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Variety of issues, occurrences affected Newton County residents in 2021
Juneteenth9
From left, parade organizer Terri James and Molly Luttery stand with a banner displayed during the Juneteenth parade on the Covington Square June 19. - photo by Tom Spigolon

COVINGTON, Ga. — A number of issues and occurrences were notable in their impact on Newton County residents in 2021.

In addition to the top 10 stories of 2021, some included:

• Covington City Council creates Citizen Review Board as a police oversight measure. Board gets off to a rocky start in November amid confusion about its role in reviewing officers’ actions in following department policy in some cases. 

• Board of Commissioners honor heroic actions throughout the year in Newton County. They included a waitress who saved a motorist from a burning car in June; businessman who saved teens from drowning in a pond after October wreck; and 8-year-old who led her family to safety in a house fire in October.

• Board declines to hire longtime contract attorney Megan Martin in October after naming her sole finalist for position leading new county in-house legal department with six-month contract. No applications were submitted for the job for weeks afterward.

• Newton County and Emory University honor the late Superior Court Judge Horace Johnson by naming the county’s judicial center in February and historic Oxford College building for him in October. Johnson was instrumental in efforts to enlarge the judicial center, and was a major supporter of Oxford College which he attended before graduating from Emory University. 

• Chairman Marcello Banes publicly scolds Commissioner Alana Sanders in August about potential liability to the county for an exercise series Sanders had been leading for months. Sanders fires back about apparent lack of concern beforehand from county attorney and Banes. 

• Two groups appeal to state Supreme Court after Judge John Ott’s 2020 ruling upholding county government’s planned removal of Covington’s 115-year-old Civil War statue was upheld in the Georgia Court of Appeals in July.

• Longtime Newton County efforts to observe the Juneteenth holiday come to fruition after declaration of national holiday in June.

• Progress on parks and recreation development throughout 2021 included the opening of a skate park and splash pad, both in Denny Dobbs Park; public-private action to pave and open more sections of Cricket Frog Trail; the beginning of development of a county parks master plan; survey of Covington residents about desired features in the city’s planned Central Park; and the donation of land for development of new nature trails on the county’s west side.

• Transition takes place among elected officials in Newton County in 2021, with State Rep. Dave Belton and Covington City Council member Hawnethia Williams announcing they were not seeking reelection. U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who represents part of Newton County, announced he planned a run for Georgia Secretary of State in 2022 instead of seeking reelection — leading to 14 candidates seeking to replace him by year’s end.

• State Election Board in February alleges Covington Councilman Anthony Henderson violated election laws in 2017; and in June alleges Sheriff Ezell Brown violated election laws in 2020. Board sends charges to state attorney general for prosecution.

• Board of Commissioners offer surprise plan in February to create one-county judicial circuit containing Newton County, which blindsides District Attorney Randy McGinley and fails to gain traction in Georgia General Assembly. 

• U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, whose district includes Newton County, says Capitol police led him and others out a side door to safety before Capitol rioters Jan. 6 broke in to U.S. House chambers as Congress debated certification of the Electoral College vote declaring Joe Biden winner of the 2020 presidential election.