concepts” in public schools including prohibiting the use of curricula that addresses the topics of slavery, racial oppression,  racial segregation, or…

ALPHARETTA, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson addressed students at Georgia State University (GSU) Alpharetta campus to discuss policymaking and the ongoing need to evaluate community in the development of public policy.  At the lecture, which was was held today (Jan. 18), Cochran-Johnson engaged students in actively discussing policy related issues, including public safety, housing, and voting. “It is important to expose students to knowledge through the engagement of individuals who have practical knowledge,” said Arch Kielly, Professor of Political Science at GSU. “My class is comprised of students of diverse gender, race, nationality, and political opinions. We have critical discussions…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a suspect in the murder of a man earlier this month during an armed robbery. Atlanta resident Tyrin J. Maddox, 21, was taken into custody without incident today(Jan. 18) at a Thomasville Drive residence in Atlanta on arrest warrants charging him with the Armed Robbery and Murder of Springfield, Illinois resident Devalon Davis, 20, on Jan. 5, 2023 on White Oak Drive in Decatur. According to the warrants, Maddox took a weapon and marijuana from Davis and shot him multiple times, causing his death at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies…

By Mark Brock, DCSD Athletics Specialist  DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Southwest DeKalb’s Aziz Bello entered the game with just a couple of minutes to play to score two points and grab two rebounds to help the Panthers stave off the Druid Hills Red Devils for a 41-33 to finish off a Region 6-4A sweep at home.  Xzaviah Taylor’s drive for a bucket with 4:33 to play gave the No. 3 ranked Panthers (14-2, 9-0) a 16-point lead (39-23). Southwest DeKalb would go the next 4:15 without a point while Druid Hills behind six points from David Sledge trimmed the lead to…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is sponsoring a mobile food distribution for military veterans on Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Atlanta VA Arcadia Clinic, 250 N. Arcadia Ave., Decatur. The food giveaway will mark the third that Cochran-Johnson has hosted in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Soldiers Angels. Cochran-Johnson allocated $10,000 in 2022 to provide the three food distributions for Veterans, two of which were held in September an d October 2022. Each recipient will receive a box containing approximately 75 pounds of food packed by volunteers and loaded into cars, pushcarts…

CONYERS, GA – The graduation rate for Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) enrolled in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) programs increased to an all-time high of 99.13% for 2022, surpassing the state-wide rate at 97.1, district officials said. Officials said the rate applies to students who complete a Career Pathway. The state also released the district’s graduation rates for Pathway completers in the areas of Advanced Academics, World Language, and Fine Arts. RCPS graduation rates in these areas are 99.48%, 98.82%, and 96.25%, respectively.   RCPS Superintendent Terry Oatts applauded students and staff members.  “I continue to be proud of the…