Author: On Common Ground News

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced the winners of his 2021 Congressional Arts Competition and awarded four college scholarships worth a total of $35,000 on April 24 in a virtual ceremony. In this year’s competition, there were more than 36 entries from nine high schools in DeKalb, Rockdale, Newton and Gwinnett counties. The Grand Prize Winner was Jacqueline Campos-Zarare, a junior at Brookwood High School. Campos-Zarare won a $12,000 scholarship to Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) for her work “Somos Uno.” Campos-Zarare’s winning piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, where it will hang with other award winners…

STONECREST, GA—Stoney and Pebbles may sound like family members of The Flintstones, the animated 1960s comical sitcom about a Stone Age family. But they’re not. Stoney, who weighs about 500 pounds, and Pebbles, who weighs about 350 pounds, are the newest members to join The Mall at Stonecrest security team. Mall officials introduced the two robots during a press conference held today (April 29) at the lower-level Dillard’s court. Patricia Edge, general manager of The Mall At Stonecrest, said the robots are being utilized in conjunction with several security upgrades, in addition to the mall’s continued partnership with the DeKalb…

Starting Monday, May 3, DeKalb County Public Library will offer one-hour book browsing appointments. Prior to entry, each patron must submit to a temperature screening and proper face coverings will be required. Patrons are encouraged to use self-checkout machines where available. Contact-free pickup for materials will transition to “grab-n-go,” where patrons can pick up their items inside the branch. Please call ahead to notify staff before arriving to pick up items. For more information, visit www.dekalblibrary.org

“Educational sessions by Wellpath, our inmate health services provider, have helped inmates make informed decisions about taking advantage of this opportunity while in our custody,” says DeKalb Sheriff Melody M. Maddox. “Requests for the vaccine are increasing daily.” Currently, there are no positive cases of COVID-19 among inmates in custody at the DeKalb County Jail. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 284 positive cases among inmates and 125 cases among employees and vendors. The jail imposes a temporary housing quarantine on new arrestees as a precautionary measure before they can interact with other inmates. There have been…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office has invited some local citizens to participate on Thursday (April 29) in its first training using the new Ti RECON CORE simulator. The training aide provides deputies with reality-based scenarios on a screen, allowing them to move in a room at 90-degree angles. “This will give citizens of Rockdale County a firsthand look into the split-second demands on law enforcement decisions in tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving situations that require the human performance aspect of cognitive neuroscience and human psychology and are considered as a part of police and law enforcement methodology,” the…

By Mark Brock DCSD Athletics Specialist The 2021 GHSA State Baseball Playoffs begin on Wednesday (April 28) with eight DeKalb County School District programs competing and four with home best-of-three series. Druid Hills (16-7) opens Class 4A hosting Northwest Whitefield (20-9) in a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3:30 pm at Druid Hills Middle School. The Red Devils have not won a playoff series since 2003. A third game, if necessary, would be at the same site at 4:30 pm on Thursday. In other Class 4A action, the Stephenson Jaguars (9-7) hit the road to Ringgold to face Heritage-Catoosa (22-7)…

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may soon see a temporary increase to their benefits for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. With $490 million provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, USDA has offered states, tribal nations and territories the option of boosting the cash-value voucher benefit by more than three times the current amount for up to four months to provide additional relief during this difficult time. “To more effectively promote heathier eating patterns, we need to promote nutrition…

DECATUR, GA —Crews overnight completed the repair on a six-inch-diameter water main near the intersection of Kilgore Lane and Kilgore Road in Lithonia, county officials stated in a news release today (April 27). Water has been restored to approximately 200 homes that were without water service. Any customer experiencing brown water should run their faucets until the water is clear. For more information, contact the DeKalb County Watershed Department at 770-270-6243.

DECATUR, GA– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office wants persons with outstanding warrants for misdemeanor charges to surrender. “Warrant Relief Days” will be held May 4-6, 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. at the DeKalb County Jail, 4425 Memorial Drive, Decatur. During these three days only, persons with outstanding misdemeanor warrants issued by a law enforcement agency in DeKalb County who voluntarily turn themselves in to authorities may be eligible for an unsecured judicial release. When the pandemic began last year, a “Standing Order Governing Bail During Judicial Emergency” was issued by the State Court of DeKalb County allowing persons to…

Photos L-R: Rockdale resident Paula Moreland and Newton County Deputy Sheriff Andre Cooper  Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is inviting one constituent from Rockdale County and one from Newton County as his virtual guests to President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress on tonight(April 28) at 9. Paula Moreland, a disabled Rockdale County resident who worked part time for her church and is a COVID-19 survivor, received the $1,400 Economic Impact Direct Payment under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. With the money, she was able to pay for some much-needed home repairs and purchase medication she desperately needed. The American Rescue…