Author: On Common Ground News

This month, DeKalb County’s District Attorney Office and Parks and Recreation Department are hosting a shoe drive to commemorate National Child Abuse Prevention Month, recognized annually each April. The agencies are raising awareness about child abuse through the inaugural children’s shoe drive, “A Mile in their Shoes,” a figurative and literal acknowledgement of the plight of children suffering from abuse. New and gently-used shoes will be accepted at donation sites throughout the county beginning April 22.  The shoe drive runs through May 10. The shoes will be donated to the DeKalb County Division of Family and Children Services to benefit…

The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce(GLCC) honored six students from the DeKalb County School District with scholarships at the Chamber’s April 17 luncheon. DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green, who served as keynote speaker for the luncheon, helped present the awards to four seniors who will graduate from Arabia Mountain High School: Miles McDaniel, Daija Jackson, Nya Childress and Jerry T. Myers, III. The superintendent also presented scholarships to Emoni Coleman of Miller Grove High School and Rebecca Zhang of Lithonia High School. Each student received a $500 scholarship and were selected based on essays they submitted. The topics covered…

Nearly 200 metro Atlanta middle and high school students participated in the “CodeHouse Day of Code” tech conference, which was held at Morehouse College in Atlanta on April 18. The conference showcased STEM careers and motivational sessions led by black engineers and was held to inspire black students to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Four computer science majors from the Atlanta University Center, in partnership with Google, Microsoft, Dell, Adobe, and IBM worked with the students. Several public schools, including KIPP Academy, a member of a national network of charter schools, attended the conference. Organizers said they hope…

This year, five students from Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) have been selected to attend the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) hosted at Berry College in Rome, Georgia this summer. The students selected to attend are: Robert Boone – Music Brass: Tuba (Heritage High School);
Brandon Gignilliat – Agricultural Research, Biotechnology, and Science (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology); Elizabeth Lee – Communicative Arts (Heritage High School);
Amaya Sommer – Music Voice: Treble (Heritage High School);
and Shivam Vohra – Mathematics (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology). “I congratulate our students for being selected for such a prestigious educational program,” said…

On March 25, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Grammy nominated hip hop artist “21 Savage” teamed up to educate students on the importance of financial literacy and following their dreams. Savage and Congressman 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 helping our young people grow and thrive as adults, and close the wealth gap with their peers,” said Congressman Johnson. “Last year, I had the privilege of participating in…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS)’ Carlos Hernandez, eighth grade social studies teacher at Gen. Ray Davis Middle School (DMS), was named a top ten finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year. “We are thrilled to have Mr. Hernandez recognized by the state as a Teacher of the Year finalist,” said RCPS Superintendent Dr. Terry Oatts. “He is an exemplary teacher who builds relationships with his students and truly cares about meeting their individual needs. We wish him well as the selection process continues for the Georgia Teacher of the Year.” The 2020 finalists, announced by State School Superintendent Richard Woods,…

Rockdale County BOC April Meetings: Evening Work Session: Tuesday, April 16, 7 p.m. – Shoal Creek Elementary School, 1300 McWilliams Road, Conyers Zoning Public Hearing: Tuesday, April 23, 9 a.m. – Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in the April 6, 2019 murder of a man during an alleged drug transaction on Covington Drive in Decatur. The Sheriff’s Office received a warrant on April 10 charging 29 year-old Antonio Monquez Payne, of Riverdale with the murder of Warren Lewis Sills, 38, of Covington, Georgia. Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, apprehended Payne at a residence in Riverdale. Payne was transported to the DeKalb County Jail without incident.

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) has been named by Goodwill Industries International as a 2019 Policymaker Leader. Johnson is receiving the award for demonstrating tremendous support of Goodwill’s public policy and legislative agenda, including criminal justice reform and workforce development. “I am honored to receive this award from Goodwill,” said Johnson, who recently introduced legislation that supports regional economic development training for partners of Goodwill. “I have truly enjoyed working with Goodwill at job fairs, my annual Resources Fair and other events throughout the years to improve the life of Georgians across the 4thdistrict and the state.” Johnson has been particularly…

DeKalb County will hire two contract compliance officers to prevent abuse and provide transparency in the county’s procurement process, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond has announced. Thurmond announced the positions in response to cleaning up the county’s purchasing department, which has been plagued with problems. The Board of Commissioners and Thurmond have been at odds for months over how large contracts should be awarded. An audit finalized in January suggested, among other things, that an independent auditor review contracts that are over $1 million before the board would be permitted to action on them. Thurmond said, however, hiring contract compliance officers…