Author: On Common Ground News

On Sept. 11, around 5:04 p.m., Rockdale County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 1590 Park St. in reference to a burglary in progress. Upon arrival to the residence, deputies received a call that a white male matching the description of the male who had attempted to burglarize a residence off Park Street had been spotted. When deputies attempted to stop the subject, he ran. Deputies chased him and captured him. The subject was identified as Brian Hand. Further investigation revealed that Hand had several warrants out of other jurisdictions. While being detained, Hand began complaining of chest pains…

Gov. Brian P. Kemp has tapped 66 leaders to serve on the Complete Count Committee, a task force who will ensure every resident of Georgia is counted in the 2020 U.S. Census.    The state committee will be chaired by Rusty Haygood of the Department of Community Affairs and Anna Miller of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. The Executive Order is available here. Two members of the Governor’s Complete Count Committee, Lori Geary and Tharon Johnson, will serve as co-executive directors of a statewide marketing campaign for the 2020 census. Launched by the Governor’s Office of Planning and…

Rockdale Clerk of Courts Ruth A. Wilson says her Real Estate Division is now storing real estate records digitally via the Cloud. “This advancement in our technology allows us to be capable of accessing our records remotely, 24 hours a day. In the unfortunate event that a disaster should ever occur and we have to relocate, we would be capable of instantly setting up at an off-site location and continue to provide service to the public,” said Wilson. In addition to transitioning our records to the Cloud, we are also proud to announce that all digital Real Estate records…

The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce will host Constance Abbott for the September member luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 11:30 am  to 1 p.m., at Kaiser Permanente Panola Medical Center, 5440 Hillandale Drive, Lithonia. Abbott is a registered nurse and serves as health services administrator at Kaiser Permanente’s Conyers medical center. A catered lunch will be provided. Members are free with advance registration or $10 at the door. Guests are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. To register, visit greaterlithoniachamber.com

DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Timothy C. Hardy, deputy director of DeKalb County’s Code Enforcement Division, will a hold a community meeting on code compliance and how residents can contribute to the upkeep of their neighborhoods. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m., at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Dr., Decatur. “Code enforcement is a critical component in residents engaging in the collective stewardship of our communities,” said Cochran-Johnson. “It’s imperative for everyone to understand that being in compliance with property maintenance and building codes is vital to community…

The Rockdale County Board of Elections regular meeting scheduled has been rescheduled to Sept. 19, 4 p.m., 1261 Commercial Drive, S.W., Suite B, Conyers (drive around to the back of the building). The Board of Elections will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m., for the purpose of hearing public comments regarding the relocation of the Fieldstone Precinct to Chief Cornerstone Community Church, 2900 Salem Road. “If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to provide comments regarding this polling place change, please send your comments via email to me and I will…

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Decatur-DeKalb Chapter, Inc. will host the Mayoral and Georgia State Senate and City Council Candidates’ Forum on Thursday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m., at Lithonia City Hall, 6920 Main Street, Lithonia. Dometrice “Dee” Clemmons will serve as moderator for the forum. Clemmons, elected in 2016 as the first African-American woman on the Henry County Board of Commissioners, is a former middle school teacher, strategist and founder of She Steams, a coalition of women entrepreneurs striving to educate, empower, and enlighten the next generation. A native of Atlanta, Clemmons is a Spelman College graduate. Lithonia, Decatur…

Early registration for the fourth annual DeKalb County Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run/Walk is now open. On Saturday, Oct. 19, DeKalb County, along with Susan G. Komen and Northlake Mall, will host the event at 9 a.m., at Northlake Mall, 4800 Briarcliff Rd. NE., Tucker. The route begins and ends at the mall and also features a one-mile fun run. Through Sept. 13, registration for the 5K and one-mile fun run/walk is $5 for DeKalb County employees and $10 for non-employees. After Sept. 13, the price increases to $10 for DeKalb County employees and $20 for non-employees. Registration includes…

Reckless Abandon will perform rock’n roll classics as the finale act of Rockdale County’s Rockin’ Rockdale Summer Concert Series on Sept. 29, 6 to 8 p.m., at Costley Mill Park. The free outdoor concert series, held on the last Sunday of the month, kicked off on June 30. The series offered live music from local well-known artists featuring jazz, R&B, rock and classic hits. Concert-goers may bring their own food and beverages, although alcohol is prohibited. There will be food trucks, beverages, and fun activities for children in the Kids Zone from 5 to 6 p.m. before the concert…

Take a tour and get to know the architecture of Decatur’s surrounding neighborhood. Spanning from 1830-1965, the homes and buildings chosen sport different floor plans, house styles, and architectural styles. Designed for history lovers and architecture buffs alike, each stop will be followed up by a detailed account of the interior design, architectural elements, and associated history. This tour is outdoors with a total walking distance of about one mile, and lasts about 90 minutes. The tour will start and end at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. Tour dates and times: October 2, 5:30 – 7:00…