Author: On Common Ground News

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is Jan.11. In recognition of this day, Rockdale County Public Relations Department invites everyone to wear blue (#WearBlueDay), and attend “End IT,” a forum against Human Trafficking. The forum will be held at the Rockdale County Auditorium, 903 Main Street, Conyers on Jan. 11, 2023. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Panel speakers at the forum include Dr. Nicole Haig from Northside Hospital; DeBaja Coleman from the Department of Juvenile Justice; Kayla Peeples from DDS Commercial Transportation; and Judge Maureen Wood from Rockdale County Juvenile Court and many more. Human trafficking, which includes sex…

DECATUR, GA –– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office is reporting the death of two inmates within the past 24 hours in unrelated incidents at the DeKalb County Jail. Lithonia, Georgia resident Anthony Lamar Walker, 34, was found unresponsive in his jail cell on Dec. 26 and was pronounced deceased by DeKalb EMS. Mr. Walker had been in custody since Dec. 18on charges of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Today, Clarkston, Georgia resident Jackson Orukpete, 57, was found unresponsive in his jail cell and pronounced deceased by DeKalb EMS. Orukpete had been in custody since…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management is issuing a boil water advisory for two areas of DeKalb County as described below: Area 1, which is south of Henderson Road, north of Rockbridge Road, east of I-285, and west of the DeKalb/Gwinnett County line, Area 2, which is south of East College Avenue, north of Linecrest/County Line Road, east of City Atlanta border and west of I-285 (please see the attached maps). Water main breaks are causing water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to dangerously low levels due a less than twenty psi drop in…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – In observance of Christmas Day on Monday, Dec. 26, and New Year’s Day on Monday, Jan. 2, sanitation service for residential customers will be based on a revised holiday schedule as follows: Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2 – Christmas Day and New Year’s Day observed. No collection service. Tuesday, Dec. 27, and Tuesday, Jan. 3 – Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection days are Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2, will be serviced on Tuesday, Dec. 27, and Tuesday, Jan. 3. Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Wednesday, Jan. 4 – Residential customers whose regularly…

 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…