Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) and Bread of Life Development (BOLD) Ministries are partnering this summer for the annual “Be Bright, Eat Right Rockdale” Summer Feeding Program to ensure Rockdale County’s children receive healthy, balanced and delicious meals throughout the summer. If your child (up to age 18) lives in one of the neighborhoods served, they can receive a free lunch Monday through Friday during the summer. Servers will be wearing bright blue “Be Bright, Eat Right Rockdale” T-shirts. RCPS will deliver bagged lunches via school bus to locations in several neighborhoods across Rockdale County. RCPS will…

Update: State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick said the program is open to adult programmers only. She apologizes for the mistake. State Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick , District 93, is inviting young coders to attend a coding camp at the Omega World Center in South DeKalb on June 1, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Opportunity Hub, Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc., Friendship Foundation & GitHub are joining forces to host the engineering Hackathon. Programming for all levels of experience will be powered by GitHub, a Microsoft company. In addition to the Hackathon, CHUB CEO Rodney Sampson will lead a panel with GitHub tam…

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today joined a group of 51 Attorneys General in urging the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to automatically forgive the student loans of veterans who became totally and permanently disabled in connection with their military service. The bipartisan coalition issued its letter as the country prepares to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day. “Our veterans made a promise to us when they offered to serve our nation in the armed forces, and we as a nation must keep our promises to them, particularly to those who were injured in the line of duty,”…

Dear DeKalb County School District Family, Congratulations on a strong finish to another incredible year! Thank you for your commitment and dedication to the students and families of our DeKalb County School District. It is truly an honor to serve alongside you, and I look forward to serving as your superintendent for the 2019-2020 school year. As this school year wraps up, I feel it is important to also let you know that after thoughtful consideration with my family, I have decided not to pursue an extension to my current contract that ends June 30, 2020. The DeKalb County Schools…

By Sarita Mason OCG News Intern Four recruits are gaining hands-on experience in the automotive world, thanks to DeKalb County Fleet Management, Georgia Piedmont Technical College and DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, District 5. The students are among the first to participate in the DeKalb Fleet Apprenticeship Program. The two-year program launched on Sept.4, 2018 and is now providing the opportunities for students to get directly under the hood and on the ground as they learn to repair big fleets such as firetrucks, police cars and tractor trailers used by county government workers. Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson…

The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services honored a Gwinnett County resident as a Foster Caregiver of the Year during an appreciation luncheon and awards ceremony on May 20 in Atlanta. Gracie Kennard was chosen among foster parents nominated by Division staff statewide based on her outstanding service and partnership with the agency. “We are grateful for all of Georgia’s foster parents for opening their homes and hearts to children in need,” said Division Director Tom C. Rawlings. “Our Foster Caregivers of the Year, however, deserve special recognition because they consistently go above and beyond what we ask…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has made another arrest in conjunction with the shooting death of a 7-year-old girl who was at her foster parents’ home on Satellite Boulevard in Ellenwood when she was killed on April 12. Scottdale resident Dwayne Eric Allen, 27, is in custody at the DeKalb County Jail after sheriff’s deputies apprehended and arrested him on May 20without incident at an Atlanta-area business. Allen is charged with murder and aggravated assault. According to warrants issued May 16, Allen and his nephew, 21-year-old Antoine Allen, shot up the Satellite Boulevard home with an AR-15 assault rifle, and…

A suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of a woman on May 11. On May 18, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit, with assistance from the U.S Marshals and Chamblee Police Department, arrested 29-year-old Alexandra Liz Bodie of Lithonia on a warrant charging her with the felony murder of Brandy Jean Brummett, 40, of Atlanta. According to the warrant, Bodie shot Brummett in the chest with a black handgun at 2800 Northeast Expressway in Chamblee, causing her death. Bodie was arrested in Doraville and transported without incident to the DeKalb County Jail.  

DeKalb County has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve alleged civil claims under federal law. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the county and its agency, WorkSource DeKalb, violated the False Claims Act by misusing grant funds for the Department of Labor’s On-the-Job Training (“OJT”) program. The civil settlement resolves the United States’ claims that, between Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 18, 2016, DeKalb County falsely certified compliance with Department of Labor regulations related to OJT. According to the allegations, former WorkSource DeKalb officials improperly administered an on-the-job training program, usingmonies…

Recent DeKalb County School District (DCSD) graduates can learn more about college entry, military enrollment, and entering the workforce courtesy of the Department of Student Advancement’s Summer Transition Centers (STC). STCs are scheduled to open June 3 at locations throughout DeKalb. The free centers offer assistance in finalizing college paperwork, receiving financial aid, answer questions about what to do after high school, college application, and reviewing other options. “When a student graduates from a DeKalb County high school, we make sure they have the tools needed to succeed at the next level available,” said Superintendent R. Stephen Green. “The…