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Starbound Dance Studio owner arrested
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Kayla Robins
Updated: Jul 16, 2014, 6:19 PM
Published: Jul 16, 2014, 6:20 PM

The former owner of Starbound Dance Studio in Porterdale was arrested on Wednesday by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office on 13 counts of theft by conversion.

According to the arrest report, Valerie F. Odom was bonded out later the same day. She now faces charges regarding her failure to refund fees she collected for a dance recital that never happened and for costumes that were never used, as has been previously reported by The News.

According to parents who spoke to The News for previous stories, Odom closed the studio without explanation or notice, stating she would refund money to all parents. After no funds were returned, parents found that Odom stopped responding to emails and phone calls and was planning to move.

However, as there are only 13 charges, not all parents decided to find criminal justice for the wrongs done to them and their children. A group of parents quickly worked to reopen the studio under the name Rhythm Elements Dance Studio after partnering with Rhythm’s owners.
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.