Author: On Common Ground News

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A Gwinnett County jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Buford couple involved in a case of repeated sexual abuse a 7-year-old girl with the mother instructing the girl to lie to authorities.  Javen Tyree Richardson, 25, was convicted of four counts of aggravated child molestation and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences with the first 80 years to serve in prison. Akilah Amin, the child’s 30-year-old mother, was convicted of one count of influencing a witness and one count of cruelty to children in the second degree. She was sentenced to 20 years with the first seven…

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp today announced that Angelique McClendon has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) effective May 1.  McClendon, a Rockdale County resident, has been serving the department as General Counsel and Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, where she has been a subject matter expert on all legal and regulatory issues relating to the agency’s statutory responsibilities. She will succeed Spencer Moore, who has dedicated over 30 years of service to the state of Georgia.  “On behalf of hardworking Georgians, I want to congratulate Angelique McClendon on her…

DECATUR, GA-  A Decatur woman was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, April 23, for the murder of her 7-year-old special needs daughter, whom she abandoned and left to die alone.  Alondra Hobbs, 29, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, stemming from the death of her daughter, Alivia Jordan.  The child’s mummified remains were discovered strapped in a stroller inside a bedroom closet on June 25, 2023.  DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the hearing,sentenced…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County Parks and Recreation is rolling out The Rec ‘N’ Crew, a mobile recreation program designed to bring fun, games, and engaging activities directly to parks and green spaces throughout the county — all on wheels. The program is the first of its kind in Rockdale County and only the fifth in Georgia. Specifically trained staff, known as “The Crew,” will travel with the mobile unit and deploy a variety of structured games, sports, arts and crafts, and cooperative activities for youth of all ages.  The Rec ‘N’ Crew is a free program dedicated to connecting and creatively engaging with the community. It…

ATLANTA– Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem asking that the Trump Administration hear the asylum claims of Afghan Christian refugees currently residing in the United States prior to sending them back to Afghanistan, where Christians face persecution and even execution by the Taliban. “In the wake of celebrating Easter, the most important event in Christianity, I learned that several Afghan Christian refugees currently residing in the United States were told they had to return to Afghanistan,” said Secretary Raffensperger. “Many of these Afghan Christians had risked their lives for religious freedom and…

ATLANTA—The Georgia Department of Labor announced today, April 24, that Atlanta recorded an unemployment rate of 3.6% in March, unchanged from a revised 3.6% in February. A year ago, the rate was 3.3%.  “In March, Georgians from every corner of the state stepped up, joining the workforce and filling critical jobs that drive our state’s economy forward,” said Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “By working with regional partners across the state, we’re creating a globally competitive workforce — one that’s built to last and ready to lead Georgia into its next phase of prosperity.” The labor force in Atlanta increased by 25,205 to 3,307,851. This…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA –Newly elected Board of Commissioners Chair JaNice Van Ness delivered her inaugural State of the County Address on Wednesday(April 23), marking the first time a woman has held the county’s top leadership role.  The address and breakfast, hosted by the Council for Quality Growth and presented by Atlas and Volkert, was held at 9 a.m. at the Rockdale County Auditorium.  Speaking to an audience of more than 200 business leaders, officials and residents, Van Ness introduced her administration’s guiding theme: SET—Sustainability, Economic Development, and Transparency. “Rockdale County is SET—for Sustainability, Economic Development, and Transparency,” Van Ness said.  On sustainability, Van Ness…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – A Gwinnett County jury found a Duluth man guilty of murder for inflicting fatal injuries on his 9-week-old daughter. Khaliq Woods, 29, was convicted of two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of first-degree cruelty to children for the November 2019, death of baby Kamila Woods. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.  “We grieve with the family of the deceased child Kamila Woods,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “This is a tragedy that an infant’s life was taken. We pray that the outcome…

UPDATE: The  location has changed for the Jamal H Bryant  Movement TARGETFAST Town Hall. The town hall will be held on TONIGHT, April 22, at 7:30 at   Salem Bible Church, 5460 Hillandale drive, Lithonia.  Stonecrest, GA—New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor Jamal Bryant will lead a town hall this evening, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. to launch the second phase of the national boycott against Target.  Bryant is calling on Blacks and other supporters to stop shopping at Target and divest from the retailer’s stock holdings, after demands were not met by this past weekend. Bryant launched a “40-day…