Author: On Common Ground News

STONECREST, GA –The first time the World Series was broadcast on the radio local resident Samuel Wyatt was only a few weeks old. With his birthday falling between celebrated Roots author Alex Haley and civil rights titan the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, Wyatt recently achieved his own milestone. On September 10, he celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by his fiancée, family, and friends. To honor Wyatt’s longevity and contribution to the community, the Mayor and City Council will present a special proclamation during its regular meeting on Monday, Sept 27 6 p.m. designating the day as “Samuel Wyatt Day” in Stonecrest.…

DECATUR, GA—The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is looking into a fatal shooting that occurred after the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a call around 8 a.m. on Sept. 26. DeKalb County Police spokesperson Michaela stated  the following in a news release: An officer arrived on the scene where a suspicious man was walking along I-20. The officer approached the man and offered him a ride to the nearest gas station, out of harm’s way. After pulling into the gas station at 2701 Candler Road, the man produced a firearm. Officers then discharged their firearm, fatally wounding the…

CONYERS, GA– Rockdale County water customers should begin seeing normal water bills by November, county officials announced this week. Rockdale Water Resources (RWR) Deputy Director Vaughn Jamison said delayed water bills throughout the county have created a “budgeting nightmare” for some residents.  Many were surprised by the increase, which occurred because of  an increased number of days in a longer billing cycle. Jamison said the county is working as quickly as possible to resolve the issues. “We completely understand these concerns and have leveraged additional resources and expect to return to our normal billing cycles by November 2021,” Jamison…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA –The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit and the Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. Team have arrested a juvenile on a charge of First Degree Murder in connection with a drive-by shooting that injured one male victim and left one male dead in  Clarksville, Tennessee, according to authorities. The 16-year-old suspect was wanted on a warrant out of Clarksville. According to the warrant, the minor allegedly fatally shot Emmanuel Tyson, 32, on Aug. 20, 2021 during a drive-by in Clarksville, DeKalb Sheriff’s spokesperson Cynthia Williams stated in a news release. The suspect’s name was not released because of…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson will host a town hall for residents to discuss the use of gas leaf blowers in DeKalb and provide updates on environmentally-friendly initiatives the county has implemented. The DeKalb County District 7 “Road to Green Town Hall” will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m., and will take place virtually on Zoom. “I am aware of the concern of some DeKalb residents regarding gas leaf blowers and DeKalb’s efforts to expand green initiatives and sustainable environments across the county,” said Commissioner Cochran-Johnson. “This town hall will address those concerns, as…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Gwinnett County government is mourning the death of Constantin “George” Bolof, a veteran employee of the Gwinnett Department of Water Resources. Bolof was killed in a hit-and-run while directing traffic at a construction site at the intersection of Oak Grove Road and Henderson Lake Drive in unincorporated Loganville on Thursday (Sept. 23).  Bolof died on the scene from injuries, authorities said. Police have arrested Thomas Allen Burke, 40, who faces charges including homicide, hit-and-run, driving under the influence, and reckless driving. Burke was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Bolof,…

DALLAS – An employer learned a costly lesson about skirting federal overtime laws when it gave hollow management titles to overtime eligible employees and paid them salaries for all the hours they worked. Despite the fact that the work they do made them eligible for overtime, Top Golf USA Inc. failed to pay overtime when the employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found. A corporate-wide investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division found the Dallas-based company – which operates in 31 states as Topgolf – paid event sales managers and event sales…

DECATUR, GA —DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is rolling out a new, no-contact option for voters in DeKalb County. Through a new voter kiosk, DeKalb esidents can register to vote, update and verify voter registration, print precinct cards and other election-related information. The kiosk, which was conceptualized and produced following the 2020 General Election, is located at the DeKalb VRE office at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, in Decatur. A second location is being planned and will be announced soon. “Our new voter kiosk is another way we are working to ensure all DeKalb…

DEKALB, GA—Fans of the popular 1980s series, “The Wonder Years,” will see several familiar DeKalb County sites when the reboot airs today(Sept. 22 on ABC. The coming-of-age family comedy will feature a Black family in the deep South – a vast contrast from the Fred Savage-led original. With Georgia’s enticing film and production tax credits, producers and show runners took full advantage of reimaging some of DeKalb’s historic neighborhoods, landmark buildings, and sprawling greenspaces to reboot this beloved classic. “DeKalb has been booming with major productions that range from major theatre blockbusters to captivating independent productions and everything in…