Author: On Common Ground News

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson presented her proposed budget on Tuesday, Nov. 14, to guide County government spending for the 2024 fiscal year. The proposed budget for 2024 totals $2.5 billion. It consists of a $1.96 billion operating budget and a $542 million capital improvements budget, which includes funds from the County’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program. Chairwoman Hendrickson said the proposed budget addresses challenges facing the County, including hiring and retaining a qualified workforce, affordable housing and public safety. “Our 2024 proposed budget focuses on ensuring that we can maintain…

DECATUR, GA—The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced today that an inmate has died while in custody of the DeKalb County Jail. According to reports, officers were alerted to a medical emergency inside an inmate housing unit on Nov.10, 2023. Upon responding, officers found Michael Breedlove, 33, in his cell but unresponsive. Emergency medical services were performed on site by jail and health services. Breedlove was transported to a local hospital but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced deceased. The cause of death has not been released by the medical examiner and the incident remains under investigation…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the case against an Avondale Estates man accused of sexually assaulting a woman behind a business. On Nov. 6, a jury found Timothy Kimble, 52, guilty on charges of Aggravated Sexual Battery, Attempted Rape, Aggravated Assault with Intent to Rape and False Imprisonment stemming from an incident on Nov. 26, 2022. According to the investigation, the victim, who is in her 50s, met Kimble when she went out with a friend to a local bar.   Kimble asked her to accompany him to another late-night spot…

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— Asa Seeley, 40, of Atlanta, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of James Morton, Jr., 50, whom he gunned down at a Stone Mountain hotel.   DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a conviction by jury trial in the case on Nov. 14. Seeley was convicted on Nov. 9 on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Marijuana, stemming from an incident on Sept. 19, 2021.  Immediately following the conviction, DeKalb County Superior…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—The community is rallying around baby Christopher, who needed someone to raise him. After he was born last Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, ihe was immediately given up for guardianship by his birth mom, who is unable to care for him and her other four children. Above Canei Lampkin (right) and baby Christoper are  pictured with Lampkin’s mother, Josie Dean. Canei Lampkin and her mother, Rockdale community activist Josie Dean, have welcomed the newborn into their hearts and home to raise him. They picked him up on Sunday   when the mother and baby…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts Janice Morris and the Conyers-Rockdale Library are resuming the Law Library Speaker Series this month. The first presentation takes place on Saturday, Nov.18, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Conyers-Rockdale Library 864 Green St. S.W., Conyers. Attorney David M. Walker, the guest speaker, will discuss “Learning How to Start a Business.”  Walker will instruct entrepreneurs on how to properly form and structure their businesses. “If you know someone who is a business owner or someone who would like to become a business owner, please encourage them to attend this…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—Georgia Sen. Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) will lead a crucial town hall meeting to discuss House Bill 741. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, S.W., Conyers. Joining Anderson will be the bill’s author, State Rep. Rhonda Taylor (D-Conyers), and Stewart Morelli from the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Counsel. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and concerns. House Bill 741 proposes significant changes to the governance structure of Rockdale County. The bill seeks to increase the number of county commissioners from three to five, reshape…

ATLANTA – State Rep. Viola Davis (D–Stone Mountain) has been selected to receive the National Foundation of Women Legislators’ 2023 Elected Women of Excellence Award. Davis will be among 55 state legislators who will be honored at the 2023 Annual Conference on Nov. 16 – 18 in Orlando, Florida. “It’s an honor to be recognized as a woman of excellence by such an esteemed organization like the National Foundation of Women Legislators,” said Rep. Davis. “I commend the foundation and their tireless efforts to support women legislators across the country. This organization has allowed women like me who serve in…

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA– Rockdale County’s Juvenile Court will host its IMPACT Day Program Open House on Thursday, Nov.16, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the Youth Reporting Center, 2570 Old Covington Highway. The event is being held to showcase the positive influence of the “IMPACT Day Program,” a community-based alternative learning initiative designed to support at-risk youths in Rockdale County. The program targets youths ages 12 to 17 who demonstrate recurring behavioral issues necessitating intervention. The IMPACT Day Program is dedicated to equipping youths with essential life skills such as decision-making, leadership, stress management, and community engagement. These skills are instilled…