Author: On Common Ground News

ATLANTA—Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Elena Parent (D–Atlanta), State Reps. Mary Margaret Oliver (D–Decatur) and Omari Crawford (D–Decatur) will host a legislative town hall on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The public is invited to attend in person or virtually and share their concerns and questions.  The legislators will provide updates on key issues for the 2025 Legislative Session.  Town Hall Details:                       Date: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 Time: 7– 8 p.m. Location: Winnona Park Elementary School, 510 Avery St., Decatur This event is open to the public. You can also register to attend the town hall via Zoom using the link here. The public may submit questions in…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced the launch of a $13 million program aimed at reducing homelessness and preventing evictions. The DeKalb County Integrated Community Care Initiative will distribute funding to nine nonprofit organizations to provide housing for unhoused persons and rental and utility assistance for those facing eviction. The program kicks off Dec. 4. “By providing housing for the unhoused and rental assistance for the housing insecure, this program’s two-pronged approach continues DeKalb’s commitment to counter the housing affordability crisis in our county,” said Thurmond. “DeKalb County is investing millions to get and keep families in…

By Mark Brock   The No. 8 ranked DeKalb County Stephenson Jaguars go on the road for the first time in the 2024 Class 3A high school football playoffs as they travel to take on the No. 7 ranked Calhoun Yellow Jackets  in Gordon County on Friday(Dec. 6) at 7:30 p.m. Both teams enter the game at 10-3 as they face off for the third time in a series tied at 1-1. Stephenson won the first meeting 29-0 in 1996 and Calhoun took the 1997 meeting 17-9. Stephenson won its 240th victory in program history last week with a 36-3 win over Southeast…

GWINNETT COUNTY–A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged with porch piracy in connection with the thefts of several packages at an apartment complex, the Gwinnett County Police Department said today, Dec. 2.  The packages he took from his neighbors, however, were not the only discovery that police made.  Kyle Thomas Witzel, of Buford, who lives in the complex near 1500 Laurel Crossing, was identified on video surveillance stealing the packages from the community’s mailroom, police said. The investigation led police to Wtizel’s apartment, where they not only recovered several stolen packages but marijuana and anabolic steroids, police said.  Officers assigned…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA – Two men were arrested in a late-night shootout on Saturday (Nov. 30) that left one of the suspects and a Georgia State Patrol trooper injured. The incident stemmed from an attempted street racing traffic stop, officials said. Three law enforcement agencies worked the incident: The Georgia State Patrol, Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations(GBI).   The GBI is now overseeing the officer-involved shooting.  The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Georgia State Patrol in a street racing traffic stop that led to the shootout around 11:40 p.m. at a Shell gas station…

ATLANTA –MARTA, Transit Link Authority (ATL) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in partnership with counties and municipalities along the I-285 corridor, will hold public meetings on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, to gather feedback on the preliminary plans for the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study.  The meetings offer commuters and residents the chance to learn and share their opinions about proposed transit services along the northern arc of I-285, one of the busiest corridors in Georgia. The I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study explores the potential to expand transit access using GDOT’s planned Express Lanes along the northern portion of…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Cooperative Extension will host a free lunch and learn Family and Consumer Sciences virtual class on Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The “SMART Goals & Vision Boards” class will be on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 11:30 a.m. This class will discuss a SMART goal, how it can be useful for your New Year’s resolutions, and how you can get a head start before the first of the year. Register for this class at https://bit.ly/4eU8pi8. The “Radon in DeKalb” class will be on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. This class will be taught by the University of Georgia’s radon…

By Mark Brock DCSD Media Athletics Specialist DEKALB COUNTY, GA–The No. 8 ranked Stephenson Jaguars return to Class 3A state football playoff action on Friday, Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m., as they host the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets at Hallford Stadium.  Stephenson (9-3) is at home for the third consecutive week after defeating Whitewater (44-37) and Jenkins-Savannah (41-7) to reach the state quarterfinal round. The Jaguars offense has revolved around junior running back Anthony Booker, who has rushed for a combined 412 yards and seven touchdowns and added an eighth touchdown with a pass reception in the first two rounds of…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA– Due to forecasted cold temperatures, DeKalb County will open the following four warming centers for  homeless residents on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, starting at 8 p.m.: Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Road, Atlanta  North DeKalb Senior/Community Center, 3393 Malone Drive, Chamblee  (see pickup schedule below for transportation to Frontline)  Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive (see pickup schedule below for transportation to Frontline)  Exchange Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive(see pickup schedule below for transportation to Frontline)  During warming center activation, transportation pickups will be available to Frontline International as scheduled:  Chamblee Library, 4115…