OCG News Sept. 20, 2019

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VOLUME 25, NUMBER 25

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 Stay connected

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Adoma costs city of Stonecrest more than $13K in legal battle The legal action to protect the city of Stonecrest in its court battle with former City Councilwoman Diane Adoma cost taxpayers in excess of $13,000, the city said in a news release on Diane Adoma Sept. 20. The city had to go to court twice for hearings related to a temporary restraining order against Adoma, the latest hearing on Sept. 17. Adoma could not be reached at On Common Ground News’ deadline for comment. Stonecrest City Attorney Janet Scott and city staff members were in court initially for a preliminary injunction hearing on a temporary restraining order filed by the city against Adoma. The city filed the action after Adoma attended an Aug. 26 city council meeting and acted as a council member, though she officially vacated her seat by qualifying to run for another office on Aug. 23. City video and records showed that Adoma attended an executive session and attempted to vote as a council member in the meeting though she had another order signed by Judge Mark Anthony Scott confirming the fact that she could not keep her council seat. The former councilwoman also used her key and brought a CBS 46 camera crew into city hall and viewed private files of City Clerk Megan Reid. A temporary restraining order was signed by Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger on Aug. 30, 2019, after a hearing that Adoma failed to attend. The order states that Seeliger also finds that the District 5 seat is vacant and prohibits Adoma from acting as a Stonecrest City council member in any respect including attempting to participate in any council meeting, attempting to access unauthorized areas of city hall, and harassing or attempting to direct city employees. The Georgia Constitution states that any elected official automatically vacates their seat when they qualify to run for another elected office and “the term of the office for which such official is qualifying for begins more than 30 days prior to the expiration of such official’s present term of office.” Adoma’s District 5 term doesn’t expire until December 2021. The seat for which she is running has a term that begins in January 2020. Judge Seeliger granted Adoma the opportunity to defend and have the temporary restraining order set aside at the Sept. 17 hearing. Adoma told the court that she was not a threat. She said she had never been derogatory toward the staff. Adoma said that

SEE ADOMA page 7

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL HELD FOR THREE ROCKDALE COUNTY TEENS Hundreds of family members and friends turned out for a candlelight vigil on Sept. 18 to remember the three teens who were fatally shot by a Rockdale County homeowner during an alleged attempted armed robbery: Isaiah Reid and Jaime Hernandez, Jr., who were half brothers, and their friend, Brandon Gresham. The three Salem High School students, ages 16 and 15, died after one of the teens fired at the homeowner and the homeowner returned gunfire, the Rockdale Sheriff’s Office said. One teen died at the scene. The other two were pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said. The incident took place on Monday, Sept. 16, at 4 a.m. on the front lawn of a home on White Oak Court in Rockdale County. Evangelist Renee Simpson of Bible Way Worldwide

SEE VIGIL page 7

C. David Moody

Lorraine Cochran-Johnson

Lisa Bobb

Sandra Ford

Sonya Porter

Diijon DaCosta

Ted Terry

Jefferey Leslie

Charlene Fang

DeKalb County’s Solicitor-General’s Office announces contestants in Dancing with the DeKalb Stars

D

eKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling has unveiled this year’s teams who are participating in the third annual Dancing with the DeKalb Stars, a domestic violence fundraiser and resource expo. The dance competition features nine teams, comprised of a dance professional and a notable member of DeKalb’s legal, public safety, business or civic community. This year’s participants are: C. David Moody, founder of Moody Construction, Inc. Paired with Brentney J., MAD, LLC

DeKalb Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Paired with Tiffany Anderson, Dancers Unleashed Dr. Sandra Ford, executive director of DeKalb County Board of Health Paired with Grayling Walker, Dance 411 Mayor Ted Terry, City of Clarkston Paired with Christian Taylor, Dance 411 Diijon DaCosta, DeKalb County School Board Member Paired with Kristina Echols, Atlanta Dream

SEE DANCING page 7


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