Author: On Common Ground News

By Rockdale Sheriff Eric J. Levett What is happening in the Rockdale community to warrant 106 suicide calls since Jan. 1, 2018? It’s a startling trend for me as the Sheriff. We need to figure out how to change the stigma of seeking help. As I comb through the pages of the numerous incident reports mentioned above, I found situations of academic failure, domestic disputes, a young girl with a broken heart, the loss of employment, bullying gone out of control, mental illness without medication and sexual abuse that someone was afraid to report. While there are many factors which…

Two Rockdale County toddlers are recovering at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta after nearly drowning in a pool at their home on April 25, authorities said. Rockdale Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Yolande Lovingood-Moore said Rockdale dispatch received a call of a double drowning in South Rockdale at a private residence at 12:36 p.m. Fire & Rescue, Rockdale Sheriff’s Office and National Emergency Medical Service all responded to the call. “Everyone worked really hard to save them and they pulled through,” said Lovingood-Moore. CPR was performed on both children, ages 3 and 2, Lovingood-Moore said. The children were flown by…

Stonecrest Parks Director Sean DePalma (left) fields questions from Rico Adams, a constituent who spoke doing public comments at the City Council meeting on April 22. Community informational meeting set April 25 After a lengthy and heated debate, the Stonecrest City Council on Monday night (April 22), approved an intergovernmental agreement in a 5-1 vote to begin the process for the acquisition of nine parks from DeKalb County that are located in the city of Stonecrest. The council also in a 4-2 vote approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a new vendor to run the summer camp program…

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) will host a community open house on Thursday, April 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Briarwood Recreation Center in Brookhaven, 2235 Briarwood Way NE, Atlanta. Residents in the Brookhaven area will have the opportunity to discuss upcoming projects including the Package III Gravity Sewer System Rehabilitation, Replacement and Construction Project which includes the installation of new and larger wastewater pipe.  The project will begin this summer in the Brookhaven area. This project is part of DeKalb County’s $1.345 billion Capital Improvement Program. Projects are designed to reduce sanitary sewer system…

Deadline to register April 26 The33rd Annual DeKalb County Senior Olympic Games will be held May 1-10, for ages 50 and older. The kickoff for the games will be 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. The Olympic-style sports festival will include free-throw basketball, bowling, track and field, billiards, swimming, table tennis, line dancing, water volleyball and more. Events will be held at various venues across the county. Participants are encouraged to compete as a team or enter individual events. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in…

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is providing bail for non-violent offenders. The mega church, in partnership with rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris, VH1’s Love and Hip Hop personality Scrapp Deleon, are working with the sheriffs’ offices in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties to free non-violent offenders through New Birth’s Bail Out” initiative. Program participants will be reunited with their families during a press conference on Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m., at New Birth, 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest. Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, said the program is all about redemption. What started as a…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary is pictured with his brother, the Rev. James Lary, where he preached on Palm Sunday at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia. Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary is getting a firsthand education on stroke since his 58-year-old brother, the Rev. James Lary, had a stroke on April 15. Their family, he said, is keeping vigil as their loved one recovers. The mayor said his brother moved from the Intensive Care Unit to a regular hospital bed on April 18. He has a tube inserted into his esophagus because the stroke impacted his ability to swallow, Lary…

Congressman Hank Johnson and rapper 21 Savage wrap up their one-day tour in Georgia’s Fourth District, educating students about the importance of financial literacy. Photos by Joshua Smith Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District, and Grammy-nominated hip hop artist “21 Savage” recently teamed up to educate students on the importance of financial literacy and following their dreams. Savage and Johnson made two stops in Georgia’s Fourth District to connect with more than 100 students and introduce them to the rapper’s financial literacy programs. “Learning the invaluable lessons of financial literacy at an early age is critical to…

A well-known rapper is in custody after turning himself in to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Responding to a warrant issued on April 15, 23-year-old Qamar Akee Williams of Avon, Ohio, was taken into custody at the DeKalb County Jail where he will be held on a felony murder charge. According to the warrant, Williams allegedly caused the death of Calvin Alexander Chappell by shooting him multiple times with a handgun on April 15 at a Decatur, Georgia residence. Williams was arrested without incident.

Voices of Faith Ministries kicked off its “Jesus Saves” 5K walk on April 13 at its Stone Mountain campus with nearly 300 registrants turning out for the event. Bishop Gary Hawkins, Sr., founder of Voices of Faith, said the church launched the inaugural walk ahead of Resurrection Sunday as a way to evangelize and reach the unchurched in a way that had not done previously. “We have participated in other walks but never had a walk of our own. With so many people celebrating Easter, we wanted to show our love for Jesus Christ by being visible in the community…