Litter from the lake: Authorities from the Covington/Newton County Dive Team cleared debris from Lake Varner Tuesday after noticing a large amount of trash in the lake during a search earlier this month.

According to Newton County Public Information Officer Lt. Tyrone Oliver, the Dive Team was asked by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to search for bullets in the lake after a gun allegedly used in a July robbery in Cornelia was found in the lake.

While searching for the bullets, they noticed car parts, a large amount of debris and a Pepsi machine, all tossed into the water. While removing those items, they also located a gun that is believed to have been used in a homicide in the county years ago.