Author: On Common Ground News

Written by Rockdale Clerk of
 Courts Ruth A. Wilson The Legislature created Rockdale County from Newton and Henry counties on Oct. 18, 1870. A law to raise money to build a courthouse was passed soon after the county was created. The original courthouse cost the citizens $500. The facility was a two-story, brick Georgian structure (Colonial Revival style) with a center hall and adjoining rooms. Construction was completed on June 29, 1872. It was one of three courthouse buildings erected in the county. Also in 1872, the Board of Commissioners had a jail built for $2,490. This was a rock…

Five schools in Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) were named National Beta Schools of Merit for 2017. This honor is awarded by the National Beta Club program, which celebrates and develops academic achievement, leadership, character and service among elementary, middle and high school students. The RCPS schools with this honor are: Barksdale Elementary School Flat Shoals Elementary School Shoal Creek Elementary School Sims Elementary School Rockdale County High School The award recipients received a National Beta School of Merit decal to display in their building window.  The names of the winning schools were publicized at the 2017…

Suite 20 Xpress, the brainchild of platform stylist Kristy Gaiters to provide affordable healthy hair in the booming Atlanta hair industry, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month in the South DeKalb community. The salon, located at 5561 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain, is not only known for providing quality hairdos at affordable prices but for honoring community leaders at its annual International Trailblazers Awards. “We are excited about our 10-year celebration and the International Trailblazers Awards. It is our honor to pay tribute to those who have given to our communities,” said Gaiters, who grew her business from humble beginnings.…

MARTA bus routes 5, 12, 25, 27, 36, 37, 39 and 110 will be redirected to accommodate street closuresduring the race. The roads impacted are as follows: Peachtree Road – Piedmont Road to Peachtree-Dunwoody Road; Lenox Road – East Paces Ferry to Buckhead Loop; Oak Valley Road – East Paces Ferry Road to Peachtree Road; Wieuca Road – Peachtree Road to Roxboro Road; 10th Street between Peachtree Street and Monroe Drive; and Piedmont Road between Monroe Drive and 10th Street.   Planning your excursion is easy: Smartphone and Android users are urged to download MARTA’s “On The Go” app to plan their trip and track bus and rail arrivals in…

Looking for the best way to spend your 4th of July weekend around metro Atlanta? Check www.ocgnews.com to find out what’s happening in your neighborhood! ATLANTA Annual Peachtree Road Race expected to draw thousands of spectators   The annual AJC Peachtree Road Race will be held on Tuesday, July 4, near Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. The event draws 150,000 spectators who will line the sides of Peachtree Road to enjoy the world’s largest 10K. The race follows a scenic 10K course from Buckhead to Piedmont Park. Lenox Mall will offer families a full day of fun in…

Members of the Lithonia Senior Center on Bruce Street were decked out in their finest red, white and blue for a pre-Independence Day celebration on June 29. Lifelong resident Allene Harper, who was dressed from head to toe in the colors of the American flag, won first place for best dressed. Juliette Hill’s great-granddaughter, 18-month-old Amelia Brown, got in on the fun and tried on a big red, white and blue hat, putting smiles on the faces of many of the seniors. Zenobia Taylor, center manager, also showed her community spirit. The seniors not only dressed in patriotic colors,…

Rockdale County Board of Commissioners honored staff members of the county’s Recreation and Maintenance Department on June 27, just ahead of the kickoff of Parks and Recreation Month, which is observed nationally celebrated in July. The board issued a proclamation to Recreation and Maintenance Director Sue Sanders and showed an 11-minute video showcasing all of Rockdale’s parks.

DeKalb County has removed more than 80 tons of debris from its sewer system, unclogging lines that haven’t been cleaned in over 50 years, according to the county’s Department of Watershed Management. With more than 2,600 miles of sewer lines, DeKalb prioritized cleaning 818 miles of sewer lines documented to be in need of immediate maintenance due to age and repeat overflows. “Issues associated with reduced sewer capacity have begun to negatively impact our quality of life and hinder economic development in DeKalb County,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “We will almost certainly restore functional capacity to the system…

DeKalb County officials joined community partners on June 29 to break ground on a project that has been 10 years in the making—Sterling at Candler Village, a South DeKalb apartment complex that will provide subsidized independent living for seniors. After 10 years of planning, the $25 million project is finally getting under way at 1955 Candler Road, said Sharon Guest, project lead for The Benoit Group (TBG), the developer. “We’re very excited to be here,” Guest told officials at the groundbreaking ceremony. “When I was working with the DeKalb Housing Authority in 2011, it (the project) kept getting resuscitated then…

Opponents are urging the Stonecrest City Council to vote no on a proposed millage increase, saying it would unfairly tax owners of commercial and rental properties. No one spoke in favor of the increase at two public hearings held on June 27. About 10 people made comments. Attorney Bernard Knight, who represents several businesses and landowners in the city, said the proposed increase of up to 1 mill goes against promises made during the formation of the city. “This is inconsistent with the vision that was crafted by the folks who created Stonecrest and inconsistent with the promises that…