Author: On Common Ground News

By Travis Hudgons Approximately 300 inmates at the DeKalb County Jail are being relocated to neighboring jails in Rockdale, Fulton and Clayton counties as work begins to repair moldy, leaky shower units in inmate housing. DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffery L. Mann announced at an April 5 press conference that a major construction project, “Operation Clean Jail 2018,” will begin April 9. Mann said the project is expected to last three months with an estimated $1.5 million minimum cost. Construction will begin immediately, even though the cost of the unbudgeted expense has yet to be approved by county commissioners.  “This is…

Sen. Tonya Anderson                                 State Rep. Vernon Jones Rockdale County’s three-member Board of Commissioners (BOC) will not expand to five members—at least not immediately. Senate Bill 264, sponsored by former Sen. Rick Jeffares, died in the House of Representatives before a final vote on March 29, the last day of the Legislative Session. As a result, there will be no voter referendum when the general election is held in November. Rockdale’s BOC currently has two commissioners and a chairman, all of whom are elected at…

Keitran Foots, 30, wanted for the murder of his girlfriend, Sharika Bowman, 35, has been arrested, DeKalb County Police announced.  Foots was captured near Granville, N.C. on April 1 around 2:30 a.m. after law enforcement located him in a shed, authorities said. Foots is accused of gunning down Bowman on March 30, around 10 a.m., in the driveway of the home they shared at 4788 Wyndham Drive in Stone Mountain. Foots approached the SUV where Bowman was sitting and allegedly shot her multiple times, killing her, police said.   DeKalb detectives said Bowman’s 13-year-old son, who was inside the house…

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond will provide a consent decree update at the Tuesday, April 10, Board of Commissioners meeting. This is the second public update on the progress toward fulfilling the requirements of the consent decree. The meeting begins at 9 a.m., at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. In December 2011, DeKalb County reached a Clean Water Act settlement in the form of a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The 8½-year consent decree calls for reducing sanitary sewer overflows through significant levels of sanitary sewer system inspection, assessment,…

By Valerie J. Morgan The city of Stonecrest is making progress in getting the U. S. Postal Service to officially recognize Stonecrest as a city, officials said.    The Postal Service has notified the city that residents and businesses in the new municipality may receive information as early as this month about the address name change.     Mayor Jason Lary says that’s good news.     “This is something that we have been waiting for and it officially will put Stonecrest on the map,” said Lary.  The city of Stonecrest, which is about 29 square miles, includes 52,393 residents…

LifeLine Animal Project presents its DeKalb County Animal Services Pet of the Week, Barnabas.  It’s hard not to love this gentle giant who is very handsome, calm, and well behaved.  If his extra big smile doesn’t win you over, his soft touch with children should do the trick!  Barnabas is good with other dogs and will make a lovely and loyal companion for someone special.  Also, he is already neutered, vaccinated and can go home with you today!  Come meet this beautiful boy by dropping by LifeLine’s DeKalb County Animal Services shelter at 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, emailing adoptions@dekalbanimalservices.com or…

To kickoff National Park Week and National Junior Ranger Day on April 21, the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance will present its first-ever Junior Ranger Ramble. Great for the entire family, the event encourages kids ages 5 and up to discover the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area through guided and self-guided activities at many of our partner sites from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The adventure begins at the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve where families will pick up a passport with a schedule and self-guided activities including hikes, birdwatching, nature study and more. After checking in, families can ramble at…

Clean out the house, make some cash and shop for interesting treasures at this outdoor event.  Rockdale’s Community Spring Yard Sale will be held on April 28, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Government Annex Building Parking Lot, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. Set-up time is 7 a.m. Rockdale’s Parks and Recreation Department reserves the right to prohibit certain items for sale.  The fee is $10 per parking space for Rockdale residents who would like to sell and $15 for non-residents. Participants pay on the day of the event and must provide their own tables and chairs.  For more information,…

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs will host its third annual Poetry Slam on Friday, April 27, 7 p.m., at Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur.  DeKalb youths, ages 5 to 17, who would like to participate in the event must register by April 20. The Poetry Slam features young poets and writers from DeKalb during an evening that celebrates the power of words and music.  To register, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks and click the “Register Now” button on the department’s homepage, or register in person at any DeKalb recreation center.…

The DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) very own television show, The Bridge, goes live for the first episode of its fifth season on April 10.  The all-student variety show features district-related news updates, comedy skits, game shows, science demonstrations, actor/actress spotlights, as well as real-time, student-led conversations about such topics as music’s effects on the brain, creative careers and more. Students are mentored by industry experts, as well as school district staff. Each show also features celebrity guests from the music and entertainment industry. The Bridge’s cast members auditioned for spots on the show, which also airs on the PDS-TV24…