10-year-old student tries to give away weapon
A school resource officer searched a 10-year-old student's book bag at West Newton Elementary School after students reported that a weapon was brought to school on Tuesday.

Deputy Cortney Morrison with the Newton County Sheriff's Department said a school resource officer from Veterans Memorial Middle School was called to West Newton Elementary School in reference to a weapon being at the school just before 9 a.m. The school resource officer arrived at the school and spoke with the principal who said students reported that they saw another student with a gun. The principal and school resource officer found and secured the book bag of the student and found a clear air pistol with no clip in his book bag. Morrison said when they asked the student why he brought the weapon to school, the student said he was tired of his older brother shooting him with it and he brought it to school to give it away. The student was not charged. No one was harmed or threatened with the weapon.

Drama on the bus goes round and round
A 17-year-old student at Mainstay Academy was arrested for getting aggressive with school officials on a school bus on Monday.

Ezekiel Taylor was charged with two counts of obstruction of an officer. Deputy Cortney Morrison with the Newton County Sheriff's Office said around 8:40 a.m., the school resource officer at Mainstay Academy on North Emory Street was called and asked to assist the principal on a school bus because there was a problem with two male students on the bus. When the bus pulled up to the school, the school resource officer and principal got on to the bus and saw a bus monitor standing in front of Taylor who was aggressively attempting to get around her.

Morrison said the bus monitor told Taylor to calm down and stay in his seat, but he told her he didn't have to and he got upset and attempted to get out of his seat and go toward another student, who reportedly had made threats against everyone on the school bus just prior to Taylor getting upset. The bus monitor turned her back toward Taylor to block him from getting over to the other student. Once the school resource officer was on the bus, she told the bus monitor to get out of the way and she began talking to Taylor and was able to calm him down. However, when the principal told Taylor he would be suspended, he became irate again and started yelling. Morrison said Taylor then went towards the principal by pushing the school resource officer. The school resource officer then arrested Taylor and took him to the Newton County Jail.

Key in the ignition
Someone reportedly drove away with a woman's car on Tuesday after she left her keys in the car.
A deputy with the Newton County Sheriff's Office responded to a home on Middleton Drive in reference to a stolen vehicle. The deputy spoke to a woman who said she left her keys in the car for three to five minutes while she entered the back of her home and when she came back outside she discovered her gold 2003 Nissan Altima was missing. Deputy Cortney Morrison said the woman left her purse and some of her other belongings in the vehicle. The estimated value of the car was about $4,500. The vehicle was entered into the Georgia Crime Information Center as stolen.

Afternoon feedings
A Kroger employee reported that two women stole baby formula from the store on Wednesday. A Covington police officer responded to the Kroger located at U.S. Highway 278 in reference to shoplifting around 12:45 p.m. The officer spoke with a Kroger employee who said she observed two black females conceal 25 cans of baby formula in two bags and then run out the store. The two women reportedly drove off in a gold Buick and headed south on U.S. Highway 278. The Kroger employee told the officer that a Kroger investigator recently informed her to be on the lookout for several black females who were reportedly stealing baby formula and running out the door at several other Kroger locations.

The employee said she recognized the two females from pictures she had viewed, but when she realized that the two women looked familiar they were already running out of the store. The officer gathered pictures and a video of the incident for evidence.