Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the murder case against a Lithonia man accused of killing his teen girlfriend then burying her body in a relative’s backyard.    Aldeyshaun Locklear, 20, was sentenced to a term of life in prison by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson, who presided over the trial.   Jurors returned guilty verdicts on May 20, 2022, against Locklear on charges of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault by Strangulation, and Concealing the Death of Another in connection with the strangulation death of Te’a Choates, 19.   Choates was reported…

Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) is warning of a new text message-based scam that is attempting to steal your driver’s license information. Customers have been getting text messages asking them to follow a fraudulent link to verify their driver’s license information due to a temporary suspension.  DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore says such text messages are a fraud and likely an attempt by scammers to get your personal information. The Department stated in a news release today: “DDS employees do not contact customers to ask for personal or confidential information, such as driver’s license or…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County announced the availability of $1 million in funding for the DeKalb Youth Safety and Violence Prevention Grant initiative, which will provide violence prevention and intervention strategies in partnership with eligible selected nonprofits., “We want to help support community groups that are already working to reduce violence, keep youth off of the streets and invest in the lives of our youth,” DeKalb County CEO said. A virtual public meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 1, at 10 a.m. to provide information on the grant application process. The primary goal of the DeKalb Youth Safety and Violence…

ATLANTA: A Memorial Service Celebrating the life of the late. Max Cleland will be held on May 25, 11 a.m., at Northside United Methodist Church, 2799 Northside Drive N.W. The many friends of Sen..Cleland are invited to join his family for the service which will be a celebration of his life and career in public service. At this time, the program will include remarks by the Honorable Charles “Chuck” Hagel, former Secretary of Defense and former US Senator; the Honorable Roy Barnes, former Governor of Georgia; and Douglas Brinkley, Presidential Scholar, best-selling author,and Professor of History at Rice University.…

ATLANTA— The City of Atlanta will hold a Technology Job and Resource Fair on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Dalney Building. Find a message from Mayor Andre Dickens and more information on the job fair here or by clicking the video below. https://vimeo.com/705390870

Information Your Audience Needs to Know Tomorrow, May 24, is primary election day in Georgia, marking the final opportunity Georgia voters will have to cast their ballots in the 2022 primary elections. All Georgians who haven’t voted yet should plan to vote in person at their assigned polling location between 7:00am-7:00pm. If voters are in line before 7:00pm, they are legally allowed to stay in line until they cast their ballot. Voters can find their assigned polling location and a sample ballot online at mvp.sos.ga.gov. Instructions for finding this information can be found on DPG’s website. We encourage all Georgians to…

DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections prepares for May 24 Primary Election   DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with their voting options for the May 24, 2022 primary election. Here are 10 important reminders: Before heading to the polls on Election Day, voters are encouraged to verify their precinct location at www.DeKalbVotes.com. Per SB202, provisional ballots will not be handed out to voters who visit the wrong precinct until after 5 p.m. on Election Day. Approximately 75% of DeKalb County voters have been redistricted, so many voters will notice that they are voting in different districts…

Infractions Include Conflict of Interest; 3 Players ruled ineligible for next season  DEKALB COUNTY, GA—On May 11, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) informed Chamblee High School that it was in violation of three by-laws, resulting in the program forfeiting all its victories during the 2021-2022 season, including its region and state championship titles. GHSA also informed the school that three student athletes are ineligible for varsity participation for one calendar year. This decision followed an investigation into the girls’ soccer program for possible violations of GHSA by-laws after an inquiry was made into a possible conflict of interest…

Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Willingham has issued a report showing 9,106 voters casts ballots during the Early Voting Period, which began on Monday, May 2 and ended on Friday, May 20. The turnout represents about 15 percent of Rockdale’s 60,582 active voters. A breakdown of the unofficial results are as follows: Be prepared for Election Day, May 24, 2022 Voters who didn’t vote early must go to their assigned precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, May 24.  Election officials are urging voters to know before they go and have proper identification when they arrive at their precinct. It is…

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has selected its next Riders’ Advisory Council (RAC), the all-volunteer body dedicated to helping improve the transit experience for customers. The new, 30-member council is comprised of people drawn from MARTA’s service area – the City of Atlanta, DeKalb, Fulton and Clayton counties. RAC members do not vote and serve for two years; MARTA employees, contractors, and elected officials are ineligible. RAC members were selected after an open application process based on criteria including ridership habits, commuting experiences, and community involvement. The RAC’s composition intentionally reflects the demographic diversity of the region’s fast-growing population. “MARTA’s success depends on responding…