Covington Bicentennial Magazine

Patrick Graham OWNER pgraham@covnews com

Cynthia Warren ADVERTISING DIRECTOR cbwarren@covnews com

Lee Ann Avery

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR lavery@covnews com

Alicia

Goolsby

LEGALS CLERK agoolsby@covnews com

This magazine is a special publication of

Gabriel Stovall EDITOR AND PUBLISHER tbeck@covnews com

Tom Spigolon NEWS EDITOR tspigolon@covnews com

Phillip B. Hubbard SPORTS EDITOR phubbard@covnews com

Brian C. Worton

ADVERTISING REPRESENTAIVE bworton@covnews com

Published every Sunday and Wednesday by Newton Newspapers, Inc

CONTACT US Telephone • 770 787 6397 (NEWS) Online • CovNews com Mail • P.O . Box 1249, Covington, GA 30015

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

ABBEY HOSPICE 5

ABOVE ALL TREE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ALCOVY FITNESS & WELLNESS 7

AMERICAN REALTY - REBECCA THOMPKINS . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ANIMAL MEDICAL OF COVINGTON 12

AUSTIN HARRIS - EDWARD JONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH 13

BRADLEY’S BAR-B-QUE 16

CALDWELL & COWAN FUNERAL HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

CITY OF COVINGTON 2 & 60

CITY OF OXFORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

CITY OF PORTERDALE 16

COVINGTON AUTO COLLISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

COVINGTON HEARING 19

COVINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT 21

DONUT KING 27

FLETCHER’S JEWELRY CO 20

GARY MASSEY AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

GEORGIA DERMATOLOGY OF CONYERS 30

GEORGIA PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . .59

GINN MOTORS 3

CLERK OF COURTS LINDA HAYS 10

HOMETOWN REALTY 11

JC HARWELL & SON FUNERAL HOME 33

KM CHIMNEY & GUTTER CLEANING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

LA VIE HEALTH & WELLNESS INC 36

LAWNWOOD MEMORIAL PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

LESTER LACKEY FUNERAL HOME 40

MAYFIELD ACE HARDWARE 17

NATURAL PATH FAMILY HEALTH FOOD STORE . . . . . . . .41

NEWTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISIONERS 44

NEWTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE . . . . . . .47

NEWTON COUNTY IDA 47

NEWTON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 NEWTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 24 NEWTON FEDERAL BANK 31 OZBURN ELECTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

PC AFTER DARK 51 PATRICKS FEED & SEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

PAWN PRO / SHOTS FIRED 30 PIEDMONT INSURANCE ASSOCIATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL 45 RAMSEY’S FURNITURE 55 READY RENT-ALL 39 RESURGENS ORTHOPAEDICS 52 RUDYBOO’S BUFFALO CAFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

SNAPPING SHOALS EMC 53 SOUTHERN HEARTLAND ART GALLERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

THE UPS STORE 42 THE WILDFLOWER COLLECTIVE LLC 23 TOWN OF NEWBORN 34 TUBBY TOM’S 25 UNITED BANK OPERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

WHEELER FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES 32 WHEELER PETUARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

YOUNG LEVETT FUNERAL HOME 58

Bicentennial a chance to celebrate

Covington’s past and future

Happy Bi-Centennial, Covington!

I’ve always felt like being able to celebrate one of these kinds of milestones is infinitely special, because it is almost a sure guarantee that, while some lucky, recently born Covington residents blessed with longevity in their genes may see another 100year milestone, a grand total of none of us will see another 200 years.

So when you have a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to commemorate a place like Covington for 200 years of existence, you take it.

This isn’t exactly a new accolade for our staff at The Covington News to commemorate. Last year we celebrated Newton County’s Bi-Centennial celebration with a special magazine publication, and because the histories of Covington and Newton County are literally joined at the hip, it makes sense that much of the county’s history is also the city’s history, and vice versa.

Still, this is special enough to

warrant its own commemoration.

When I first returned to Covington and The Covington News in this capacity in August, one of the first stories I had the privilege of telling was the burying of the commemorative 200-year time capsule. The time capsule was buried underneath a brick on the Bi-Centennial walkway that featured several community bricks. It was the capstone commemoration on the County’s 200th birthday celebrated last year, and each of the

History of The Covington News

Though underneath a masthead of various names including the Enterprise and Star, The Covington News has served Newton County as the area’s legal organ and leading news provider for more than 156 years.

Records show The News was first established in 1865 shortly after the Civil War ended as The Georgia Enterprise by William L. Beebe. The weekly newspaper was labeled as “a progressive Democratic paper.” It was burned out Aug. 31, 1881, and again on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 1883.

In 1874, J.W. Anderson formed The Covington Star, and when The Georgia Enterprise went up in flames the second time, Anderson agreed to print a small tabloid of then edit S.W. Hawkin’s weekly edition for him.

The Star continued operation until 1902 when it merged with The Georgia Enterprise to form The Enterprise. Charles G. Smith was proprietor and editor at the time.

After a series of changes in leadership, the newspaper was sold in 1906 to James P. Cooley, who became proprietor and editor. The Enterprise changed ownership again just two years later when, in December of 1908, the newspaper became The Covington News and Lon L. Flowers was editor and publisher. Flow -

ers served in the dual role until 1914 when R.F. Taylor became editor and publisher.

In 1919, then-editor and publisher Jack L. Patterson sold The News and job plant to W.E. Lightfoot and Ralph Meeks. In 1923, Patterson bought back his one-half interest he sold Meeks, with surrendered notes on same. The paper went into the hands of a receiver and on Feb. 14, 1924, the paper was published by W. Trox Bankston, who edited and published it until 1928, when it was purchased by Dr. C. L. Snowden.

Upon Snowden’s death in 1930, his estate continued the paper until it was purchased by Mrs. Belmont Dennis and family Nov. 13, 1931. Under leadership of the Dennis family, the newspaper’s publication date was moved from Friday to Thursday. Mr. Belmont Dennis served as editor for 30 years with Mrs. Dennis associate editor.

In 1957, The Covington News absorbed The Citizen Observer, which had been established by W. Thomas Hay just four years prior.

When Mr. Dennis died in December 1961, Mrs. Dennis took up the role of editor and co-publisher of The News with her sister, Mrs. Mary Sessions Mallard. Mallard had previously served as an associate editor. Leo Mallard

The Covington News office in downtown Covington. Staff Photo

then became assistant to the publisher and general manager.

In 1974, Leo S. Mallard became president and editor of Covington News, Inc.

In 1975, the newspaper moved its operations from the downtown area to a new building on U.S. Hwy. 278.

In 1983, the newspaper and its printing operation were sold to the company’s employees, and Denny Hill was named editor. Three years later, the employees sold the newspaper to Morris Newspaper Corp., headed by Charles Morris of Savannah. Morris named Hill as editor and publisher and in June 1987, the newspaper returned its offices to the downtown area.

Today, Patrick Graham, of Monroe, is proprietor of The Covington News. Graham, who also owns The Walton Tribune in Monroe and three newspapers in Alabama, purchased The News from Morris in September 2017.

“Newton County is a tremendous community with a rich history and an even brighter future,” Graham said at the time.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to build on the solid foundation of service and leadership the Morris family and its company have provided here in Covington for so many years.

“Simply put, I want to put out the very best newspaper of its size in the state of Georgia,” he added. “We have a community that deserves that kind of quality coverage, and we have the kind of staff that can deliver that kind of quality coverage.”

Since Graham purchased the newspaper, The Covington News has been printed in Scottsboro, Alabama, at the Jackson County Sentinel.

After acquiring The News, Graham named David Clemons publisher. In 2018, Jackie Gutknecht was named publisher. In 2019, Graham appointed his daughter, Madison Graham, to be publisher. Then, in 2020, Graham hired Taylor Beck to serve as editor and publisher.

Under Beck’s leadership, The Covington News expanded its publication, adding a mid-week edition in August 2020 to become a twice-weekly newspaper — publishing new issues every Wednesday and weekend.

In August 2022, Graham named Gabriel Stovall, a former award-winning sports editor for The News, as publisher and editor. Stovall became the paper’s first African American to hold that distinction.

In 2021, Beck and staff launched the Covington News app, available to download for free in the App Store and on Google Play, and add -

ed an Entertainment Extra for the Wednesday print edition.

“The Covington News has been an integral and inseparable part of the Covington and Newton County community for almost as long as Covington has been around,” Stovall said. “Through a myriad of changes in our city and nation, The News has been stalwart in being this community’s chief storyteller, and we have no plans of that changing anytime soon. This newspaper has been, and will continue to be, an award winner for its coverage. But we’ll also begin to be known as an incubator for emerging journalism talent so as to do our part to make sure real journalism does not die.

“I’m excited to extend our traditional ways of meeting this community’s news needs, while mining out new and fresh ways to do the same. As our industry continues to change and evolve at break-neck speed, we at The News are dedicated to ensuring our media company remains on our industry’s cutting edge.”

The Covington News is currently located at 1166 Usher St. NW in Covington.

Current publisher and editor Gabriel Stovall contributed to this article.

county’s six cities — Covington, Oxford, Newborn, Mansfield,

Social Circle and Porterdale — dropped something in the capsule to be opened

again in the next 200 years.

For Covington, Newton County’s county seat, a laminated copy of the city employee listing was placed. Covington was founded by European immigrants to the United States and was incorporated as a settlement in 1822. It was named after United States Army Brigadier General and U.S. Congressman Leonard Covington of War of 1812 fame. It was formally incorporated as a city in 1854.

Now, with its close to 15,000 residents and a portion I-20 running east to west through it, Covington has grown from a rural Georgia town sometimes seen to be off the beaten path, into a small city considered part of East Metro Atlanta — one

of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

Covington has evolved into an ethically and politically diverse epicenter of industry, with the addition of several new business developments just in the last 20 years, which mark the city as a destination for industry growth.

Known as “The Hollywood of the South,” Covington boasts being the site where more than 70 movies, television sitcoms and other shows have been either personally or predominantly shot — with such titles as Vampire Diaries, the movie “Remember the Titans” (which was partly filmed at Sharp Stadium where the city’s three high schools play football), “The Dukes of Haz -

Pictured is the Bank of Covington and Opera House in downtown Covington in the late 1800s. Special Photo | Historical Society of Newton County

STOVALL FROM PAGE 5

zard” and “In the Heat of the Night,” just to name a few.

Despite it’s growth, it still manages to maintain a small-town feel. A stroll through the vaunted Covington Square will make you feel like you’re actually in a movie scene, or surrounded by a close-knit family that loves where they live, work and play.

Like any place, there are challenges and elements some may wish were different. But more times than not, people will tell you that Covington is a great place filled with great people who care about seeing its growth and development happen in a positive and con -

structive way. October 2016 was the first time I stepped foot into Covington. It was when I interviewed with then-General Manager Hosanna Fletcher and the staff for The Covington News’ vacant sports editor position. It didn’t take long for me to discover what makes this place so special. I spent three years here as sports editor before moving on to take other jobs in metro Atlanta, Louisville, Kentucky and Augusta, Georgia. And while all those places have their own special charms, Covington left an indelible imprint on my heart. The city itself is the

reason why I decided to return to serve as the publisher and editor of The News which gives me another opportunity to serve this city in a fresh and impactful way. Before I left the first time, I told anyone who listened that “one day, I’m gonna buy a house in Covington because I love it that much.”

The things that some may feel make it problematic are actually the things I believe make it great. And I also believe that Covington’s greatest days are ahead. Who knows what the next 200 years will bring. And who knows how much of it we will see. One thing

is for certain — as long as Covington has the kinds of people in it who care equally about where it’s been and where it’s going, the city will be in good hands.

Happy Bi-Centennial, Covington! It is my hope that those of us who call this place home will take this time to pause and reflect on how blessed we are to live here. And may that acknowledgment charge us to work diligently to leave it in a great place for those who will one day take up the mantle from us to forge this city into an even brighter future.

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With three associate brokers and agents who have received awards for Million Dollar, Multi-Million, Life Multi-Million and Top Producer Awards, that is why Hometown Realty has been voted “The Best of Newton” for three consecutive years 2019, 2020 and 2021. We would like to say Thank You to all our clients, customers, friends and family that voted for us.

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Time capsule burial punctuates city and county’s 200th year celebration

By GABRIEL STOVALL gstovall@covnews.com

On Monday Aug. 29, the Newton County Bicentennial Committee unveiled the Bicentennial walkway featuring community bricks on Monday. It was a way of commemorating both the county’s and the city of Covington’s 200th year of operation.

The new walkway is located at the park behind the Newton County Administration Building at 1113 Usher St. in Covington.

Along with the personalized bricks, a time capsule commemorating Newton County’s

200th year in 2021 was buried.

The time capsule includes a Newton County Bicentennial lapel pin, Bicentennial mask, Bicentennial banner, Bicentennial Committee photos, and bark from a 150-year-old magnolia tree from the Square.

“This is a tremendous time and occasion for celebration in the life of our city and county,” Newton County Chairman Marcello Banes said. “All of the different parts of our community represented here just underscores what being ‘One Newton’ is all about.”

The county’s six cities also contributed items for the time

capsule, including:

• City of Covington - laminated copy of city employee listing;

• City of Oxford - acorns from the historic Yarbrough oak tree;

• City of Newborn - Historic Newborn Schoolhouse T-shirt;

• City of Mansfield - City Council meeting agenda, minutes and town plat;

• City of Social Circle - Gold key to the City of Social Circle.

• City of Porterdale - City of Porterdale picture booklet and small cotton twine spool from one of the town’s former mill operations.

AnimAl medicAl of Covington

County Chairman Marcello Banes pictured with the 200-year time capsule. File Photo

Covington Square has always been home for city’s businesses, government

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

Established in the early 1820s, The Covington Square, once dubbed “Newtonboro” is among the oldest settled parts of the city of Covington and Newton County as a whole.

It’s development paved the way for Covington’s foundation, and even to this day, some of the spirit that accompanied its founding still can be felt in modern day life.

The clerk of the Inferior Court paid surveyors to mark off lots of the new town, Newtonboro in June 1822. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town of Covington on Dec. 8, 1822, and Newtonsboro ceased to exist. From there, the young city began to establish quickly. A brick courthouse and jail were built in 1824 to rave reviews by visitors in letters home.

By 1854, the courthouse that stood in the city’s square was outgrown. The Inferior Court ordered it moved to the street between “the Hotel and J.S. Anderson’s store house leaving an (alley) of equal width on each side …”

The “Hotel” was the Flowers Hotel, which was one of the best

known of many that operated in Covington at the time and operated at the corner of Clark and Hendricks streets where BB&T Bank now stands.

J.S. Anderson’s store later became a saloon that was the source of an 1883 fire, and, later, the longtime location of the Bank of Covington. Current residents now know it to be the Mystic Grill restaurant.

What we now know as First Covington United Methodist Church was a Confederate hospital during the Civil War years of 1861 to 1865. Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea — a military campaign of the American Civil War — came through Covington in July 1864. Yankee soldiers burned the train depot, a recently completed large hospital and 2,000 bales of cotton, among other things.

On New Year’s Eve of 1883, years after the war had concluded, the Square endured another destructive shift when a fire started in the R.W. Bagby saloon on the Square’s north side.

Many of the buildings on the Square were wooden, and seven ultimately were destroyed or damaged,

including the brick courthouse, its wooden roof and cornice bringing the blaze into the building.

What we see today on Clark Street on the north side of the Square is the reconstructed courthouse which was rebuilt in August 1884. A cornerstone was laid and filled with letters, copies of newspapers, Confederate money and a piece of a rope used to hang a criminal only days earlier.

When the Newton County Historical Soci -

ety removed the stone on the 100th anniversary of the building in 1984, all but some coins and a belt buckle had been reduced to dust.

The Covington and Oxford Street Railroad began operating in July 1888 which brought much growth to the city.

Mules pulled the cars on tracks between the Square and the railroad depot along what was then called Railroad Street (Emory Street today), and was timed to meet all

trains. It was the last mule-driven public transit operation in the nation when it ended service in 1917.

The Jefferson-Lamar Camp No. 305 of the United Confederate Veterans unveiled and dedicated the Confederate Monument in its current spot in April 1906.

At the time, all streets and sidewalks were unpaved and dust was a constant problem for Downton Covington residents. Paved sidewalks came to the city in 1912 the city with paved streets following in 1925.

Despite larger retailers like Belk began to move away from the Square to occupy the ever-expanding High -

way 278 in the 1950s, the area maintained its status as the center of government.

While other Georgia counties were moving their government administrative facilities and courthouses away from traditional county centers, Newton County leaders’ decisions to build new courthouse and government administrative facilities adjacent to the Square in the 1990s and 2000s helped keep the area vibrant.

Ramsey Furniture on Clark Street was founded in 1919 and is one of the oldest, continuously operating businesses on or near the Covington Square. Town House Cafe on

Washington Street is also a longtime business and has operated downtown since 1964.

Other longtime Covington Square retailers included White’s Department Store at the corner of Monticello and Washington streets (now Bread & Butter Bakery); Pool’s and People’s Drug Store, both on Monticello Street; The Bank of Covington on Clark Street (now BB&T); and City Pharmacy at Church and Floyd streets (now City Pharmacy restaurant).

Add places like Western Auto, Dietz’s on Monticello Street and Covington Supply Co./Goodyear at the corner of College and Church streets to the

list as well.

On its website, Mystic Grill restaurant reported the various businesses that operated in its historic building next to the Historic Courthouse on Clark Street.

“Over the years it has been home to many businesses such as Peggy Lee dress shop, Sears, Kesler’s Billiard Parlor and Pool’s Shoes, Butter Cup Bakery, Mickey’s Grill and Alexander & Royston law firm just to name a few.

“Also, on this lot in 1883, stood a saloon belonging to “Col.”

Robert Bagby who still makes his presence known here on occasion.

The Covington Municipal airport has provided world-class service, safe travel for the city since 1963

By TOM SPIGOLON & GABRIEL STOVALL news@covnews.com

World Class. That is the standard that the Covington Municipal Airport strives for as it combines with the small-town, yet growing vibe of the city of Covington.

Established in 1963, the airport is just under 40 minutes from downtown Atlanta and just minutes away from Interstate I-20 which makes it convenient for people trying to access all parts of Atlanta as well as other parts of the state.

Located on GA-142, just alongside Alcovy Road, the airport sits on 700 acres of land with land set aside for potential development on both sides.

The airport is ran by Manager John King, who took the job in 2017.

King served in the Navy as a skydiving instructor before attending flight school. He went on to earn his commercial pilot license, flying for many clients full-time at the Covington Municipal Airport.

King and the airport’s entire staff say their chief desire is pairing quality guest experiences with the world-class flight experience.

Among Covington Municipal Airport’s partners are Southern Air Group, Aerodox, Air Methods LLC., and FAA Examiner. And recently, Archer Aviation Inc, a Silicon Valley-based aerospace company, will begin construction in December on a 500,000 square-foot complex on 96 acres of vacant, city-owned land on the airport’s western edge. It’ll be used for production of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL)) and will bring 1,000 jobs.

The airport has a 5,500-foot runway that can accommodate a wide-variety of general aviation and corporate level aircraft and

their fueling needs.

The airport does its best to attract business to Covington by providing quality facilities, such as Fixed-base operating, Automated weather observation station, instrument approaches, as well as containing some of the lowest cost fuel in north Georgia.

As the city of Covington continues to grow in population and commercial opportunities, the Covington Airport is able to work with many small businesses as they come to and from the city. Corporate flights going through the Covington airport can save time for business within the city.

Happy Birthday City of Covington!

Your local family owned hardware store since 1973

Happy 200th birthday Covington! We thank you for five decades

of support and patronage. Although we may have Ace Hardware in our name, Covington is our home and community Being the only locally owned hardware store in Covington, we’ve learned that it’s not just about involved in the community, and having great employees. Throughout the years much has changed for the store and within our community. One community service. We are proud to serve and support our friends and neighbors and look forward to many more years of being a part of the Covington community. 2171 Elm St. NE

Ever heard of the ‘Covington School System’?

Here’s how it became Newton County Schools

By TOM SPIGOLON & GABRIEL STOVALL news@covnews.com

In the same year Newton County celebrated its 200th anniversary, the county’s leading school system celebrated its 150th.

With the brunt of its presence in the city of Covington, Newton County Schools was established Feb. 7, 1871, but the county’s origin of public education has been traced back to years prior. And before 1860, public education was not a priority.

Federal, state and local governments placed little emphasis on schooling by shelling out minor funds in the early 1800s, according to “History of Newton County Georgia,” a book compiled and released by the Historical Society

of Newton County in 1988. But as the 19th century came to a close, local and state leaders increased their efforts to make education available on a much larger level than ever before.

In 1867, the Georgia Teachers Association was established, which played a vital role in the creation of the state’s public education we know today. Four of its original members hailed from Newton County (Gustavus Orr, T.J. Hill, Joseph S. Stewart and Alexander Means). Another force in the creation of public education was the formation of the Freedmen’s Bureau by an act of Congress in 1865.

The object of the bureau was to protect former slaves from the development of laws that

tried to limit slaves’ freedom. Between 1866 and 1870, the bureau spent nearly $5 million to pay teachers, construct and rent schools, and establish black colleges and “normal schools,” according to the historical society’s findings.

The area’s first Freedmen’s school was reported in 1866. It was located in Covington and had 25 students taught by Edward Putry. By 1867, a local Freedmen’s school was described as one with more than 100 students taught by C.A. Sprague.

In August 1870, the Freedmen’s Bureau withdrew from Georgia, which made it difficult for Black people to receive a quality education because

Happy 200th Birthday Newton County!

of their systematic exclusion. Black teachers at the time were poorly trained, however, in October 1887, the legislature mandated all licensed teachers must attend all sessions of teacher institutes held in their respective counties.

Black schools in Newton County did not receive tax funding until the 1870s, according to the historical society’s findings.

Despite the adversity, there were 27 schools for Black people across Newton County with 1,489 students enrolled by 1912. Most were held in churches and community buildings, though it is unclear if the county owned or supported any of the school buildings.

After the Civil War ended and Georgia rejoined the Union, the Newton County Schools Board of Education was formally formed, including charter members Henry Twiggs, Henry L. Graves, A.J. Webb, J.J. Dearing,

Thomas C. Davis, J.W. Smith, L.S. Mann, E.L. Thomas, Henry Gaither, Asbury C. Mixon, T.W. Meriwether and L.M. Brown. Dearing was elected the school board’s first president and served in that capacity until December 1890 when he was succeeded by Harry H. Stone. Shaw was elected secretary of the board and county school commissioner.

Under Stone’s leadership, the school system established a traveling library. Several hundred books were purchased and put in boxes. Each school was allowed to keep one or two boxes for a short time. The library system was considered the first of its kind.

According to superior court records, there was an average of 1,450 students attending Newton County schools per month in 1877. By 1912, there were 26 school locations for white students in Newton County with a

total of 1,890 students enrolled and 56 teachers. Schools were limited to a seven-grade system at the time.

In 1904, the district drew national attention by becoming the first in the South to execute a school consolidation when four schools were combined into Heard-Mixon School. The “Southern Agriculturalist” of Springfield, Massachusetts, sent a reporter to investigate and write a feature story on the consolidation. In 1907, Newton won first place in the state for school improvement. In 1912, Newton County Schools was cited by the National Education Association as one of the state’s two leading county systems. Under the direction of George C. Adams, Newton County Schools started the Boys Corn Club, which was believed to be the forerunner of the National 4-H Club.

In 1947, Newton County

The Covington school system was organized in 1889. The school system took over the Georgia Methodist Female College in Covington in 1894. In 1896, the building was deemed unusable, so it was torn down and a new school called Covington Public School was built in its place. Covington Public School served as an elementary school and then a high school until 1954.

After the two school systems consolidated, the county school board agreed to furnish 22 teachers at the Covington High School. The board also agreed to sell the land for a new high school to be built on Speedway Drive — what’s known as Newton Drive today. Homer F. Sharp was elected supervising principal for the Newton County High School, which

was opened for white students in 1950 and started the beginning of the county’s 12-grade program.

R.L. Cousins School and East Newton School were each built and opened for the 1955-56 school year for Black students after the consolidation of 30 Black schools, led by Cassie M. Robinson, was approved. R. L. Cousins held grades one through 12, while East Newton held grades one through eight.

Integration of schools in Newton County slowly began in 1954 after the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka. The court ruled racial segregation was a violation of the 14th Amendment. This led to the voluntary integration of only four out of 197 school districts across Georgia by 1964.

After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Newton County Schools were finally integrated by 1970.

During the district’s integration,

it was determined there would only be one high school — Newton County High School — that offered grades 10-12. R.L. Cousins High School was lowered to a junior high school, offering grades eight and nine. Leaving elementary schools with only grades 1-7. Each school had two principals — one Black and one white. Teaching staffs were also integrated.

On the first day of school, Sept. 3, 1970, Superintendent Whitlow Richardson said, “All of us are extremely pleased with the smoothness with which our transition to a unitary school system has taken place.”

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Newton County saw a strong population increase, which led to changes.

“This was a time of tremendous student growth,” said former Superintendent Wendell Clamp, who served from 1992 to 2005. “If my memory serves me correctly, when I went to the Newton

County Schools System in 1992, we had only approximately 8,000 students. Thirteen years later, in 2005, we had approximately 18,000.”

Clamp said to compensate for the increase, a plan for expansion was created.

“Now in order to accommodate that student growth, we had to have a massive building program,” he recalled. “We built 10 schools during that period. Four elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools. And in addition, we added 130 classrooms to existing schools. We also built a service center and a (board of education) building. And I’m proud to say — and a little bit lucky too — we brought all of these buildings in on time and within budget.”

Eastside High School was opened in 1994, located on Eagle Drive in Covington, as a transitional school and later

became an official high school in 1998 after its first graduating class. In 2021, construction of a new Eastside High School was underway at 140 Georgia Hwy. 142 in Covington. The facility opened in time for the 2022-23 school year.

In 2006, Alcovy High School was opened at 14567 Georgia Hwy. 36 in Covington.

In 2021, Newton County Schools System consists of 25 different schools, many of which are located in Covington. These include the Newton County Theme School at Ficquett, which is slated to move to the old Eastside High, Newton College and Career Academy, Mainstay Academy and RISE Academy.

Samantha Fuhrey is Newton County’s current superintendent. In 2020, Fuhrey was named Georgia’s Superintendent of the Year and was a final-

ist for the national award.

The Newton County Schools Board of Education consists of five members: Anderson Bailey, Trey Bailey, Abigail Coggin, Shakila Henderson-Baker and Eddie Johnson.

Approximately 20,000 students are enrolled across Newton schools. The district has posted a graduation rate of 87% or higher from 2018 to 2022 — about five percentage points higher than the state graduation rate each year, on average.

County’s most prominent private schools found in Covington

During the first 50 years of Newton County’s existence, education was not seen as a public responsibility.

There were 11 private academies incorporated in the county by 1850, with some being Palmyra Academy in Newborn; the Male Academy in Covington; Mt. Pleasant Academy in

Happy 200th Birthday City of Covington!

‘03 renovation restored Historic Courthouse

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

Former Newton County commissioner Mort Ewing recalled the condition of the Historic

Courthouse in the late 1990s.

The century-old structure located on the north side of the Covington Square had been padlocked, the floors covered with

garbage and there were calls for its destruction, Ewing said.

He said he told then-Chairman Aaron Varner of the need for its renovation.

Schoolchildren

Henderson, Jessie Henderson, Kayla Kauffman, Gabriela Mobely, Graciela Mobely and Raven Williams help then-Covington Mayor Sam Ramsey recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the July 2003 rededication of the Historic Courthouse. Archives |

“(Varner) said, ‘If you think you can make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear, go ahead,’” Ewing said. “I took it upon myself to generate support.”

The county then included $4.3 million from the voter-approved 2000 SPLOST for the project to restore the 75,000-square-foot structure, Ewing said.

The Historic Courthouse had been built in 1884 to replace one destroyed by fire on Dec. 31, 1883.

It was designed and built in the Second Empire style, which is characterized by an elaborate mansard roof being the signature characteristic, according to information from the Society of Architectural Historians.

Dormers, chimneys, clock towers and distinctively shaped roof structures over pavilions were common in this design.

Over the years, it also was used as the backdrop for movies and TV shows which earned the county the nickname the “Holly-

NCSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

the Brickstore community; and Starrsville Academy .

Today, a number of private schools operate, with many tied to religious instruction as an alternative to public schools.

Piedmont Academy is located in Monticello and was founded in 1889. Students come from seven counties including Butts, Henry, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Putnam and Rockdale.

Peachtree Academy was founded by JaNice VanNess in 2001 and has grown into a Christian-based college preparatory school, encompassing

wood of the South.” It was used in the opening credits of the TV show “In the Heat of the Night from 1988 to 1994 and appeared in “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV show, the 1970s movie “The Cannonball Run.”

It also was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

After the Board of Commissioners included its $4.3 million renovation cost in the 2000 SPLOST, Potts Construction Co. was awarded the contract in March 2002 based on some previous historic renovation work.

It was being restored as closely as possible to its original state, construction superintendent David Fuller told The Covington News.

The three-story courthouse with clock tower required cleaning and restoration of the exterior masonry, according to the company Reeves Young. Restoration of the historic wood window, door, and interior trim,

plaster and interior wood flooring was required. New electrical, plumbing, fire protection and HVAC systems were installed.

Workers stripped and refinished all of the woodwork — including the stairwells leading to the second floor — and duplicated plaster moldings, restored the clock face and installed a slate roof.

The second floor courtroom, which included a balcony, was to be restored for use by the Board of Commissioners. The Board had been meeting in the jury room of the Judicial Center.

The work also restored the clock’s inner workings to continue striking a bell rather than it being a recording as is done at other courthouses.

The finished product was unveiled to the public on July 26, 2003, and the Board of Commissioners met there for the first time in September 2003.

four unique campuses.

Providence Classical Christian School (PCCS) was established in 2005 on the northern outskirts of Oxford.

Grace Christian Academy in Covington has about 80 students.

Alpha Omega Preparatory Academy is located on Salem Road in the Kroger shopping center.

News editor Tom Spigolon and publisher Gabriel Stovall contributed to this report.

Covington has become hotbed for TV, film production

By TAYLOR BECK news@covnews.com

A destination spot for the film industry and a tourist destination, Covington has been dubbed by many as the “Hollywood of the South.”

Since “A Man Called Peter” in 1954, Covington has been the site of more than 165 television and film productions. The most notable are television series, “The Dukes of Hazzard” filmed in Covington for one season in 1978; “In the Heat of the Night” filmed from 1988-1995; and “Vampire Diaries,” from 2009-2017.

Three productions filmed in and around Covington have won Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress, “My Cousin Vinny;” Best Short Film, “The Accountant;” and Best Original Song, “Selma.”

Covington Regional Visitor Information Center Coordinator Ron Carter said the success of projects filmed in Newton County created an influx of tourism growth that has only multiplied over the last 10 years.

“Tourism has most definitely grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years,” he said. “We saw a great increase during the filming of ‘In the Heat of the Night’ but nothing like we’ve seen for ‘Vampire Diaries.’”

Covington saw more than 70,000 tourists visit the area in 2021 compared to only 20,400 guests in 2011, and that number increased in 2022 as more people felt comfortable venturing out after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Of those, approximately 80% are film tourists, and of that 80%, around 75-80% are ‘Vampire Diaries’ fans,” Carter said. “The success of the most recent series ‘Sweet Magnolias’ on Netflix will surely provide another influx of guests to Covington.”

So many visitors translates to tax revenue for the county. Carter said the Georgia Department of Economic Development & US Travel Association estimated direct tourist spending in 2019 for Covington/Newton County to be almost $130 million and estimates 2019 local tax revenues from film tourism to be $3.7 million.

“This results in each Newton County proper-

ty owner received $268 in household tax relief (2019),” Carter said. “The earliest data (for comparison) I have is from 2010 with numbers being direct tourist spending of $67 million; tax revenues $1.87 million; $112 in household tax relief.”

The financial benefit of filming is one of the biggest reasons why so much filming takes place in Newton County — because county and city leaders pursue those projects.

“Covington was the first Camera Ready Community in Georgia, which means we have streamlined the filming permit process and make it as easy as possible for producers, location scouts and production companies to film here,” Carter said. “We see the tremendous benefits of filming and the financial impact it makes on our community through tourism. Film tourism is not an immediate return on investment but we’ve seen, with previous programs, that the longevity is definitely there.”

With the rise in filming and tourism, the Newton County Chamber of Commerce successfully trademarked the nickname “Hollywood of the South” in 2012.

As result of the area’s film industry boom, multiple studios have been built and operate in Newton County.

In late 2020, Cinelease Studios-Three Ring began operating on 160 acres on Georgia Hwy. 142 two miles north of I-20 in Covington. There is more than 110,000 square feet of sound stage space, 60,000 square feet of stage support space, 30,000 square feet of office space, and an additional 110 acres for location filming.

Triple Horse Studios operates on Technology Drive in Covington. It includes sound stages, scenic operations, camera, lighting and grip equipment departments as well as a post-production division with screening rooms, editorial, sound, foley, visual effects, color grade and finishing, according to information on its website.

Seeing Stars

While many might think filming could cause endless interruptions for local merchants and the community’s residents, Carter said it isn’t as bad as it used to be.

“When I went to college, it was during ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ so I didn’t get to see good bit of that,” he said. “When they would [film in certain locations], it was definitely more interruption to the community than what it is now. When they would do a shot then, they would close pretty much a whole street for quite a while. Now, for “The Vampire Diaries” and “Originals,” when they would do a shot, they may close the street for about 15-20 minutes, then reset with everything back open again.”

Visit our Christmas Market for Original Art and Gifts

Carter said the only time film crews completely shutdown a location is typically for a flashback or period piece. In fact, he pointed to one production that required the Square to be shut down in order to cover the area with dirt.

But in another instance, for the

2019 film “Doctor Sleep,” Carter said the production crew did something “unheard of” to close the Square.

“They were keeping everything so secretive that they actually came in and paid every store owner to shut the entire Square down for three whole days,” he

said.

Carter said he enjoyed getting to watch filming around the county. The first shoot he ever witnessed was in Covington for “The Dukes of Hazzard.” He said they used his grandmother’s property to drive across for a scene. Carter remembered getting to stay home from school that day and meeting all of the actors.

Today, he says “The Vampire Diaries” was his favorite show to be filmed in the county.

“And that’s only because I’m working here now,” he said. “It is just being able to see people everyday coming into our community because of the show. I tell people I’ve got the best job in Newton County. I get to see our beautiful town through new eyes everyday. And I’m talking thousands of people coming through here, from every corner of the globe they come and visit us.”

“The Dukes of Hazzarad” filmed its first season in Newton County. Archives | The Covington News

Covington, county’s early agricultural thrust gave way to new age boom

By TAYLOR BECK news@covnews.com

In a large contrast to the industrial hustle and bustle of new technological companies arriving into Covington today, Covington and Newton County was strictly agricultural in its adolescent years, and it wasn’t until the the early 1900s that things began to change.

The county’s earliest settlers, pouring in from east Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and others, made the most of what was then considered a vast woodland. Clearing of the land for cultivation released thousands of acres of deep fertile top soil that proved quite productive.

Crops grown in the county through the years consisted of barley, corn, cowpeas, grain sorghum, hay, oats, peaches, pecans, peanuts, rye, soybeans, sweet potatoes, truck crops, watermelons and wheat.

Newton farmers were also efficient producers in beef cattle, broilers, dairying, eggs, sheep, swine, and turkeys during the span of time for each commodity.

Grain crops, such as corn and wheat, grown during the early pioneer days of Newton County were important to agricultural development. These were used for corn meal and flour by the homemaker. It was also used for feed for work animals, poultry and hogs. The sawmill and pulpwood industry contributed to the growing economy of Newton County, too.

However, like a lot of Georgia counties, “Cotton was King, ” and the advancement of the cotton mill brought the first sign of real success to Covington.

Agriculture of the early days was carried out by the use of domestic animals (horse, mules, oxen) and primitive hand tools. Cotton farms were worked primarily with plantation slave labor prior to the Civil War. Mainly sharecroppers and day labor were used after that time.

The community grew substantial as a business and agricultural center through the years and Covington was quickly accepted as the cotton market for regional farmers.

But into the 1920s, cotton production began to decline. There were a number of reasons for the decline, including the invasion of the boll weevil; the stock market crash in 1929; and over production and low prices of the 1930s, which gave rise

to cotton acreage controls. Cooton production had reached an all-time high in 1920 with more than 60,000 acres in the county, but it has since, perpetually declined, reaching near zero in 1987.

As result of the boll weevil, among the other factors, many residents lost everything. They gave up farming to pursue other work at textile mills and other industries across the region. Many even migrated north, specifically to Detroit, Michigan, to find work in the fast-rising automobile industry.

But not everyone quit farming. Those who were able to survive the boll weevil invasion eventually learned the importance of diversification.

Peaches began being produced on a large scale during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. One orchard was successful in the 1950s and 1960s. Peach packaging facilities in Mansfield sent thousands of bushels of the fruit north via the railroads.

A few farmers began to experiment with beef cattle in the 1920s and 1930s. Old cultivated fields

were converted to pasture. By the early 1950s, there were 50-60 dairies in Newton County. Chicken houses were also constructed as production of the birds began to spread from Gainesville.

By the 1970s, tenant farmers virtually disappeared from the city and county.

Diversification of agriculture resulted in many farmers either reducing their cotton acreage or dropping cotton altogether. Conversion of cropland to pine plantations, also, caused the displacement of tenants. And the mechanization of agriculture resulted in the need for fewer laborers. In addition, former tenant farmers were able to find work in newly developed industrial activities in the Newton County area.

By 1980, the few full-time agricultural laborers in Newton County were generally salaried, paid Social Security and often received some typed of job benefits such as life and/or accident insurance.

Today, there are few farms in Newton County and much less land dedicated to farming.

Longtime local attorney Phil Johnson briefly talked about the change during a May 2021 interview with The Covington News.

“When I was a young man, Newton County had 26 dairy farms and had about 30,000 people,” Johnson said. “Now, we have no dairy farms — nobody’s milking — and about 115,000 people in Newton County.”

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Newton County started to see rapid growth and increasing land values, which led many generational farmers to repurposing their land for housing.

As an example, in a September 2020 interview with The Covington News, Newton County Cham-

ber of Commerce President Debbie Harper said her father, Doug Doster, who once owned the Food Pride grocery store (formerly known as Red and White), did just that and “started building houses when Covington and Newton County began to boom.”

Now, Covington and Newton County has become home to multiple companies looking to take advantage of the city’s growing industry-friendliness. Just in 2022, Covington has welcomed the addition of Absolics’ new $600 million manufacturing facility that will become the first place in the world to mass produce a glass substrate expected to revolutionize the computer technology industry in coming years.

Additionally, Archer Aviation Inc., a Silicon Valley-based aerospace company is planning to begin construction on a 500,000 square-foot complex near Covington Municipal Airport — an addition that promises to create 1,000 jobs for the area. Back in January, the state budgeted $2 million from the Georgia Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II) to build a CDL driving range and facilities in Newton County for transportation training. Construction for that project is set to begin in Spring 2023.

It all means that industry evolution is rapidly taking place in Covington. But it stands on the shoulders of a robust agricultural foundation that promoted hard work and the desire to see a city and county grow.

The Historical Society of Newton County and current publisher and editor Gabriel Stovall contributed to this article.

State and local officials announce the planned location of the Hercules Inc. plant in Covington in 1966 . Archives | The Covington News

Piedmont, predecessors have provided health care in Covington for decades

By TAYLOR BECK news@covnews.com

On Sunday, Oct. 17, 1954, a crowd of approximately 4,000, including then Gov. Herman Talmadge, gathered in Covington to celebrate the opening of Newton County Hospital.

“The dream of the people of this county is at last a reality,” reporter Lucile Skinner wrote in the Thursday, Oct. 21, 1954 edition of The Covington News.

But much more than a dream, it was a more than two-year effort by then-newly established Newton County Hospital Authority. Created in 1952, the authority’s members included L.J. Moore, Leon Cohen, B.B. Snow, Mrs. Aubrey Sherwood and S.A. Ginn.

During his address, Talmadge said it was his aim to bring hospital care within the reach of every one of the 3.5 million residents living in Georgia at the time. He also said Newton County’s facility

was not quite large, but there was “none more modern” at that time.

The Covington News reported the hospital was readily equipped with a “X-Ray room, emergency room,” “central supply and sterilization rooms, large operating room with all the newest equipment” and a recovery room. The hospital began with a 36-bed capacity.

When Newton County Hospital opened its doors, there were just 22 full- and part-time employees with seven members on the medical staff.

In June 1983, the hospital authority changed the name to Newton General Hospital. The change was part of an overall renovation and construction program. Further into the 1980s, the staff grew to roughly 300 employees with more than 75 physicians, who covered nearly every medical specialty, on staff. The capacity also rose to 90 beds.

The hospital’s name was later changed a third

HEALTH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

time to Newton Medical Center.

Fast forward to May 2015, Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare announced its plans to bring Newton Medical Center into its group of hospitals.

As part of an equity partnership, Piedmont Healthcare agreed to lease the hospital for 40 years and

begin construction on an emergency department expansion.

Once the deal was finalized, the hospital became a subsidiary of Piedmont and was, again, renamed Piedmont Newton Hospital.

“This is a great day for Piedmont and Newton Medical Center,” said Greg Hurst, then-Piedmont Healthcare Chief Operating Officer, during an October 2015 celebration event. “We’re here celebrating partnership that brings together two great organizations that serves the local communities to enhance the healthcare in these communities. Piedmont Hospital has continued to provide the residents with access to the medical staff and services they provide. But beyond them they will now find the resources and expertise of Piedmont Healthcare.”

Today, Piedmont Newton Hospital has grown to a 97-bed, acute-care, community hospital staffed by more than 600 employees and a medical staff of 250plus physicians.

Provides 24-hour emergency services plus all major medical, surgical and diagnostic care, including:

Cardiac Services

Imaging Services

Heart & Lung Care: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Services: 6-bed Special Care Nursery

and Sports Medicine

Care & Hyperbaric Center: Ostomy Management

As a certified quality breast center, Piedmont Newton Hospital is on the leading edge with a Nurse Navigation Program.

Piedmont Healthcare announced its plan to add Newton Medical Center to its group of hospitals in 2015 . Archives | The Covington News

Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians have Covington’s oldest chuches

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

Most of Newton County’s oldest and most historic churches are nestled in the city of Covington, with many tracing their roots back to the 19th century while still operating today.

Some of the oldest are highlighted by the Newton County Historical Society detailed in its “History of Newton County Georgia” book: • Bethlehem Baptist Church, in Covington, was established in 1849 and is Newton County’s oldest, continuously operating African-American church, according to information from the “History of Newton County Georgia.”

The church’s first building was a log hut built near the railroad depot. The Rev. Toney Baker was called to the pastorate of the church in 1851 and the church was officially named Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Original church members, who were slaves, then

wanted to move the church closer to the Covington Square and relocated it to the current site of an AT&T building.

Leaders of this growing and developing congregation included Henry Robinson, Joe Slaughter, Cole Johnson, John Bentley and Neat Bagby, according to the church website.

“As was the practice of the era, worship services were designated for second and fourth Sundays of the month, and this continued until 1959,” the website stated.

It eventually relocated to its current location at the west end of Usher Street. The current pastor is Ronnie M. Thomas Jr.

Not far behind it is Sims Chapel Baptist Church which is located at 61 Sims Chapel Rd. In Covington. The 137-year old predominantly African American congregation was founded in 1885. Pastor Cecil J. Rozier recently retired after 20-plus years of service as the church’s senior pastor.

From the Past... To Now!

• Covington First Baptist Church formed on June 21,1823, with the Rev. Joel Colley its first pastor. It was originally Bethlehem Church of Christ and the site of its first meeting house was on the east side of Indian Creek.

It later moved to what is now Stallings Street, on the site of the Old Covington Jail. The first full-time pastor was the Rev. Eugene Pendleton in 1905.

The cornerstone for the current church building at the east end of Usher Street was laid in 1909.

It only had two pastors during a 58-year span in the 20th century. The Rev. Walker Combs served 34 years from 1917 to 1951; and his successor, the Rev. Edgar Callaway, served from 1951 to 1975.

The current senior pastor is Cody McNutt.

• Covington First Presbyterian Church formed on Jan. 21, 1827, and was located near the present site of the old Covington jail. It dissolved in 1847 and was reorganized 30 years later.

Its first installed pastor was the Rev. T.B. Trenholm in 1877, and during the pastorate of Sam Burney Hay the first Vacation Bible School was held.

The original church was destroyed by fire in March of 1926, and a new sanctuary was rebuilt and dedicated during October of that same year. That sanctuary now contains church offices. The construction of a two-story building containing additional Sunday School rooms and the Martin Fellowship Hall was completed in May of 1959.

Bethlehem Baptist Church is Newton County’s oldest, continuously operating African-American church. Archives | The Covington News

In January of 1995, additional properties were purchased on Clark Street toward the west and the Clothes Closet, Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity ministries were located there. On May 7, 1995, the present sanctuary and new church facilities were dedicated.

The Rev. William B. Wade Jr. served as pastor for 32 years from 1986 to 2018. Other notable pastors were Sam B. Hay Sr., who served from 1923 to 1926 and later was president of Stillman College in Alabama; and Peter Marshall, who served as pastor from 1930 to 1933 and later became chaplain of the U.S. Senate.

The Rev. Neeley Rentz Lane is the current pastor.

• Covington First United Methodist Church was organized around 1824, with the earliest site for a permanent building on a site facing Church Street and bounded by South and Elm. The church owned the cemetery behind its building until 1875 when it was sold to the city, according to the church’s website.

This original site was outgrown by 1830 when the Board of Trustees purchased a lot on the corner of Washington and Lee Streets and built a wooden church structure there. The community and church continued to grow and the current location on Conyers Street was completed in

Covington First United Methodist Church was organized around 1824. Special | Covington First UMC

1856. The church was utilized as a hospital during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865.

In 1911, a Sunday School annex was added, providing a semicircular set of classrooms and a place for overflow crowds from the sanctuary. In 1954, a new Sunday School annex including a parlor, kitchen and large fellowship hall was added. A two story education and office wing was completed in 1990.

It gradually bought adjoining residential properties within the entire block south to the corner of Monticello and Church streets and bought the old Episcopal Sanctuary and annex in 2009 for a chapel for contemporary and children’s worship.

Douglas Gilreath is the current senior pastor.

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Covington First Presbyterian formed in 1827, dissolved in 1847 and reorganized 30 years later. Special | First Presbyterian Church

Publisher and Editor Gabriel Stovall also contributed to this article

Covington-area athletes on par with the rest of Georgia

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD phubbard@covnews.com

It’s arguable that no city or county in Georgia puts out more major collegiate and professional athletic talent per capita than Covington and Newton County.

Over the years, Covington produced NFL football players such as Jake Reed (Minnesota Vikings) and Dale Carter (Kansas City Chiefs), Sheldon Rankins (New Orleans Saints and New York Jets) and Eric Stokes, Jr. (Green Bay Packers) Akeem Hunt Tay Gowan, D’Anthony Bell and Eric Stokes Jr., have made it to the National Football League. Nyland Green, Jalen Farmer, Koby Perry and Audavion Collins are currently making noise at the Power 5 college football level.

Even this past football season, Newton’s 3-star defensive lineman Justin Benton — who is committed to West Virginia — and the 3-star Tulane linebacker

commit Jean Claude Joseph III made considerable contributions to the local football scene.

It’s not just about football, though. Within the last five years, basketball standouts like Ashton Hagans, Isaiah Miller and J.D. Notae have starred at Power 5 and Division I schools, Kentucky, UNC-Greensboro and Arkansas respectively. All three are currently pushing for NBA roster spots.

Major League Baseball hitting coach Tim Hyers, now with the Texas Rangers, is a Newton High graduate who was drafted in the second round during the 1990 MLB Draft.

Countless others have made enough splashes in high school ball to where they were able to use sports to continue their education. This makes the Covington/Newton County area’s high school sports scene one of Georgia’s robust.

Publisher

Gabriel Stovall contributed to this article.

Sharp host to monumental moments

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD phubbard@covnews.com

You can’t talk about Covington’s rich history, particularly in sports, without talking about Homer Sharp Stadium.

For the past 66 years, Sharp Stadium has been at the center of high school football in Covington.. At first it just hosted Newton High School football games as, early in the city’s history, Newton High was the only public high school here. But, with the addition of Eastside in 1994 and Alcovy in 2006, Sharp became a shared place for their home football games, as well as Eastside’s home soccer games.

A facility that’s been standing as long as Sharp has will inevitably see its fair share of wear and tear. But it, like Covington, is still standing strong.  Beginnings of Sharp Stadium

The idea behind a central stadium in the county

was hatched in April 1956 by Homer Sharp, who was the principal of Newton High at the time. The project was approved and a few weeks later, the stadium opened on Sept. 21, 1956.

Sharp’s fast approval from the board of education was followed by an outpouring of help from Covington citizens to help build the stadium.

Since Homer Sharp generated the idea, the stadium was named in his honor as well as the field being named Sharp Field.

Noteworthy Moments

Since its inception, Sharp Stadium has seen more than its fair share of noteworthy games, moments and memories. Here are few of them..

Sept. 21, 1956: Newton played the first ever game on the new field against Avondale High School.  Nov. 20, 1987: In what is believed to be the first ever postseason football game held at Sharp,  New-

Sharp Stadium has hosted high school football in Covington since 1956. Special | Newton County schools

Square was where county’s business, government operations developed

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

The Covington Square is among the oldest settled parts of Newton County, dating to the early 1820s and the town’s beginnings as Newtonsboro.

The clerk of the Inferior Court paid surveyors to mark off lots of the new town in June 1822. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town of Covington on Dec. 8, 1822, and Newtonsboro ceased to exist.

A brick courthouse and jail were built in 1824 and were among buildings described in glowing terms by visitors in letters home.

The courthouse stood in the center of the Square but, by

1854, had become outgrown. The Inferior Court ordered it moved to the street between “the Hotel and J.S. Anderson’s store house leaving an (alley) of

equal width on each side …”

The “Hotel” was the Flowers Hotel, which was one of the best known of many that operated in Covington at the time and

The Public Square as it appeared in 1901. Archives | The Covington News

operated at the corner of Clark and Hendricks streets where BB&T Bank formery operated.

J.S. Anderson’s store later became a saloon that was the source of an 1883 fire, and, later, the longtime location of the Bank of Covington. It is now the Mystic Grill restaurant.

The Civil War years of 1861 to 1865 began with what is now the United Methodist Church serving as a Confederate hospital. Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea came through Covington in July 1864. Yankee soldiers burned the train depot, a recently completed large hospital and 2,000 bales of cotton, among other things.

Years after the war’s end, on New Year’s Eve of 1883, another destructive force came through the Square. A fire started in the R.W. Bagby saloon on the north side of the square and a majority of the Covington Square was affected.

Many of the buildings on the Square were wooden and seven ultimately were destroyed or damaged, including the brick courthouse whose wooden roof and cornice brought the blaze into the building.

Construction of the new courthouse began in August 1884 and what was built continues to stand on Clark Street on the north side of the Square. A cornerstone was laid and filled with letters, copies of newspapers, Confederate money, and a piece of a rope used to hang a criminal only days earlier.

When the Newton County Historical Society removed the stone on the 100th anniversary of the building in 1984, all but some coins and a belt buckle had been reduced to dust.

The Covington and Oxford Street Railroad began operating in July 1888. Mules pulled the cars on tracks between the Square and the railroad depot

along Railroad (now Emory) Street and was timed to meet all trains. It was the last mule-driven public transit in the nation operating when it ended service in 1917.

The Jefferson-Lamar Camp No. 305 of the United Confederate Veterans unveiled and dedicated the Confederate Monument in its current spot in April 1906.

At the time, all streets and sidewalks were unpaved and dust was a constant problem for downtown residents. In 1912 the city paved downtown sidewalks, though street paving was not done until 1925.

The area maintained its status as the center of government, though larger retailers like Belk moved off the square to new shopping centers along Hwy. 278 after the highway was completed in the late 1950s.

Newton County leaders’ decisions to build new courthouse and government administrative

facilities adjacent to the Square in the 1990s and 2000s helped keep the area vibrant just as other Georgia counties moved similar facilities longer distances from their traditional county centers — thereby removing residents’ reasons for traveling to downtown areas and shopping there.

Ramsey Furniture on Clark Street was founded in 1919 and is one of the oldest, continuously operating businesses on or near the Covington Square. Town House Cafe on Washington Street also is a longtime business and has operated downtown

Happy Birthday City of Covington

since 1964.

Other longtime Covington Square retailers included Fletcher’s Jewelry (still operating on Washington Street); White’s Department Store at the corner of Monticello and Washington streets (now Bread & Butter Bakery); Pool’s and People’s Drug Store, both on Monticello Street; The Bank of Covington on Clark Street (now BB&T); and City Pharmacy at Church and Floyd streets (now City Pharmacy restaurant). Others included Western Auto, Dietz’s on Monticello Street and Covington Supply Co/Goodyear at the corner of College and Church streets.

On its website, Mystic Grill restaurant reported the various businesses that operated in its historic building next to the Historic Courthouse on Clark Street.

“Over the years it has been home to many businesses such as Peggy Lee dress shop, Sears, Kesler’s Billiard Parlor and Pool’s Shoes, Butter Cup Bakery, Mickey’s Grill and Alexander & Royston law firm just to name a few.

“Also, on this lot in 1883, stood a saloon belonging to “Col.” Robert Bagby who still makes his presence known here on occasion.”

ton defeated Central Gwinnett 27-0 in a region semifinal contest.

Nov. 27, 1987: Newton defeated Brookwood 27-24 to claim the Rams first of two region titles.  Sept. 6, 1996: The Eastside Eagles played their first game at Sharp and downed East Paulding 2117.

Nov. 21, 1997: Eastside competed in its first playoff game and defeated Central 48-12 at Sharp.

Sept. 8, 2006: Alcovy had its inaugural game at Sharp Stadium.

Oct. 26, 2018: Eastside won the region championship by winning 41-0 over Henry County at Sharp.  Nov. 6, 2021: Alcovy captured the program’s first ever region championship defeating Evans 28-25.  Nov. 19, 2021: Alcovy competed in its first home playoff game at Sharp.

Newton Cup Rivalry

In 2002, the city’s only two public high schools at the time — Newton and Eastside — hosted its own matchups against each other at Sharp Stadium. Four years later, Alcovy was built and joined the round robin rivalry.

The three schools’ matchups have taken on a life of its own Eastside is 14-3 all-time against Alcovy with the most lopsided Eagles victory being in 2015 where

they won 41-0. The Tigers’ three wins came in 2009, 2012 and 2013.

Meanwhile, Newton is 11-7-1 against Eastside in the schools’ 20 matchups. The Rams’ biggest win was in 2017, a 40-0 victory. A year later, both teams tied 40-all. Then, in 2012, Eastside enjoyed a 32-0 victory over its in-county rivalry.

Lastly, the Rams hold a 9-3 series record against Alcovy. In 2015, Newton triumphed to a 47-0 tune. Eight years prior, Alcovy bested Newton, though, winning 23-0.

What’s next?  Sharp Stadium has had work done since it was built 66 years ago. Since its start, a field house was built, visitor’s stands installed and a video scoreboard resides inside the athletic facility.

But there’s more on the way.

During a Nov. 22, Board of Education meeting, members voted and approved the installation of an artificial turf playing surface. Therefore, beginning in the 2023 football season, all three schools will no longer play on grass.

The addition of LED lighting is also scheduled to take place, with more additions such as improved parking planned for the near future.

What’s next for Covington’s iconic football stadium? The coming years will answer that question for high school sports fans and the city’s residents.

Happy Birthday from Newton County and the Board of Commissioners

Chairman Marcello Banes

Stan Edwards District 1

Demond Mason District 2

Ronnie Cowan District 5

J.C. Henderson District 4

Alana Sanders District 3

Hassle-free health care gives me real piece of mind.

East-West highway through Covington dates to 1919

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

Earliest records for U.S. Hwy. 278 — Newton County’s main east-west surface highway — show the road designated as Georgia Hwy. 12 before it was given a federal designation.

Georgia Hwy. 12 was established at least as early as 1919 and ran from Decatur through Covington to Augusta before turning south to Waynesboro. Parts were unpaved but maintained, according to the a GDOT map in 1928. The Covington to Madison segment traveled through Social Circle. Then, by mid-1926, an unnumbered road was established on a more direct route between Cov-

ington and Madison. Two segments had a “completed hard surface”: from the Cobb–Fulton county line to Avondale and a portion in the west-southwest part of Augusta.

Three segments were completed by 1930, including one from just west of the DeKalb–Rockdale county line to Covington. Later in 1930, a portion in the eastern part of Covington has a completed hard surface, according to GDOT maps of the era. An unnumbered road from east of Covington to southeast of Social Circle was also completed.

In early 1932, Hwy. 12’s path between Covington and Madison was shifted southward and set atop the previously unnumbered road.

The intersection of Elm Street and U.S. Hwy. 278 in the 1970s. Special | Newton Chamber of Commerce

Hwy. 278 was a major east-west route between Atlanta and points east before I-20 was built in the 1960s.

In 1952, U.S. Hwy. 278 was designated on the road built just south of the Georgia Railroad in Covington, according to information from the Chamber.

Between June 1954 and June 1955, the entirety of Georgia Hwy. 12 from near Avondale Estates to the South Carolina state line was designated as U.S. Hwy. 278.

In 1952 U.S. Hwy. 278 was built just south of the Georgia Railroad, according to information from

the Chamber.

It stated that “though the route did not disrupt a great deal of significantly developed property, it did provide a much needed, and long lasting, change for Covington” that led to the development of new shopping centers and a faster route through the county.

The highway defined a border between the town on its south side and north side, including Covington Mill, according to the Chamber.

Celebrating Businesses Then…

…AND NOW

HAPPY 200TH BIRTHDAY, CITY OF COVINGTON!

File Photo

I-20 has linked Covington to Atlanta since 1966

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

Interstate 20 opened in about 1966 throughout Newton County but only linked directly to downtown Atlanta upon its opening.

It would take another 11 years for it to link Newton County to both Alabama and South Carolina.

According to GDOT road maps of the era, the first segment of I-20 in Georgia opened between Conyers and downtown Atlanta between 1960 and 1963.

At the same time, construction began around 1960 on the segment of I-20 through Newton County between Conyers and a location south of

Social Circle.

By 1966, the interstate highway was complete from downtown Atlanta to U.S. Hwy. 278 in northeast Newton County near Social Circle. Travel on surface highways were still required to get to points east beyond Social Circle and points west beyond downtown Atlanta.

However, later that year, a section of I-20 opened in Fulton and Douglas counties and linked Newton with Douglasville on I-20.

In 1967, it was under construction heading east from Newton County to Siloam and by 1968 was open to Madison. It also was under construction from Madison to the Thomson area.

I-20 is shown near its exit to Georgia Hwy. 11 in eastern Newton County. Special | Newton Chamber of Commerce

By 1971, I-20 was open to Greensboro. In 1972, Newton Countians could travel all the way to the South Carolina state line on I-20.

I-20 then was completed in west Georgia between Douglasville and Villa Rica in 1975 and to the Alabama state line in 1977.

The highway’s origins in Georgia date to 1956 when Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 that established the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

States, including Georgia, then launched the largest highway construction program in history, according to the GDOT publication “Historical Context of Georgia Interstates.”

“In 1955, in recognition of the traffic congestion that was gripping American cities, circumferential and distributing highways, like metro Atlanta’s I-285 perimeter road, had been added to the interstate system.

“That was also the year that the Georgia legislature belatedly passed an act allowing for limited-access highways (previously permitted only in Fulton County to facilitate construction of the Atlanta Expressway), which was a federal requirement in order for the states to receive interstate highway funds.”

As a result, Georgia was to receive $840 million over the next 13 years for approximately 1,100 miles of interstate highways, the publication stated. Today, seven current primary interstate highways and eight auxiliary interstates criss-cross Georgia for a total of 1,253 miles.

Exit 90 in west Covington sends traffic to a busy commercial section of U.S. Hwy. 278. File Photo

Decision on future of Confederate statue still with legal system

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

In the ongoing saga of the fate of Covington’s century-old memorial to Confederate soldiers in the Covington Square, another chapter has recently been written.

Those seeking to stop Newton County’s removal of the monument praised the Georgia Supreme Court’s October ruling that a Covington resident can continue her two-year legal fight to keep the statue standing.

Both Covington resident Tiffany Humphries and the Georgia

chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said they were happy a 2020 lawsuit seeking to stop Newton County’s planned removal of the statue would now return to the Superior Court level and be “tried on the facts and the law.”

“Today’s decision is proof that our system works,” Humphries said, after the Oct. 25 ruling was released.

The state’s highest court overturned a state Court of Appeals decision and ruled that Humphries was the only plaintiff who could continue a lawsuit seeking

to enjoin Newton County from removing the “To the Confederate Dead of Newton County” statue from the park in the middle of the Covington Square.

The justices ruled that the plaintiffs — including Humphries and the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans — must have had legal standing to sue the county by showing they resided in Newton County and would be harmed in some way by the county government removing a monument in violation of state law.

Among the plaintiffs only Hum-

Gov. Herman Talmadge speaks during the dedication ceremony for Newton County Hospital after its construction in 1954. Archives | The Covington News

phries had shown she was a resident of Newton County, the justices stated in the ruling.

The Confederate Veterans group’s Georgia division said in a statement it was “pleased with the opinion as it clarifies the law as to standing and paves the way for successful litigation in the future.”

“It also makes clear that injunctive relief is a valid remedy for plaintiffs, ending those defenses raised by a number of county and city governments.”

Professor Fred Smith Jr. of the Emory University School of Law said he believes the ruling opens the door for the Confederate Veterans groups to find individuals willing to file injunction lawsuits similar to Humphries.

He said he did not believe Newton County can appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court because the state Supreme Court acted on an alleged violation of state law.

The Court decided Humphries had legal standing for the injunction based on past interpretations of how legal standing is established in Georgia courts — rather than the standard established in federal courts used by the Superior Court and Court of Appeals, he said.

“They’re saying our traditions differ,” Smith said.

The justices noted in the ruling that the state law in question, OCGA 50-3-1, “prohibits the relocation,

removal, concealment or alteration of a monument, and makes liable any conduct that damages, destroys, loses a monument or removes one without replacement.”

“Government at all levels has a legal duty to follow the law ... and the violation of that legal duty constitutes an injury that our case law has recognized as conferring standing to those community stakeholders, even if the plaintiff suffered no individualized injury,” the ruling stated.

“Applying that framework to this case, (Tiffany) Humphries, as a private citizen, has standing to assert a claim for injunctive relief against her local county government for its planned removal of a Confederate monument in alleged violation of (state law).

“But the other plaintiffs — the various Sons of Confederate Veterans entities — have not shown that they are members of the communities the governments of which they seek to sue, and they have alleged no other cognizable injury sufficient to establish their standing.

“The various Sons of Confederate Veterans groups did not allege that they are citizens, residents or taxpayers of any county, much less the counties that they sued.

“The Court of Appeals was therefore wrong to

Covington residents worked for years to gain Juneteenth holiday

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

In 2021, Newton County celebrated Juneteenth for the first time as a sanctioned local holiday. with a parade and festival at Covington’s Legion Field.

In 2022, it was an even bigger celebration that featured a parade with more than 60 entries. It was a sign that the event which celebrates the official ending of slavery is going to become a mainstay in Covington.

From the event’s inception, the demand for it has been huge. Longtime local parade organizer Terri James said last year’s event was originally scheduled elsewhere, but was moved to

Legion Field on Mill Street after years at other locations because of the number and size of events scheduled.

James said she had been willing to put in the volunteer hours over the course of a decade to organize the event because of the importance of what the holiday represents.

“This is something all people need to know about,” she said at the time.

James said she first learned of the then-little-known observance from a cousin in Louisiana when James was still employed in the telecommunications industry.

After retiring, she worked to spread the word about the obser-

vance of the event that marked the de facto ending of slavery of Black people in the U.S.

“I found out people had never heard about it,” James said.

Juneteenth’s origins date to 1865 in Texas.

President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 ordered an end to slavery but the order could not be implemented in parts of the U.S. still under Confederate control.

Texas was the most western Confederate state during the war. It remained in Rebel hands until June 19, 1865, when about 2,000 Union troops arrived at Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that Lincoln’s executive

HAPPY 200TH BIRTHDAY CITY OF COVINGTON!

Patrick's is an old-fashioned general store founded by EL (Pat) Patrick in 1948. It has been owned and operated by Gary and Jan Patrick since 1989.

• Feed for horses, cattle, chickens and other animals.

• Homestyle preserves, jams, jelly, chow chow and relishes.

• Quilt shop with 4,000 bolts of 100% cotton fabric.

• In the spring we have bulk garden seeds including Blue Lake Beans, Silver Queen Corn, purple hull peas, Clemson Spineless Okra. Also plants including tomatoes, peppers, squash and onion sets.

• Food plot seeds for deer – crimson and white clover, turnips, rape, chicory, buck forge oats, sugar beets and mixes exclusive to Patricks.

• Christmas season – Over 175 kinds of candies. Orange slices, bon bons, chocolate covered peanuts, peanut clusters, chocolate covered pecans, pralines, glazed pecans, fruit baskets, gift baskets, fresh whole and shelled pecans.

PATRICK’S FEED & SEED COMPANY

Parade participants show off their pride in the then-new national holiday during the Covington Juneteenth Parade in 2021. Archives | The Covington News

D.C., came to recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday.

After a bill to establish it as the 12th federal holiday had stalled in 2020, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House overwhelmingly approved the legislation and President Joe Biden signed it into law June 17, 2021.

The Newton County branch of the NAACP hosted its inaugural Juneteenth celebration in 2011 with keynote speaker Tyrone Brooks, a longtime Georgia state legislator and civil rights advocate, at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Usher Street.

James and Gwen Green first organized the annual celebration in its current form in 2012 with a daytime festival at Nelson Heights Community Center on Lassiter Street and a Black History Gala at an event facility in Oxford.

Her nonprofit organization, the Newton County Historical Committee on Black Heritage Preservation, was formed in 2013 and now organizes Juneteenth and other events. It also gives a scholarship from its signature fundraiser, the Black History Scholarship Gala, in February.

James said she worked to organize a number of programs, such as Easter egg hunts, and events surrounding the history of Juneteenth. The event added a parade in 2018 to its annual

festival at Nelson Heights Community Center, she said.

Organizers have focused on local African-American history — including putting a spotlight on historic African-American communities such as Frog Town and Petty’s Hill in 2013; and making this late Cousins Middle School band director T.K. Adams its parade grand marshal in 2021.

In 2020, the pandemic prompted James and other organizers to cancel any Juneteenth plans — though she said she marched with local activists before a program protesting the deaths of Black people at the hands of white police officers in other part of the U.S.

A short presentation about the origins of Juneteenth was part of the June 19, 2020, protest rally on the Covington Square.

James said she at times over the years became frustrated that older African-Americans seemed less enthusiastic about celebrating Juneteenth’s importance than younger people.

“Older people don’t even want to think about the past,” she said.

She credited County Commissioner Alana Sanders with helping expand the event by organizing a pageant and encouraging more volunteers to participate.

Celebrating 200 years of rich history in Covington, Georgia.

City has rich history of banking

By TOM SPIGOLON tspigolon@covnews.com

There is no record of a bank operating in Newton County until 1890.

• According to record, the first bank charted in Newton County appeared to be the W.C. Clark Banking Company. It was created by W.C. Clark in December 1890. Clark served as owner and president.

• The second bank was the Bank of Covington. According to an August 1906 advertisement found in The Georgia Enterprise, the bank was organized in March 1901 with a capital of $25,000 and later received its charter in April 1901.

The first president of the Bank of Covington was L.O. Benton, who was apparently renowned in the area for founding banks.

The bank opened in May 1901 in a building located on the west side of the Square that was rented from former tavern owners. It remained in that building until C.S. Thompson, the bank’s cashier, built an office on the north side of the Square beside the Historic Courthouse. Thompson was believed to have modeled the building after a bank he had seen in San Francisco, California.

Today, the building is home to the popular Mystic Grill restaurant, a spectacle and fan-favorite of tourists after being featured in “The Vampire Diaries” television series from 2009-2017.

Despite hard times in the early 1920s that caused problems for so many in Newton County, the Bank of Covington was able to overcome. In 1927, the bank applied to the state for trust privileges and later became the Bank of Covington and Trust Company. In a 1932 Covington News report, it was said to be “the strongest bank between Atlanta

and Augusta.”

In the late 1830s, the bank outgrew its office and relocated to a large brick building west of the courthouse — a former cotton office of N.S. Turner.

Fast forward to 1996, the Bank of Covington changed its named to Main Street Banks. In May 2000, it entered into a merger of equals with Kennesaw, Ga.based First Sterling Banks Inc., creating a $900 million bank with 21 branches. First Sterling was the surviving entity in the merger of equals and adopted Main Street’s name. Since then, Main Street has acquired three Atlanta-based banks (the last in May 2003) and three independent insurance agencies.

In 2005, North Carolina-based BB&T Corporation bought Main Street Banks in a $622.7 million stock swap. In 2019, BB&T and SunTrust Banks Inc. merged to form Truist Financial Corporation.

• The city’s fourth bank was the Bank of Newton County, chartered in 1905. It was started in a corner window of the R.E. Everett Building at 1150 Monticello Street in Covington. In 1908, it merged with the W.C. Clark Banking Company and moved to the building of White’s Department Store — now Bread and Butter Bakery.

The last business conducted by this bank was in 1928.

• In 1920, the Farmers Bank was opened in Covington a building on the southwest corner of the Square. It soon closed around 1925.

• In the same era, First National Bank was formed. It too would close its doors in the late 1920s as result of the depression.

• Newton County Building and Loan Association was founded by M.C. McGahee in 1928 under

the laws of of the state of Georgia. After a federal charter was granted in January 1947, the association became Newton Federal Savings and Loan Association. At the time a charter was granted, the association had assets totaling $125,543. The association was established to encourage thrift and home ownership.

The business was first located on the east side of the Square. Then the association purchased a two-story concrete block building and an adjoining one-story building on the corner of Washington and Brown streets. In 1972, the board of directors approved the purchase of property to build an office on U.S. Hwy. 278.

By 1984, Newton County Building and Loan Association was listed as one of the strongest in the U.S. with assets totaling more than $25 million at the time. In 1987, assets totaled $66.4 million; mortgages totaled $52.6 million; savings totaled $58.1 million; net worth $7.7 million.

As of Jan. 1, 2004, Newton Federal Savings & Loan Association changed its name to Newton Federal Bank.

In May 2017, Community First Bancshares, Inc. became the parent company of Newton Federal Bank after announced it had reorganized into a mutual holding company structure and related stock offering of Community First Bancshares, Inc.

In January 2020, Community First Bancshares Inc. officially merged with Atlanta-based ABB Financial Group, combining Newton Federal Bank with Affinity Bank, making one of the 10 largest Georgia-based banks, by deposits, to have headquarters in metro Atlanta. At the combined bank had about $645 million in total assets.

affirm the dismissal of Humphries’s complaint for a lack of standing as to her claim for injunctive relief, but it was right to affirm the dismissal of the complaints filed by the various Sons of Confederate Veterans groups.”

But the ruling also stated that none of the plaintiffs could collect damages they sought in their original lawsuit — first filed in July 2020 — from Newton County government because they could not prove they had been harmed in some way by the Covington statue’s removal because it is still standing, they said.

It may be another year, or longer, before area residents find out what will become of one of Covington’s oldest, most controversial and recognizable markers.

Publisher Gabriel Stovall contributed to this article.

The statue has stood in the center of the Covington Square for 116 years. Archives | The Covington News

celebrating the past, preparing for the future...