Author: On Common Ground News

The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold the following meetings on Monday, November 11, 2024. The board meeting is in-person and will be held in the J. David Williamson Board Room, Robert R. Freeman Administrative Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083. 11:30 am     BOARD MEETING Executive Session for the purpose of discussing permitted matters. Work Session & Business Meeting 5:45 pm Community Input Session                   The meeting agenda is attached and can be accessed online by going to: www.dekalbschoolsga.org, click on Leadership, go to Simbli (formally known as eBoard) Home Page and click on the date for the meetingagenda/information.  The meeting can…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Democrats Jacqueline Adams and LaDena Bolton are headed for a run-off on Dec. 3 for DeKalb County’s Super District 7 Board of Commissioner’s seat.  Early voting will be held Nov. 25-27. The super district is comprised of 350,000 residents who live in the Southern half of the county. The runoff winner will succeed Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who became the Democratic nominee in the DeKalb County CEO’s race in the May 2024 primary. Facing no Republican challengers, Cochran-Johnson was elected on Tuesday as DeKalb County’s CEO and will take the reigns in January 2025.   Since neither Adams nor Bolton received 50 percent plus one vote…

Story Updated Nov. 13: Jayquan Holiday has been located and found safe, DeKalb  County Police said. DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 11-year-old Jayquan Holiday.  The boy left his home on Nov. 7 near the 4300 block of Timberlake Lane without permission after getting in trouble with his mother. He is 4’11, 180 lbs. with brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing a gray/ white shirt, blue joggers and a multicolored bookbag. Anyone who sees him is asked to call DeKalb County Police at 770-724-7710 or 911. 

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A Gwinnett County jury found a wheelchair-bound man guilty of shooting and killing a Norcross man as retribution for being assaulted.  Willie Lee Jones, 48, was convicted on Thursday of two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon for the May 10, 2023, shooting death of 64-year-old Benjamin Alonzo Francis. Jones was sentenced to life in prison plus five years with the possibility of parole.  “Vigilantism is not the way to handle disputes,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “A man…

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the State of Georgia and its participating local governments will receive more than $55 million to expand access to opioid treatment, prevention, and recovery services as part of a recently finalized settlement agreement with Kroger.  The funds will be distributed over a period of time. The settlement agreement, which totals $1.37 billion overall and includes a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, resolves allegations that the company contributed to the opioid crisis. Kroger has also agreed to injunctive relief that requires its pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA–Vice President Kamala Harris swept Rockdale County, handily beating Former President Donald Trump with 72.93 percent of the vote, unofficial results show.  Even with a bevy of third-party and write-in candidates, Harris beat Trump by a larger margin than President Joe Biden did in 2020, when he earned 69.89 percent of the votes.  For Rockdale’s sole Congressional seat, Incumbent Democratic Congressman David Scott of District 13 beat Republican Jonathan Chavez with 74.38 percent of the vote. Scott, who last represented Rockdale in 2005 after Congressional maps were redrawn will represent Rockdale once again. Come Jan 1, Rockdale officially moves…

DECATUR, GA–Six DeKalb County voting precincts received bomb threats, as well as two other locations that were not precincts on Election Day around 5 p.m.   Officials said at 8:45 p.m. that police found no bombs at any of the sites.  Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the coordinated bomb threats were tied to Russian interference. DeKalb County Police Department performed bomb sweeps at the following locations: Precincts: New Bethel AME Church, 8350 Rockbridge Rd., Lithonia North DeKalb Senior Center, 3393 Malone Dr., Chamblee Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 Lavista Rd., Tucker Wesley Chapel Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Rd., Decatur New…