Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey presided over the trial. Tracy Renee Mitchell, 47, will serve 15 years in prison for the vehicular homicide in connection of a friend that she drove over after a night of drinking. Mitchell was convicted of Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree, Hit and Run, and Reckless Driving for the death of Emily Cameron, 33. The fatal incident happened on Nov. 11, 2015 following a night of dinner and drinks between the two friends. Though appearing to be visibly intoxicated, Mitchell refused a restaurant manager’s offer of a ride-sharing service and instead…

The Stonecrest City Council may have set a record for holding its longest council meeting yet—7 hours. The council meeting started at 6 p.m. on Monday and ended a little past 1 a.m. today. The council deadlocked 3 to 3 on several issues, including: Rezoning a 16.79-acre tract at 1882 Coffee Road from M (light industrial) to heavy industrial (M-2). Several questions were raised by the public as to whether the proposed site would be used for industry that might create environmental waste and pollutants after Attorney Bernard Knight said his clients did not yet know how the…

Former DeKalb County School Board member and business owner Jesse “Jay“ Cunningham is being remembered by family and friends as a dedicated servant who deeply cared about his community. Mr. Cunningham died of a heart attack on April 6. He was 58. “One of Georgia’s tallest pines has fallen,” said State Rep. Vernon Jones. “He will be missed.” Evelyn Cunningham said her husband had continued to work and serve the community, despite health issues. She said he had suffered a heart attack last year and recently, he had a stroke.  He had complained of feeling tired a couple of…

DeKalb County Police have arrested a 15-year-old male suspect in the  fatal Easter shooting of a 3-year-old toddler who was sleeping in the back seat of his mother’s SUV. Police made the arrest around 2 p.m. on April 11—10 days after T’Rhigi Diggs was shot in the chest as his mother, Rashonda Craig, was driving around 11:30 p.m. on Bouldercrest Road near Eastland Road in East Atlanta. The juvenile was charged with murder. His name was withheld because of his age. Police Chief James W. Conroy said detectives worked tirelessly to locate witnesses who were at the gas station near the…

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is seeking eligible organizations to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program in their communities. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides access to healthy meals to children during the summer months when school is out. The program reimburses non-profit, governmental, and other eligible organizations for providing free meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months. The following entities can qualify as sponsors: public or private nonprofit schools; universities, colleges or camps; units of local and state government; private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based…

DeKalb County officials are reporting the capture of a second raccoon confirmed with rabies within two days. The most recent incident occurred on April 8 in the 4500 block of North Peachtree Road in Dunwoody. Two days earlier, on April 6, a raccoon was retrieved from the 3100 block of Albatross Lane in Decatur and it later tested positive for rabies as well. This year, there have been six positive raccoon rabies incidents in the county including Dunwoody, Decatur, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Avondale Estates and Lithonia.  Georgia is a rabies endemic state and the virus is present all year long,…

  LifeLine Animal Project presents our DeKalb County Animal Services Pet of the Week, Miss Fit.  This pretty and petite girl wants nothing more than a bone to chew on, a lap to curl up in and home to call her own. Miss Fit loves playing with dogs, going for walks and giving kisses. Her foster parents says that she is also super smart and has picked up all the tricks they have taught her. Being the total package that she is, Miss Fit is also crate and potty trained, and she enjoys sleeping in her dog bed next to…

  WorkSource DeKalb, 774 Jordan Lane, Building No. 4, Decatur, has set new business hours that will become effective Monday, April 30. The hours will be Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on WorkSource DeKalb, including upcoming events, visit www.worksourcedekalb.org or call 404-687-3400.

The Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce is accepting reservations from the public for its Thailand Odyssey set for late this summer. The trip, open to anyone who wants to go, will transport visitors to some of Thailand’s most popular places offering a glimpse into the culture, history and lives of its people. The nine-day adventure, Sept. 11-19, will provide an abundance of sightseeing, shopping and sampling of authentic Thai cuisine. Highlights of the trip include exploration of the country’s capital, Bangkok, and a visit to the nearby province, Kanchanaburi, known for its role during World War II. The group will visit…

State Rep. Karen Bennett, District 94, recently honored Fairfield Baptist Church’s retiring pastor, the Rev. Micheal Benton, for his contributions to the community. Bennett presented a resolution saluting Rev. Benton for 41 years of pastoring at Fairfield.  He was honored at the state Capitol and a reception was held for him, his wife, Dr. Y’vonne Benton, and several members of Fairfield. Fairfield Baptist Church, located at 6133 Redan Road, Lithonia, was established in 1885. Benton was the fifth pastor to serve the church. He retired on Dec 31, 2017, after serving as Fairfield’s pastor since 1977. “I felt it was…