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New dance studio opens in P'dale
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Kameron Hargrove, A.J. Reid and Sophia Johnson learn the moves. - photo by Kayla Robins/The Covington News

The former Starbound Dance Studio was reopened as Rhythm Elements Dance Studio in its same Porterdale location Saturday. Four parents of dancers who trained under Valerie Odom, before she suddenly shuttered Starbound’s doors without repayment, teamed up with the owners of Rhythm Elements in Porterdale to give their children back a place to dance.

Jason Croom, Rhythm Elements director, taught the first class on Saturday morning, which was a hip-hop intensive. Croom and Cornelia Virella worked tirelessly with parents Megan and Antonio Reid and Gina and Tom Johnson to refurbish and reopen the studio.

April 3 crash kills two young adults, injures third
Newton County Sheriff Car---WEB

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.