Author: On Common Ground News

By Valerie J. Morgan Shadae and Gavilan Crawford had no idea they were talking to Olympic gold medalist gymnast Gabby Douglas when they spent three days showing her the ropes at their gymnastics business in the city of Stonecrest. Douglas, 22, came to Stonecrest Gymnastics & Ninja Zone to film an episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss, which airs Fridays on CBS. She went undercover as a middle-aged office manager pretending to be interested in opening a gymnastics school for children. In an interview with On Common Ground News, the Crawfords said filming the segment has been one of the highlights…

Four DeKalb County School District (DCSD) campuses have been ranked among the best high schools in America by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The DeKalb School of the Arts earned a gold designation after being ranked No. 75 overall, and No. 2 in Georgia – a jump from its No. 89 overall ranking in 2017. Chamblee Charter High School also earned a gold designation, ranking No. 457 nationwide and No. 14 in Georgia.  The Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering-Medic performed well enough to earn a silver designation, ranking No. 58 in Georgia.  DeKalb Early College Academy earned…

By Valerie J. Morgan Gov. Nathan Deal has vetoed HB 600, which proposed term limits for the office of mayor in the city of Stonecrest while permitting council members to serve for an unlimited number of terms. Additionally, the bill would have prevented the mayor from voting with the City Council, except to break a tie.  The governor said he vetoed HB 600 because there was no consensus among the DeKalb County Delegation members who represent the city of Stonecrest. One of the delegation members, State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams, did not sign off on the bill.  “These amendments to…

Dr. Terry O. Oatts will be sworn in on May 30 as Superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools at a called meeting.  The board appointed Oatts, former Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement in Fayette County Schools, as superintendent on May 7. Oatts was selected  after he was selected in April as the sole finalist in the board’s superintendent search. Under the guidance of the Georgia School Boards Association as search provider, the Board completed a survey of its expectations for the next superintendent, posted and reviewed the results of a survey of the community and school district staff to seek…

By Valerie J. Morgan After waiting for answers for two months, the family of 22-year-old Shali Tilson is hoping to learn how their loved one died while in custody at the Rockdale County Jail on two misdemeanor charges.  Attorney Mawuli Davis said the family hopes to get an update at a meeting with the GBI on May 14.  “We look forward to hearing from the director to find out where they are in the investigation so they can provide any evidence that we can collect (for this case),” said Davis.   Davis said Tilson was arrested on March 9. Nine…

Two people were arrested recently after the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and SWAT team seized drugs, guns and nearly $2,000 in counterfeit money from a duplex in Conyers. Lewis Jabari Jones, 29, and Charity McCullar, 26, were arrested on several charges during the May 4 drug bust at 2600-B Golfview Terrace located. Jones had been under surveillance for a while before investigators moved in.   Investigators conducted a search warrant where they confiscated 16.1 grams of heroin, schedule 4 narcotics, $1,900 in counterfeit money, 2,237.1 grams of edibles (which contain THC oil), 3.6 grams of cocaine, 307.2…

Rockdale County Sheriff’s investigators have issued a “Be On the Lookout” for a man who robbed the Taco Bell restaurant at 2415 Salem Road, Conyers on May 8. The suspect, described as a light skinned black male, entered the business around 9:51 p.m. brandishing a large handgun with a red rag draped around the barrel.  The suspect held the employees at gunpoint and forced the managers to empty the cash registers, placing the money into a black laptop bag. Authorities said the suspect calmly walked out of the store and then ran towards the Ellington road area.  The suspect was…

Olde Town Conyers plans to welcome residents and visitors to a series of summer street events that will showcase performers, music, outdoor dining and old-fashioned games.  The new project, Re-Imagine Commercial Street, kicks off on May 18-19   City officials say they are bringing the Open Streets concept to Conyers to help stimulate business and offer families summer time fun in a safe, walkable environment. Commercial Street will be closed off during each event to create a pedestrian street experience, Mayor Vince Evans said. The Open Streets movement originated in Bogota, Columbia, and has since spread to North America, becoming…

Stone Mountain Improving Lives Everyday (SMILE) will hold its next community meeting on Monday, May 14, 7 p.m.  The meeting will take place at the DeKalb Watershed Conference Center, 4572 Memorial Drive, Decatur (located next to D & K Suits). Agenda items include:  SMILE’s vision for a Clean and Safe Stone Mountain; organizing monthly litter cleanup events; update on recruiting community volunteers to work with DeKalb County troubled youth; new visions for Stone Mountain; community resource centers; and community gatherings/celebrations. For more information, call Debra Greenwood, co-moderator, at 404-234-2478 or email Smilega30083@gmail.com.

Join the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s naturalist, land manager and former Abbott Fr. Francis Michael on a walk through the woods where you will discover the natural treasures of the Monastery’s landscapes. Walks are scheduled for May 12, June 16 and June 30, 9 a.m. to noon.  With more than 2,000 acres, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit includes the Abbey Church, the Monastic Heritage Center, and the Honey Creek Woodlands Natural Cemetery. But what many do not know is that the Monastery is also the largest protected privately-owned green space in the Atlanta area, and home to the…