Author: On Common Ground News

The Stonecrest City Council will meet on Wednesday, June 6, at 9 a.m. The agenda is below.

By Valerie J. Morgan Community activists are uniting to hold a march on June 9 to demand justice for Shali Tilson and Jamie K. Henry.  Tilson, 22, and Henry, 40, died while in the custody of the Rockdale County Jail. The deaths occurred less than three months apart.  “Clearly something is going on in this jail that the citizens of Rockdale County should be alarmed and concerned about,” said Attorney Mawuli Davis, who is representing the families of Tilson and Henry.   Davis, who held a news conference outside of the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office on May 31, called the…

By Valerie Morgan Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary touted a “fully operational City Hall” and administration that is on track financially, during his state of the City Address on May 31. Lary said the city, which turned a year old in May, finished 2017 with a surplus of $200,000, thanks to CH2M, now known as Jacobs, which set up the administration of the new city. Lary said the city expects to see a surplus of $800,000 in this year’s $6.2 million budget.   “It’s been a banner year for building the city: No tax increase and operational excellence,” Lary said. About…

In celebration of Homeownership Month during June, Morningstar Urban Development is presenting the Free Super Saturday Homeownership Education & Resource Fair on Saturday, June 9, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at New Life Community Ministries, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur.  The workshop is for first-time homebuyers seeking to qualify for the best home loans and down payment assistance programs available. Participants will be able to get firsthand knowledge about mortgage products, qualifying, resources to increase credit scores, health and homeownership, the current real estate market and more. Free lunch will be provided to those who register. Walk-ins are OK.  Free…

The DeKalb County Sanitation Division, in partnership with the city of Stonecrest, will host a recycling roll cart exchange event on Saturday, June 16, 9 a.m. – noon, at Stonecrest City Hall, 3120 Stonecrest Blvd., Stonecrest. During the event, existing recycling subscribers will have the opportunity to complete the mandatory recycling roll cart exchange process by trading in an 18-gallon recycling bin for a complimentary 35-gallon recycling roll cart, or upgrading to a 65-gallon recycling roll cart for a one-time $15 prepaid fee. New recycling subscriptions can also be processed during the event.  Only 500 roll carts will be available,…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) welcomed new Superintendent Dr. Terry Oatts, who was sworn in May 30, at a special called meeting by the Rockdale County Board of Education. Rockdale County Superior Court Judge Robert Mumford administered the oath of office. A 24-year education veteran,  Oatts most recently served as Assistant Superintendent of Student Achievement in Fayette County Public Schools, where he had worked since 2014. During his tenure in Fayette County,  Oatts led the district’s development of a new five-year strategic plan and took the lead in the development of his district’s Strategic Waiver application, which was successfully…

Podcasts. Web design. Live action. Animation. Photography. Interactive stills. These are all classifications of ‘new media,’ which provide the building blocks of modern entertainment, business, and government. In other words, they provide a foundation for the industries of tomorrow. Students from the  DeKalb County School District recently proved they produce such media at the highest level by earning state level recognition. Nine students from three schools—Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology, DeKalb Early College Academy (DECA), and DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment (DATE)—participated in the 2018 Georgia Student Media Festival on May 11, 2018. The Georgia Student…

The Fellowship of Jesus Christ Church will be selling fried fish and fried chicken dinners for $10 on June 8, 11 a.m – 3:30 p.m, 1181 Lester Road, Suite C-1, Conyers. The meals will include your choice of whiting, tilapia or chicken; a choice of two sides: potato salad, coleslaw or baked beans; hushpuppies or sliced bread. For dessert, choose either sweet potato pie or pound cake and your choice of beverages: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, orange soda or water. To place orders, contact Vanessa Loyd: 770-713-6122. There also will be a youth car wash on June 9, 8 a.m.,…

By Travis Hudgons and Valerie Morgan Dozens of balloons were released as a South DeKalb County community gathered to remember 18-year-old Trevon Richardson. Hundreds of friends, teachers and teammates joined Richardson’s family members at a candlelight vigil that filled an entire cul-de-sac in Richardson’s Ellenwood community on May 30.  Richardson, a football and track standout at Cedar Grove High School, graduated on May 24.  Four days later, on Memorial Day, DeKalb Police found Richardson’s body lying in the parking lot of The Life at Peppertree Circle Apartments in Decatur around 9 p.m. Police arrested 18-year-old Detavion McDay on May 31…

The family of Shali Tilson, their attorneys and community activists will hold a press conference on Thursday (May 31), 2 p.m., at the Rockdale County Jail, 911 Chambers Drive, Conyers. Tilson’s family and supporters plan to discuss the results of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s autopsy report as well as the details of a community march to be held on Saturday, June 9 to for justice in the case. Tilson, 22, was found dead on March 12 in the Rockdale County Jail, nine days after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges. GBI medical examiners attributed Tilson’s cause of death to…