Author: On Common Ground News

STONECREST, GA–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is reopening its doors for in-person worship on Good Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m., with internationally-renowned faith Bishop T.D. Jakes and award-winning gospel artist John P. Kee. New Birth’s reopening activities, called “The Return,” will culminate on Resurrection Sunday, April 17, with Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant and celebrated gospel artist VaShawn Mitchell beginning at 9:30 a.m. All planned events will take place at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, located at 6400 Woodrow Rd in Stonecrest. With soaring gas prices, New Birth announced its “Gas on God” initiative to provide 500 drivers with…

ATLANTA—Civil Rights Attorney Mawuli Davis (J.D. ’02), founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law firm in DeKalb County, will serve as Georgia State University’s College of Law commencement speaker. The graduation will be held on Friday, May 13, at Center Parc Stadium. Davis shared his thoughts on being selected as the College of Law’s commencement speaker with me earlier today: “To serve as the commencement speaker for the Georgia State University College of Law class of 2022 is truly one of the greatest honors of my professional career,” said Davis. “The class of 2022 has shown the grit,…

DECATUR, GA –– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested another person suspected of providing contraband to DeKalb County Jail inmates. The agency’s “Eyes in the Sky” surveillance operation that began several weeks ago targets individuals outside the jail who place contraband inside of bags that inmates lower to the grounds surrounding the housing towers after breaking cell windows. The “drop” is then retrieved by inmates inside the cell. The DeKalb Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit yesterday arrested Luis Bernardez, 17, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, who is charged with Crossing State/County Guard Lines with Weapons, Intoxicants, Drugs Without Consent –…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– The DeKalb County Board of Education is seeking applicants for three community advisor positions on the DeKalb County Board of Education Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is composed of three board of education members and no more than three community advisors. The committee reviews financial operations of the DeKalb County School District and make periodic reports to the board of education regarding financial reporting processes, audit process, internal controls fraud, waste, and abuse inquires, and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Audit Committee works with the district’s Office of Internal Audits and Compliance and…

STONE MOUNTAIN—The Rockbridge Coalition in collaboration with DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, NAACP DeKalb County, The Hidden Hills Civic Association and the DeKalb Pastors Alliance to protest the crime and violence that is plaguing local communities. The groups are uniting to host a mass rally on April 30, 9 to 11 a.m., at the Kroger parking lot, located at the intersection of Redan and Hairston roads. Organizers say the rally is in response to the growing violence and crime at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and smaller strip centers in Central and South DeKalb County. The first rally…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Olivia Li’s tournament winning 98 led the Chamblee Lady Bulldogs to their first DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Girls’ County Golf Championship title since 2006.  The Bulldogs defeated the Dunwoody Lady Wildcats a 201-209 on April 12 at the Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Club. The senior Li and junior sister, Sophie Li (103), teamed up to lead the Bulldogs to the win. Sophie finished third after losing a card playoff to Dunwoody freshman Cora Webster (103). Webster led after the opening nine holes and Li came back to tie, shooting one stroke better (50-51) on…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections will host a special called meeting on Friday, April 22, 1 p.m. to review voter challenges. The meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available via livestream on DCTV’s UStream channel at https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23. To make a public comment, join via Zoom: https://dekalbcountyga.zoom.us/j/97184078303 or dial in via phone toll free at 888-270-9936 and use conference code: 171493. Public comments of two minutes or less may be made live via the teleconference. For those joining the meeting by telephone, please be aware that phone numbers may…

CONYERS, GA– This year, three students from Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) have been selected to attend the 2022 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) hosted at Berry College in Rome, Georgia this summer. The students selected are pictured top, left to right: Brooklyn Compton (Heritage High School), Visual Arts Kayla Holland (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology), Science – Biology Maxwell Zhang (RMSST), Mathematics RCPS Superintendent Terry Oatts applauded the students on being selected for the esteemed program. “I congratulate our students for being selected for such a prestigious educational program. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to enrich their…

CHAMBLEE, GA–The City of Chamblee Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Arturo Hernandez-Rodriguez, who was reported missing from the 4200 block of North Shallowford Road. Mr. Hernandez-Rodriguez is described as having high-functioning autism, and was last seen on April 11 at 7 p.m. when he left his residence for work. He is known to frequent Chamblee Plaza at 5446 Peachtree Blvd., QuickTrip at 5347 Peachtree Blvd., BP at 5048 Buford Hwy., QuikTrip at 4050 Buford Hwy. and Pernoshal Park at 4575 North Shallowford Road. Hernandez-Rodriguez is a 19-year-old Hispanic male, described as 6 feet and 2…