Author: On Common Ground News

Written by Ed Williams. Ed.D. Chair | Concerned Citizens For Effective Government Dear Editor: MARTA RTCAA (Rapid Transit Contract and Assistance Agreement) voted on and approved by the residents of DeKalb and Fulton counties in 1971.  This is the contract which the counties entered into to provide bus and rapid transit services to DeKalb, Fulton, and Clayton counties.  The contract original terms called for the contract to expire on August 31, 2021. The one percent retail sales tax was to be reduced to one-half of a percent after 10 years in 1982.  The retail sales tax was never reduced.   MARTA…

A Lithonia man suspected of sexual assaults against his girlfriend’s minor child has been arrested at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by the Sex Offender Unit of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office working in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Office of Homeland Security. Investigators took 29-year-old Marc Andrew Brooks of Lithonia into custody without incident at the airport on July 15 when U.S. Customs authorities were alerted of outstanding arrest warrants out of DeKalb County. Brooks is accused of two counts of felony aggravated child molestation and one count of felony rape.  Brooks was transported to the DeKalb County Jail.

The DeKalb Human Services Department, Office of Youth Services, in partnership with the DeKalb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, will host a Back-to-School Giveaway on Friday, July 19, 5 – 6:30 p.m., at the Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5105 Browns Mill Road, Stonecrest. The event is designed to provide students with the tools to have a successful school year. A limited number of backpacks filled with school supplies will be given to participants on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.There will be food, games and music. Students must have a parent present to qualify for the giveaway. Registration is…

On July 10, 2019 at approximately 0110 hours, the subject pictured above entered 1541 GA 20 NE, CVS, and attempted to purchase an item with a $100 dollar bill. When given change for the bill, he took both the $100 and the change and left the location. Tipsters will remain anonymous and are asked to contact Crime Stoppers with any information: Call: 404.577.TIPS (8477) www.CrimeStoppersAtlanta.org

Under the City of Atlanta’s Consolidated Plan, which covers grant funding received by the City of Atlanta from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it is required that the citizens of Atlanta are informed and have an opportunity for comment of the 2019 Annual Action Plan and Funding Recommendations for the following grant programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), the HOME Housing Investment Partnership program, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). PROPOSAL: The 2019 Annual Action Plan (AAP) and Funding Recommendations Package The City of Atlanta’s 2019 Annual Action…

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department will host a Movie in the Park series every Tuesday at July in various locations across the county with activities beginning at dusk and each movie starting at 8:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring their families and friends, blankets, lawn chairs and food for each showing. All movies featured will be rated PG-13 and and viewable for all ages to enjoy. Select locations will extend pool hours. Movie Schedule July 9, Marvel’s “Spiderman,” Redan Recreation Center, 1839 Phillips Road, Lithonia July 11, Disney’s “Incredibles 2,” Bouldercrest Park, 4184…

The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office will host a women’s self-defense class for ages 13 and up on July 18, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Jail Administration Building, 911 Chambers Drive N.W., Conyers. The class will be held in the Sheriff’s Office Training Room and Multi-Media Room on the second floor of the jail. During the women’s self-defense class, participants will learn how to prevent attacks, the confidence needed to protect themselves, how to use the environment as a defense and how to target the major areas of the body. The women’s self-defense class space is limited to 30 participants.…

DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann has appointed a new second-in-command. Melody M. Maddox was sworn in on July 11 as Chief Deputy Sheriff of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. She fills the position held by Chief Deputy Reginald B. Scandrett, who retired on June 30 after 30 years with the sheriff’s office. Maddox will oversee the management of the agency’s law enforcement operations, including the Field, Courts, Training and Reserves Divisions, and the DeKalb County Jail. A Decatur resident, Chief Deputy Maddox was Chief of Police for Georgia Piedmont Technical College in DeKalb County since 2016. She managed a…

                                                                                                        The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on July 9 approved CEO Michael Thurmond’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 midyear budget, which includes property tax relief for homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the amended midyear budget proposal. “DeKalb County’s property tax relief plan will help mitigate the negative impact of rising home values and property taxes in our rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods,” said CEO Thurmond. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gentrification is defined as the transformation of neighborhoods from low value to high value. Displacement occurs when longtime or original neighborhood residents…

  By Mackenzie N. Morgan | OCG News Staff Writer More than 200 local leaders and citizens of DeKalb participated in a 2020 Census round table at the Maloof Auditorium on July 8. Hosted by Commissioner Larry Johnson, constituents across the board came to learn about the Census and how to make next year’s count, count. Residents, leaders, clergy and elected officials representing DeKalb’s diverse population attended the brainstorming session offering resources and insight with a common goal: getting a 100 percent response rate for DeKalb. Johnson, who was appointed chair of DeKalb’s 2020 Complete Count Committee, urged the…