Author: On Common Ground News

Thirty-two schools in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) scored higher on the 2018 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) than similar schools across Georgia. An additional 52 schools are performing “Within the Expected Range,” according to the Governor’s Office, which means they have made significant progress toward Beating the Odds. ‘Beating the Odds’ is a statistical analysis that compares a school’s actual performance on the CCRPI with the performance of schools with similar performance across the state. Schools that perform higher than similar schools are considered “Beating the Odds.” “For the second time in a single…

   The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two more suspects in the murder of a man during an alleged armed robbery that occurred in Brookhaven on Nov. 30. The Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit, assisted by the U.S. Marshal’s Office, arrested Stephen D. McAllister, 24, of College Park and Quintez M. Griffin, 21, of Atlanta on Dec. 11. Both were charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of firearm by convicted felon. The warrants allege that McAllister and Griffin shot Carthel Lamont Johnson, Jr. and Roderick Levelle Francois during an armed robbery at an apartment complex.  Johnson died…

DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson announced today that G. Leah Davis, Ph.D., will serve as her chief of staff. Davis has more than 20 years of work and management experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. A former senior management analyst for the City of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management’s Office of Performance and Accountability, she led performance review projects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Her hard work earned her the Department of Watershed Management Commissioner’s Award in 2018. Johnathan “J.P.” Phillips will serve as Johnson’s constituent liaison. Phillips has resided in the Super 7 District…

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has named Angie Luna, formerly Director of Operations for the Fort Valley,GA Utility Commission, as Rockdale’s new Director of Rockdale Water Resources (RWR). Luna was appointed during the BOC meeting on Dec. 11. She will begin her duties on Jan. 7, 2019. Luna has more than 12 years of experience working in government and management.  In her previous role as Director of Operations, she managed five utilities departments including Electric, Water, Wastewater, Natural Gas and Telecom as well as Economic Development spanning a service area of three counties. Luna graduated with a Business…

Soon-to-be college graduates interested in a career at DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will have an opportunity to obtain a full-time teaching position on Friday, Dec. 7. DCSD will host the Pre-Service Job Fair from 3:30 until 6 p.m. at DeKalb Early College Academy (DECA),1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain. District officials will be on site to recruit top-level talent coming from colleges and universities in metro Atlanta. “DeKalb County School District is committed to recruiting the best of the best educators that the metro Atlanta area has to offer. In many cases, individuals with great potential and promise…

More than 60 students at Toney Elementary School received new glasses and got to try them out in a unique way – shooting hoops with Atlanta Hawks players, Kent Bazemore, Vince Carter and Tyler Dorsey. The event celebrated a partnership between the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and nonprofit provider Vision To Learn, now in its second year providing free eye exams and glasses to students in Metro Atlanta. An estimated 55,000 children in metro Atlanta go to school every day without the glasses they need to see the board, read a book or participate in the classroom. The primary hurdle is…

  Kingdom Builders Church, 1151 Flat Shoals Road in Conyers, is hosting its 13th Annual Big Toy Giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 22, at 3 pm. Thousands of children statewide are registered to attend and receive toys for Christmas. This year’s Big Toy Giveaway will feature a dynamic Christmas celebration with Santa, Rudolph and many more special guests. For over 13 years, Kingdom Builders Church has hosted giveaways that have assisted the community and provided a very fun and safe environment for families during the holiday season. “Through our giveaway, we’ll see an unprecedented amount of excitement and celebration among families from all…

The DeKalb County House Delegation will host its first Pre-Legislative Session Town Hall meeting tonight, Dec. 11, at the Stonecrest Public Library, 3123 Klondike Road. State lawmakers will discuss issues and hear from the public about concerns to address for the 2019 Legislative Session. Town hall meetings also are scheduled: Thursday, Dec. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Manuel Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 Brookhaven 4362 Peachtree Road, N.E., Brookhaven State Rep. Karla Drenner, District 85, is acting chair. The public is encouraged to attend.

 The DeKalb County Office of Public Safety is hosting a job fair on Jan. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Fire Rescue headquarters, 1950 West Exchange Place, Tucker. More than 100 positions are available in various public safety departments including police, fire, E-911 and the sheriff’s office. “Recruitment is an important and ongoing function that is essential to the success of the county,” said Jack Lumpkin, Director of Public Safety. “While DeKalb has increased public safety staffing levels, the county is still looking for dedicated men and women willing to serve.” In September, the county announced that public safety staffing levels had increased. The county’s 911…

Chamblee Bulldogs Antoine Benjamin and Zachary Mackson both hit two free throws in the final 9.7 seconds to close out a 60-54 Region 5-5A victory over the Arabia Mountain Rams at Chamblee on Friday night. Benjamin was fouled with 9.7 seconds to play following the second of two consecutive Romero Head layups that pulled the Rams within 56-54. The sophomore guard calmly stepped to the foul line and sank both free throws to stretch the lead back out to four at 58-54. The Rams got the ball inbounds and moved up court but the Bulldogs pressure at half court…