Author: On Common Ground News

Residents at Brannon Hill Condominium in Clarkston are taking back their community with the help of Keep DeKalb Beautiful (KDB) and other volunteers.  KDB is partnering with Brannon Hill residents to host a community cleanup day on Saturday, June 23, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,  at the condominium, 1000 Old Hampton Drive, Clarkston. The Brannon Hill Community Celebration and Arts Festival also will be held that day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in honor of International Refugee Day.   Brannon Hill residents say they want to show pride and shed the image that their community is one of America’s…

Antioch AME Church, 765 S. Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, is hosting a Legislation Update and Candidates Meet and Greet on Thursday, June 21, 7 p.m.  All DeKalb County elected officials, local and statewide candidates who are running in the July 24 primary runoff and local and statewide candidates running in the November General Election have been invited.  The community is urged to come out and learn about Georgia’s new laws that will become effective on July 1.    Antioch AME’s Social Action Committee is sponsoring the event. The Rev. Vandy C. Simmons is senior pastor of the church.

  The City of Clarkston’s City Council will host its pre-Work Session mixer on June 27, 6 to 7 p.m., at Clarkston City Hall, 3921 Church Street, Clarkston.   The community is invited to mingle with elected officials, City of Clarkston staff members and other leaders before the regularly scheduled City Council Work Session begins.   Special guests at the mixer include Judy Rosemond, retiring principal of Jolly Elementary School, and Ayesha Grandison, Jolly’s new principal.  Those who attend the mixer can enjoy complimentary appetizers. 

Individuals inside a home on Emerald North Drive in Decatur told authorities they had to crawl along the floor to avoid being hit by bullets from a person firing into the house on June 10. Authorities said David Knight, 26, allegedly used an AR-15 to fire multiple shots from a vehicle outside the home. The Sheriff’s Office said they did not know why Knight, who lived on the same street as the victims, fired at the house.   The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office served Knight with nine warrants for felony aggravated assault weapon charges. Knight was arrested on June 13…

This summer, Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) and Bread of Life Development (BOLD) Ministries are partnering to ensure Rockdale’s children receive healthy, and delicious meals throughout the summer for the fifth year. The summer program also is providing books for students to enjoy from the RCPS Summer Reading List.     The free program, which operates Monday through Friday, delivers bagged lunches and books via school bus to locations in several communities throughout Rockdale. The program serves students up to age 18. Meals must be eaten on the buses, which are air-conditioned. Students may select books to borrow and take…

By Rockdale County Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and June 15 has been labeled World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Elder abuse is an intentional act, or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to someone age 65 years of age or older. Forms of elder abuse include: physical, sexual, emotional or psychological, neglect, financial, and exploitation.  A May 7, 2018 news report by Paul Singer, Investigative Editor for WGBH News in Boston, MA, titled, New Data…

  Rockdale County’s Juvenile Court will receive approximately $2.6 million from federal, state and local grants to enhance substance abuse intervention services for Rockdale’s youths and families. Officials say the grants will help to improve Family Treatment Court outcomes including higher rates of participation, more effective substance use disorder treatment, family reunification, and less time for children in foster care. The grants awarded include: • The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration five-year grant award of $409,886 totaling $2,049,430. The funding will assist parents and their children enrolled in the Family Treatment Court…

The Office of Youth Services is sponsoring the Baby Box program, designed to work with parents to reduce the infant mortality rate in DeKalb. The next class is scheduled June 29, 10:30 a.m., at the Clarkston Library, 951 N. Indian Creek Dr., Clarkston. The deadline to register is Monday, June 25, 2018. The Baby Box program educates expecting and new parents about approved methods from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sudden unexpected infant death and infant sleep awareness.  Participating parents will receive a Baby Box, temporary secure bedding designed to promote infant…

DeKalb County police are investigating a double shooting that left an innocent bystander dead and another person injured early this afternoon, DeKalb police spokesperson Shiera Campbell said. The shooting took place today (June 13) around 1:15 p.m. at a gas station near the intersection of North Hairston Road and Central Drive near Stone Mountain. Campbell said police, responding to a 911 call, found the body of a black male at the Quick Stop Food Mart in the 1100 block of North Hairston Road. The other victim was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, she said. “We don’t know what…

Homeowners for Better Government in Rockdale County will meet on Thursday, June 14, 7 p.m., at the Sheriff’s Office South Precinct on Georgia Highway 20. The agenda will include an open forum on concerns/issues that HOAs are having with city/county, announcements and a special guest speaker. For more information on Homeowners for Better Government in Rockdale, email E@HOFBG.net.