Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson partnered with Keep DeKalb Beautiful to host a community clean-up day on Wesley Chapel Road. Volunteers gathered in the Kroger parking lot early Saturday morning Sept. 8. Armed with trash bags, grabbers and safety vests, supplied by Keep DeKalb Beautiful, Johnson and a handful of volunteers fanned out to pick up trash along the busy corridor. Johnson hosts annual community clean-ups in the spring and fall, but said the Wesley Chapel corridor was a special request from his constituents.  “We’re just trying to do our part. We want to keep DeKalb beautiful and…

CORRECTED DATE FOR PRAYER VIGIL A Rockdale County Jail supervisor falsified jail logs to cover up the fact that deputies failed to make mandatory 15-minute checks on Shali Tilson, 22, who died in March of severe dehydration while in custody. Attorney Mawuli Davis, who is representing Tilson’s family, on Friday shared findings from the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office’s internal investigation with On Common Ground News. The report reveals negligence, lies and a lack of concern for the mentally ill man, who was on suicide watch in a cell where the call button didn’t work. “They failed Shali Tilson. They failed to…

Thank you to the Atlanta Community Food Bank Kids in Need program! The Atlanta Community Food Bank Kids in Need program, through a partnership with Georgia United Credit Union, gave a generous donation this summer of more than 14,000 pounds of school supplies to Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS). These supplies – which include crayons, folder, notebook paper, pencils, glue, and more – were distributed to all RCPS schools to help classrooms.  

Ed Williams, who heads Concerned Citizens for Effective Government, was one of several DeKalb County residents who spoke at the MARTA Board meeting on Sept. 6. The board unanimously approved a proposed contract with Gwinnett County to bring MARTA to Gwinnett, pending voter approval in March 2019. The board’s action angered several DeKalb leaders including Williams.  Williams had this to say regarding the board’s decision: “Most of the people here are DeKalb County residents and City of Atlanta.   Now, The City of Atlanta, DeKalb County and Fulton County were the founding members of this board. We should not be standing in…

First case reported in 2018 in DeKalb The DeKalb County Board of Health confirmed its first report of a human case of West Nile virus infection in the county earlier today (Sept. 7). The patient, a male in his twenties who lives in Dunwoody, is recovering at home. The DeKalb County Board of Health is working to educate the public, including conducting door-to-door campaigns, so that individuals can help protect themselves, their homes and their communities by eliminating mosquito breeding sites. The Board of Health advises people to take the following precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes:Reduce outdoor exposure at…

By Valerie J. Morgan The MARTA Board of Directors approved a contract on Sept. 6 to extend bus, rail, and mobility services into Gwinnett County, paving the way for a countywide ballot referendum scheduled for March 2019. If Gwinnett voters approve the referendum next year, MARTA would assume control of six bus routes and five express routes that take commuters to destinations inside I-285 that are currently operated by Gwinnett County Transit. MARTA Board of Directors Chairman Robert L. Ashe said the agreement would help launch a regional transit system.  “We are excited about the opportunity to transform the region…

Rockdale County Sheriff’s investigators have arrested Trinity Wayne Bussler and charged him with the murder of 26-year-old Yuritza Cerda. Deputies responding to a 911 call of a hit person instead found Cerda’s lifeless body in the area of 1400 Frontier Drive N.W. on Aug 30 at 6:22 a.m. Deputies said the victim appeared to have been shot in the head. Bussler, who in a relationship with Cerda, was identified as a person of interest. Investigators located him less than two days after finding Cerda’s body. Bussler was hiding inside a residence off of Old Covington Highway just inside of DeKalb…

  Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary is inviting constituents to ask questions about the city’s $47 million Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program, the proposal to lure Amazon to the city, controlling short-term vacation rentals, code enforcement and other hot-button issues. Lary is hosting “Straight Talk With The Mayor” on Sept. 10, 7 p.m., at City Hall. “This is an opportunity to hear from everyone, not just a certain sector, and for me to give full information,” said Lary. The inaugural meeting launches a town hall that Lary said he plans to conduct each month.  

The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has narrowed its search for a Chief Appraiser to two candidates: Willie C. Barkley, who is assistant deputy director of the Rockdale Board of Assessors Office, and Curtis A. Briscoe, Jr., commercial supervisor at the Augusta-Richmond County Board of Assessors Office in Augusta, GA. The candidate selected for the position will succeed Lamar Sims, who is retiring.     Barkley has served as assistant deputy director, personal property manager and accounting officer for Rockdale’s Board of Assessors Office, as well as held a position as Motor Vehicle tax supervisor for DeKalb County and…

Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson spent Labor Day weekend at the All State Family Reunion Labor Day event hosted by syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner. Hudson, founder of the Be Someone mentoring organization in Stone Mountain, took his “A” game to Orlando, where he challenged 29 people at one time in a game of chess.   The event was billed as “the largest party for African American families. “To be a part of his exciting Family Reunion is a dream come true,”  said Hudson. “I couldn’t be more excited and pleased to be asked by Tom Joyner and his organization to participate…