Author: On Common Ground News

By Mark Brock DEKALB COUNTY, GA–Following Area Golf Tournament play, DeKalb County has three individual golfers (two girls, one boy) heading to their respective state tournaments on May 20-21. Two of the golfers are set to travel to the Class 5A state championship being held at Okefenokee Country Club in Blackshear, Georgia. Arabia Mountain’s Avah Allen finished third overall at the recent Area 3-5A girls’ tournament by shooting a 97 as the top individual qualifier not on a state qualifying team. Allen adds the trip to state to her DeKalb County Golf Championships title. The other Class 5A qualifier…

DECATUR, GA– You can get some great gardening tips from your desktop or cell phone in May and June. DeKalb County Cooperative Extension is hosting virtual garden classes for free. Here’s a look at the schedule: Attracting Pollinators: May 9 at 6 p.m. Pollinators are not just butterflies and bees. Let’s learn about all the other pollinators are in Georgia and how to have a friendly space in your landscape for them. Cut Flower Gardens: May 16 at 6 p.m. Instead of always buying pre-cut fresh flowers, turn to your landscape for fresh bouquets. Gardening Tips & Tricks: June 13 at…

CONYERS, GA—The Taste of Spring Festival will be held in Olde Town Conyers in the city’s business district on Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. There will be live entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and even a children’s business fair.  The Children’s Business Fair will be held in the Randy Mills Pavilion at City Center Park on Main Street. A car and bike show also will be featured from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., 939 Railroad St.  If you want to enter your car or motorcycle , here’s what you need to know: Registration will…

STONECREST, GA– Members of the DeKalb County House and Senate Legislative Delegation celebrated the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of its new Constituent Services Office on Saturday, April 27. The new office, now open at the New Black Wall Street Market in Stonecrest, Georgia, will provide dedicated office space for constituents to keep in touch with their state lawmakers. Plans are to initially open the office three days a week and rotate Saturdays. Officials said at the event that they are still working out the schedule and staffing details. Several elected officials attended the celebration including Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents…

ATLANTA, GA—DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond will deliver his eighth and final State of the County address on Thursday, May 2, 2024, 11:30 a.m., at the new Assembly Studios in Atlanta. Thurmond assumed office in 2016. His tern expires on Dec. 31, 2024. “Lessons Learned” will be the topic of Thurmond’s 2024 State of the County address to be presented during a business luncheon hosted by the Council for Quality Growth and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. Two local leaders will be recognized for their community contributions during the program. More than 650 Council and Chamber members, elected officials, business owners and…

ATLANTA -MARTA’s public art program, Artbound, has issued a call for artists to submit designs for new murals at Edgewood/Candler Park and Oakland City rail stations. This call will be a streamlined process for artists so that one application may be submitted for multiple mural projects. The selection panel for the Edgewood/Cander Park and Oakland City murals will convene during the week of May 6, or shortly after. The call will re-open for future mural projects later this year or next, with artist fees varying, depending on the project. One percent of MARTA’s annual budget is allocated for its Artbound program,…

DECATUR, GA– DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding residents that motor vehicle and property tax services are available at three office locations in DeKalb County. “Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days at the main office located on Memorial Drive. With advance voting also taking place at the office park, customers doing business at the tag office can expect increased foot traffic and parking volume now through May 17,” said DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson. “We are reminding taxpayers that the same in-person services are also available at the satellite tax offices located on Clairmont Road and in…

Story and photos by Mark Brock, DCSD Athletics Specialist DEKALB COUNTY, GA—AJ Holloway and Matthew Evans combined for 14 innings on the mound and allowed just two runs in a pair of complete game wins as the Redan Raiders swept the Fellowship Christian Paladians 9-0 and 5-2 in the first round of the Class 2A baseball state playoffs at Redan on Thursday afternoon. Holloway pitched a six-hit, complete game shutout in the 9-0 win to open the series. The game went scoreless until  the bottom of the third when the Raiders (23-4) struck for three runs after three consecutive…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Mesha Mainor (R-Atlanta) will hold a press conference to announce the lawsuit she has filed against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The press conference is scheduled Tuesday, April 30, 10 a.m., at the South Wing steps of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. During the press conference, Rep. Mainor will also address oversight of prosecutors in Georgia, along with statistics concerning Fulton County jail inmates currently awaiting prosecution after being denied a bond beyond the 90-day threshold. “Citizens and family members must know they have a right to file a motion for a bond and the…

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– Gwinnett County Police detectives are seeking help in identifying a suspect in a shooting at an apartment parking lot in Peachtree Corners. At 6:40 p.m. on April 11, officers responded to a shots fired call on at The Vines Apartments. A witness stated a black male approached the driver’s side of a truck in the parking lot and demanded money.  During the altercation, the suspect fired at the truck as it sped away.  Currently there are no known injuries. The suspect is described as a thin black male with short hair, wearing a black shirt, light colored…