Author: On Common Ground News

DEKALB COUNTY, GA – The DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2021 is 75.41, based on data from the Georgia Department of Education released Oct. 21. The 2021 graduation rate is a slight decrease of 0.56 from the 2020 rate of 75.97. The 2021 school year marks the fourth consecutive year of annual district gains for the Asian/Pacific Islander, English Learners, and Students with Disabilities subgroups. The most notable school gains occurred at Towers and Clarkston. Both schools demonstrated double-digit gains of more than 10 percent in their four-year graduation…

Thursday Night Lights returns to DeKalb County this week to kick off a slate of eight home games in DeKalb stadiums during Week 9 of the high school football season for the DeKalb County School District(DCSD). The Tucker Tigers (1-6, 1-1) get the Week 9 DeKalb football schedule off to an early start by hosting the Morrow Mustangs (1-6, 0-2) with a state playoff berth on the line in a 7:00 pm game at Adams Stadium on Thursday. A win would all but clinch the No. 4 seed out of Region 4-6A behind Langston Hughes, Lovejoy and Westlake.…

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in his role as the District 3 Commissioner and president of the National Association of Counties Organization, is participating in the National Nonpartisan Conversation on Voter Rights taking place Oct. 21 – 23. Commissioner Johnson has been selected as part of an esteemed group of influential civic leaders from across the country convening in Denver for a historic event with the shared goal of delivering a comprehensive and actionable strategy to protect and expand voter rights. Johnson will join the Honorable Michael B. Hancock, mayor, City and County of Denver, co-chair; Honorable Lori…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA–Northside Hospital Gwinnett held a ribbon cutting ceremony this week for its newly expanded emergency department in Lawrenceville. The hospital’s emergency department consistently ranks among the highest-volume facilities in Georgia, with more than 100,000 visits annually, officials said. The hospital also recently received the critical approval from the Georgia Department of Community Health to build 10-story, 162-inpatient bed tower, which will be located on the Northside Gwinnett campus. Debbie Mitcham, president and CEO of Northside Hospital in Gwinnett and Duluth, said that the pace of growth in the region demands a similar pace for health care access. “Northside believes…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Chief Probate Judge Gary W. Washington has appointed Attorney Stephanie C. Anderson as Associate Judge of the Rockdale County Probate Court. Stephanie Anderson attained her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications from Hampton University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.  While at the University of Georgia, she was a member of the Moot Court Board and President of the Black Law Students Association. In her private practice, Anderson focuses on estate planning and probate matters representing families throughout the state of Georgia.  She has been a featured speaker and panelist…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about scammers targeting renters by posing as property owners or managers. In the scams, victims think they are paying a deposit to rent a house and actually end up making payments to fakes posing as the property owner, landlord, or rental agent. In some cases, the victim even signs a lease, only to find out later that the property doesn’t belong to the person claiming to be the owner. “According to our Criminal Investigations Division, this scam has occurred within Rockdale County as recently as…

STONECREST, GA—The Mall at Stonecrest will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with an exclusive appearance by Chase and Skye from the hit Nick J. television show, “PAW Patrol” on Saturday, Oct. 23, starting at 12 p.m. Families are welcome to bring the kids and camera to meet the PAW Patrol stars.  All guests are required to wear a facial covering during the meet-and-greet appearance. Since premiering in 2013, PAW Patrol is about a group of six rescue dogs, led by a tech-savvy boy named Ryder, and has adventures in PAW Patrol. The heroic pups, who believe “no job is too big,…

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, Radio Host Frank Ski among honorees, performance by Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard STONECREST, GA—New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is bringing a homecoming-style celebration complete with a Battle of the Bands, a live performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Tasha. Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant will dedicate a portion of the program to honoring various community leaders and champions in DeKalb County. “While many members of our congregation and community join us in a virtual worship service each week, we want to take another opportunity to reimagine church in a new…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County Government is partnering with local faith leaders to distribute 3,600 boxes of produce and chicken on Saturday, Oct. 23, and Monday, Oct. 25. “More and more people are facing growing food insecurity due to skyrocketing food prices,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. “This food distribution will provide much needed relief to families struggling to keep food on their tables.” On Saturday, Oct. 23, 9 a.m. to noon, food distributions will be held at the following locations: Berean Christian Church, 2201 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 3800 Big Miller…