The story of your life
SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2015
Vol. 150, No. 26
$1
CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE u See the photos from Covington and Oxford's Fourth of July events, 4A & 5A
150 YEARS OF SERVING NEWTON COUNTY
Celebrating 93% re-enrollment!
THE COVINGTON
NEWS
C N
Voted best in Walton County LOGANVILLE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WWW.LCALIONS.COM
BOC votes to eliminate Green Hill from consideration MERIS LUTZ mlutz@covnews.com
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted down a controversial proposal to lease the county landfill to a private startup Wednesday night following passionate testimony from the affected community, environmentalists and concerned citizens. The audience erupted in cheers as two out of three commissioners voted to "eliminate Green Hill P3 from consideration in the process of determining the future of our Newton County solid waste disposal site." The motion made by District 1 Commissioner John Douglas also instructed a citizen solid waste panel created to study the issue to "continue with their efforts...to protect the Spring Hill community, stop the loss of revenue...and...find a model of how to manage our solid waste disposal site and/or search out other companies that may be willing to provide a bid for services to Newton County." District 2 Commissioner Lanier Sims voted in favor of Douglas' motion, with District 5 Commissioner J.C. Henderson voting against it. Commissioner Nancy Schulz left Wednesday’s meeting early but expressed support for
u See LANDFILL, 8A
East Georgia to pursue damages, landfill construction MERIS LUTZ mlutz@covnews.com
The East Georgia Land & Development Company will move forward with its plan to construct a private landfill and sue Newton County for damages related to a legal battle waged for more than 17 years. The announcement came Wednesday just hours before the Board of Commissioners voted to "eliminate from consideration" Green Hill P3 as part of a tripartite agreement with East Georgia, days after Green Hill pulled the proposal. East Georgia has fought the county since 1997 for the necessary compliance letters needed to apply to build a landfill on approximately 424-427 acres it purchased next to the public landfill on Lower River Road. In October, 2014, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in East Georgia's favor. Jim Baker, head of East Georgia, provided The News with copies of letters sent to Newton County Chairman Keith Ellis and Newton County's legal counsel Wednesday informing the county of East Georgia's intentions: "...Newton County Attorney Tommy Craig negotiated with Green Hill and a structure and proposed agreement was negotiated; county attorney Tommy Craig stated this negotiated arrangement would be recommended to the Newton County Board of Commissioners. Notwithstanding the intensive and expensive negotiations, East Georgia
u See EAST GEORGIA, 8A
FILLING THE GAP FOR HUNGRY CHILDREN SANDRA BRANDS sbrands@covnews.com
Bad enough to be cooped up in the house during the summer because parents are at work and child care is cost prohibitive. But imagine being stuck inside and not having anything to eat. During the school year, free or reduced lunch programs provide meals to children whose family is struggling, economically. Those breakfasts and lunches are available in June, after school lets out, at summer “camp” school programs. But come July 1, school and camps served by the district are out, working to get ready for the next academic year. Where do children get the meals families counted on between July 1 and July 31? Instead of being a carefree –and much anticipated—break from studies, summer threatens to be a hungry time for some kids. That’s where nonprofit groups, some connected to governmental agencies and almost all connected to faith communities, come in. This summer, as they have in years past, they will provide free lunches to children at “feeding” sites, some outside at park pavilions, some inside in church fellowship halls. Food program began as a personal commitment
Feeding children is personal for Cathryn Lafayette. “When I was a child, my father was killed in a car accident and my mom was the only source of income. When she became very ill, she signed my sister and I up to get free meals at school, but on days when school was out, we didn’t have enough food. “If it hadn’t been for the school programs [on the West side of Chicago], I wouldn’t have had enough to eat,” she said. That experience made her sensitive to the needs of the children in her community,
she said. Eight years ago, she began feeding about 20 children meals she paid for herself. Over the next five years, the number steadily increased as she found more and more hungry children living in the Enclave at Gross Lake subdivisions and Country Walk and Salem Glen mobile parks until, she said, she knew, “I just couldn’t feed them all, so I asked God to help me find a grant.” She turned to the Bread of Lift Development (BOLD) Ministries, another Bright
u See HUNGER, 8A
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