Author: On Common Ground News

CONYERS–The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the early morning shooting of a 34-year-old man who was riding his bicycle near Salem Road and Golfview Drive. The victim, identified as Kelvin D. Battle of Covington, is in serious condition at a local hospital, the Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release. The incident happened on May 24 around 4:47 a.m. Deputies responded to a “person down’ call and found the victim at the intersection of Salem Road and Golfview Drive. He had been shot multiple times, investigators said. No suspects have been identified. The investigation is still in the preliminary…

AGENDA Thursday May 27, 2021 12:00 p.m. This meeting will be conducted via teleconference (Zoom). Simultaneous public access to the meeting will be available: (1) via live stream on DCTV.s webpage, (2) on DCTVChannel23.TV (3) Public Comment may be submitted by sending an email no longer than one page to WCSBABpubcomment@dekalbcountyga.gov which must be received between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Only those emails received during the allotted time may be read aloud and broadcast. Emails received outside of the allotted time will be included in the Public Comments record for the next meeting after…

The STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) award is a program of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) honoring the student in each high school with the highest SAT score who is also in the top 10 or top 10 percent of their class. That student selects a teacher as their STAR Teacher. Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is proud to announce the STAR Students and Teachers for 2021: Heritage High School STAR Student – Grant Priess (heading to Auburn University, intending to major in Physics) STAR Teacher – Brett Creel, Rockdale Career Academy, Construction Instructor Rockdale County High School…

    Recruitment for adult learners to begin in June DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has been selected by the Technical College System of Georgia’s Office of Adult Education as an adult education provider for 500 adults who will be able to earn a GED and obtain English language acquisition services, family literacy and support for post-secondary learning. “We are thrilled to provide these services to hundreds of adult learners. It is our mission to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence, and that includes adult learners,” said DCSD Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris. The district’s Adult Education Program aims to provide…

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA—Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners (BOC) recently approved a $6.2 million contract for an addition to the police training center at 854 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. Hogan Construction Group, LLC, of Norcross was the lowest of five bidders for the project. The expansion will include a two-story addition with offices, training rooms, and a multipurpose room with a physical ability course that meets Peace Officer Standards and Training Council requirements. “Our department has grown by 13 percent since our existing training facility opened in 2007, and we are now running two much larger academy classes simultaneously most of the…

Public safety employees to receive $3,000 retention bonuses     DECATUR, GA— Today, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced a proposed multimillion-dollar comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety and prevent violent crimes. “This funding will allow us to proactively work to mitigate the growing crisis of homicides and violent crimes in metro Atlanta and holistically address the root causes and effects of crime throughout DeKalb County,” Thurmond said. The proposed public safety and crime prevention and intervention strategy was presented to the Board of Commissioners for review and consideration. Of the $73 million received from the American Rescue Plan, the…

The special election to fill the seat of  Rockdale County Probate Judge is off to a slow start.  Rockdale County Elections Director Cynthia Willingham reported that a total of 196 early voters had cast ballots(.31 percent of the county’s total active voters) by the close of business today(May 24). Incumbent Judge Gary Washington faces two challengers: Kathy Harvey and Justin Kenney to fill the unexpired term of Clarence Cuthpert, Jr.  Washington became the judge in the Probate Court on March 1 after Cuthpert, Jr. was appointed to the State Court. Early voting , which runs May 24 through  June 11, …

Rockdale County Sheriff’s investigators have upgraded the charges against a suspect accused of brutally attacking a 58-year-old Conyers man with a hammer. Roy B. Dees, 32, who was originally charged with Aggravated Battery, is now facing Murder charges, the Sheriff’s Office said today (May 24). Dees’ charges were upgraded after Jimmy Vance died on May 21 following a series of complications from the head injuries. Dees is accused of striking Vance several times in the head with a hammer on May 16, investigators said. Vance, a handyman, had been doing some work at a home near Broad and River streets…

DeKalb County replacing three I-285 Eastside bridges   ATLANTA—Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT )in April awarded 15 construction contracts for statewide transportation projects totaling $65,061,289, officials announced today (May 24). A Design-Build project was awarded to Archer Western Construction, LLC  for the I-285 Eastside Bridges project in DeKalb County. Archer Western was selected from among four bidders and was ranked as having the best value score.  The project calls for replacing the existing bridges over Interstate-285 at State Route 12/US 278/Covington Highway, Redwing Circle and Glenwood Road. All new bridges will be constructed with spans long enough to accommodate the express lanes.  To…

A Rockdale County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering after being struck by a vehicle while investigating a traffic accident early this morning (May 24) on Interstate 20. The deputy was hit  around 3:41 a.m. an I-20 Eastbound lane near exit 84, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The deputy’s name was not released. The deputy was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained and is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said. The other vehicle involved stayed on the scene. No injuries were reported by the other parties involved, the Sheriff’s Office stated.  Georgia State Patrol is…