Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County reported that 1,272 00 ballots had been cast in person and 628 by mail  for a total of 1,900 votes on March 2.  DeKalb Sheriff’s Office to hold news conference on coronavirus  The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office plans to hold a news conference on Wednesday, March 4, to announce its preparedness plan for the coronavirus. The DeKalb County Jail currently has some 1,800 inmates awaiting trial or serving sentences up to 24 months. The jail infirmary can accommodate patients with infectious diseases. The facility has a 3,800 bed capacity. . Inmate…

 EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS: MAIN – 1400 Parker Road, Conyers   SOUTH – Conyers Church of Christ, 1410 Flat Shoals Road, Conyers NORTH – St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, 1522 Highway 138, NE, Conyers EARLY VOTING PERIOD 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, MARCH 2 -13, MON – FRI 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, MARCH 14, (SATURDAY) PARKER ROAD ONLY 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, MARCH 16 – MARCH 17, MON & TUES 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, MARCH 18 – MARCH 20, WED – FRI (extended hours) To confirm your voter registration and where to vote visit: • Secretary of State…

Dr. Terry O. Oatts, Ed.D. Superintendent To our Parents, Personnel, and Community Stakeholders: I know there are many questions and concerns regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19). I want to let you know what we are doing to prepare our schools and to protect our students and staff. We are committed to providing our staff and students with a safe and healthy work and learning environment throughout the school year. Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is working closely with state and local health officials to monitor and prepare for the potential of a…

As Georgia’s first cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) have been confirmed, DeKalb County’s  top doctor wants to make it clear that public health officials are ready to respond, if and when the virus surfaces in DeKalb County. “The two cases identified in Fulton County are travel-related exposures, not community spread,” said DeKalb County District Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D. “While I realize that everyone is greatly concerned about the rapid spread of the virus in several parts of the world, the actions that you would take to prevent the spread of…

DeKalb County is holding its third Census Carnival to continue spreading the word about the importance of the 2020 Census. The free event will be held Saturday, March 7, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Gallery at South DeKalb, 2801 Candler Rd., Decatur, GA 30034. Free tickets can be reserved at https://tiny.cc/march7carnival. The event will feature vendors inside and outside of the mall, and includes free bounce houses, food and face-painting. If every resident is counted, DeKalb County could receive $1.8 billion in federal funds per year for the next 10 years. Participating in…

DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond will formally endorse Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg for president. Thurmond will join supporters of Mike Bloomberg 2020’s Georgia campaign to make his announcement at a “Mike for Black America” Economic Empowerment rally in DeKalb County with special guest, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake,  Bloomberg’s National Co-Chair and former Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. The rally will be held on Friday, Feb. 28, noon to 1 p.m., at Georgia Piedmont Technical College’sConference Center, 495 N. Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston. As DeKalb’s CEO, Thurmond oversees one of the most diverse counties in…

The Rockdale County Board of Elections will host an event to educate residents on new voting machines the county will be using in upcoming elections. The demonstration will be held on Thursday, March 5, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Rockdale County Board of Elections Office, 1261 Commercial Drive SW Suite B, Conyers. The event is free and open to the public.

Residents condemned the four Stonecrest City Council members who staged a walkout on Feb. 10 after their motion failed to excuse Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble for missing two city council meetings in 2019. Although the city announced that it was dropping its lawsuit on Feb. 18 to determine if Cobble should forfeit her seat because of the absences, tensions remain in the city. The Feb. 24 City Council meeting drew a crowd. Four residents drew applause as they each expressed their discontent over the actions of those who walked out: Council members Cobble,…

February’s record rainfall caused a 9.2-million-gallon sewer spill near DeKalb’s Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Plant during the week of Feb. 19. To date in 2020, DeKalb County has received 18.45 inches of rain, the highest January-February total since 1936, which registered 19.24 inches. A preliminary engineering analysis indicates that the Meadow Creek Path sewer spill was caused when the plant reached its treatment and storage capacity, which has been temporarily reduced by the ongoing construction of a new plant. The spill occurred during heavy rainfall at a nearby junction box vault. It…