Author: On Common Ground News

In an effort to improve player safety while teaching the proper fundamentals of tackling, the Atlanta Public Schools Department of Athletics is purchasing state-of-the-art tackling dummies this fall for all of its high schools that compete in football. The “Shadowman” dummy was displayed on Wednesday, July 20, at Lakewood Stadium. Representatives from Shadowman Sports conducted demonstrations for the coaching staffs of all 10 APS high schools with football teams. Shadowman Sports designed its new tackling dummy in an effort to reduce injuries by cutting down on player-on-player contact during tackling drills. Additionally, the dummy is “mobile” so players can still…

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted July 19 to issue a call for a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) referendum to be placed on the Nov. 8 elections ballot. The referendum calls for the renewal of the one-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects and other improvements in the county. If passed, the new program will take effect when the current SPLOST expires on March 31, 2017. The county and all 16 Gwinnett cities have agreed to share the proceeds from the SPLOST as they have since 2001. The new program could raise an estimated $950 million…

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has let a $482,000 contract to rehabilitate 10 bridges maintained by the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation. Georgia Bridge & Concrete, LLC, was the lowest of the four responsive bidders. The company will rehabilitate bridges in all four commission districts with funds from the 2014 SPLOST. “We let a bridge rehab contract every year. This is both to ensure our bridges are up to Georgia DOT standards and to extend the useful life of the structures,” District 3 Commissioner Tommy Hunter said. Many of these roadways need to have the deck joints replaced at…

Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens has appointed Kathy Holland as director of the Department of Planning and Development. The Board of Commissioners will consider ratifying her employment agreement during Tuesday’s meeting. The department consists of planning, development and strategic infrastructure planning divisions. Holland has served as the acting department director since last November. Born in Ohio, she moved to Georgia with her family in 1968. She worked as a senior development review analyst at Gwinnett County for 15 years before leaving in 1997 to start her own consulting business. Holland returned to the County in 2002 as development review manager.…

A former DeKalb County Board of Commissioners chief of staff and a man who did business with the county were indicted Tuesday, July 19, for theft and conspiracy. Morris Williams and Douglas Wayne Cotter were charged on two counts of theft by taking and one count each of conspiracy to defraud a political subdivision. Cotter also was indicted for making a false statement. “County employees and those who do business with the county are held to a higher standard because they provide or use resources to further the best interests of DeKalb citizens and businesses,” DeKalb County District Attorney Robert…

John Evans has resigned as president of the DeKalb County NAACP branch effective July 16 to focus on his non-profit organization, Operations Lead. Teresa Hardy, 1st vice president, will take the reigns as president adhering to the organization’s constitution and bylaws. Cherry Willis, 2nd vice president, will become 1st vice president, and Zepora Roberts, 3rd vice president, will become to 2nd vice president. “We are honored to have been under Mr. Evan’s leadership for over 16 years and send many blessings as he continues to fight for the people,” said Hardy.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a suspect in the June 20 shooting death of a man on the Northeast Expressway in Atlanta. DeKalb Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested 25-year old Juan Carlos Moulier, Jr., of Atlanta on warrants issued by the DeKalb County Police Department for the felony murder of Tommy Jackson during an attempt to take money from him. Moulier is also accused of felony armed robbery. The arrest took place without incident on the access road of Northeast Expressway.  Moulier was taken to the DeKalb Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division prior to being booked into…

Thursday, July 21 Open House RCPS 9th Grade Rising ninth graders at Rockdale, Heritage and Salem high schools have Open House on Thursday, July 21, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, July 22 RCPS Student Registration Temporary Location RCPS Student Registration will be located at 1143 West Avenue until Friday, July 22, noon. To accommodate increased volume, the Student Registration Office will temporarily move to 1400 Parker Road July 25-August 4, M-F, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Friday, August 5, 8 a.m. – noon. The office will re-open at 1143 West Avenue on August 8 and will be…

On Friday, July 22, 9:30 a.m., Facebook, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and Decide DeKalb Development Authority will host a Boost Your Business seminar in Clarkston. The seminar will be held at the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave. The free event is open to the public and aims to teach local small business owners how to optimize their presence and engage customers on the world’s largest social network. The seminar will kick off with welcoming remarks from Congressman Hank Johnson and will be followed by a presentation from a Facebook small business expert on the latest Facebook best practices…

By Valerie J. Morgan President Barack Obama’s legacy will not only be recorded in history books when he leaves office at the end of the year. The nation’s first black President—the 44th commander in chief–will leave a legacy specifically in DeKalb County at a new elementary school that will become Georgia’s first to be named for him. The DeKalb County Board of Education voted unanimously on July 11 to name the new school the Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology after a committee comprised of parents, students, faith leaders, two principals and staff identified naming options that were then…