Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA –  The Olivia Haydel Senior Center was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for elder abuse awareness and prevention. The award was presented by the Rockdale(Protecting our Elderly and At-Risk with Resources for Better Living Program at its annual senior luncheon on Aug. 10. PEARL increases awareness of abuse and safeguards the vulnerable members of our community.  Senior Services, a member of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), provides specific resources and case management for elderly and disabled adults that are affected by exploitation and neglect. PEARL coordinator Bernadette Synder  praised the combined efforts of PEARL and Senior Services.…

UPDATE: The pictured suspect in the original media release has been identified and is no longer a suspect. Gwinnett County Police detectives are icontinuing to work other leads. GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– Gwinnett County Police detectives have released surveillance images of a female who fraudulently obtained more than $19,000 from a victim’s bank account. Authorities re seeking the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspect. Police say the incident occurred on June 1, at approximately 1:30 p.m. The suspect entered the Truist Bank at 2171 Pleasant Hill Road and presented an ID with the victim’s personal identifying information  The suspect cashed…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs is accepting applications for after-school employment opportunities such as accelerated learning coordinators, tutors, and certified teachers until Sept. 1.  Applicants must be 18 years or older to apply for recreation positions. Proof of certification is required for learning coordinators and all teaching position. All applicants selected will be required to successfully complete a health screening and criminal background check prior to employment.  For more information, contact Mary Windham, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs grant and administrative manager, at mwindham@dekalbcountyga.gov.  

CEO Thurmond: ‘This is a transformational moment’ DECATUR, GA– Today, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a tax cut proposal that is projected to save DeKalb homeowners $1 billion over a six-year period. “This is a transformational moment in DeKalb’s history,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. “We have the opportunity to benefit generations of DeKalb residents.” In November, a referendum will be held to approve the Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax (EHOST) that would generate the property tax relief via a credit for homeowners who qualify for a homestead exemption. If approved, this relief would begin in…

Story Updated:  Rockdale County Public Schools on Aug. 24 released the names of all of its students honored as AP Scholars. The names of the students were not provided in a previous news story published this week.  CONYERS, GA. – Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is honoring the 104 students recently named 2023 Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars – including two AP Capstone Diploma recipients and one AP Seminar and Research Certificate recipient – for their outstanding performance on the 2022-2023 exams. This is an increase of 21 students from the previous year with all three of our high schools represented among AP Scholars. The percentage…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County is making most recreation centers and libraries throughout the county available as cooling centers Friday, Aug. 25, and Saturday, Aug. 26, due to a heat advisory. As defined by the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City Forecast Office, a heat advisory is issued when “feels like” temperatures are expected to reach or be greater than 103 degrees, or when the actual air temperature is expected to be at 105 degrees or greater. For a list and interactive map of available cooling centers, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather. Water fountains will be accessible at available libraries. DeKalb County recreation centers and libraries will…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County is holding its 2023 Paper Shredding event for Rockdale residents and business owners on Saturday,  Sept. 9, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the rear parking lot of Rockdale Career Academy (RCA, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers The free, half-day event will provide the public with a place to safely discard and recycle old documents. For several years, the event was held at 1400 Parker Road, but due to other events in the area, it will take place this year in the rear parking lot at RCA. Participants should access the rear parking lot via the school’s entrance on Flat…

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit today (Aug. 23) arrested a suspect accused of killing a man during a cell phone robbery. Flowery Branch, Georgia resident Jeremy Rashaad Baker, 32, was arrested AUG. 23 in Lithonia, Georgia and charged with Murder and Armed Robbery in connection with the shooting death of Rayshaad Christopher Jones, 28, of Lithonia, and the robbery of Camri Tyeisha Davis, 27, of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Arrest warrants allege that on Aug. 2, 2023, Jones and Davis went to Baker’s residence on Rogers Trace in Lithonia to confront him about missing property. Warrants say…