Defective government

"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world."

New superintendent

Graduates

County budget

The Newton County Board of Commissioners has a tough task in front of them as usual, deciding how to make expenses meet revenues, but we'll say what we've said for each of the past few years - this is still not the time to raise taxes.

Some thoughts

Last week, two young lives were snuffed out on Interstate 20. A 19-year-old and a 7-month-old baby will never know what it's like to grow old.

New superintendent

On Tuesday night, the Newton County Board of Education will choose Dr. Gary Mathews' successor as superintendent of the Newton County School System.

Mother’s Day

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."

Making the grade

In Wednesday's paper, we ran a story explaining what the new state school assessment model means to students and other citizens of Newton County.

Good moves

The Covington City Council has made two practical decisions that could contribute to economic growth in the future.

The morning-after pill

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 1.3 million babies a year are aborted in the U.S. That is a staggering number.

Social Circle

If you were driving through the main street in Social Circle and blinked twice, you might miss the physical heart of the city.

Rotary

A sure sign of spring here in Covington and Newton County is the sweet smell of Vidalia onions.

Development

There's no question we've had a successful run of economic development deals in Newton County over the past couple of years.

Special Olympics

"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Hometown Hero 2012

"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

Spellbound

We take a lot of pleasure in congratulating Cousins Middle School student McKenzie Snyder for winning the Newton County Spelling Bee contest for the second year in a row. She's obviously a bright girl with a love of words, and we hope she carries that passion throughout her life and career.

Missed opportunity

The Newton County Board of Commissioners had a great opportunity last week to show the taxpayers - the commissioners' bosses - that a fresh board with new perspective was not going to conduct business as usual. Sadly, it failed to do so.

Lack of leadership

The Covington City Council finally made a decision on its next city manager Thursday, making Finance Director Leigh Anne Knight the first female city manager in the city's history.

Never give up

"You're never a loser until you quit trying." ~ Mike Ditka It's easy to get discouraged when so often our focus is on the negative and the impossible. Yet so often, those who would seem to have the most to complain about are the ones who take the most joy in life. If you need a pick-me-up, we suggest you read the story of young Jonah Barnett, a miraculous survivor, who had his wish granted ...

Moving on

At the end of last week, the Newton County School System announced an agreement reached between the Newton County Board of Education and Dennis and LaQuanda Carpenter, who are leaving for a school system in Kansas City, Mo., where Dennis Carpenter will take over as superintendent. The agreement was passed by a unanimous vote of all members of the school board.

Bridge

Newly-christened County Chairman Keith Ellis received an unsettling letter from the state just more than two weeks into his term in office. The letter said the bridge on Brown Bridge Road over the Yellow River would have to be closed to bus and large truck traffic if structural repairs weren't made within 90 days.

Rush to judgment

The city of Covington recently commissioned an outside firm to review the performance of the Main Street Covington program, which is responsible for promoting and developing the downtown district.

Open seat an opportunity

In general, we sincerely appreciate the citizens who choose to run for public office, because the push and pull of public and private interests is relentless.

Superintendent search

The Newton County Board of Education is giving all residents an opportunity to give their suggestions on what the school board should look for when it hires a replacement for retiring Superintendent Gary Mathews.

Clinton

Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, finally and in her own good time, appeared before the both senate and house committees to explain the president's and her department's inaction that resulted in the death of American Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other brave souls in Benghazi, Libya.

Honor

The Newton County community gathered at the Porter Memorial Auditorium Sunday to celebrate, for the 28th time locally, the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The best we can do?

We, and apparently many of you, were a little underwhelmed when the city of Covington unveiled its three top finalists to replace Steve Horton as city manager.

Risky gesture of goodwill

With a budget deficit looming a year away, the Newton County Board of Education voted 4-1 this week to give teachers back two of their furlough days, which will cost the school system around $1 million.

Gun debate

Debates over gun control never cease to stir up emotions on both sides of the issue, but the talk in 2013 seems to be among the most vehement in recent memory.

Community effort

"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo comic strip We here at The News aren't Pollyannas, yet we keep hoping that every day, normal Americans will get fed up with the screwed up world around them and step up and take control of their communities. Whether it's the vociferous national debate over more intense gun control measures or our own nasty debate locally about safety and discipline at Alcovy High School, ...