Author: On Common Ground News

A $10,000 reward is being offered for a DeKalb County man who is wanted for shooting a police officer and fatally wounding a woman during a domestic disturbance this morning in the city of Stonecrest. DeKalb County Police said that Otis Walker, 27, is considered armed and dangerous. The deceased woman is his girlfriend, according to police. Her identity has not been released. Police were responding to a domestic call this morning at a home on Hodgon Corners Cove in the Stonecrest area  when they were fired upon by Walker, who was hiding between two homes, Maj. Jerry Lewis said.…

                Hundreds of people packed out a Lithonia Chevron parking lot for a candlelight vigil on Saturday, July 27, to honor Drevon Corion LeBlanc. The young man passed away on Friday, July 26, while at the barbershop at the intersection of South Deshon and S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia roads. He was 21 years old. LeBlanc’s family and a host of friends attended the prayer vigil, which included a balloon release and candle lighting ceremony. LeBlanc’s older brother, Andre LeBlanc, spoke at the vigil and thanked everyone for coming out to support Drevon, affectionately known as “Dooley,” in the neighborhood. “I am overwhelmed by the love…

Rockdale County will host the Community Engagement Block Party for residents within the county. The community event will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, noon – 3 p.m., in the Hidden Acres subdivision near 1801 Smyrna Road, Conyers. Residents are invited to enjoy free food, ice cream and family-friendly fun. Officials say citizens will have the opportunity to engage with local officials.

Joyce Wallace of Savannah just had the best birthday ever. Wallace, who turned 61 this month, won a $100,000 prize in the July 27 Powerball drawing. “We are always excited for our winners, and this is an especially fun win with it coinciding with Mrs. Wallace’s birthday,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said. “Every time you play a Georgia Lottery game, you have a chance to win, and Georgia’s HOPE and Pre-K students win.” Wallace purchased her ticket through the Georgia Lottery’s mobile app and matched the first four winning numbers plus the Powerball. She doubled…

The DeKalb County Board of Health said today that West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes have been trapped at 11 locations throughout the county. The Board of Health is educating the public on how to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and protect against bites. Door-to-door visits are being made in the identified area. To date this year, there have been no human cases of West Nile virus infection confirmed in DeKalb County. To reduce the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, the Board of Health conducts a comprehensive mosquito control program. Throughout the county, technicians routinely trap…

The city of Stonecrest is urging the community to support its Red Cross’ blood drive, which will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 1 to 6 p.m., at City Hall. The Red Cross has issued an urgent plea for donors nationwide and the city of Stonecrest responded by partnering to host a blood drive. This morning, the agency announced that Amazon has made a $1 million donation to help with the emergency. The Red Cross is giving a $5 Amazon.com gift card to all who give blood or platelets to the agency July 29 through Aug. 29. Currently, the Red…

MARTA has received a $2.6 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the purchase of six zero-emission battery electric buses to replace six diesel models. Removing the 2005 diesel versions from the fleet will reduce MARTA’s emissions by 935 short tons of greenhouse gases and reduce energy consumption by 14.3 terajoules. The energy saved by the deployment of the zero-emissions buses is equivalent to nearly 250 years of gas for the average American car driver. Zero-emissions vehicles also prevent the release of fine particulate matter – atmospheric pollutants suspended in the air in the form of minute…

More than 30 rising sixth graders attended the Chairman’s Youth Summer Enrichment Program. The weeklong end-of-summer camp, sponsored by Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr., was held at the JP Carr Community Center July 22 -26 in Conyers. The half-day program included 5 days of hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities where students were introduced to animation and video game creation. Students also got a chance to test out their summer survival skills by learning how to make ice cream, a solar cooking oven and a giant bridge built from toothpicks and marshmallows. Program officials said the curriculum…

A fatal hit-and-run car accident has left one man dead and a former student of DeKalb Count’s Stephenson High School  behind bars. Brittany Ashley, 32, of Stone Mountain turned herself in on July 23 after  fatally hitting Kevin Brown, 38, of Norcross on July 20 and leaving the scene. The incident happened just before midnight in the 1300 block of Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross. Ashley was charged with one count of hit-and-run and one count of homicide by vehicle. She remains in custody at Gwinnett County Jail without bond. According to social media, the 32-year-old was a millennial fashion…

Photos by David Ferebee Voices of Faith Ministries, under the leadership of Bishop Gary Hawkins, Sr., presented five of its high school seniors with scholarships on July 21. The scholarship winners were honored at worship services at Voices of Faith’s Stone Mountain and Conyers campuses. The VOF Men’s Ministry, led by Bishop Hawkins, along with Deacon Robert Scales, chair of the VOF Golf Committee and the 50 Plus Ministry, led by Deaconess Kishia Mitchell, partnered together for the first time to raise money for the scholarships. Through the partnership, four students each received a $750 scholarship this year. The…