Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, in partnership with the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority (FDHA), is hosting the second annual Lock-in for Life, a program designed to promote healthy relationships among middle and high school teen males. The three-hour virtual event will be held Friday, Oct. 9, 6 to 9 p.m., and will feature discussions on mentorship, social and mental preparedness, life skills and conflict resolution. Co-hosted by Berean Christian Church and Prevailing Love Worship Center, Lock-in for Life will address the critical needs of DeKalb’s male students and the unique challenges they face. “We are proud to be able to host Lock-in…

SAT scores for Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) increased,  while scores for the state and nation decreased slightly from 2019, state reports show. The mean composite score for RCPS is 994, up from 979. The mean score for Georgia public schools is 1043 and the mean score for U.S. public schools is 1030, with 2019 scores 1048 and 1039 respectively. “We are very pleased with our 2020 graduating seniors’ collective SAT Performance under extraordinary circumstances,” said RCPS Superintendent Terry Oatts. “Not even an unprecedented public health crisis can deter our graduating seniors from demonstrating their college and career readiness.  As…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) will host the 18th semester of Parent Academy on Saturday, Sept. 26, with world-class courses in a new, virtual format. The free, half-day event offers classes from 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on a variety of topics to help parents find success in these unprecedented times, officials said. To register, please visit www.rockdaleschools.org/parentacademy RCPS Superintendent Dr. Terry Oatts opens the day as the keynote speaker with the “State of the School System” overview. Class topics this year were chosen based on parent feedback. Some of the highlights include: helping my child with virtual school, achieving…

DECATUR – Wheatfields Court, between Royal Bluff and the cul-de-sac, will be closed to through-traffic Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., to facilitate the filming of “Dear Evan Hansen.”        Road closure and detour signs will be placed in the area during the road closure period advising motorists of filming in the area and of local traffic restrictions. Questions regarding the road closure should be addressed to Paola Cambo, key assistant location manager, The Connor Project LLC, at 787-613-3841.  

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will hold a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly created pavilion at Frazier Rowe Park, 2886 Lavista Road, Decatur, on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. The pavilion was part of a Community Building Block Grant, which was applied by the Friends of Frazier Rowe Park. The Park Pride Grant was matched by District 2 funds to complete the pavilion project. The public is invited to join park staff and county officials by visiting  DCTVChannel23.tv to view a live stream of the ceremony.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Sally on Sept. 17 caused a total of 2.87 million gallons of sewer to spill in DeKalb County at 19 locations, county officials said. The remnants of Hurricane Sally resulted in severe rainfall throughout DeKalb County with 24-hour rainfall totals of between four and six inches recorded throughout much of the county. The intense storm event caused flooding and severe stormwater runoff and ranks among the largest events of the past 10 years. The spills, including a 2.1-million-gallon spill on Meadow Creek Path, was caused by stormwater intrusion into the wastewater system, county officials said. A preliminary…

STONECREST—The city’s 131,000-square-foot City Hall site, located at 2929 Turner Hill Road, will serve as an early voting precinct for DeKalb County residents, officials announced today(Sept. 22) Mayor Jason Lary said the former Sam’s Club would replace the precinct at the Stonecrest Library for in-person early voting, which will be held Oct. 12-30 for the Nov. 3 General Election. “We will have plenty of room to accommodate voters,” said Lary. “We did a walk-through of the building last Friday (Sept. 18) with elections officials and we’re ready to go.” The City Council approved the use of the former Sam’s Club…

Photos by Kelly Jordan The NAACP DeKalb hosted a “Get-Vote-Ready” rally and voter registration drive at the McDonald’s located in the Kroger shopping plaza on Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur and Turner Hill Road in the city of Stonecrest. The event was held on Sept. 19 just ahead of National Voter Registration Day, which is Sept. 22. NAACP branches in DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties held the voter registration drives and rallies at six McDonald’s locations. “Too many of our ancestors have shed blood and died for the right to vote and I have made this a…

Pictured L-R: Edwina Clanton, elected chair of the Stonecrest Business Alliance, and Stacey Thibodeaux, elected vice chair. The Stonecrest Business Alliance, Inc. held its Annual General Body Meeting and Board of Directors elections on Sept. 16.  After the general membership elected board members, the newly-installed board elected Edwina Clanton as chair and  Stacey Thibodeaux  as  vice chair. Edwina Clanton is the Broker/Owner of East Metro Brokers.  She serves on the Stonecrest Businss Alliance as a representative of the Parks of Stonecrest, one of the largest residential subdivisions in the City of Stonecrest. She is also president of…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a murder suspect in connection with the shooting death of Jamaal Antoine Cobb on Aug. 23 at a Park Drive residence in Lithonia. Lithonia resident Ryan Anson Carter, 35, is being charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Theft by Taking.  According to the arrest warrants, Carter shot Cobb in the leg, causing his death. Carter is also charged with taking cash and the victim’s vehicle. Working with the U.S. Marshals and the DeKalb County Police and DeKalb K9 Unit, DeKalb Sheriff’s investigators took…