Author: On Common Ground News

By Valerie J. Morgan A two-mile trail of tires and a muddy shoe print led Rockdale County authorities to the suspect who illegally dumped over 100 tires. The Rockdale Sheriff’s Office arrested Zavien Corell Sims, a 17-year-old from Conley, and charged him with illegally dumping 107 tires. Lt. Corporal Robert Wilson said the tires were dumped from the entrance lane of 7th Century Row near McDaniel Mill Road to Klondike Road at Stonebridge Trail.  Wilson was traveling north on McDaniel Mill Road around 6 a.m. on July 12 when he observed a large U-Haul truck stopped in the exit lane…

By Valerie J. Morgan  Ruby Tuesday has closed its Conyers location at 1714 Highway 138 N.E. According to a sign posted on the door, the restaurant closed on July 23.      Efforts to contact the company’s media relations by e-mail and the restaurant by telephone were unsuccessful. The restaurant’s listing on Google has been changed to “permanently closed.” The shutdown of the Conyers location follows declining sales that have plagued the chain for several years. Officials announced in August 2016 that it planned to close 95 underperforming locations. At that time, the company had not identified which of its…

By Mackenzie N. Morgan DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann hosted the ninth annual “Community Day with the Sheriff” on July 25 at the Stars & Strikes bowling center in Stone Mountain. The event, which began in 1999 as collaboration between the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office under then-Sheriff Thomas Brown and businessman Tom Walker, Sr., owner of Suburban Lanes, was started to promote positive relationships between young people and law enforcement. “I grew up in a small town where we knew and respected the police chief and all of the deputies. We are trying to rebuild that same mutual respect…

s  The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) continues to address the concerns of its bus drivers through an open, collaborative dialogue, officials say. Superintendent R. Stephen Green met recently with drivers in the latest step in this ongoing process. In a statement following that meeting, Green noted actions taken recently include offering benefits to the drivers. To date, DCSD has addressed 22 concerns of the drivers, while another 23 are currently being addressed, and 13 more are being researched. “DCSD continues to work with its bus drivers on solutions that address their concerns. Substantial progress has been made through a…

A Stone Mountain couple has been arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Unit on charges they caused harm to two juveniles. Warrants issued on July 19 allege that Tamara Raychell McGowan, 38, and Thomas Charles Young, 42, locked two juveniles in the basement of their home on North Hairston Road for hours and fed them noodles only once a day between June 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018. The warrants also allege that the suspects exposed the juveniles to drug use and sexual activity, and that they attempted to have the juveniles participate. McGown and Young are…

Robert Lee Hamilton, Jr., 30, of Scottdale has been arrested by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Fugitive/SWAT Uni on murder charges in connection with the Aug. 27, 2017 shooting death of Walter Lee Cook at the Wesley Club Apartments in Decatur.  According to police reports, Cook, a resident at Wesley Club Apartments, was shot during a confrontation with Hamilton and died as a result of his injuries. Hamilton is charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm during Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon. He was arrested on July 25 without incident at…

Justice for Veterans and DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson will present a town hall meeting, “Veterans Night Out,” on Monday, July 30, at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur.  Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.  and  the meeting will start promptly at 7 p.m. Retired Lt. Colonel Amos King, Jr. , M. Ed,  who heads Justice for Veterans will lead a discussion on mental health and police brutality. “Too many veterans continue to be killed as a result of police brutality, even though police know the person has a history of mental illness,”…

Stonecrest City Councilman George Turner, District 4, will host a town hall meeting on Thursday, Aug. 2, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Big Miller Grove Baptist Church, 3800 Miles E. Fowler Way, Stonecrest. The mayor pro tem said proposed development near the intersection of Browns Mill and Panola roads will be among the topics discussed. The community is urged to attend the meeting. The meeting agenda will be updated at www.ocgnews.

The South DeKalb Improvement Association will host a community meeting on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Berean Community Center, 2440 Young Road, Stone Mountain.  A Meet & Greet will begin at 9 a.m. The meeting will follow at 9:30 a.m.  The Education Committee will present the program. Please come out and help to help improve our communities.

As the new school year draws closer, parents with school-aged children never seem to have enough time to get everything done. In the next two weeks, the DeKalb County Board of Health is giving parents an extra two hours by staying open later.  The Board of Health centers will be open from 8:15 a.m. until 7 p.m.  July 30—Aug.  2 and Aug. 6—8.  Services include immunizations; vision; hearing; dental and nutrition screenings; and sports physicals. The Vital Records office, in the Richardson Health Center, also will be open late for those needing birth certificates for children born in Georgia. No…