Author: On Common Ground News

 Update: DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) crews have repaired the water main break off Peachtree Industrial Blvd and Miller Road, officials reported at 10:15 p.m. on Dec. 26. The water system is being depressurized. DECATUR, Ga.— DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) crews are onsite and working to repair a third water main break at Interstate 85 and Shallowford Road. Crews are already onsite at the following locations for additional water main breaks: Peachtree Industrial Blvd and Miller Road Roland Road Water customers may experience low to no water pressure during the repair and motorists should expect delays in…

DECATUR, GA–On Thursday, Jan. 5, Kensington Road will be closed between Camp Road and Memorial Drive for at least four weeks as crews work to replace a network of sewer pipes. The DeKalb County Public Library and the Medical Examiner’s Office will be accessible through detours. Precautionary and detour signs will be in place to assist motorists in moving safely around the road closure. Construction crews will work diligently to minimize the length of impact to businesses and motorists. The work, which is part of the rehabilitation of DeKalb County’s sewer infrastructure, will require a full road closure as pipes are…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court, 556 North McDonough Street, will be closed Dec. 27 – Jan. 3 due to a water pipe bursting and flooding on the ground foor of the courthouse.  The Judicial Tower is affected by this closure. The clerk’s office employees will work remotely during the cleanup and repairs. The Board of Equalization’s office will open as scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 8:30 a.m. All hearings for the Board of Equalization during this time will be held as scheduled. Although the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office will be physically closed during emergency repairs, the website, www.dksuperiorclerk.com, remains…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County has three warming centers open for residents to use in the following locations 24 hours a day through 7 a.m. Dec. 28 at the following warming center locations: Exchange Park Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur Tobie Grant, 593 Parkdale Drive, Scottdale Anyone staying in the warming centers must follow the county’s COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask, social distancing and undergoing a temperature check. For more information about centers offered by DeKalb County and its community partners, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather.

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (Georgia DOT) efforts to proactively treat interstates and state routes ahead of expected precipitation and frigid temperatures resulted in mostly dry and passable road conditions today. Crews are currently patrolling routes and treating any icy patches as they are found. As of this morning(Dec. 23), the I-85 Express Lanes and the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes are open to traffic. The I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes are expected to reopen to southbound traffic in the next few hours. Be sure to know before you go and check 511GA for real-time traffic information. There are some reports of fallen…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The NAACP DeKalb and community activist Amos King want to know why DeKalb County authorities have left the public in the dark about the murder of 19-year-old Ja’Nautica La’shay “JuJu” Whitehead. Whitehead was found shot to death inside a vehicle on Snapfinger Parkway in DeKalb around 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. The suspect, Deeron Zyon Hicks, was arrested on Murder-Malice charges on Dec. 17, according to DeKalb County Jail records. Authorities, however, have released few details to the public surrounding the murder or the arrest. “There was no press conference, no news release, no nothing…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– DeKalb County opened warming centers for residents to use in the following locations on Dec. 22, beginning at 8 p.m.: Fire Station 3, 100 N. Clarendon Avenue, Avondale Estates Fire Station 4, 4540 Flakes Mill Road, Ellenwood Fire Station 6, 2342 Flat Shoals Road, Atlanta North DeKalb Senior Center, 3393 Malone Drive, Chamblee These above locations will close at 8 a.m. on Dec. 23. Beginning at 7 a.m. Dec. 23 through 7 a.m. Dec. 27, the following warming center locations will be open: Exchange Park Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Water Resources (RWR) is advising residents to beware of individuals impersonating county employees attempting to enter homes to conduct free water samples, after reports of incidents occurring in neighboring Gwinnett County. Reports say the suspect was offering to collect free lead and copper samples to gain access into customers’ homes. Most attempts have been targeted toward Spanish-speaking families living in the Norcross area. While no reports have been made in Rockdale County, RWR is asking its customers to be vigilant, to protect themselves and their families from this threat. If anyone claiming to be a…

ATLANTA – The House Study Committee on Cannabis Waste Disposal and Recycling, chaired by State Rep. Mesha Mainor (D-Atlanta), will hold a series of meetings from Thursday, Jan. 5 – Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, in room 606 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, 18 Capitol Ave.,  in Atlanta. The meeting schedule is as follows: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, 9 a.m. The House Study Committee on Cannabis Waste Disposal and Recycling will examine ways to properly dispose, capture and treat the waste created from the manufacturing of legal cannabis products, such as hemp and CBD oil,…