Author: On Common Ground News
DeKalb County Public Library and the DeKalb County Police Department are joining forces to launch two special programs. Read with a Cop and Safety with a Cop are designed to strengthen police-community relationships by bringing police officers and the community together. Through Read with a Cop, officers read books to children and give a tour of a police car to kids who attend the activity. The purpose is to build good, trusting relationships between the officers and your children. Safety with a Cop is an adult program. Participants meet police from the community in an informal atmosphere to discuss safety…
Two wanted murder suspects were arrested and narcotics seized on June 30 after a Conyers Police officer spotted a vehicle with fogged windows in the parking lot of Motel 6, 1351 Dogwood Drive, Police arrested Brian Simpson, 38, of Huntsville, Alabama. He was wanted for a triple shooting that left one man dead on May 31, 2017 in Huntsville. Police also arrested Kirk Mitchell, 42, who was wanted out of Los Angeles, CA for a murder that occurred on Dec. 29, 2007. Officer Kelli Behrend was on routine patrol that Friday night when she observed the passenger exit the vehicle and immediately retreat to…
Written by Rockdale Clerk of Courts Ruth A. Wilson The Legislature created Rockdale County from Newton and Henry counties on Oct. 18, 1870. A law to raise money to build a courthouse was passed soon after the county was created. The original courthouse cost the citizens $500. The facility was a two-story, brick Georgian structure (Colonial Revival style) with a center hall and adjoining rooms. Construction was completed on June 29, 1872. It was one of three courthouse buildings erected in the county. Also in 1872, the Board of Commissioners had a jail built for $2,490. This was a rock…
Five schools in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) were named National Beta Schools of Merit for 2017. This honor is awarded by the National Beta Club program, which celebrates and develops academic achievement, leadership, character and service among elementary, middle and high school students. The RCPS schools with this honor are: Barksdale Elementary School Flat Shoals Elementary School Shoal Creek Elementary School Sims Elementary School Rockdale County High School The award recipients received a National Beta School of Merit decal to display in their building window. The names of the winning schools were publicized at the 2017…
Suite 20 Xpress, the brainchild of platform stylist Kristy Gaiters to provide affordable healthy hair in the booming Atlanta hair industry, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month in the South DeKalb community. The salon, located at 5561 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, is not only known for providing quality hairdos at affordable prices but for honoring community leaders at its annual International Trailblazers Awards. “We are excited about our 10-year celebration and the International Trailblazers Awards. It is our honor to pay tribute to those who have given to our communities,” said Gaiters, who grew her business from humble beginnings.…
MARTA bus routes 5, 12, 25, 27, 36, 37, 39 and 110 will be redirected to accommodate street closuresduring the race. The roads impacted are as follows: Peachtree Road – Piedmont Road to Peachtree-Dunwoody Road; Lenox Road – East Paces Ferry to Buckhead Loop; Oak Valley Road – East Paces Ferry Road to Peachtree Road; Wieuca Road – Peachtree Road to Roxboro Road; 10th Street between Peachtree Street and Monroe Drive; and Piedmont Road between Monroe Drive and 10th Street. Planning your excursion is easy: Smartphone and Android users are urged to download MARTA’s “On The Go” app to plan their trip and track bus and rail arrivals in…
Looking for the best way to spend your 4th of July weekend around metro Atlanta? Check www.ocgnews.com to find out what’s happening in your neighborhood! ATLANTA Annual Peachtree Road Race expected to draw thousands of spectators The annual AJC Peachtree Road Race will be held on Tuesday, July 4, near Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. The event draws 150,000 spectators who will line the sides of Peachtree Road to enjoy the world’s largest 10K. The race follows a scenic 10K course from Buckhead to Piedmont Park. Lenox Mall will offer families a full day of fun in…
Members of the Lithonia Senior Center on Bruce Street were decked out in their finest red, white and blue for a pre-Independence Day celebration on June 29. Lifelong resident Allene Harper, who was dressed from head to toe in the colors of the American flag, won first place for best dressed. Juliette Hill’s great-granddaughter, 18-month-old Amelia Brown, got in on the fun and tried on a big red, white and blue hat, putting smiles on the faces of many of the seniors. Zenobia Taylor, center manager, also showed her community spirit. The seniors not only dressed in patriotic colors,…
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners honored staff members of the county’s Recreation and Maintenance Department on June 27, just ahead of the kickoff of Parks and Recreation Month, which is observed nationally celebrated in July. The board issued a proclamation to Recreation and Maintenance Director Sue Sanders and showed an 11-minute video showcasing all of Rockdale’s parks.
DeKalb County has removed more than 80 tons of debris from its sewer system, unclogging lines that haven’t been cleaned in over 50 years, according to the county’s Department of Watershed Management. With more than 2,600 miles of sewer lines, DeKalb prioritized cleaning 818 miles of sewer lines documented to be in need of immediate maintenance due to age and repeat overflows. “Issues associated with reduced sewer capacity have begun to negatively impact our quality of life and hinder economic development in DeKalb County,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “We will almost certainly restore functional capacity to the system…