Author: On Common Ground News

Due to predicted inclement weather conditions, the Electronics Recycling & Paper Shredding event has been canceled for this Saturday, May 19. Keep Conyers-Rockdale Beautiful (KCRB) will be hosting a paper shredding only event. The Paper Shredding Event will be held Saturday, June 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the parking lot of the Rockdale County Government Annex, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. The free, half-day event will provide the public a place to safely discard and recycle old documents. A maximum of four banker boxes per vehicle are allowed for paper shredding, and participants must provide photo ID as proof…

State Sen. Tonya Anderson (D – Lithonia) was recently honored with the 2018 “Champion of Georgia’s Cities Award” from the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) for her work on Senate Bill 333. Senate Bill 333 allows state or local government employers to pay the cost of their employee participating in a deferred compensation plan and allows employee contributions to be instituted pursuant to an automatic enrollment arrangement. This legislation passed both chambers and was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal on May 8, 2018. “It is truly humbling to be recognized by GMA and their membership,” said Anderson. “This legislation will…

By Mark Brock, DeKalb County School District Athletics Coach Jermaine Smith’s Cedar Grove Saints wrote their names in the DeKalb County and GHSA record books with a thrilling come-from-behind 102-96 win over Westminster to capture the 2018 Class 3A Boys’ State Championship title at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany last Saturday. The victory was the Saints’ fourth consecutive state title setting a new benchmark in DeKalb County and they became just the seventh program in state history to win four in a row. Cedar Grove trailed by over 30 points to Westminster heading into the track finals on Saturday but…

Early voting will be offered statewide this Saturday, May 12, for the May 22 General Primary and Nonpartisan General elections. Here’s a look at the schedule in Rockdale County: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 12 Rockdale Board of Elections and Voter Registrations Office, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers, Lobby C Additionally, voters can cast their ballots at the Board of Elections Office during the following period: Monday and Tuesday, May 14 – May 15, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Extended hours for Early Voting: Wednesday – Friday, May 16 – May 18, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. All voters…

By Valerie J. Morgan Shadae and Gavilan Crawford had no idea they were talking to Olympic gold medalist gymnast Gabby Douglas when they spent three days showing her the ropes at their gymnastics business in the city of Stonecrest. Douglas, 22, came to Stonecrest Gymnastics & Ninja Zone to film an episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss, which airs Fridays on CBS. She went undercover as a middle-aged office manager pretending to be interested in opening a gymnastics school for children. In an interview with On Common Ground News, the Crawfords said filming the segment has been one of the highlights…

Four DeKalb County School District (DCSD) campuses have been ranked among the best high schools in America by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The DeKalb School of the Arts earned a gold designation after being ranked No. 75 overall, and No. 2 in Georgia – a jump from its No. 89 overall ranking in 2017. Chamblee Charter High School also earned a gold designation, ranking No. 457 nationwide and No. 14 in Georgia.  The Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering-Medic performed well enough to earn a silver designation, ranking No. 58 in Georgia.  DeKalb Early College Academy earned…

By Valerie J. Morgan Gov. Nathan Deal has vetoed HB 600, which proposed term limits for the office of mayor in the city of Stonecrest while permitting council members to serve for an unlimited number of terms. Additionally, the bill would have prevented the mayor from voting with the City Council, except to break a tie.  The governor said he vetoed HB 600 because there was no consensus among the DeKalb County Delegation members who represent the city of Stonecrest. One of the delegation members, State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams, did not sign off on the bill.  “These amendments to…

Dr. Terry O. Oatts will be sworn in on May 30 as Superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools at a called meeting.  The board appointed Oatts, former Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement in Fayette County Schools, as superintendent on May 7. Oatts was selected  after he was selected in April as the sole finalist in the board’s superintendent search. Under the guidance of the Georgia School Boards Association as search provider, the Board completed a survey of its expectations for the next superintendent, posted and reviewed the results of a survey of the community and school district staff to seek…

By Valerie J. Morgan After waiting for answers for two months, the family of 22-year-old Shali Tilson is hoping to learn how their loved one died while in custody at the Rockdale County Jail on two misdemeanor charges.  Attorney Mawuli Davis said the family hopes to get an update at a meeting with the GBI on May 14.  “We look forward to hearing from the director to find out where they are in the investigation so they can provide any evidence that we can collect (for this case),” said Davis.   Davis said Tilson was arrested on March 9. Nine…

Two people were arrested recently after the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and SWAT team seized drugs, guns and nearly $2,000 in counterfeit money from a duplex in Conyers. Lewis Jabari Jones, 29, and Charity McCullar, 26, were arrested on several charges during the May 4 drug bust at 2600-B Golfview Terrace located. Jones had been under surveillance for a while before investigators moved in.   Investigators conducted a search warrant where they confiscated 16.1 grams of heroin, schedule 4 narcotics, $1,900 in counterfeit money, 2,237.1 grams of edibles (which contain THC oil), 3.6 grams of cocaine, 307.2…