Towering high above even the Christmas tree atop the main entrance at Newton Medical Center, a construction crane on Monday morning delivered a very precious piece of cargo to the medical center, its brand-new Philips Ingenia 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The $1 million MRI apparatus will offer a broader range of diagnostic imaging and will be faster and less constricting for patients, said Jim Weadick, administrator and CEO of Newton Medical Center. It also will allow inpatients to receive MRIs in the hospital, instead of being transported by ambulance to the hospital’s current MRI center across the street.
Because it wouldn’t fit through the doors, the Ingenia 1.5 was hoisted by the crane and then gently lowered through a hatch in the roof.
The hatch, though it hadn’t been opened in 20 years, worked like a charm. After some calibration and testing, the Ingenia should be ready for its first patients on Dec. 20, hospital officials said.
Eastside High School has announced the names of the top ten graduates of the Class of 2025. Leading the way are valedictorian, Ian White, and salutatorian, Malachi Scharf. Each of the top ten graduates have exciting prospects ahead of them as they prepare for life after high school.
Eastside High School’s 2025 Top 10 Graduates are:
• Ian White—The valedictorian, Ian plans to attend college and obtain a doctorate in chemical engineering. He selected Mr. Elijah Clark as his top teacher.
• Malachi Scharf—The salutatorian, Malachi plans to major in chemical engineering at Georgia Tech. He chose Mr. Michael Poor as his favorite teacher.
Malachi Scharf (left) and Ian White (right) are Eastside High School’s 2025 Salutatorian and Valedictorian.
- photo by Courtesy of Newton County School System
• Kaiden Blazina—Kaiden plans to attend Georgia College and State University to study biology with plans to become an anesthesiologist or a missionary. Kaiden selected Mrs. Haley Dawkins as his honored teacher.
• Abby Malcom—Abby will be attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in the fall to major in agribusiness. Her goal is to run a floral business. She selected Ms. Sara Beth Hammond as her top teacher.
• Shelby Moore—Shelby plans to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to pursue a degree in agricultural education. She selected Ms. Alisa Echols as her top teacher.
• Annalie Parker—Annalie will attend Georgia College & State University with plans to obtain a doctorate and pursue a career in the scientific field. She selected Dr. Catrina Pollard as her favorite teacher.
• Chandler Shurtz—Chandler plans to attend Georgia Tech to study industrial engineering. He selected Mrs. Kelly Elder as his honored teacher.
• Robby Thomas, Jr.—Robby will attend Georgia Tech to study aerospace engineering and astrophysics. His goal is to work for NASA. Robby chose Ms. Kayla Stoddard as his honored teacher.
• Anna Underwood—Anna is attending Georgia State Perimeter to study her core classes with plans to transfer to the University of Georgia. Her career goal is to become an elementary school teacher. She selected Mr. Eric Adams as her top teacher.
• Benjamin Weaver—Benjamin is attending Newberry College to play soccer and study in their pre-vet program before moving on to veterinary school. He selected Mr. Caleb Watson as his honored teacher
