Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Board of Education Vice Chairwoman Pam Brown was unanimously elected as the Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) District 4 Director, representing public school districts in Rockdale, Newton, and DeKalb counties. GSBA district directors serve three-year terms. Rockdale County Board of Education Chairwoman Mandy North commended Brown for her leadership. “We are proud of Vice Chairwoman Pam Brown on the unanimous selection by her peers to serve as GSBA’s District 4 Director, continuing the leadership of Rockdale’s school board in the region and state,” North said. “Her experience and passion for public education make her a wonderful champion for…

DeKalb County will celebrate the end of the DeKalb Virtual Career Academy (DCVA), its inaugural virtual summer youth employment program, on Friday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. to noon.  The celebration will highlight innovative strategies and concepts learned during the summer program and honor interns who participated. The celebration will be broadcast live on DCTV, Comcast Cable Channel 23 in DeKalb County.  Those without Comcast or outside of DeKalb County can watch the full event live on DCTV’s UStream page https://video.ibm.com/channel/dctv-channel-23. The county’s annual summer youth employment program was revamped into a virtual academy in response to the COVID-19 economic crisis.…

The DeKalb County Board of Health will conclude COVID-19 testing operations on Aug. 31 in Tucker, located on the campus of Rehoboth Baptist Church, located at 2997 Lawrenceville Hwy. Beginning Monday, Aug. 3, the Board of Health will operate the following testing locations, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.: Beulah Missionary Baptist Church
2340 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur Former K-Mart Store Parking Lot (at I-285 and Buford Hwy.)
5597 Buford Hwy. NE, Doraville Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church
1879 Glenwood Ave. SE, Atlanta Greenforest Community Baptist Church
3250 Rainbow Drive, Decatur Salem Bible Church
5460 Hillandale Drive, Stonecrest, The testing location at…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond School supplies, food, COVID-19 care kits to be distributed   On Saturday, Aug. 1, DeKalb County will host a food distribution event at three drive-thru locations at which 2,400 DeKalb residents will receive one 20-pound box of fruit and vegetables and a 10-pound bag of frozen chicken hind quarters, along with school supplies and COVID-19 Care Kits. Beginning at 10 a.m., COVID-19 Care Baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at three locations: Buck Godfrey Stadium,2817 Clifton Springs Rd., Decatur, James R. Hallford Stadium, 3789 Memorial…

The DeKalb County Police Department has identified the senior citizen who remained in a local hospital but was unable to provide any information about himself. The man was identified as 60-year-old Omar Ahmed, after a viewer recognized his picture ton social media following the Police Department’s plea for the public’s help. Ahmed continues to recover in a local hospital, but will be reunited soon with his family and friends, said DeKalb Police spokesperson Michaela  Vincent.  

Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today(July 28) laid out a case of corruption against Attorney General William Barr and President Trump during a House Judiciary Committee hearing of the Department of Justice. Johnson was among several House Democrats who questioned Barr  concerning allegations of political interference and his abuse of power. Barr is accused of protecting several of President Trump’s political allies, including convicted felon Roger Stone, Jr., whose sentence was commuted by  the President on July 10, 2020. You can view Rep. Johnson questioning…

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…