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Local high schools shine in mock trial
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Gabriel Khouli
Updated: Feb 7, 2014, 3:00 AM
Published: Feb 7, 2014, 1:13 AM

Newton County’s high schools could be education some pretty talented future lawyers.

Eastside High School took second place in the 2014 Georgia High School Mock Trial Program regional competition Saturday, while Newton High School placed third; both schools will be moving on to the district competitions Feb. 22.

More than 40 area attorneys and judges and 30 deputies volunteered their time to judge teams of 14 high school students, who played the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictional case, based loosely on a real case. The students are mentored by legal professionals to learn how to handle a trial.

LeKeyia Reid, an area attorney who organized this year’s event, thanked her fellow attorneys and judges for taking the time to judge students’ performances and said the event was a huge success.

"The hard work and dedication that was put into the countless hours of preparation by the students and their coaches for this year’s competition definitely manifested itself on Saturday, as this year’s competition was very close in terms of scoring. I am extremely proud of each of the students for competing with great integrity and their display of respect during the competition," Reid said Thursday. "I look forward to seeing each of them again next year."

Grovetown High School took first place in the regional competition.
April 3 crash kills two young adults, injures third
Newton County Sheriff Car---WEB
Kate Verity
Published: Apr 4, 2025, 10:29 PM

NEWTON COUNTY — Around 10 a.m. on Thursday, a head-on collision on Highway 212 left two young adults dead and a third hospitalized.

Joe Navarro, 21, was driving the vehicle and Breanna Smith, 18, was in the passenger seat. Katie New, 20, sat between them.

According to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle lost control while going around a curve and crossed the centerline, where it collided head-on with a box truck. The crash report shows that their vehicle traveled another hundred feet after impact before coming to a stop. It spun, ended up facing the opposite direction on the shoulder of the opposite lane.

Navarro and Smith were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. New was airlifted to Grady Hospital. Her current condition is not known. 

Navarro, Smith and New were not believed to be wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.

The driver of the box truck was not reported to have suffered any injuries.

This is an ongoing story. The News will post updates as they are made available.