Author: On Common Ground News

Rockdale County Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch said her office is extending hours, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., the last two days of the early voting period. Extended hours will be available on Thursday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 3, to attract more voters to use the new machines Rockdale is piloting for the state of Georgia. Originally, Welch’s office was scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, during the early voting period, which runs Oct. 16 through Nov. 3. However, Welch said the hours for early voting were extended to allow people to get…

DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will conduct three public meetings as a part of an upcoming redistricting effort in the Stone Mountain and Clarkston clusters. This redistricting effort could potentially address additional capacity created by the newly rebuilt Rockbridge Elementary School facility, as well as the overcrowding of elementary, middle, and high schools in the Stone Mountain and Clarkston clusters. All members of the public are invited to attend these meetings and learn more about the redistricting, which could potentially impact the following schools: Allgood Elementary School, Dunaire Elementary School, Hambrick Elementary School, Indian Creek Elementary School, Jolly Elementary…

State Rep. Doreen Carter, who represents District 92, will host the Georgia House District 92 Nonprofit Summit on Saturday, Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in Conyers. This event is a gathering of nonprofits in District 92 that work to make a difference in the community. The theme of the event is “Creating Connections, Building Bridges.” “My vision for the Nonprofit Summit is to reshape the way District 92’s nonprofits work together to leverage scarce resources, and this informative event will allow nonprofit leaders to learn from one another,” said Rep. Carter. “I hope…

Katerina Taylor, president & CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, received a Walker’s Legacy Power25 Award, a national award that recognizes the achievements of local business and community leaders. Recipients of the Walker’s Legacy Power25 Atlanta Awards are women who have thrived in an array of industries, including technology, media, corporate, business, and education. Walker’s Legacy is a global platform for the professional and entrepreneurial multicultural woman. The organization inspires, equips and engages through thought-provoking content, educational programming, and a global community. The Power25 honor was given to 25 women in major metropolitan cities across the country, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit,…

DeKalb County resident Leslie E. Royal, an author and freelance journalist who has written for national outlets for two decades, has released a new manuscript to help you discover the author in you. The how-to guide is entitled “How to Write and Self-Publish Your Book for FREE with Amazon’s CreateSpace: An Easy Way to Complete Your Manuscript in Seven Stress-FREE Steps.” Royal said the guide is for procrastinators, those with busy schedules like hers and those who don’t know where to begin. She provides step-by-step instructions on how to write and self-publish in a matter of weeks. “Over…

Rockdale’s Constitutional Corner By Tisa Smart Washington Rockdale Tax Commissioner Rockdale County property owners should start seeing tax bills arrive in their mailboxes soon, if they have not already. Some owners may give it a cursory look while others go over it with a fine-toothed comb. Whichever group you fall in, it is important to understand what’s included on the bill and how we determine the amount of tax due. Bills are mailed to the owner of record as of Jan. 1. If your property taxes are paid by your mortgage company, the bank will contact us, in…

As part of National School Bus Safety Week, October 16-20, 2017, Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) recently held the RCPS National School Bus Safety Poster Contest to recognize and honor our bus drivers who safely transport students to and from school. The RCPS Transportation Department recently named the winners of the contest, themed “My Driver, My Safety Hero!” In first place is Jerimyah Davis, second place is Emma Mosely, third place is Portia Kendall. All are students at Gen. Ray Davis Middle School. The poster of first place winner, Jerimyah Davis, will advance to the state contest.  Pictured, left to…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) students saw many new faces working the lunch lines on Oct. 13, as RCPS celebrated National School Lunch Week with special guest servers, including State Superintendent Richard Woods.  Woods and Rockdale County Probate Judge Clarence Cuthpert, Jr. donned aprons and hairnets at Conyers Middle School (CMS) to help serve walking tacos. Woods also had a chance to learn about CMS’s Center for Technology & Engineering (aerospace), tour the flight simulator laboratory with instructor Lt. Col. Stephen Williams, and learn about the new drone flight program starting next year. Rockdale County Superior Court Chief Judge David…

DeKalb County police are seeking the public’s help in locating a dark sedan that hit and killed a 4-year-old child who was walking to school this morning with her aunt, 7-year-old sister and a cousin. The driver struck Ling Thang around 6:45 a.m. in the crosswalk on North Indian Creek Drive near Indian Creek Elementary School in Clarkston. The child went airborne and hit another vehicle as the sedan lost control, stopped momentarily and then sped off, said DeKalb police spokesperson Sheira Campbell. Police took photographs of one of the little girl’s shoes left at the scene. “The car has…

Today, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, flanked by mayors and leaders of the 12 cities within the county, announced projects that the new 1 percent sales tax would fund, if voters approve three referendums now at stake. Early voting for the referendums began on Oct. 16 ahead of the General Election Day on Nov. 7. While city residents will vote on the referendums and their citywide elections, voters in unincorporated DeKalb County will vote only on the referendums. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said the Special Purpose Local Sales Tax (SPLOST) would transform DeKalb, paving the way for critical infrastructure improvements…