Covington Councilwoman Hawnethia Williams wants the city to focus more on its younger citizens, including trying to attract young professionals and working more closely with the Newton County School System.

Williams came back to Covington with some new ideas on how to focus on the county’s youth and young professionals after attending the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) recent two-day annual conference in Savannah.

The convention included sessions on how to create strong downtowns, and Covington was featured in a video presentation that highlighted new Covington clothing store Dizzy Dame, an alternative-type clothing store targeted at a young demographic.

The store is run by career tattoo artists Chad and Annie Jones, who promote individuality in youth dealing with peer pressure.

Williams said she was struck by how the store differed from traditional downtown businesses and hoped the retail store could be a part of attracting a younger crowd downtown.

Williams suggested the city and other organizations present more concerts and festivals geared toward young people, as well as increasing connectivity between neighborhoods and retail locations.

However, Williams said she also believes the city needs to be a partner in developing quality young citizens. She said the decline in the United States’ educational ranking has been startling

Williams said she would like to partner more closely with the Newton County Board of Education, and perhaps attend its meetings..