Objectives complete: The Newton County Sheriff's Office Explorers recently received the 2010 National Explorers Excellence Award, after meeting all 11 program objectives, including community oriented activities, fingerprinting, vehicle pull-overs and handcuffing techniques. The group only needed to meet eight objectives but met all 11, after having only been started in February 2010. The group is headed by Investigator Mark Joiner. Sheriff Ezell Brown extended a special thanks to the citizens of Newton County for donations to the program, which went toward their uniforms, and to General Mills for a $2,000 donation for equipment for the program.