Chair’s first chat packed with drama

Newton County Chairman Keith Ellis keeps a small egg timer near his microphone to track the minutes when a resident speaks during the public comment portion of the Board of Commissioners meetings. Ellis knows that is not enough time for some problems. So this week, he launched bi-monthly Chats with the Chairman. Every Monday before the BOC meetings are held between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., Ellis will be in his office so Newton County residents can privately air their concerns and views.

March 07, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Public helps shape Salem Overlay plan

Feedback from Newton County residents last month helped shape the latest version of the Salem Road Overlay the Board of Commissioners heard Tuesday night.

March 06, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | BOC

Mystic Grill to become real restaurant

The Mystic Grill building on the Covington square is set to become a real restaurant as its new owners hope to play off the popularity the building has gained through the hit TV show "The Vampire Diaries" as the outside façade of the Mystic Grill restaurant.

March 06, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | Covington

City officials to reach out to community

Got a neighbor with a dog that barks all night, or want to know what new employers have jobs in Covington? On Saturday, March 23, Covington officials from a wide array of city agencies will be ready to help residents find solutions to problems and answers for questions.

March 05, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Newton could be hub for medical biz

Board of Commissioners Chairman Keith Ellis has a vision for Newton County and it comes in the form of a big map fastened to a 3x4-foot board. Thin purple lines form a huge diamond encompassing Newton, Jasper, Walton and Morgan counties. Ellis dreams that one day those counties will be what he calls a "Research Diamond," a hub for medical research, hospitals, medical device makers and bioscience giants like Baxter.

March 05, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Oconee Metal likely won't sue over bid

LB Recycling and Waste Service's bid to collect recycling centers' scrap metal and remove discarded metal from the landfill was unusual, county commissioners and county attorney Tommy Craig agreed.

March 05, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | Business

After 80 years, residents may get sewer

Bryant Thomas told the city council that his family first moved into their Robinson Street house 80 years ago. And today, "after paying our taxes on time all these years," they still are not connected to the city sewer line. Thomas explained at last night's meeting that his house is on a downslope. Decades ago, there was no way way to pump sewage uphill. Now, there is a pump, yet his home and about 27 nearby houses must rely on septic tanks that sometimes overflow.

March 04, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

St. Patrick’s coming to Porterdale

Porterdale's March 16 Saint Patrick's Day parade will start at Porterdale Baptist Church and end downtown in a Hemlock Street party with battling pro wrestlers, country music, food, inflatable bouncy houses - and a colorful transformation of the Yellow River.

March 02, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | Porterdale

Durden’s Lawn Maintenance owner speaks out

William Durden keeps photos of the flower beds his small company tended for Newton County scrapbooked alongside recognition his landscaping company has received since 2001.

March 02, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Attorney: Odd low bid by company legal

When the Newton County Board of Commissioners recently approved a bid by LB Recycling and Waste Services, one commissioner wondered whether the bold promise made in the bid to best any competitor's offer was legal.

February 28, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Expert: Tough task to lure quality jobs

Remember the days when Northeast factories and businesses laid off their union wage workers to move to the South where salaries were lower? Those days are gone, economic development expert Mark Lautman told a Covington workforce summit Tuesday. To coax big employers into Newton County, towns will need better amenities and a talented, educated workforce.

February 28, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

BOC votes to re-bid lawn contract

The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night not to renew the county's lawn care contract, instead choosing to issue a request for proposals to reopen the contract for bid.

February 26, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Life of Pie and other sweets

Chris Day studied as a hair and makeup artist; her gift for catching life-changing luck comes naturally. When the Air Force transferred her husband to Anchorage, the city's seven months of wintry gloom might seem grim for a woman who said she "loves pink, flowers, glitter and all things girly." But Day promptly landed a job in the Sheraton Hotel's luxury spa doing spray tans and makeovers.

February 23, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Volunteers needed for landmark study

Next month, Covington residents can volunteer to save millions of lives. All each volunteer needs to do is fill out a survey and donate five tablespoons of blood.

February 21, 2013 | Lynda Edwards | LOCAL

Creationist speaks at First Baptist

First Baptist Covington is hosting a conference Sunday and Monday featuring Dr. Terry Mortenson, who gained fame challenging the premise that evolution is valid as science.