Author: On Common Ground News

Morris Williams, former DeKalb County Deputy Chief Operating Officer, and businessman Douglas Cotter have pleaded guilty to a check reimbursement scheme to defraud DeKalb County. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction by guilty plea after court proceedings on June 22. Williams, 52, entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor obstruction charge for his role in the scheme. Cotter, 54, entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of theft by taking and was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution immediately. The charges against Cotter and Williams date back to 2011 when Williams served as Chief of Staff…

MARTA passengers soon will be able to enjoy the visual arts and performances at the public transit’s stations throughout the year. MARTA kicked off the initiative, Artbound, with an event on June 19. Performances by Moving in the Spirit Dance Company and cellist Jenn Cornell accompanied by Emrah Kotan highlighted some artistic elements MARTA’s Artbound initiative will bring to customers beginning this year. In addition to the performing arts, officials announced upcoming restorations project at the Decatur MARTA station and a new art installation piece slated for H.E. Holmes MARTA station. “From mosaics to murals, we are redefining the ridership…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) recently held the 11th Annual Student Athletic Aide Camps to train students in the basics of sports medicine to prepare them to become athletic aides with school sports teams. The camps also expose students to sports medicine and athletic training career fields. The camps – conducted by RCPS Athletic Coordinator Kechia Rowles at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels – teach students about concussion recognition, stabilizing and supporting sprains and fractures, recognizing signs of injury and illness, human anatomy and physiology, as well as emergency first aid such as CPR, defibrillator application, and the…

Stonecrest Council member Jimmy Clanton, Jr., District 1, held a town hall meeting on June 20 at Stonecrest Library to share updates on the new city. Dozens of constituents came out in the stormy weather to hear from Clanton, county officials, Stonecrest City Manager Michael Harris and Mayor Jason Lary. Officials fielded questions concerning code enforcement, public safety, business licenses and other issues. An overview was presented on DeKalb County’s homestead exemption and millage rate by the property tax assessor. Clanton said more information would follow at homeowner group meetings and that he would announce those meetings once dates have…

Featured Event   Fresh On DeK Mobile Market brings fresh produce to the community The DeKalb Mobile Farmers Market will be held on Thursday, June 29, 12 – 2 p.m. at the Redan-Trotti Library, 1569 Wellborn Road, Lithonia. The mobile market provides access to healthy, affordable food for communities where access to fresh regionally-grown fruits and vegetables is limited. The Mobile Market accepts EBT (SNAP benefits), credit cards, checks and cash. The DeKalb Mobile Farmers Market is a program of DeKalb County Extension Services. For more information, call 770-482-3821.   ATLANTA Grab a bite to eat at Food…

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond will detail progress made toward addressing the water billing crisis during his third update meeting on Thursday, June 29, 6:30 p.m., at Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. Before the meeting, DeKalb County water billing representatives will be available to assist customers with new water billing disputes and general water billing questions. Representatives also will be able to verify whether the customer is in dispute process. Customers also will be able to learn whether their bills are still being held for evaluation. DeKalb County water billing representatives will not be able to access the billing system,…

Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) have announced the formation of the Congressional Caucus for Advancement of Studio, Talent and Film Diversity. The new bi-partisan caucus aims to focus on increasing opportunities for minorities in the film and television industries. The three representatives, all serving as co-chairs, plan to add to its congressional membership in the coming weeks. “Last year, I challenged the Academy to be diverse and inclusive. This year, Oscar nominees were more diverse and that’s good, but the underlying problem has not gone away: Minorities are underrepresented in all key roles in…

DeKalb County children are invited to help select Hairston Park’s new playground on Saturday, June 24, 11:30 am. Friends of Hairston Park is hosting a special planning meeting seeking input from citizens about the park’s planned upgrades at the Mainstreet Community Center, 5001 Mainstreet Park, Stone Mountain. Hairston Park is a 45.7-acre park located in the Greater Hidden Hills community. Children attending the meeting will review three playground renderings presented by DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs. The rendering with the most votes will be selected as Hairston Park’s preferred playground. Attendees will also learn more about Friends of…

Written by Rockdale Tax Commissioner Tisa Smart-Washington By now, Rockdale County property owners should have already received their assessment notices in the mail and had an opportunity to review them. On some notices, nothing changed from last year. On other notices, the changes may mean changes on the tax bill that will be mailed in the fall. For property owners who appealed the value of their assessment by the June 12 deadline, the question may be “now what?” Chief Assessor Lamar Sims shared the appeal process with me. Once a homeowner has filed an appeal with the Board of Assessors,…

Councilwoman Diane Adoma has been selected as an upcoming member of the Leadership DeKalb Class of 2018. Leadership DeKalb was founded in 1986 by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce to educate community leaders and to address issues facing the growing population. Leadership DeKalb’s purpose it to connect leaders and inform them on matters that are vital to the county and enhances their leadership skills. This is a great honor for Councilwoman Adoma and one that will create new and exciting future opportunities. The program will run from August 2017 until June 2018.