Author: On Common Ground News

The Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts, in partnership with the city of Conyers, secured the talents of students in the University of Georgia’s(UGA) Lamar Dodd School of Art’s “Color the World Bright” program to restore vintage signs on the building at 939 Railroad Street in historic Olde Town Conyers. The Pointe, built in 1925, was formerly a locally-owned furniture warehouse, a mill owned by the Georgia Railroad, an antiques store, and has been the home of the bar/tavern, The Pointe, since 2007. Three sides of the building’s exterior feature Coca-Cola advertisements along with Walker-Owens Furniture signage, the name of the…

Georgia is among the states that use a grand jury system to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against a suspect. The purpose of the grand jury is to consider the evidence presented and decide whether there is enough probable cause (evidence) to indict someone for the charged crime. Generally, a Rockdale citizen age 18 or older who has not been convicted of a felony, not an office holder and not mentally incompetent is qualified to serve. No one is exempt because of his or her job, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or economic status. Service is for three…

DeKalb County School District police have identified a suspect in the pellet gun shooting incident that hurt 10 students on Thursday, April 25, at Wynbrooke Elementary School in Stone Mountain. The shooter fired pellets at students while they were on the playground, according to authorities. District officials announced today that DeKalb County School District Police served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence and retrieved the pellet gun that was allegedly involved in the shooting. “DeKalb County School District’s Police Department’s vigilance and tenacity over the past 24 hours has been superb,” said Superintendent/ R. Stephen Green. “The response…

                                           Repairs made to water main break of Winters Chapel Road DeKalb Watershed crews have repaired a break on a large water main off Winters Chapel Road near Doraville. The break was discovered around 2 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, after a contractor damaged a valve on a 48-inch transmission main at the location. Customers experiencing brown water should run their faucets until the water is clear. More information will be communicatedas available. For more information, contact the DeKalb…

Rockdale Sheriff’s investigators have charged Trevor Chase Bohannon, 21, with reckless conduct in the near-drowning of two toddlers who were under his supervision. The children are listed in critical condition, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement today. Sheriff’s officials said the children were pulled from their backyard pool on Blackberry Lane in Conyers on April 25 around 12:36 p.m. Rockdale County Fire & Rescue, Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office and National Emergency Medical Service all responded to the dispatch call within minutes. The toddlers were in the back yard and had just been pulled from the pool. The female toddler was…

Fox 5 anchor Alyse Eady to emcee event    Alyse Eady, an Emmy award-winning anchor at FOX 5 Atlanta, will emcee DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond’s State of the County breakfast benefiting foster children. Eady, a former foster child, is host “Wednesday’s Child,” a partnership with the Georgia DFCS in which FOX 5 highlights foster children in need of adoption. A suggested minimum donation of $20 is requested for the community breakfast on Saturday, April 27, at 9 a.m., at Greenforest Community Baptist Church, 3250 Rainbow Dr., Decatur. Currently in DeKalb County, there are 904 children under the age of…

The DeKalb County School District responded to an active shooter incident on April 25 after 10 students were reportedly shot by a BB or pellet gun while playing on the playground at Wynbrooke Elementary School in Stone Mountain. Parents said they learned of the incident late Thursday afternoon. Some students said, however, the shooting took place late morning. School officials said the shots appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds. Nine of the students who were shot sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, according to spokeswoman Ayana Isles. Another…

DeKalb tag offices closed May 23-28 for overhaul Rockdale closed May 21-27   The Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) is installing a new state-of-the-art system, Georgia DRIVES, to modernize the vehicle registration and titling system. The new Georgia DRIVES system will enable more self-service options, improve customer service, and enhance data integrity. In preparation for the statewide system upgrade, DeKalb County Motor Vehicle services will be offline and unavailable for a brief period. Implementation of the new system will require the vehicleregistrations and titling services to be unavailable May 23–28. To accommodate for the closure, the Motor Vehicle and…

Fulton launches aggressive initiative to combat increase in cases As a result of an increase in hepatitis A cases in the region, Georgia Department of Public Health officials have declared an official outbreak of hepatitis A in Fulton County.  To prevent further spread and reduce potential exposure, the Fulton County Board of Health is offering hepatitis A vaccines to adults with certain risk behaviors such as:         Men who have sex with men (MSM)         Drug users (intravenous and non-intravenous) Other risk factors include:         People who are experiencing unstable housing or homelessness         Individuals who are currently being treated for other…

The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office secured warrants and charged Alfred Jermain Arnold in connection with the homicide of a woman who was found dead in her home on April 12. Arnold was charged with malice murder, arson in the first degree, aggravated assault and theft by taking (motor vehicle) in the death of Loretta Goolsby, 58. Goolsby had been missing since April 6. Her landlord had been trying to contact her because her rent was late, which was very unusual for her, authorities said. A neighbor found her body on April 12 at her home on Lester Road in Conyers,…