Author: On Common Ground News

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– The Gwinnett County Police Department(GCPD) needs the public’s help finding a 15-year-old girl. Leila Novljakovic was last seen on Wednesday, May 16, at approximately 6 a.m. at her home on Ridgewood Drive in Lilburn before leaving for school. Leila is a student at Parkview High School. Gwinnett County School Police originally took the Missing Person Report. The last known location captured on her cell phone was on June 5 in Atlanta. Novljakovic is a white female with red hair and hazel eyes. She is approximately 5’9″ and weighs 200 lbs. She was wearing gray sweatpants, a maroon…

DECATUR, GA— DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson invites the residents of DeKalb District 3 to the 21st Annual Spring Town Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 6:30 p.m. at Rainbow Park Amphitheater, 3181 Rainbow Park Decatur.. This year’s theme is “Bringing Hope in a Big Way.” The town hall will allow residents an opportunity to gain insight into District 3 activities and to hear important information. There will be presentations by the following: · SPLOST II (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) · MARTA · Planning & Sustainability “There are a lot of exciting things happening in District 3,” said Johnson.…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County’s oldest living resident has passed away. Relda Beatrice Bennett Mackins was 109 years old. She passed away on Saturday, June 3, two months before she would have turned 110. In 2022, Mackins was honored by Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain, where she was a member. Her birthday was celebrated by her relatives and church family and she was honored by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and other state and local officials, who presented her with awards and proclamation. Mackins was born on Aug. 7, 1913. She was affectionately known as Honey Bea by her neighbors at…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—The DeKalb County Police Department is requesting the public’s help in locating Martins Odetokun, 61. Odetokun was last seen on May 21, leaving the 3600 block of Wellhaun Rd. He is 6ft, 180 pounds, and has brown eyes and a bald head. He was wearing a blue shirt and red pants. “We are asking for the public’s assistance in bringing him home,” the Police Department stated in a news release. Anyone who sees Odetokun or has any information about him is asked to call 770-724-7710. Photo provided by DeKalb County Police Department.

ATLANTA —Atlanta City Council member Andrea L. Boone will join This Is It! Southern Kitchen & Bar-B-Q as it celebrates 40 years of success in the city of Atlanta. The anniversary will begin with a red-carpet premiere of the documentary “This Is It! The Miracle of BBQ” on Sunday, June 11, at 6 p.m. at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree Street NE. The first This Is It! store in the Atlanta area was located on Campbellton Road at the intersection of Campbellton Road and DeLowe Drive in the Campbellton Plaza. The store has served as an economic development engine in…

ATLANTA –MARTA’s Board of Directors adopted the Authority’s Fiscal Year 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets on June 8. The $1.6 billion budget includes $712.4 million in gross operating funds and $854.5 million for capital programming. MARTA officials said this year marks the 12th consecutive year the budget has been balance without a fare increase for passengers. In an ongoing commitment to improving customer service, the budget supports the resumption of pre-pandemic levels of bus and rail service, and the advancement of large capital projects, including beginning construction on the region’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, MARTA officials stated. “MARTA’s…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Three Rockdale County High School graduates were honored with inaugural Arts & Education R.E.E.S.E. scholarships, founded by LaCosha Williams in honor and memory of her son, Lawreese Williams. The 2023 recipients—Joseph Carter, Jeremiah Hunt and Darren Wallace—were honored at a brunch on May 27.  Each student received a $2,000 scholarship. Williams’ son graduated from Rockdale County High School in 2008 prior to attending Savannah State University. Williams and her son shared a common goal of funding a nonprofit and awarding annual scholarships to deserving, ambitious, minority male high school graduates by 2025. R.E.E.S.E. was birthed from that vision.  R.E.E.S.E. is an acronym…

Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/ocgnews

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Gwinnett County Police detectives are investigating a road rage incident that resulted in a woman being shot. On June 1, around 9:30 p.m., officers responded to a person shot call on Stone Mountain Highway. When officers located the victim, she was suffering from an injury to her foot. The vehicle had multiple bullet holes, and several shell casings were located by officers at the scene. The victim stated that she was driving eastbound on Stone Mountain Highway when a vehicle was following her and flashing its headlights like it wanted to pass her. She said she was…

DECATUR, GA— DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in partnership with 100 Black Men of DeKalb, will host “Youth Voicez: Violence Prevention Summit” on Monday, June 12, 4 p.m., at Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center. Johnson began his “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” campaign to focus on a comprehensive approach to violence and crime prevention. This approach includes involving and working alongside the youth. The Youth Voicez: Violence Prevention Summit is designed to bring together the community, parents, school system personnel, law enforcement, the faith-based community, and community-based organizations. The event will focus on providing the youth, their parents, and…