Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA— Thrill seekers will want to check out Six Flags Over Georgia Amusement Park’s new Georgia Gold Rusher ride. The first-of-its-kind, free-spinning gondola ride is now open, after announcing    the ride would debut Spring 2025.. The Gold Rusher  offers high-speed, high-elevation thrills with twists, turns, and exciting water features. Inspired by Georgia’s 1885 Gold Rush era, the coaster introduces riders to William “Willy” Gibson and his hydraulic mining machine through immersive storytelling. Georgia’s Gold Rush in the 1880s brought prospectors from far and wide to extract the precious ore. One such miner was William “Willy” Gibson, a young, smart entrepreneur…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County School District’s Superintendent Shirley Chesser on Thursday (April 23) addressed the community backlash the District has faced this week over a pair of “Whites Only” and “Coloreds Only” signs that were posted in Honey Creek Elementary School’s cafeteria.  The Jim Crow signs came to light after a Conyers mother told Channel 11 that her first and fifth grade children saw the signs and were confused and hurt by them. On Common Ground News learned on Thursday that the teacher who initiated the Social Studies project is black and the signs were part of a larger lesson…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The DeKalb County School District is investigating a fight between three students, a teacher, and what appears to be a security guard at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School.  On Common Ground News has learned that the teacher is a veteran educator, church elder, and well-connected community member in three local counties.   The brawl broke out in a hallway on Tuesday, April 22, and was captured in a 45-second cell video that students are sharing on social media.  District officials said three students have been charged in the incident with Battery and Disrupting Public School. The…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A Gwinnett County jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Buford couple involved in a case of repeated sexual abuse a 7-year-old girl with the mother instructing the girl to lie to authorities.  Javen Tyree Richardson, 25, was convicted of four counts of aggravated child molestation and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences with the first 80 years to serve in prison. Akilah Amin, the child’s 30-year-old mother, was convicted of one count of influencing a witness and one count of cruelty to children in the second degree. She was sentenced to 20 years with the first seven…

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp today announced that Angelique McClendon has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) effective May 1.  McClendon, a Rockdale County resident, has been serving the department as General Counsel and Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, where she has been a subject matter expert on all legal and regulatory issues relating to the agency’s statutory responsibilities. She will succeed Spencer Moore, who has dedicated over 30 years of service to the state of Georgia.  “On behalf of hardworking Georgians, I want to congratulate Angelique McClendon on her…

DECATUR, GA-  A Decatur woman was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, April 23, for the murder of her 7-year-old special needs daughter, whom she abandoned and left to die alone.  Alondra Hobbs, 29, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, stemming from the death of her daughter, Alivia Jordan.  The child’s mummified remains were discovered strapped in a stroller inside a bedroom closet on June 25, 2023.  DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the hearing,sentenced…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Parks and Recreation is rolling out The Rec ‘N’ Crew, a mobile recreation program designed to bring fun, games, and engaging activities directly to parks and green spaces throughout the county — all on wheels. The program is the first of its kind in Rockdale County and only the fifth in Georgia. Specifically trained staff, known as “The Crew,” will travel with the mobile unit and deploy a variety of structured games, sports, arts and crafts, and cooperative activities for youth of all ages.  The Rec ‘N’ Crew is a free program dedicated to connecting and creatively engaging with the community. It…

ATLANTA– Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem asking that the Trump Administration hear the asylum claims of Afghan Christian refugees currently residing in the United States prior to sending them back to Afghanistan, where Christians face persecution and even execution by the Taliban. “In the wake of celebrating Easter, the most important event in Christianity, I learned that several Afghan Christian refugees currently residing in the United States were told they had to return to Afghanistan,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “Many of these Afghan Christians had risked their lives for religious freedom and…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Labor announced today, April 24, that Atlanta recorded an unemployment rate of 3.6% in March, unchanged from a revised 3.6% in February. A year ago, the rate was 3.3%.  “In March, Georgians from every corner of the state stepped up, joining the workforce and filling critical jobs that drive our state’s economy forward,” said Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “By working with regional partners across the state, we’re creating a globally competitive workforce — one that’s built to last and ready to lead Georgia into its next phase of prosperity.” The labor force in Atlanta increased by 25,205 to 3,307,851. This…