Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA — Atlanta police announced on Jan. 25, that a 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting that left a 6-month-old child dead. The shooting occurred on Monday, Jan. 24, around 3 p.m., near the Food Mart store on Anderson Avenue in the Dixie Hills neighborhood in northwest Atlanta.  Police said the baby was shot while riding in the backseat of a car. The child was identified as Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray. The child’s mother told WSB-TV that she was pulling into a parking lot when the shooting occurred. The suspect, Dequasie Little, was arrested…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA–DeKalb County will open three warming centers for residents to use overnight. Warming centers will be open in the following DeKalb County Fire Stations nightly Jan. 25 – 29, 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 undergoing a temperature check.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– In a virtual voting session on Jan. 25, the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners approved placing the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) on the ballot for May. Rockdale County Board of Elections will meet on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 3:30 p.m. to adopt the resolution. In 1985, Georgia legislators authorized a one-percent sales tax collected by the County and in 1987, Rockdale County began to fund developments and improvements starting with the Nancy Guinn Library. SPLOST money is collected every time someone purchases something in Rockdale County whether they are residents or not. Throughout the…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA –The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution on Jan. 25 to create a new Public Facilities Authority to help facilitate its plan for future growth. The resolution was approved during a virtual meeting, which was held at 10 a.m. The authority will provide the county, Rockdale County School District and the City of Conyers with an additional method of financing government projects. Bonds issued by the authority will have the lowest possible interest rates and cost of issuance, officials said. The authority can raise capital to be used in the acquisition, design, and construction…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. – DeKalb County Schools’ Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris will give her State of the District address) on Wednesday, Jan. 26.   The virtual event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and stream live on DSTV and DCSD Family Engagement’s Facebook page. The address will be translated into the district’s top five languages and can be viewed via ZOOM at: https://bit.ly/3rEnj5m.        Watson-Harris will share her focus for the 2022-2023 school year:  equity, excellence, and empowerment. She will also discuss her vision for success, and other priorities, such as academic and professional growth, student and staff wellness, family and community engagement, and conditions for learning.  

LITHONIA, GA – The I&C Empowerment Zone, Inc. is accepting registrations for its Prom Dress Fairy’s Free Prom Dress Giveaway, which will be held on March 5 at the Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Phillips Road. The Prom Dress Fairy Project anticipates outfitting over 300 underserved young ladies in the metro Atlanta area, organizers stated in a news release. The dresses  event is being held to assist students whose families have been impacted by the pandemic and others who are underserved. “We will provide, free of charge, dresses, shoes, makeup, jewelry and an abundance of pampering to give the young…

CONYERS, GA—The Nancy Guinn Memorial Library will celebrate Black History Month with Master Storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste on Saturday, Feb.19, at 2 p.m. This will be an in-house program with a limited space. Grant-Baptiste, a master storyteller and educational consultant from Savannah, GA, will demonstrate how storytelling has historically been used as a tool of both resistance and reconciliation. Attendees must wear a mask and comply with social distancing protocols. The Nancy Guinn Library is located at 864 Green St., Conyers

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Tiffany P. Porter is encouraging all Gwinnett homeowners to apply online by April 1 for a homestead exemption to reduce their tax bills this year. “An exemption is the best way for qualifying residents to reduce their property taxes,” Porter said. “Once you apply online by April 1, my staff will work with you to determine your eligibility and the best exemption for your situation.” Gwinnett County offers a dozen homestead exemptions. The same form is used to apply for all of them, and it is available online atGwinnettTaxCommissioner.com/apply. To be eligible, the home…

CONYERS, GA—Registration to be entered in the lottery for Georgia Pre-K in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) for the 2022-2023 school year is open online Feb. 1-28. No paperwork is required to register for the RCPS Pre-K lottery. The link for Pre-K lottery registration and more information will be available at www.rockdaleschools.org/prek. PRE-KINDERGARTEN:  For Georgia Pre-K, children must be 4 years old by Sept. 1. Pre-K lottery registration takes place online atwww.rockdaleschools.org/prek. Students will be selected for Pre-K programs via a random lottery drawing. Selection will take place March 3, 2022, and parents will be notified of next steps after selection.…