Author: On Common Ground News

A DeKalb County Grand Jury has indicted a local couple and three others on charges of racketeering and conspiracy in connection with a commercial sex enterprise operating out of Dunwoody and other metro areas. Samuel Leon Crenshaw and his wife, Darliene L. Crenshaw of Marietta, are each charged with one count of Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). George Moore, Tara Lee Gilleo, and Giovene Burkhalter face identical RICO charges for their alleged activities within the organization. Fifty-seven other men and women are charged with either prostitution or pandering in the 58-count indictment returned on Feb.…

In celebration of Black History Month, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary presented each of the five council members with a commemorative plaque honoring them as the first elected officials of the historic city. Lary presented the plaques at the Feb. 21 City Council meeting. “What I want you all to remember is this day, 2018, in Black History Month, these are the folks that stood up the largest African American majority town in DeKalb County since Reconstruction of the United States,” said Lary, adding that Stonecrest also is the second-largest majority African American town in the history of the United States.…

Derwin Brown Masonic Lodge #599 PHA is honoring the late DeKalb Sheriff-elect with a beautification project in the community he loved. The Masons have adopted a bus stop on Glenwood Road in Decatur in honor of Derwin Brown, who was a Mason. This year marks the 18th anniversary of his death. Brown was shot 11 times in the driveway of his home on Dec. 15, 2000. Defeated rival Sydney Dorsey, who ordered the hit, is serving a life sentence in prison. Dorsey, who turns 78 this month, was the first African American to serve as Sheriff of DeKalb County. It…

Congressman Hank Johnson presented an American flag saluting Justin Edwards, the son of DeKalb County activist Joel Edwards. Justin Edwards was laid to rest on Saturday, Feb. 17. The 34-year-old’s death has sparked an outcry from community activists who are asking leaders to make cracking down on crime their No. 1 priority. Justin Edwards was shot to death on Feb. 10 by an unknown assailant as he and his girlfriend were headed home. Police said he had stopped to check out two flat tires in the parking lot of an abandoned building on Memorial Drive and Boulevard…

Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. is introducing a new forum taking place in local barbershops to engage the community called Shop Talk.  The first event will be held Saturday, March 10, at the Lab Barbershop, 2183 Salem Road SE, Conyers. Shop Talk is a grass-roots approach to getting to know the community by interacting and engaging in an “open air” dialogue, according to a press release by the county. The series also will introduce elected officials to those who may not know who they are, what their roles are and their duties and responsibilities. The first Shop Talk will introduce…

DeKalb County Watershed crews began cleaning up a sewer spill in a Clarkston lake on Feb. 18 and are continuing remediation and restoration efforts. The spill, at a lake on Cleavemark Drive, was caused by a blockage of grease, disposable diapers and wipes in an eight-inch sewer line. The blockage caused a 5,300-gallon sewage overflow from a manhole. Watershed crews stopped the spill an hour after notification by pressure-washing the sewer line to remove the blockage and restore flow in the area. Additionally, a pump was installed to aerate the lake and dead fish were removed. The Georgia Environmental Protection…

Crosswalks, traffic signals and tennis courts in the city limits will all receive facelifts as part of spring cleaning efforts by the city’s  through SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) grants and federal funding. Crosswalks at 15 intersections in the city limits will be restriped by Peek Pavement Marking beginning the week of Feb. 26. Weather permitting, the restriping of the crosswalks will be completed in March. The cost of the crosswalk improvement project is $91,634 and is funded by SPLOST dollars and a GDOT Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant for Off-System Safety…

DeKalb County author Leslie Royal celebrated her 50th birthday and the launch of her new book How to Write and Self-Publish Your Book for FREE with Amazon’s CreateSpace on Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Don Janelle Unisex Hair Salon in Decatur. The event, hosted by her husband Tony Royal, former Chick-fil-A owner, was attended by over 50 guests. The event included a catered dinner, games, door prizes and a series of panels featuring local media professionals. Leslie’s new book, written for novices as well as seasoned writers, gives readers practical step-by-step instructions on how to write and self-publish a book…

Join The House of Hope Greater Travelers Rest Church for its Veterans’ Forces of Hope event on March 3 at the church, 4650 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur The free event will feature an informational resources fair for veterans from noon to 2 p.m. Representatives from the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office will provide information on various topics concerning military benefits and resources. A concert featuring Angie Stone and the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers Chorus will take place at 3 p.m. The community is invited. For more information, call 404-243-9336.

DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry and the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority are hosting two free notary training sessions on Friday, March 8. The first session is 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and the second session is 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. This training workshop is open to the public and highly recommended to anyone who is a notary public in the State of Georgia or would like to become one. It is important to remember that a notary public should perform their duties to the utmost extent of…