Author: On Common Ground News

With precipitation expected to continue as temperatures drop below freezing across north Georgia into Sunday evening, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) reminds drivers of the potential for black ice to develop when wet roads freeze. Black ice could form on roadways in any of the 91 north Georgia counties affected by the current winter weather system. Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges, overpasses and low-lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture on…

ATLANTA– Managing through waves of high winds, snow and freezing rain, thousands of Georgia Power workers are restoring power for customers Sunday( Jan. 16) as Winter Storm Izzy continues through the state. Crews are repairing downed power lines and damaged poles caused by high winds, fallen trees and ice accumulations. The majority of the 24,000 current customer outages are in Northeast Georgia, which has seen the most snowfall and highest winds from Izzy, and additional winter weather and sub-freezing temperatures are expected overnight. Georgia Power crews focus on repairs that return power to the greatest number of customers in the…

ATLANTA– Attorney General Chris Carr announced Jan. 14 that the State of Georgia has joined 38 states in reaching a $1.85 billion nationwide settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers. “For years, Georgians who turned to Navient for help with repaying their student loans saw their debt worsen rather than improve due to the company’s deceptive practices,” said Carr. “By reaching this settlement, Georgia borrowers will receive much-needed relief totaling more than $118 million as they work to regain their financial footing. We are proud of this announcement and hope it serves as a reminder…

Eight other new members are sworn in, joining 41-member board The Atlanta Regional Commission swore in Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett and eight other elected and citizen leaders on Jan. 12. The 41-member board oversees the agency’s efforts to improve quality of life in metro Atlanta and plan for the region’s successful future. The nine new members are: ·  Andre Dickens, Mayor, City of Atlanta, ·  Anthony Ford, Mayor, City of Stockbridge ·  Patti Garrett, Mayor, City of Decatur ·  Alfred John, Chairman, Forsyth County ·  Tangela Jones, Citizen District 14 (Portions of Cherokee and Cobb counties) ·  Michelle…

DECATUR, GA –Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04)  said Jan. 14 the first time in six months that families will not receive the expanded and improved monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) due to Senate inaction on the Build Back Better Act. From July to December 2021, more than 2 million Georgia children received payments, totaling $3.23 million in benefits across the state. In December alone, more than 1.2 million CTC payments went out to hardworking Georgia families. According to Columbia University, these monthly payments are reducing food insecurity, and families overwhelmingly spent this money on food and other essential needs. In…

DeKalb County opens three warming centers through Jan. 17 DeKalb County will open three warming centers for residents to use during expected frigid weather. Warming centers will be open in the following DeKalb County Fire Stations on Saturday, Jan. 15, through Monday, Jan. 17, beginning at 8 p.m.: Fire Station 3, 100 N. Clarendon Avenue, Avondale Estates, GA 30002 Fire Station 4, 4540 Flakes Mill Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294 Fire Station 6, 2342 Flat Shoals Road, Atlanta, GA 30316 Anyone staying in the warming centers must follow the county’s COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask, social distancing and…

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha V. Ramos will host the department’s first virtual community Q&A of 2022. The question-and-answer session will be broadcast on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m., on the department’s Facebook page and Twitter. Questions or concerns can be submitted now on the Facebook event post, Twitter event post, Instagram event post or submitted live during the Q&A session. Chief Ramos and division leaders will discuss the department’s achievements and areas of improvement for the new year. “In the spirit of transparency and inclusiveness, we want to discuss our 2021 with the community, as well as…

DECATUR, GA—In commemoration of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is hosting a virtual community forum, Human Trafficking, Social Media & Gangs: Connecting the Dots, to raise awareness about this critical issue. The event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 1 to 2:15 p.m. The forum will feature a presentation from Special Agent April Griffith, of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, on the current trends in the online recruitment of youth. The program will also include a panel discussion with law enforcement,…

DECATUR—MARTA CEO/General Manager Jeffrey Parker died Friday (Jan. 14) after he was struck by a train at the East Lake station. Transit agency officials have confirmed Parker committed suicide but did  not provide any other details. Officials said the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Parker was 56. MARTA officials asked the community to pray for Parker‘s wife, Erin, their two daughters and other family members and friends. Parker, who had over 35 years of experience in the transportation industry, was named CEO/General Manager of the transit agency in 2018. Prior to joining MARTA, he was Vice President of HNTB…

UPDATE: The Rockdale Sheriff’s Office received notification on Jan. 14 that its HEAT grant was reinstated by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The grant had been temporarily suspended due to concerns over low DUI  performance and a December 2021 DUI incident involving three Rockdale deputies, one of whom was a  team member of the state-funded program.  The Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic or HEAT was created to combat impaired and aggresive driving. Two of the Rockdale deputies were terminated from employment with the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office following an investigation into the DUI incident. Sheriff Eric Levett submitted a plan of…