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State law outlines the process for determining if Newton County chairman Marcello Banes should remain in elected county office while under federal indictment, according to the state Attorney General’s website, and it is a process that should currently be underway given the timelines provided under the law. At the...

COVINGTON — Newton County will celebrate the culmination of a long-promised community asset Tuesday, July 30, with the opening of Spring Hill Park. The park, funded through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Collections, has been developed on property that was once earmarked for a private regional landfill. The park site was donated to the county in 2017 as part of the settlement of a decades-long lawsuit between the county and East Georgia Land Company, which had sought to construct a private landfill on Lower River Road. As part of the settlement, the county paid $10 million to East Georgia Land and agreed it would not use the land for a landfill or for any industrial purpose.

COVINGTON — Newton County Schools has launched a Teen Tech program, an internship initiative designed to introduce 11th- and 12th-grade students to a wide array of technology careers and provide them with essential skills for success in the tech industry. Aligned with the school system’s commitment to providing E3...

State law outlines the process for determining if Newton County chairman Marcello Banes should remain in elected county office while under federal indictment. According to the state Attorney General’s website, it is a process that should currently be underway given the timelines provided under the law. At the same time, members of the Joint Development Authority (JDA) board of directors have been considering whether or not Banes should continue in his appointed position as Newton County’s representative on the board while under indictment, sources close to the situation have said, and they could take up the matter as early as its next regular board meeting Tuesday.

Newton County Schools announced the launch of its innovative Teen Tech program, an internship initiative designed to introduce 11th and 12th grade students to a wide array of technology careers and provide them with essential skills for success in the tech industry. Aligned with the commitment to providing E3 (engagement,...

Things will be a little greener on Newton County recreation fields. Installation of turf has begun at the Turner Lake and City Pond complexes. The installation came about through the 2023 SPLOST project, which granted a $3 million investment to lay the turf through the company FieldsTurf. Subscribe to keep...

AIKENS, JAZZMIN ERIAL, 26, Covington, was arrested for CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY- 2ND DEGREE on July 8th. ASHE BINGER, JAVON DEVONTE, 31, Lithonia, was arrested for PROBATION VIOLATION (ORG:DWLS, LIGHT REDUCING MAT.), on July 10th. BAISDEN, EDDIE LEE, 43, Oxford, was arrested for DUI- ALCOHOL LESS SAFE 1ST- OFFENSE, DUI-...

The following charges and arrests were reported by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, Oxford Police Department, Porterdale Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Pardons and Parole for July 8 to July 14:. Jazzminn Erial Aikens♦ , 26, Carr Circle, Covington; criminal damage to property....

NEWTON COUNTY – Commissioners opted to deny two rezoning requests at the July 16 Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting. The first request in front of the board was a rezoning of the property owned by Sockwell Corners LLC. The applicants Ed Hutter and Randy Vinson sought to rezone the property from agricultural-residential (AR) to a community oriented residential development (C.O.R.D.) on Highway 278 and Highway 142.

Across the nation, agricultural teenagers are packing up and heading off to summer camps to make friends, deepen their learning, and spend time outdoors. But at Georgia’s FFA-FCCLA Center, there’s more than your typical summer camp — and it’s not just the mud obstacle course. The...

A Newton County community is grappling with tragedy after a father was arrested for the shooting death of his son during a local fishing tournament. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Wayne Eaton now faces charges of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, following an altercation that left his son, Troy Eaton, dead at a beloved family-run fishing spot in Covington.

Covington, Georgia police responded to the shooting at Lakeview Drive Tournament Lakes, run by the family, where people pay to participate in fishing competitions

COVINGTON — The Newton County Board of Commissioners said no to a rezoning that would have paved the way for a high-density, mixed-use development at the intersection of U.S. Highway 278 and Ga. Highway 142, near Eastside High School. About 100 county residents opposed to the development attended the...

NEWTON COUNTY – A number of criminal cases have been resolved in Newton County court including the sentencing of a Covington man who was charged with child molestation. On July 10, Luis Vieryra-Acosta of Covington pled guilty to two counts of child molestation and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Vieryra-Acosta was first arrested in December 2021.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) announced it’s been awarded $172,550 for student scholarships through the PepsiCo Foundation and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The funds are allocated through the PepsiCo’s Foundation’s Uplift scholarship program which provides a holistic approach to filling gaps to issues such as transportation, professional development, housing and even mentorship services.

A father has been charged with one count of murder after his son was found dead Saturday evening.

Deputies with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting incident that began at Baileys gas station, located at Salem Road and Highway 81. The shooting continued at two separate locations: Highway 162 and Lover’s Lane, and Highway 162 at Parkwood Drive. The incident started when offenders...

NEWTON COUNTY — The Newton County School System’s Board of Education discussed the tentative millage rate for the 2025 school year during one of three public hearings on Tuesday. The proposed rate was to remain unchanged at 16 mills, which continues to be the lowest that it has...

NEWTON COUNTY – Two Covington men are facing charges regarding a shooting that occurred earlier this week. Giovanni Allen and Jamal Donohue face multiple charges after deputies with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office received a call on July 9 in reference to a shooting. According to an NCSO...