Animal control donates to NCSO

The Newton County Humane Society donated a check to the Newton County Sheriff's Office to help with the purchase of a vest for one of the four K-9 officers at the NCSO.

The News honored for education contributions

The Newton County Theme School at Ficquett honored The Covington News for the newspaper's contributions as this year's Partner in Education. The Partners in Education program, developed in 1986, includes collaborations between schools and businesses, social-service and governmental agencies, colleges and universities, civic groups, churches and other interested community members, according to information from NCSS website.

Coupon confusion at Chick-fil-A

All Chick-fil-A coupons are not created equal. Some Newton County residents hoping to use an Internet coupon that entitled them to a free sandwich in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week learned that lesson Tuesday.

Newton County Jail Log, May 8

Erica Madeline Adriance, 22, 30 Ashley Drive, Oxford, April 24. Contempt of court.

Sleepy suspect

A man wanted in Walton County was found sitting in a Newton County neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

Fantasy 5 winning ticket sold in Covington

Margaret Gregory-Smith of Covington won $256,865 in the May 3 Fantasy 5 drawing. She claimed her prize Monday. The jackpot ticket was purchased at Covington Raceway, 5148 Highway 278 NW, Covington.

Lowest gas price - May 7

The lowest price for regular fuel is $3.42 at QuikTrip, located at 11124 Ga. Highway 142 near I-20 exit 93.

Conyers nabs Vampire Diaries prequel

A new spin-off series of CW's popular "The Vampire Diaries" has been green-lighted and will likely be shooting in Conyers.

Newton County has minor flooding

Porterdale City Council to meet tonight

The City of Porterdale will hold its regular council meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Covington City Council to meet tonight

The City of Covington will hold a work session at 6 p.m. tonight, followed by their council meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Lowest gas price - May 6

The lowest price for regular fuel is $3.42 at QuikTrip, located at 11124 Ga. Highway 142 near I-20 exit 93.

New gun-firing ordinance draft created

A citizens committee put a new gun-firing ordinance on the table this past week, and while it eliminates many issues residents had with the original proposal from earlier this year, some locals wonder if it will actually cut down on illegal firing.

Cycling into a dream

Learning how to ride a bike is a childhood rite of passage. Learning how to fix a bicycle as a child has turned into a lifelong business venture for Bill Adcock.

4-H alumnus to chair Relay for Life

Five years ago, an eighth grade 4-H'er came up to me at Relay for Life, excitedly telling me how 4-H should have a team.

Kill-a-Watt Challenge

The Governor's Energy Challenge has partnered with Georgia Public Library Services to offer Georgia residents an opportunity to measure the energy consumption of appliances throughout their home and to take steps to reduce their electricity consumption and lower their utility bills.

Keep on inVESTing

Continuing generosity: Covington Kiwanis Club Treasurer Don Floyd presented a check on behalf of the Kiwanis Club to Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown to cover the cost of a level III bulletproof vest for a county deputy. "This special unbudgeted donation is a recognition by the membership of the importance of the InVEST project to the NCSO and the community" said club President Bill Loeble.

Women charged with forgery after trying to fill fradulent prescriptions

Two women were arrested Friday afternoon when they allegedly tried to forge a prescription for Oxycontin.

Newton’s JROTC earns 8th Naval Honor Unit distinction

For the eighth consecutive year, the Newton High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC program has earned national distinction as a Naval Honor Unit. This award places Newton High in the top 20 percent of the 225 MCJROTC programs in the nation.

Newborn mayoral race heats up with 3 candidates in mix

The Newborn mayoral race will be one of the most contested in the county, as three candidates vie for the top position in the small town of Newborn. Eight-year incumbent J.W. Cummings, long-time council member James King and world-travelled engineer Roger Sheridan are all running in the Nov. 3 election.

Hundreds turn out for the annual Fuzz Run

Runners began their 5K trek at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Kirchirchir Kimitei, 27, of Kennesaw crossed the finish line as the overall winner with a time of 14:40. Other top winners are grand master male (50+) Clark Walker, left, 51 of Hardwick, 18:39; master male (40+) Jeffrey Dundes of Conyers, 17:56; overall female Janet Cherobon, 31, of Rome, 16:40, master female (40+) Joan Walls, 51, 21:29; and grand master (50+) female Monika McCool, 62, of Athens, ...

Covington now a certified literate community

Local organizations have helped more than 6,262 Newton County adults improve their reading skills over the past eight years, and as a result, Newton County was named a Certified Literate Community by the Technical College System of Georgia. The ceremony took place at Saturday's annual Literacy Festival, where Mayor Kim Carter also declared September to be Family Literacy month in Newton County.

Boothby to resign as Chamber president

John Boothby announced today that he is resigning as president of the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce, effective on Tuesday. Boothby, who has been Chamber president for more than three years, said he has enjoyed his time in Newton County, but was looking forward to pursuing some new opportunities.

DeKalb Tech to train new firefighters

DeKalb Technical College is preparing to launch its Fire Academy in October at its Alcovy Road Campus, in an effort to produce trained firefighters, while saving local fire departments money.

Fuzz Run just around the corner

The 26th annual Fuzz Run is nearly here and although the race is just days away, it isn't too late to sign up to compete. Runners can visit Baker Field from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday and even early Saturday morning prior to the start of the race to register.

"Vampire Diaries" to premiere tonight

The latest television series to be filmed in Covington, the "Vampire Diaries, will premiere tonight at 8 p.m. on The CW network.

Burned man identified

At approximately 7:15 p.m. Tuesday Newton County Fire received a call for a house fire at 15858 Ga. Highway 36, across from Campbell Road. Firefighters who entered the home were able to find a man -- identified by NCFD Deputy Chief Tim Smith as 72-year-old Charles Rainwater Sr -- lying in the kitchen area of the home and drag him to safety. EMTs on the scene were able to open an airway and stabilize the ...

The Georgia Kill-a-Watt Challenge

The Governor's Energy Challenge has partnered with Georgia Public Library Services to offer Georgia residents an opportunity to measure the energy consumption of appliances throughout their home and to take steps to reduce their electricity consumption and lower their utility bills. The Kill-a-Watt meter is compatible with any electrical outlet and is used to assess both the efficiency and the actual consumption of standard home appliances. The LCD display measures consumption by the Kilowatt-hour (just ...

Man severely burned in house fire

At approximately 7:15 p.m. Newton County Fire received a call for a house fire on Ga. Highway 36 across from Campbell Road.

Holiday weekend ‘quite uneventful’

According to local law enforcement officials the Labor Day weekend - Friday through Monday - was a quiet one. The Newton County Sheriff's Department reported four DUI arrests, two underage drinking arrests and one arrest for public intoxication. Only one accident with injuries was reported and occurred at the intersection of Ga. Highway 142 and U.S. Highway 278.