Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) scores increased on the American College Test (ACT), according to results recently released by the Georgia Department of Education for Class of 2020 graduates. RCPS had an overall ACT composite score of 19.6, an increase over last year’s score of 18.8 and just below the state and nation at 21.7 and 20.6 respectively. A total of 397 Rockdale students took the ACT. The scores are the most recent results from the 2020 graduates who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors, officials said. The ACT is a national college admissions exam, which measures achievement…

Rockdale County elections officials announced today(Oct. 14) that the county will open the Springfield Baptist Church Activity Center, 1877 Iris Drive, S.E., as a  second early voting site for the Nov. 3 General Election starting Monday, Oct. 19. The Rockdale Board of Elections approved the second early voting site at an emergency meeting today. Rockdale Elections Supervisor Cynthia Willingham said opening the additional location will provide voters with more than one location during the early voting period, which runs Oct. 12-30. On Monday, the first day of early voting, Rockdale witnessed an unprecedented turnout at the 1400 Parker Road annex,…

L-R: Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, City Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble and City Attorney Winston Denmark Four Stonecrest City Council members have set a Special Called meeting for Oct. 14, 6 p.m., after clashing at last night’s council meeting over the agenda. The meeting dissolved after the Pledge of Allegiance with the council deadlocked on approving the agenda. The meeting ended abruptly after a nearly 40-minute debate and the council’s 3-3 tie vote, which resulted into a failed motion to approve the meeting agenda and move forward with the city’s business. The packed agenda for the meeting, which…

Attached is the Early Voting turnout for the first day of Early Voting, Monday, October 12, 2020 for the upcoming November 3rd General and Special Election.  To confirm your voter registration and where to vote visit: • Secretary of State My Voter Page: www.mvp.sos.ga.gov • Download the Georgia Votes App: GA Votes • Contact the Rockdale Board of Elections Office: 1261 Commercial Drive, SW, Suite B, Phone: (770) 278-7333 Website: www.rockdalecountyga.gov     Thank you in advance for your part in making voting in our County a SUCCESS!  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.…

CONYERS–Hundreds of voters lined up this morning at the Parker Road precinct, the only site open for early voting in Rockdale County. The line looped around the large Parker Road complex, stretching from the front to the sidewalk on Parker Road with people wearing their masks and carrying lawn chairs, well-prepared for the wait. Rockdale Clerk of Court-Elect Janice Morris, who was in the long line, said volunteers from Springfield Baptist Church were passing out water and chairs, along with other volunteers. “We are out here rockin’ the vote!” Morris exclaimed with excitement. Morris, who was No. 293…

Stonecrest residents Susan and Julius Lee were the first in line for Early Voting at the Stonecrest precinct on Oct. 12, the first day of early voting in DeKalb County, which drew hundreds before dawn. STONECREST–Hundreds of voters arrived under the cover of darkness this morning to cast their ballots at the Stonecrest Precinct on the first day of Early Voting in DeKalb County. Lines snaked from the front door of the former Sam’s Club, the future home of the new Stonecrest City Hall, across the parking lot to the McDonald’s restaurant on Turner Hill Road. Stonecrest…

STONECREST– Democrats were out in full force on Saturday stomping for votes in DeKalb County at the Flip the Senate event hosted by DeKalb County Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Johnson.  Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson and his wife, DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, State Rep. Doreen Carter, U.S. Senate Democratic nomineeJon Ossoff attended the event where free Biden-Harris yard signs were given away at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church campus on Saturday, Oct. 10. Yard signs supporting U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock and U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jon Ossoff also were distributed. Ossoff was on hand to greet DeKalb…

STONECREST–On Monday (Oct. 12), the city of Stonecrest will welcome voters to the largest Early Voting precinct in DeKalb County and one of the largest in the state. The DeKalb Board of Elections is moving 30 voting machines into the future Stonecrest City Hall, which is the site of the former 130,000-square-foot Sam’s Club, located at the corner of Turner Hill Road and Stonecrest Parkway. Officials said about 40,000 square feet of the building would be used for the voting precinct. Mayor Jason Lary said the city is pleased tooffer the site as DeKalb’s largest Early Voting site. Any DeKalb…

The DeKalb County Police Department is seeking the male suspect pictured in the photos and video. He is wanted for questioning in a Sept. 25, 2020 armed robbery. At approximately 10:20 p.m., the male victim was attempting to deliver food on the 1400 block of Willow Lake Drive when he was approached by a male suspect with a gun. The  suspect robbed the victim of his cell phone, wallet and the victim’s vehicle. The victim was not physically harmed in the incident and his vehicle was located two days later in a neighboring jurisdiction, authorities said. Anyone with information about…

The DeKalb County Virtual Village 2.0, “Keeping Children Safe During a Global Pandemic,” has announced that Orrin Hudson, founder  of the Stone Mountain-based nonprofit, Be Someone Inc., will conduct a series of 10 virtual chess classes for DeKalb youths ages 8 – 18.  The one-hour long classes will be taught Saturdays, 11 a.m. to noon, Oct. 10 through Dec. 12.   The free program will culminate witha chess tournament followed by an awards program. Hudson presented a similar program this summer that was well attended.  What makes Hudson’s program unique is that while teaching young people to play chess, he uses the…