Author: On Common Ground News

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,…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary greeted and spoke to students at The Academy of Scholars Christian School on April 25. The mayor, who visited on Career Day, discussed the formation of Stonecrest and his role as mayor. He took pictures with the students during his visit. The Academy, located in Stonecrest, serves students ages 4 through grade 6.

Updated: Residents raise questions about new vendor planned for Browns Mill Stonecrest city officials fielded questions during a heated   community meeting on April 25 where the city continued discussions on its plans to acquire Browns Mill Recreation Center and eight other parks from DeKalb County government. Parks is one of three services, along with planning and zoning, and code enforcement that the new city is required to take over under the Stonecrest charter. Parents have expressed concern over the city’s plans to bring on a new vendor to run the summer camp at Browns Mill, with several saying parents should…

Rockdale County Procurement Division will host a “How to do Business with Rockdale County” meet-and-greet on Wednesday, May 15, 10 am to noon. The event will be held at JP Carr Community Room – 981 Taylor Street, Conyers. Vendors are invited to networkand meet with purchasing staff and departmental staff of various county departments.  It is also a great opportunity to meet other vendors that may need their goods or services. Vendors are encouraged to RSVP by May 8. Contact Tina Malone, procurement manager at tina.malone@rockdalecountyga.gov.

Watchdogs for Justice Team will conduct a free seminar, “Keeping Kids Out of Prison,”  on May 4, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur.  The seminar will consist of interactive skits and a question-and-answer session involving the following topics: What your constitutional rights are and how to safely exercise them Four primary reasons youth end up in the system What to do if stopped by the police When to talk and when to keep silent What “3 strikes and you are out” means Watchdogs for Justice is a…