Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA— Efforts to improve the watershed system throughout DeKalb County continues on Monday, Nov. 28, with the launch of the Chamblee Dunwoody Nerine Waterline Repair. Crews will lower an 8-inch-diameter water transmission main along Chamblee Dunwoody Road. This repair will take place on Monday, Nov. 28, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. During this time, residents and businesses in the area will experience low to no water pressure. Department of Watershed Management (DWM) engineers and construction crews will work diligently to minimize the length of impact to residents and business owners. Motorists should expect delays stemming from moving lane…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – Rockdale County Board of Elections has announced its schedule for voting in the  Dec. 6 General Runoff Election Runoff.  All voters registered to vote by Monday, Nov. 7 are eligible to vote in this election.  Voters are encouraged to verify their Voter Registration by visiting: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/. Mail Absentee Ballot Requests are being accepted now until Monday, Nov. 28. Voters can make the request online or obtain the request form by visiting: https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/.  Submit the Mail Absentee Ballot request to: absentee@rockdalecountyga.gov. Early in-person voting will take place exclusively at 1115 West Avenue S.W., Conyers.  Election Day In-Person…

DEKALB COUNTY—The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit and the Brookhaven Police Department have arrested a suspect in connection with a Decatur nightclub shooting. Sheriff’s investigators arrested Quincy Tyler Walker, 26, of McDonough, Georgia without incident on Sunday, Nov. 20, at a restaurant on Buford Highway. Walker is charged with Felony Murder in the shooting death of Erik McKenzie and two counts of Felony Aggravated Assault Weapon against McKenzie and Ronald Folkes, who also received gunshot injuries. The incident occurred on Oct. 25 at Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge in Decatur. According to warrants, both victims were security guards at the nightclub.…

ATLANTA – Georgia Power is celebrating community service and holiday cheer again this year with its annual “Light Up the Holidays” contest. This year, the company wants to see how Georgia is lighting up the holidays, either through a holiday display or through acts of community service. Now through Dec. 26, Georgians 18 years of age or older are invited to enter Georgia Power’s Light Up the Holidays Contest on Facebook. It’s easy: Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/gerogiapower) Post an original photograph that creatively captures how you are “lighting up the holidays,” either through a holiday display OR through acts…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Robert Patrick and the Board of Commissioners have partnered with tthe DeKalb Library Foundation to continue funding the  DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) program that is assisting families who don’t have home internet service. The library system’s “Take Back the Internet Initiative,” a free mobile hotspot lending program, began in 2017 with 75 mobile devices at five library branches. . Since the pandemic, the demand for wireless hotspots has increased significantly. Thanks to funding from the DeKalb Library Foundation (DLF), the program was able to expand across all 23 library branches with 300 mobile units now in…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County Cooperative Extension will host a virtual “Radon Webinar”  on Dec. 6, 11 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Webinar attendees will receive a free radon in air test kit. Registration is required. Registration for class can be found at https://bit.ly/DekalbRadon2022 Many Georgians spend these cold months huddled inside waiting for a warmer spring. This makes it even more important to test our homes for radon, a colorless, odorless gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. In DeKalb County, about 18.9 percent of homes have elevated levels of the naturally radioactive gas radon. Over…

ATLANTA—Atlanta Public Schools is one of 12 school districts in Georgia , and the only district in metro Atlanta, selected by the Georgia Department of Education to participate in the pilot of a new teacher evaluation system intended to emphasize growth and elevate the teaching profession. APS and 11 other participating districts will pilot the Georgia Leadership and Educator Acceleration and Development System (GaLEADS). This comprehensive educator evaluation system will allow teachers to improve their craft, share strengths, and be recognized for contributions to the profession. In addition, GaLEADS is designed to inform effective instructional practices, promote personalized professional development,…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Public Schools’ (RCPS) graduation rate for the 2022 five-year cohort increased for the third consecutive year, according to the Georgia Department of Education. RCPS’ five-year graduation rate increased to 87.21 percent, up from 86.12 percent last year. This is above the state’s five-year graduation rate of 85.85 percent for the Class of 2022. The RCPS graduation rate for the four-year cohort, reported in October, was down slightly to 81.24 percent. This means more than four out of five RCPS students are graduating on time and nearly nine out of 10 are graduating within five years, officials…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– On Nov. 21, a portion of the northbound lane along Briarcliff Road, near North Druid Hills Road, will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. while crews work to replace a broken manhole cover. The construction work requires a lane closure at the intersection of Briarcliff Road Northeast and North Druid Hills Road. Motorists should expect delays stemming from the lane closure. Lane closure signs and traffic flaggers will assist motorists in moving safely around the lane closure. Construction crews will work diligently to minimize the length of impact to motorists. The DeKalb County Department of…