Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners Chairman Oz Nesbitt is hosting a meet-and-greet to welcome the Honorable Alisha Adams Johnson as the new District Attorney in Rockdale. The meet-and-greet will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m., at J.P. Carr Community Center, 981 Taylor St., Conyers.  Johnson became Rockdale’s first African American and the county’s first woman to hold the seat after she was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal in December to fill the unexpired term of Richard Read, who announced his resignation. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from Spelman College. During her third year of law school at Georgia…

Vickie B. Turner and Rob Turner held their inaugural monthly community breakfast, “The Cultural Exchange,” on Jan. 14 with several elected and appointed officials, community leaders and constituents in attendance at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur. Among the speakers were Congressman Hank Johnson, DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green, State Rep. Howard Mosby, and Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary. Vickie Turner, who represents District 5 on the DeKalb School Board, and her husband, Rob Turner, who represents Stonecrest City Council’s District 2, said they launched The Cultural Exchange as a way for constituents and local leaders to connect s…

There were so many people who turned out for the Jan. 16 town hall on the abrupt closing of the Stonecrest Sam’s Club that State Rep. Vernon Jones took a short intermission and asked people to leave in order to give others a chance to come inside the Stonecrest Library auditorium. “We want to give as many as possible the chance to ask questions and hear the answers,” said Jones, who held the town hall after an outcry from the community who learned of the store’s demise on Jan. 11 when it abruptly closed. Many in the community found out…

With the announcement that Atlanta has made Amazon’s finalists’ list for its second world headquarters known as HQ2, Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary said he is ever optimistic about securing the bid. Lary said Stonecrest is still in the running because the Georgia Economic Development’s Office bid includes metro Atlanta and thus, Stonecrest. Amazon officials have narrowed the list from 238 to 20 cities, news outlets reported on Jan. 18. Lary said he is collaborating with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to win the Amazon bid for the metro area. “I said we have more land and you have more rail,”…

Gilbert Turman, a former principal of Southwest DeKalb High School and founder of the South DeKalb Neighborhood Coalition, has died, On Common Ground News learned at deadline. Mr. Turman died at home at 11 a.m. on Jan. 18, friends said. He was 77. Dr. Melvin Johnson, who was Mr. Turman’s supervisor for many years, remembered him as a “true community servant.” Mr. Turman served not only at Southwest DeKalb High School but McNair Middle and Columbia High School. “Everybody respected him as a great administrator. He looked out for everyone,” said Johnson. In 2017, DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis returned to…

Dozens of people braved the cold weather to join DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson and other officials and community leaders for the plaque unveiling ceremony of the historic naming of the Michelle Obama Walking Trail at Georgia State University-Perimeter College campus. The ceremony was held on Jan. 13. The walking trail is the first in the country named after former first lady Michelle Obama. Those in attendance expressed their excitement for the occasion. Inspired by Obama’s “Let’s Move” health initiative—a public health campaign to reduce childhood obesity, Commissioner Johnson said he wanted a walking trail to honor Obama and her…

Josie Dean, who heads Rockdale County’s Think Tank civic organization, worked with local officials to host the first-ever MLK Day Parade on Main Street in Conyers. The historic event was supported by a cross-section of the community. Following the parade, a celebration and awards program were held at the Rockdale Auditorium. Photos and videography by On Common Ground News Publisher Glenn L. Morgan

Rockdale County Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. On many occasions applicants for a Georgia Weapons Carry License have asked “Can my weapons carry license be revoked?” Another frequently asked question is “Can my application for renewal be denied even though my initial application was approved? The answer to both questions is yes! If, at any time during the period for which the weapons carry license was issued, the judge of the probate court of the county in which the license was issued shall learn or have brought to his or her attention in any manner, any reasonable ground to believe…

Rockdale County Department of Planning and Development, with the Atlanta Regional Commission, will hold an open house event to kick off the County’s Comprehensive Plan for the next 20 years. The Rockdale 2040 Plan first Open House will be held Jan. 25, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., in the Rockdale County Government Annex Building, 1400 Parker Road SE, Conyers.  The public is invited to attend anytime during the hours of the open house, as there will be multiple sessions to give feedback on the economic and infrastructure development for Rockdale County. During the open house, the Planning and Development Department will provide…

The Stonecrest City Council in a 5-0 vote elected George Turner as its new mayor pro tem on Jan. 16 over the objections of Councilmember Diane Adoma, the out-going mayor pro tem. “…I am adamantly upset that this Council have chosen to ambush this particular topic without giving me any notification,” Adoma said. “…I am abstaining from this vote today because we have a council who feel like they don’t have to be accountable to the people nor the charter nor the Constitution and I will not cast a vote today to remove me as a legal, sitting mayor pro…