Author: On Common Ground News

On July 24, 2020, the truck pictured was stolen from T&B Motors, 1128 West Avenue in Conyers, GA. The vehicle is dark green in color but appears black in the photos. Any information leading to the arrest of these persons of interest may result in a cash reward of up to $2,000. Tipsters will remain anonymous and are asked to contact Crime Stoppers with any information:  404-577-TIPS (8477) Click: www.CrimeStoppersAtlanta.org

On Thursday, July 30, a lane closure is set to begin for sections of the northbound and southbound lanes along West Ponce De Leon Avenue, between Northern Avenue and Ponce De Leon Place. The lane closures will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while crews work to complete sewer assessments and evaluations of manholes. The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management has initiated this construction project as a part of ongoing maintenance to improve sewer service countywide. Motorists and MARTA passengers should expect traffic delays stemming from the lane closures. Signs and traffic flaggers will assist motorists in moving…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested Marquez Shaefer, 27, of Atlanta and charged him with murdering his brother, Jessie Shaefer. According to the arrest warrant, Marquez Shaefer fatally shot his brother at a residence in Stone Mountain on July 19, 2020. Investigators say the shooting was the result of a dispute between the two brothers. Sheriff’s investigators, working with the Doraville Police Department K9 Unit, took Marquez Shaefer into custody at a residence in Stone Mountain and transported him to the DeKalb County Jail without incident.

The Rockdale County run-off elections are under way and turnout remained low on Day 6, according to an update provided by the Rockdale Board of Elections Office. Only 593 people had cast ballots in person, while 1,540 mail-in ballots had been received as of July 27, elections officials reported. Rockdale has 63,629 eligible active voters.  Two critical seats are at stake: the Rockdale Clerk of Courts and the Board of Education Post 5 seat.   Early in-person voting will be held only at 1400 Parker Road, Conyers:      Monday – Friday, July 20 – Aug. 4, 8 a.m. – 4:30…

Deanna Johnson Cauthen, host of The Working Woman Radio Show, and Angela Paul, CEO of MathPlus Educational Services, have teamed up to create SchoolShare Atlanta, a directory that allows parents to find other parents who can supervise their children’s online learning while they are at work. “With Covid-19 being our reality, and kids not being able to go back to school, there are a lot of parents who don’t know what to do and are really stressed out,” Cauthen said. “As a former homeschooler, I felt like this was an opportunity for me to give back, and connect people with…

ATLANTA–The Georgia Senate and House Democratic Caucuses filed an amici curiae brief in Fulton County Superior Court on July 27, opposing Gov. Brian Kemp’s legal action to overturn the City of Atlanta’s requirement to wear face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legal brief, filed at 10:43 a.m., Monday, seeks both to support the city in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of Georgia residents and to understand and limit the scope of the Governor’s emergency powers the state legislature granted him in March of this year. The brief comes after Kemp filed legal action to prevent the Mayor…

The special election to fill the U.S. House of Rep. District 5 seat, which became vacant with the death of Rep. John Lewis, will be held Sept. 29, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced today (July 27).  Qualifying for the special election will be in the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,; Thursday, July 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Friday, July 31, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  State officials have had to move swiftly in order to meet election deadlines and prepare ballots in the…

Story Update: Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt released this statement today (July 27): As Chairman, manager of day-to-day county operations, it is my chief and primary responsibility to be as fiscally responsible of the taxpayers’ dollars. In doing so, that includes talent acquisition through recruitment, talent retention as well as talent assessment. Eighty percent of the “people business” is centered around customers and the delivery of services. Sometimes county bureaucrats become complacent and forget the vision, “Rockdale is a perfectly-positioned community with a rock-solid approach dedicated to excellence in customer service, quality of life and global…

The DeKalb County Police Department is seeing the public’s health in identifying an elderly man who was found and is now in a local hospital. The man was transported to the hospital after he was found on Flat Shoals Road on July 15. The victim does not have any identification and is non-verbal, authorities said. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call the Special Victims Unit at 770-724-7710.