Author: On Common Ground News

The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office announced today that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges against a correctional officer who punched an inmate at Phillips State Prison during a scuffle. The D.A.’s office said the correctional officer was within use of force guidelines. The D.A.’s Office released a video clip of the incident showing the inmate poking, swinging and resisting the correctional officers as he was told to return to his cell. The exchange can be viewed with the downloadable link to the clip here. The District Attorney’s Office began investigating the incident last…

ATLANTA – Angelina Cortez, 46, of Rex, Georgia was arrested after turning herself in to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 25, Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced in a news release today. Cortez faces one count of Insurance Fraud and two counts of Forgery in the 1st Degree. She is currently being held in the Clayton County Jail. “Ms. Cortez initiated a homeowners insurance claim with USAA Insurance on July 21,” said King. “During the course of the claim, fraudulent bank documents from Navy Federal Credit Union and fraudulent receipts from Fairfield…

Want a beautiful shade tree planted in your front yard for only $25? In its second year, Releaf Dekalb is a partnership between the Dekalb County Department of Planning and Sustainability and Trees Atlanta to expand the tree canopy and bring the benefits of trees to the residents of Dekalb County. The program is open to residents of unincorporated DeKalb County only. There is a strict limit of two trees per home (homeowners participating in this program may purchase additional trees from Trees Atlanta upon request.) Employees or DeKalb County government are not eligible to participate. For more information…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) is holding the second of two Electronics Recycling & Paper Shredding events in 2021 for Rockdale residents and business owners. The E-Recycling and Paper Shredding Event will be held Saturday, Sept.18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the parking lot of 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. The free, half-day event will provide the public a place to safely discard and recycle old documents and electronics, regardless of working condition. There is a maximum of four banker boxes per vehicle allowed for paper shredding, and participants must provide photo ID as proof of an address in the County for both shredding…

CONYERS, GA. – Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) announced its 2021-2022 Teachers of the Year – the women and men who go above and beyond for their students, peers and community. This year’s Teachers of the Year are: Barksdale Elementary School – Garett Riemersma C.J. Hicks Elementary School – Anna Burdette Flat Shoals Elementary School – Kimberly Williams Hightower Trail Elementary School – Shantae Crawford Honey Creek Elementary School – Allison Joy Russell J.H. House Elementary School – LaTosha Finch Lorraine Elementary School – Cayla Hicks Peek’s Chapel Elementary School – Dr. Yovanda Horton Pine Street Elementary School…

DECATUR, GA—DeKalb County District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw has appropriated $575,000 to assist nine nonprofit, community agencies in helping DeKalb residents with housing and food insecurities, and other essential needs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The aid comes from District 4 American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding. “I have seen firsthand that nonprofit agencies play a critical role when they partner with government to address societal issues,” Commissioner Bradshaw said. “I am grateful to be able to allocate funds to assist these organizations do what they are good at and that is reaching individuals in the…

DECATUR, GA–DeKalb County Commissioners Mereda Davis Johnson and Larry Johnson will distribute free school uniforms during DeKalb’s vaccination event on Saturday, Aug. 28. “It is an honor to partner with our CEO and Commissioner Larry Johnson in this collaborative effort to serve our community,” said Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson. “DeKalb, once again, is on the cutting edge in improving the quality of life for our citizens.” “We want our kids to be dressed for success,” said Commissioner Larry Johnson. One uniform will be provided per vehicle or for each child present. Proof of school enrollment is required for…

ATLANTA – The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, chaired by State Repr. David Knight (R-Griffin), will hold two meetings to discuss the state’s aviation education and training programs. The meetings, which will be held at the Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington St. S.W., are scheduled as  follows: ·         Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, 1 – 4 p.m., Room 403, Georgia State Capitol ·         Wednesday, Sept.15, 2021, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Room 403 ,Georgia State Capitol To watch a live stream of these meetings, please visit www.legis.ga.gov.

Fifth annual event set Aug. 27   DECATUR, GA—IIn celebration of National Procurement Month, DeKalb County will host its Fifth Annual Reverse Trade Show and Procurement Summit virtually.  The DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department (P&C) encourages current and prospective vendors, along with the public, to take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to do business with the county. Participants also will have the chance to provide department representatives with contact information and listings of the services and goods they offer, while receiving answers to questions from procurement staff.  This free event is from 9 a.m. to noon on…