Author: On Common Ground News

Even with several local races, important judgeships and statewide races to be decided, DeKalb County voters did not take advantage of early voting in significant numbers. Only 21,545 voters had cast their ballots when the Early Voting period for the General and Non-Partisan Elections ended on Friday, May 18.  There are 471,449 active voters in DeKalb County. The total number of registered voters is 517,759. Elections officials are reminding voters to go out on May 22, Election Day. Voters should report to their assigned precincts on Election Day. The precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7…

The city of Stonecrest is finalizing plans for the upcoming Caribbean Carnival, which is expected to bring an epic crowd to the new city on Memorial Day weekend. “This will be the largest event Stonecrest has ever hosted. We’re looking forward to it,” said Mayor Jason Lary, who will be one of the grand marshals for the event, which kicks off with a parade on Saturday, May 26, 12:30 p.m., on Mall Parkway. Charles Baker, who has been working closely with city officials on behalf of Carnival, said 25,000 people are expected to attend the event, which celebrates Caribbean culture…

Southwest DeKalb High School band director James Seda has been elected into the American Bandmasters Association (ABA). As one of 13 new members, Seda joins recognized band directors from various public schools, universities and orchestras throughout the United States and Canada. Seda’s election also brings the total number of African-American band directors among the American Bandmasters Association to just six of 325 total members. Seda has served as director of bands at Southwest DeKalb High since 2001. Previously, he served as assistant director of bands at Southwest’s feeder school, Chapel Hill Middle School. A product of the Atlanta Public Schools,…

Main Street in Tucker was Ground Zero for a celebration on May 12. Hosted by the Main Street Tucker Alliance, this year marked the 63rd anniversary for the annual Tucker Day event. Thousands filled the streets to experience a parade, live music, dancing, arts and crafts, food and family-friendly activities. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Georgia set all-time highs again in April as the labor force and employed residents in the state continued to surge. The state continues to approach the 5-million mark for employed residents. At the same time, the state posted more than 4.5 million jobs and a labor force of more than 5.1 million. Both labor force and employed residents were records again in April. The jobless rate, meanwhile, dropped by .1 percent. “The state really is prospering,” Butler said. “We continue to see our current businesses expanding and companies moving to Georgia to…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the homicide case against three gang members, including a female decoy, tied to a deadly online dating scheme. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on May  16 against 28-year-old Demarco “Blazalino” Butler, 26-year-old Antonio “Killa” Avery, and 22-year-old Nashea Poole on charges of Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and weapons offenses for the shooting death of Jordan Collins, 23, and gunshot injuries to his brother, Chad Collins, 26. The incident happened on Sept. 1, 2016 in Lithonia at the…

It’s official. The U.S. Postal service recently added Stonecrest, GA to its list of acceptable city and state designations.  City residents may now use Stonecrest, instead of Lithonia when mailing letters or packages using the Postal Service.  Stonecrest ZIP codes will remain the same. “This is one more step that will help put Stonecrest on the map,” Mayor Jason Lary said. The news comes as the city turned a year old this month. Amazon, United Parcel Service, and FedEx have not officially followed suit. However, the USPS change will make it easier to bring the other three shipping services up…

The city of Stonecrest’s building officials have introduced an online portal that allows residents and builders to obtain building permits and schedule inspections. New business owners and residents interested in remodeling their homes can also use the online service to determine if a business license or permit is needed, obtain submittal requirements, apply and pay the licensing and permitting fees as well as view the status of their application. Existing business owners can renew their current business license online, provided the existing license was issued by the City of Stonecrest instead of DeKalb County. On June 1, the city is…

Former DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson is facing a $9,000 fine by the DeKalb County Ethics Board for using public resources and donations from county vendors for his re-election campaign. The board held its hearing on May 17. Neither Watson nor his attorney, Pam Stephenson, attended the hearing. Watson told On Common Ground News that he was not aware of the Ethics Board’s decision and he had not had a chance to speak with Stephenson. He deferred questions to her. She could not be reached late Thursday, May 17. Watson’s former aide, Kelly Cato, Jay Vinicki, DeKalb’s budget director, and…

LifeLine presents its DeKalb County Animal Services Pet of the Week, Darby.  This amazing dog has been at the DeKalb shelter for 365 days!  We don’t understand why, because she is the perfect dog! If you are looking for a dog you can take with you to Atlanta’s dog-friendly restaurant patios and decks, Darby is your gal.  This sweet girl can relax just about anywhere, and on a recent outing, she was not bothered by large crowds and chose to take a quick nap in the middle of Ponce City Market! Darby rides wonderfully in the car too, and she…