Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Public Schools will host a Transition Fair, aimed at students with disabilities who will be graduating high school. The fair will be held on Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. – noon, at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers. To register for the free event, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFSWD41418 Transitioning from high school to adulthood is challenging at best, but for students with a disability, it can be even more uncertain. Parents and students with disabilities are encouraged to attend the RCPS Transition Fair to learn about resources available to help navigate life after high school. On-site vendors…

By Mark Brock, DCSD Athletics The Miller Grove Lady Wolverines led after the first day of competition and never looked back on the way to a back-to-back title victory in the girls’ 2018 DCSD County Track and Field Championships on March 27 at Godfrey Stadium. Miller Grove came in as the defending champs and scored 50 points in the field events and 1600-meter run behind the win from junior De’Asia Keller in the triple jump (33-09.00), junior Marguerite McGill in the shot put (34-00.00) and junior Emoni Coleman’s repeat win in the 1600 (5:17.35). After a second place finish in the…

By Mark Brock, DCSD Athletics Southwest DeKalb regained the points lead on the next to the last event on March 27 on the way to the Panthers’ 15th DCSD County Track and Field Championships title 90-69 over Stephenson. Senior Marcellus Boykin picked up his second individual gold medal of the meet with a win in the 200 meter dash (21.54) to pull the Panthers within 69-68 of Stephenson. Boykin had won the 100 meter dash (10.73) earlier in the day. Stephenson had no entry in the 300 meter hurdles and the Panthers took advantage as senior Barry Williams (41.37) and junior…

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) invites all parents to provide input on student discipline as part of the 2018-2019 Code of Student Conduct – Student Rights and Responsibilities and Character Development Handbook. The Department of Student Relations will take suggestions until Friday, April 27. Parents and community stakeholders are invited to browse the current Code of Student Conduct—located online at www.dekalbschoolga.org/student-relations—and provide comments, suggestions and recommendations to DCSD’s Department of Student Relations. The Department of Student Relations will take suggestions until Friday, April 27, 2018. The Code of Student Conduct outlines policies, rules and regulations that govern student discipline…

By Sheriff Eric J. Levett  Under Georgia gun law, a permit is not required to purchase, registration of firearms, or the licensing of owners. A weapons carry permit only applies to firearms that can be legally categorized as handguns. Under Georgia gun law, it is deemed as unlawful for a person under the age of 18 to possess a handgun. Consequently, it is illegal for any person to give, sell, or transfer a handgun to anyone under the age of 18. However, there are exceptions in which a minor may possess a handgun. A minor may be in possession of…

Students at Rockdale County’s Shoal Creek Elementary’s (SCE)STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Academy received a special visit from Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black on March 22 in celebration of Georgia Agriculture Awareness Week and Agriculture Literacy Day. The goal of Agriculture Literacy Day is to better communicate to students how food and fiber products are produced and the role agriculture plays in our daily lives. Black read “Who Grew My Soup” to SCE second graders – the story of a child who goes on a magical journey to learn where and how the ingredients of his soup were…

Rockdale Community Ambassadors, a volunteer board created by Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr., is hosting an initiative entitled “The Trash Bash.” The Trash Bash will include four community clean-up events in different parts of the county throughout  2018. The dates and locations for each event are as follows: April 7  – Zone 1 -Irwin Bridge Area June 9  – Zone 2 – Windridge and Queenie Woods Neighborhoods Aug. 11  – Zone 3 – Johnson Park Area Oct. 6 – Zone 4 – Ogelsby Bridge Area Three ambassadors will serve as the lead contact for their zones: Daniel Whidby – Zone 1…

Repairs to the 6-inch water main on Rockbridge Road have been completed. DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management crews isolated the break and repaired 5 feet of pipe. Traffic lanes located at 5802 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain, have reopened. For more information, contact the DeKalb County Watershed Department at 770-270-6243.

ATLANTA – In the midst of Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot growing to an estimated $502 million, two winning tickets worth $10,000 each were sold in Atlanta and Braselton for the March 27 drawing. Winning numbers from the March 27 drawing were: 7-25-43-56-59 and the Mega Ball was 13. The winning tickets were sold at Circle K, located at 2319 Cheshire Bridge Road NE in Atlanta, and Racetrac #2340, located 5901 Highway 53 in Braselton. In addition, one winning ticket worth $10,000 was sold in Warner Robins for the March 23 drawing. The ticket was purchased at Circle K #3140, located…

As the General Assembly comes to a close today, the NAACP Branch in DeKalb County is urging state legislators to oppose a Senate bill that would reduce the voting time and days for Atlanta voters. Senate Bill 363, which was filed by Republican Senator Matt Brass of Newnan, would end voting time at 7 p.m., from the current time of 8 p.m. It would also permit only one day of Saturday or Sunday voting, but not both. DeKalb NAACP President Teresa Hardy said the bill is short-sighted, racist, suppressive, and goes against the wishes of the citizens of Atlanta. “If…