Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR, GA- In a bold step to curb crime and reckless driving, the DeKalb County Police Department’s Special Operations Division conducted a high-visibility Spring Operation Safety Checkpoint on Friday, April 11.  The initiative is a key component of DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson’s comprehensive public safety strategy, which combines proactive policing, multi-agency collaboration, and targeted enforcement to reduce crime and save lives. The two-hour checkpoint was held at 2936 Memorial Drive near the intersection of Candler Road—an area for heavy traffic and high crime rates. Officers screened for valid licenses, registration, insurance, impaired driving, and equipment violations, while distributing educational materials…

CONYERS, GA–Disc golf enthusiasts gathered for the ribbon-cutting of the Iron Hoof Disc Golf Course at the Georgia International Horse Park (GIHP) on April 16. The 18-hole, championship course is now open and free for public use. Volunteers, led by local disc golf course designers Donny Cook and Travis Hurt, built the course over the last few months on the Bald Rock Meadows section of the park, located off of Costley Mill Road.  Similar to the game of golf, disc golf players use a flying disc or Frisbee rather than balls and clubs. Players throw the golf disc from a…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— Greater Georgia Action, Inc. launched its statewide education tour on Wednesday, April 15, with a town hall meeting featuring Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King. The event focused on Georgia’s newly passed  Senate Bill 68, tort reform law, which aims to limit excessive lawsuits and create  more balanced litigation in the state’s courts.    King provided an overview of the new law, expected to be signed on  Monday, April 21, by Gov. Brian Kemp. King says the new law is greatly needed to rein in “phantom lawsuit damages”– legal awards based on inflated medical bills. The goal, he said, is…

DECATUR, GA –– The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a former employee charged with bringing contraband into the DeKalb County Jail. Stone Mountain resident Tony Alzadia Randle, 22, was taken into custody without incident at the DeKalb County Jail on April 16. Randle is charged with Violation of Oath of Office by a Public Officer and Crossing State/County Guard Lines with Weapons, Intoxicants, Drugs without Consent. Both offenses are felonies. Randle had been with the agency since September 2024 as a Detention Officer assigned to jail operations. He was released on Thursday, April 17, on a $5,000 bond.

LITHONIA, GA—The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce honored five DeKalb County high school seniors as winners of its 2025 essay scholarship contest on Wednesday, April 16.   The board presented each student with a $500 ceremonial check and gift bag during the Chamber’s Third Wednesday Luncheon, which was held at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Lithonia.  Board Vice Chair Andrew Chamblin, III, said the book scholarships would be awarded to the students once they have been accepted to the post-secondary school that they will attend in the fall.  The Chamber has sponsored the scholarships for several years as a way to…

ATLANTA—Georgia legislators representing DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale counties are inviting residents to a series of town hall meetings this month to provide updates on the 2025 Legislative Session. Some of the meetings are scheduled this week. The 40-day session officially ended on April 4 and lawmakers want you to know what was accomplished—and what wasn’t under the Georgia Capitol’s gold dome.  The town halls are an opportunity for constituents to meet their representatives, hear firsthand about key legislation and local issues that may affect their communities and ask questions.   Some of the meetings will be held jointly by legislators from the…

STONECREST, GA — After nearly 200,000 people nationwide pledged to boycott Target stores due to the rollback of the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is answering the call for economic justice.  On Good Friday, April 18, Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant will open the Bullseye Black Market, a curated marketplace showcasing 100+ Black entrepreneurs. Some featured vendors have previously had or currently have retail presence in Target stores. Joined by Georgia U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson and DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Bryant and First Lady Karri Bryant will officially launch this economic empowerment initiative on the church’s campus at the Samson Health & Fitness…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale Board of Commissioners Chair JaNice Van Ness will deliver her inaugural State of the County address on Wednesday, April 23, at 9 a.m. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at the Rockdale County Auditorium, 903 Main Street, Conyers.   Van Ness will outline her administration’s vision and strategic priorities for 2025, focusing on core issues that impact every corner of Rockdale County—including transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and sustainability. The address will provide updates on administrative operations, ongoing projects, and new initiatives aimed at strengthening the County’s economic vitality, improving public services, and…

ATLANTA– Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) joined Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock today, April 15, to show support for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) workers who have been fired by the Trump-Musk Administration.  At the rally, which was held outside of the CDC building located at 1600 Clifton Road N.E. in Atlanta, Johnson called on workers and supporters to stand in solidarity and demand restoration of critical staffing and funding.    “It’s time to get into trouble. Good trouble. Nonviolence, peaceful trouble,” a fired-up Johnson told the crowd, echoing the late, civil rights icon, Georgia Congressman John Lewis.      The U.S. CDC has slashed…