Author: On Common Ground News

Dijanelle Fowler, the 25-year-old mother who left her 13-month-old daughter in a car for six hours during a hair appointment, plead guilty on Jan. 31 and will serve 15 years for the child’s death. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said Fowler entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of murder in the second degree, cruelty to children in the second degree, and concealing the death in connection with the death of her daughter, Skylar Fowler. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Linda Hunter, who presided over the case, sentenced Fowler to 20 years to serve 15 years in prison with…

Salem Middle School’s Mighty Lions Symphonic Band will make history in March by becoming the first middle school band from the city of Stonecrest to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The band is seeking to raise $80,000 to help pay for transportation, lodging, concert attire, and meals for the five-day trip for nearly 60 students and a dozen chaperones. Alicia Scurry, who is the parent of an eighth-grade clarinet player at Salem Middle, said she is ecstatic about the opportunity for the band to play at Carnegie Hall. “I’m extremely proud of all of them. They are…

Rockdale County has once again achieved certification as a Green Community, advancing to the Silver level, after first certifying two years ago. The Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities program is a voluntary certification program that helps local governments implement measures that will reduce their environmental impact. It recognizes their commitment to environmental stewardship and their leadership in sustainability practices. All winners earned certification points for sustainable measures implemented in their communities. Some measures that earned Rockdale certification points include: Creating and implementing an ENERGY STAR strategy for the future, and actively advertising its status as an ENERGY STAR partner to…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and city staff members met with developer Vaughn Irons and the Atlanta Sports City staff on Jan. 31 to begin plans for the construction of the first athletic fields for the sports complex project at Stonecrest. Irons and Chris Daniluk, CEO of Deluxe Athletics, will be applying for permits to build six multipurpose fields and three baseball fields on Mall Parkway.  The multipurpose athletic fields can be used for sports ranging from soccer to lacrosse. Construction of the turf fields will begin around March 15, with a targeted completion by the end of June. “We already…

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and partners are launching the fourth annual “We’re Not Gonna Take It” video contest to combat opiod abuse. The contest, which runs from Feb. 1 through March 15, is open to high school and college students enrolled at a Georgia-based institution sponsored by a qualified adult. Entrants should create a video or radio submission no longer than 30 seconds. “Opioid abuse and misuse is affecting all Georgians, and we have to join together to strengthen our response to this modern day epidemic,” said Carr. “Georgia’s young people can lead awareness and change. Every year, students…

MARTA has announced plans to replace 25 percent of its bus and paratransit fleet over the next six years. MARTA will introduce 387 buses and 211 mobility vans from now until 2024. The new buses feature Wi-Fi, high definition security cameras, high capacity heating and air conditioning, including heated entry and exit floors to prevent icing, and mobile ticketing. The new mobility vans have three wheelchair positions, non-slip flooring, and ambulatory seats with three-point seatbelts. “We are excited to introduce these state-of-the-art buses and vans to MARTA’s fleet,” said MARTA Chief Operating Officer Rich Krisak. “The vehicles are safer, more…

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit arrested four suspects in connection with two murders where drug transactions are alleged to have been involved. Calvin Joel Bartholomew, 29, of Stone Mountain, was charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bartholomew shot Maurice Rondrell Stargell multiple times on Ember Drive in Decatur on Jan. 16, according to warrants issued on Jan. 17. The warrants allege that the two men were at that location for a drug transaction when an attempted robbery escalated into the shooting that led to Stargell’s death. The arrest took place with assistance…

DeKalb honors DWM calendar contest winners   DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners honored 12 elementary school students for submitting works of art that highlighted water conservation and the importance of properly disposing fats, oils and grease.   The DeKalb County School District students were selected as the winners of the Department of Watershed Management(DWM) 2018 Art Calendar Contest. Kindergarten through fifth grade students were encouraged to submit artwork that followed the theme of “Protecting Our Water Resources,” such as never pouring fats, oils and cooking grease down drains. The annual contest celebrated its 13th…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) was honored on Feb. 1 by Environment Georgia for his 100 percent clean-energy voting record in 2017. Johnson received the “Environmental Champion” award after he toured clean-energy battery maker sonnen off LaVista Road in Tucker. “Rep. Johnson voted with our planet and our families 100 percent of the time in 2017,” said Jennette Gayer, executive director of Environment Georgia. “Today’s event is fitting–we are touring a facility dedicated to helping us transition away from dirty energy sources and maximize clean energy from the sun.” “It’s an honor to be recognized by such an important organization…

Rockdale’s sharpest readers went head to head in the Rockdale County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl on Jan. 27 at Rockdale Career Academy in Conyers. Lorraine Elementary won first place among 11 elementary school teams. Barksdale Elementary won second place and Shoal Creek Elementary won third place. In the middle school division, defending champion Edwards Middle School reclaimed their trophy and won first place out of four middle school teams. Gen. Ray Davis Middle School won second place and Conyers Middle School won third place. The first place teams advance to the regional competition on Feb. 10 at Clayton State University.…