Author: On Common Ground News

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…

By Ruth A. Wilson, Clerk of Courts   Each year, the Rockdale Clerk of Courts Office (COC) works with a panel of community volunteers who serve as the COC Charitable Giving Review Panel to decide which of the applicant local nonprofit agencies will receive a Clerk of Courts Charitable Giving Grant. This year’s panel members are Muddesar Ahmad – Business Owner, Thua Barlay – Attorney, Dr. Billie Boyd Cox – Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church, Moses Kabia – BB&T Vice President, Jennifer Rutledge – Rockdale County Director of Legislative Affairs, and Jean Yontz – Executive Director of Phoenix Pass. This year, the…

Berean Christian Church hosted Keep DeKalb Beautiful’s largest Barriers to Beauty program to date as part of the church’s youth conference, which was recently held.  Nearly 600 children painted 90 barriers that are used in targeted areas to prevent illegal dumping. Some of the barriers will be placed near the church at the end of Bell Circle. Additionally, Keep DeKalb Beautiful recognized the efforts of Berean Christian Church by awarding its “Religious Institution Award” for having the most volunteer hours to date in its respective category. 

At the annual conference of the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) in New Orleans, DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann accepted the agency’s second NSA Triple Crown Accreditation award. It is an honor within the law enforcement profession that is shared by only 16 other sheriff’s offices in the United States. The “Triple Crown” designation refers to simultaneous accreditation by the American Correctional Association (ACA), the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).  “Achieving these accreditations individually is a daunting task,” the NSA states on its website. “Acquiring all three at…