COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County and Covington city officials are opening Wolverine Gym for use as an emergency warming shelter beginning today, Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 5 p.m., in anticipation of nighttime temperatures dropping to the teens in coming days.

The temporary shelter, located adjacent to the former R.L. Cousins School building at 8134 Geiger St. in Covington, will be open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. as extremely cold weather persists, county officials said in a news release. 

The Newton County Board of Commissioners and Covington City Council are partnering to open the Cousins School warming shelter as temperatures are expected to be 20 to 35 degrees below normal by Friday, Dec. 23, with wind chill values as low as 4 degrees Thursday evening and Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

"The Newton County Board of Commissioners recognize the hazardous conditions these cold temperatures provide and have been working to ensure that a safe environment is accessible for everyone in Newton County," a news release stated. "The Newton County Board of Commissioners encourages the community to join us in making the necessary precautions to ensure a safe weekend for everyone during these unseasonably cold temperatures."

The Rainbow Center/Garden of Gethsemane, the host agency for the shelter, is providing transportation from the warming shelter to the Rainbow Center's homeless shelter on Turner Lake Circle from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Newton County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 6 voted to use $50,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the shelter's operation by Pastor Clara Lett and the Garden of Gethsemane Homeless Shelter she operates. The board's action followed the Covington City Council's Nov. 21 vote to pay $40,000 for its operation.

Rainbow Center officials had planned to use Rainbow Covenant Ministries on Hemlock Street in Porterdale as a shelter but lacked the required city zoning, the Newton Citizen newspaper reported.