Author: On Common Ground News

Former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson was sentenced to 12 months probation, after pleading guilty to misappropriating about $3,000 in county funds intended for business travel. Watson, 63, was supposed to start his pre-trial on Oct. 25 but entered the plea instead. He was sentenced to 12 months probation as a first-time offender, rather than as a felon. Watson’s attorney, Robert James, said he and Watson were pleased with DeKalb Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson’s ruling. “Our intention was never to escape accountability. We wanted him to be treated fairly as others in similar situations,” said James, DeKalb County’s former…

With the countdown drawing near for Election Day on Nov. 7, the City of Conyers’ mayor’s race has intensified. The Conyers Housing Authority has informed the public in a Facebook post that there is no truth to an allegation that residents would be evicted, if they didn’t vote for mayoral candidate Ronnie Godwin. Executive Director Gary Erwin said on the Housing Authority’s Facebook page that a disgruntled former employee of the Housing Authority allegedly made the statement. “The Conyers Housing Authority does not have any such intentions. The Conyers Housing Authority cannot remove any of its residents without cause, but…

Amazon, Georgia snagged the top spot for the “most creative” proposals that have caught the attention of the national network, Headline News. In a recent interview with “On The Story’s” Erica Hill, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary discussed his city’s proposal to name a portion of the new municipality, Amazon, Georgia as a way to lure the tech giant to build its second headquarters, HQ2, in the city of 53,000 residents. Lary told Hill that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos would create an “eternal brand” and become “the first corporate mayor ever in the history of the world,” if the city is…

Operation Clean Sweep’s Phase I will culminate on Saturday, Nov. 4, when DeKalb county crews hit South Hairston Road, between Rockbridge Road and Covington Highway, to remove litter, grass and dirt embedded along curbs. To date, Operation Clean Sweep crews have removed 391 tons of debris, 1,685 bags of loose litter and 51 piles of illegally-dumped material. Operation Clean Sweep kicked off March 11 after the DeKalb Board of Commissioners approved the 2017 budget, which included $2.6 million that CEO Michael Thurmond reallocated to fund the project. Prior to the initiative, DeKalb had not engaged in countywide roadway-drain debris…

In an effort to make room for Restoration Storehouse, Rockdale County Government is holding a public surplus day on Friday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Government Annex Building at 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. The County will be offering surplus equipment including office furniture, electronic devices, etc. for low prices. All items will be available for pickup on site and must be removed by 3 p.m. on the day of sale. Those who plan to make purchases should have a vehicle they can load. Transactions can be made by cash, cashier’s check or money orders only. Checks…

Conyers Police is seeking the public’s help in finding a black male suspected of murder. Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect. On Sunday, Oct. 22, at noon, Richard “ATL” Green was shot and killed inside a residence on Pinedale Circle in Conyers. The shooter is described as a tall slender black male with a “box” style haircut and a gap in his front teeth.  He was observed fleeing the location on foot.  A GBI artist rendering of the suspect is provided below. Anyone with information regarding this murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers www.crimestoppersatlanta.org or 404 577-TIPS. …

The DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs’ annual canned food drive to combat local hunger will begin on Oct. 30. The food drive, which has been held for 10 years, encourages residents to donate nonperishable food items at select county locations until Nov. 17. Donations will be given to families in need who participate in park programs. Food donation collection sites: Fire Rescue Headquarters, 1950 West Exchange Place, 1st floor, Decatur Browns Mill Recreation Center, 5101 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia Exchange Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur Gresham Recreation Center, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta Hamilton Recreation Center,…

A Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2017 proposed City of Stonecrest Municipal Budget will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at the Work Session Meeting at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia, Georgia. The adoption of the FY 2017 City of Stonecrest Municipal Budget will be held at the regular Council Meeting on November 6, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia, Georgia. All residents wishing to speak on this subject may do so at these meetings.   A copy of the proposed budget will be available for review in…

DeKalb County police now know the make and model of the vehicle that struck and killed 4-year-old Lun Thang and they are seeking the public’s help. The pre-kindergartener was killed on Oct. 18 as she walked with three family members to Indian Creek Elementary School in Clarkston. Police say the car that hit Lun is a gray, four-door Toyota Camry. The Police Department’s traffic specialists identified the make and model from paint chips recovered at the scene, along with the lens from the headlight on the passenger side of the car. The vehicle has damage to the…

The public is invited to provide input at two upcoming open houses in DeKalb County for the I-20 East Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Strategic Plan. Participants will have the opportunity to review exhibits that provide background on the study effort, and give feedback on the types of development and amenities they would like to see along the proposed I-20 East transit corridor. Attendees may stop by at any time during either of the two-hour meetings scheduled: Nov. 8, 1 to 3 p.m., Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia Nov. 9, 5 to 7 p.m., Community Achievement Center, 4522…