Author: On Common Ground News

The City of Dunwoody and program partner Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital are providing community members with a chance to take active steps toward better health through the new Dunwoody Walk with a Doc program. The free Walk with a Doc monthly exercise and education initiative takes place the second Saturday of each month, 9 to 10 a.m., at Brook Run Park (4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody) on the front field, opposite the playground. The program is focused on getting participants active in a Dunwoody park while conferring with a healthcare professional host who can provide support to walkers and answer…

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Georgia’s net tax collections for November totaled $1.83 billion, for a decrease of $13.1 million, or -0.7 percent, compared to last year when net tax collections totaled roughly $1.84 billion. Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections totaled almost $9.66 billion, for an increase of $619.4 million, or 6.9 percent, compared to November 2017, when tax revenues totaled approximately $9.04 billion. The changes within the following tax categories contributed to the overall net tax revenue decrease in November: Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections for November totaled roughly $932 million, for a decrease of $22.6 million,…

Eight schools in the DeKalb County School District have earned either Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze distinction by the Governor Office’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) Awards Program. The school awards, developed by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and approved by the State Board of Education, are part of Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System. Highest Performing schools must earn a three-year average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) Achievement Score that ranks in at least the 93rd percentile. Greatest Gains schools must earn a three-year average CCRPI Progress Score that ranks in at least the 93rd percentile.…

Emily Moerdermo Fu, a 58-year-old metro Atlanta realtor and businesswoman who defrauded clients out of over $22 million over a two-year period, has been sentenced to seven years, three months for mail fraud. “While Fu was a well-respected real estate and financial professional, she took advantage of her reputation and clients’ trust to defraud them,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “In some cases, she created fictitious closings and then pocketed the money. In other instances, she went through with the closing and used the property as collateral for unauthorized loans for her own benefit, meanwhile embezzling hundreds of thousands…

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on the county’s proposed $68.7 million operating budget for 2019. County officials says the budget will include new employees for the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office but no pay raises for county employees. BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt praised the proposal saying for the first time since 2010 the county will not have to dip into its reserve fund to balance the budget. While Commissioner Sherri Washington is pleased that the proposed budget will not impact the County’s reserve fund, she would have liked the county to provide raises for all county workers,…

DeKalb County Commissioner Gregory Adams is mourning the loss of his mother, Adell Walker Adams, who died of a heart attack on Saturday, Dec. 8. She was 82. Mrs. Adams, born April 18, 1936, was a native of Epes, AL. She moved to Atlanta in 1964. She worked at the Nabisco Company for 25 and a half years before retiring in 1995. Mrs. Adams was preceded in death by her husband, Tony Samuel Adams, who passed Jan. 31, 1995. They were married 38 years. To this union five children were born: Samuel, Willie, Delores, Melvin and Gregory.…

Photos by Glenn L. Morgan Rockdale County is offering holiday lights in a rustic setting for the first time at Costley Mill Park. The county kicked off the inaugural event on Dec. 6. Visitors can enjoy caroling by local choirs, crafts at Santa’s workshop, a petting zoo and photos with Santa on Fridays and Saturdays. The Lights @Costley Mill, located at 2599 Salem Church Road N.E., Conyers, will be held Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 6-Jan. 6, 6 to 9 p.m. General admission is $5; seniors 62 and older, $3 and children 2 and under are free.

DeKalb County’s fiscal health continues to improve, officials said. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond recently announced that the county’s projected FY2018 fund balance has reached $103 million. The increase is nearly two months of reserves to finance county operations. “DeKalb has a growing economy that requires a financially stable government that people can trust,” said Thurmond. “The fund balance is insurance against economic downturns and allows us to plan effectively for future needs.” In FY2017, the county eliminated a structural deficit of $24.7 million, balanced the budget and continued to build the rainy day fund. FY 2018 began with an $81…

A lucky Jonesboro resident has won the chance of a lifetime. Margo Wright, 65, was selected randomly to win two free tickets to the biggest football game of the year in the Georgia Lottery’s Big Game Showdown second chance promotion. From Oct. 22 to Nov. 28, players were able to enter Mega Millions tickets into the Big Game Showdown for a chance to win two free tickets to the exciting professional football championship game taking place in Atlanta Feb. 3, 2019. Winners were selected randomly in weekly drawings. Wright was the winner of the promotion’s Nov. 16 drawing. According to…

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has claimed top honors in the number of top-performing Title I schools. Six DCSD schools—tied for the most in metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia—made the list, including Arabia Mountain High School, DeKalb Early College Academy (DECA), Henderson Mill Elementary, Livsey Elementary, Robert Shaw Theme School, and Wynbrooke Elementary. The Georgia DOE released its annual list of Title I Distinguished Schools, or top-performing Title I schools on Dec. 4. Distinguished schools are among the top 5 percent of all Title I schools in the state, as determined by College & Career Readiness Performance…