Author: On Common Ground News

Stonecrest City councilman Rob Turner, District 2, participated in Panola Gardens Senior Apartments annual mission day. It was a fun day for seniors to enjoy food, fellowship, comedians and other entertainment. He and his wife, DeKalb School board member Vickie Turner, had a chance to meet and greet constituents during the free, three-hour event, which was held Aug. 25.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, DeKalb County residents have opened their hearts and wallets to help residents of the flooded areas of Houston, Texas and along the Gulf Coast. With thousands of evacuees in shelters and others trapped in their homes by flooded roads, help is pouring in from around the country, according to news reports. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced that it is accepting donations of water and nonperishables at its headquarters and jail lobby at 4415 Memorial Drive in Decatur The headquarters lobby is open 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and the jail…

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said jurors returned guilty verdicts against 49-year-old Darrow Brown and his wife, Laura Whitesell, 33, for abusing and starving their four children. The abuse came to light on May 6, 2015, when paramedics were called by Whitesell to the family’s Tucker motel room where they resided. The couple’s 13-year-old daughter was found unresponsive in the bathroom where she slept. The child, who weighed only 52 pounds, was rushed to the hospital where she spent weeks in recovery and rehab. According to the investigation, three of the couple’s other children, who ranged in age…

  Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond to the Stone Mountain Memorial Association board, which oversees the country’s largest monument to the Confederate war dead. The appointment makes Thurmond the only African-American member of the 10-member board. One member who is not pictured on the boards’ website is Roy N. Roberts. Thurmond could not be reached for comment, but county spokesman Andrew Cauthen confirmed that Thurmond had accepted the appointment. Thurmond is a historian and author. His book, Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865, was awarded the Georgia Historical Society’s Lilla Hawes Award. The Georgia Center…

DeKalb County officials said a tree growing out of a sewer pipe and a concrete junction box caused the massive sewage spill–6.4 million gallons of raw sewage—at Snapfinger Creek in unincorporated Lithonia. County workers discovered the spill on Aug. 23 and officials now say it is worse than the Nancy Creek spill, which spewed 3.9 million gallons of raw sewage and was initially reported last week as the biggest spill recorded in the last 10 years since the county’s consent decree. The consent decree is DeKalb’s binding agreement with federal and state authorities to improve its sewer system. County…

After a special called meeting that lasted more than four hours, the Tucker City Council voted against an 88-acre mixed-use development called “The Rise.” A packed house of supporters and opponents attended the Aug. 30 meeting, awaiting a decision on the proposed project. The plan called for retail and office space, apartments, a senior living center, new elementary school and daycare at the Sears warehouse site, located off Hugh Howell Road and Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Supporters said they believe the project would spur growth in Tucker, while opponents said they were concerned about traffic, parking, green space and worried…

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillers on Thursday (Aug. 31) demanding answers as to what steps the Department of Justice and the Department of State plan in response to the killing of innocent bystanders in US-backed counter-narcotics operations abroad. The letter was signed by Johnson and ranking members of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees and other colleagues The letter calls for accountability in the wake of a joint review from the Offices of the Inspectors General of Justice and State that presented shocking conclusions regarding the role…

MARTA increases services, security for Labor Day weekend ATLANTA—Whether traveling to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game or Dragon Con 2017, you’ll want to take MARTA to navigate the busy holiday weekend expected downtown. MARTA is increasing train frequency on Saturday, Sept. 2, and beefing up security presence at all 38 rail stations throughout the weekend, officials said this morning. “We anticipate an influx of weekend riders due to a holiday weekend filled with parades, festivals and sporting events,” said MARTA GM/CEO Keith Parker. “MARTA is working to meet the projected ridership demand by providing increased service to help ensure an enjoyable…

From L-R, DeKalb County Magistrate Court Ordinance Judges Matthew McCoyd, Hollie Manheimer and September Guy Berryl A. Anderson DeKalb County Magistrate Court judges are leading an effort to crack down on abandoned, dilapidated and burned-out properties in DeKalb County. The Magistrate Court’s Ordinance Division judges, who hear cases involving code enforcement, animal control and nuisance abatement, have put procedures in place for the county to tear down nuisance structures and recover the costs of demolition from property owners. Chief Judge Berryl A. Anderson said the dilapidated structures pose a hazard to county residents and her court can take action against…

Mayor Jason Larry (right) swears in Stonecrest’s new judges,  Jonathan Weintraub and Michael Sheridan. Photo by Glenn L. Morgan/OCGNews Mayor Jason Lary administered the oath of office on Aug. 30 to Stonecrest’s first two municipal judges. Jonathan Weintraub was sworn in as the chief judge and Michael Sheridan took the oath for the judge pro tem. Weintraub and Sheridan are not newcomers to the DeKalb legal system. Weintraub was the county attorney for seven and a half years and served two years as deputy chief operating officer and legal counsel to the chief operating officer. Weintraub also served five years…