Visions 2022: Here We Grow

S IV S NOI Newton County:

Here, we

GROW

Community Spirit Award:

Serra Hall leads charge in local economic development

NEWTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMMITMENT. LOYALTY. SACRIFICE. DEDICATION.

The goal of the Newton County Sheriff’s Office is “to be recognized as the kind of professional organization that values, respects, and honors the rights and dignity of the entire community. Through an abundance of collaborative efforts, the NCSO is committed to improving life in every aspect for its citizens, businesses, schools, colleges/universities, and visitors.”

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Complete Automotive Tire Center - 25 Conyers Jewelrs Inc. - 40 Conyers School of Ballet - 41 Covington Auto Collision - 25 Covington Dance & More - 14 Covington Family Chiropractic - 34 Covington Nutrition - 21 Covington Police Department - 47 C-Town Bikes and Fitness - 40 D&W Air Flow Inc. - 47 East Georgia Home Services -17 East Georgia Tax Services -17 Element Funding - 14 First Baptist Church of Covington - 55 Fletcher’s Jewelry Co. -14 George Walton Academy - 9 Georgia Piedmont Technical College - 5 Linda Hays - 64 Hines Home of Funerals - 25 Hometown Realty - 20 I20 East Power Sports LLC - 67 J.C. Harwell & Son Funeral Home -22 J’Marie Bridal & Formal Wear - 15

A&J’s Bonding - 25 A&A’s Outlet - 24 Acceptance Insurance - 43 Affordable Tire Inc. - 24 Alcovy CASA - 36 Alexander Appraisal - 24 Athens Orthopedic Clinic - 33 Axe Town - 17 Beasley Drug Co. - 40 Benny C. Phillips PC - 13 Berry’s Tree Farm - 20 BK Finest Icyland -24 BMC Bill Marinella Casting - 40 Bobcat of Atlanta - 26 Bradley’s Bar B Que - 14 Bullseye Accounting - 10 Cater 2 U - 25 Chapman Insurance Group - 14 City of Covington - 45 City of Oxford - 44 City of Porterdale - 44 Cleary Exterminating - 46

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Keep Newton Beautiful - 46 La Reyna Unique Auto Sales - 49 Leapin’ Lizards Pet Shop - 25 Lee’s Fashions -14 Lester Lackey Funeral Home - 15 Loganville Christian Academy - 4 Loyalty Tax Solutions - 24 M&K Academy Inc. - 25 McKibben Music - 15 Natural Path/Family Health - 35 Newton County BOC - 50 Newton County Chamber - 27 Newton County IDA - 27 & 57 Newton County Sheriff’s Office - 3 Newton County Water & Sewage - 66 Newton Federal Bank - 28 Nitro 2 Go Beverages - 53 Oxford College - 13 PC Afterdark - 19 Peachtree Academy -7 Piedmont Insurance Associates - 34 Piedmont Newton Hospital - 31 Ramsey’s Furniture - 23

Ready Rent-All Inc. - 26 Rest Easy Mattress - 25 Rotary Club of Covington - 48 State Farm | Shametria Dixon - 11 Shannon D. Sneed - 24 Smith Insurance Agency - 15 Snapping Shoals EMC - 2 Soapary - 40 Southern Heartland Art Gallery - 14 Strong Used Auto Sales - 24 The Joint Chiropractic - 37 The Meat House - 25 The Sandwich Factory - 41 The Selfie Studio - 17 The Social Goat Tavern - 17 Town House Cafe -15 Town of Newborn - 51 Travel Arrangements 4U - 25 United Bank - 68 University Cancer & Blood Center - 39 Westmoreland’s - 40 Wilder Chiropractic Center - 40

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

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Make 2022 the Best Year Yet – Apply Today!

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More than 15 career pathways available!

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Two locations in Covington

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 5

A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER

Visions 2022 tells story of our surging community

I

’ve seen communities struggle to maintain a vibrant downtown area and retain its businesses.

I’ve seen cities become a shell of what they once were because their leaders didn’t have a clear and positive vision for growth.

But in Newton County, we are truly blessed.

With major industrial developments planned to generate thou-

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEARNING

Private schools foresee growing alongside area’s population....... 8 NCSS preparing students for future job opportunities..................10 Oxford College Farm grows produce, student knowledge......... 12 FFA interest increasing across the county........................................16

ENTERPRISE

Industrial growth not draining staff from small businesses.............18 Berry’s Tree Farm knows all about growth.......................................19 New businesses thriving across Newton......................................... 21 GPTC helps train future industrial workers..................................... 23

WELLNESS

GPDH wants county better informed of health services............... 29 Piedmont Newton ready to serve community into the future...... 30 Urgent care clinics could be wave of future in Newton................ 32 Local chiropractic care facility has become mainstay................... 34 Turn to Growing in Hope when life’s struggles mount.................. 36

sands of jobs, and numerous mixed-use projects that will bring hundreds of rooftops to the area, our community is not only thriving, but SURGING! Inside this year’s Visions magazine, our staff has put together a publication

LEADERS

Community Spirit Award: Serra P. Hall............................................ 54 Employer of the Year Award: Snapping Shoals EMC ................... 58 Youth of the Year Award: J. Harrison Kirkham ............................... 60 Unsung Hero: Duane Ford ................................................................ 61 Unsung Hero: Janet Goodman ....................................................... 63 Unsung Hero: Mike Hopkins ............................................................ 65

Index of Advertisers ..............................................................................4 6 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

Taylor Beck

Editor and Publisher The Covington News

This magazine is a special publication of

which is published every Sunday and Wednesday by Newton Newspapers, Inc. Patrick Graham

Taylor Beck

OWNER pgraham@covnews.com

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER tbeck@covnews.com

Cynthia Warren

Tom Spigolon

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR cbwarren@covnews.com

NEWS EDITOR tspigolon@covnews.com

Lee Ann Avery

Phillip B. Hubbard

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR lavery@covnews.com

SPORTS EDITOR phubbard@covnews.com

Alicia Goolsby

LEGALS CLERK agoolsby@covnews.com

CONTACT US Mail • P.O. Box 1249, Covington, GA 30015 Telephone • 770.787.6397 (NEWS) Online • CovNews.com

COMMUNITY

Cities’ location, makeup are factors in how fast they develop...... 42 Covington celebrates 200 years of growth.................................... 46 Housing supply, prices may rise in coming years.......................... 48 Public safety groups talk future as community grows................... 50

that shares exactly how our community is growing — within the economic realm and beyond.

We hope you enjoy.

ON THE COVER

VISIONS

THE COVINGTON NEWS • HERE

WE GROW • 2022

Newton County:

Here, we

GROW

Community Spirit Award:

Serra Hall leads charge in local economic development

Pictured on the cover of this year’s Visions magainze is 2022 Community Spirit Award winner Serra P. Hall.

Design by TAYLOR BECK

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Academic Excellence A Elementary School to nurture individual talent and interest

A Middle School rich in opportunity to enable exceptional all-round achievement

A High School acknowledged as excelling in academic study, university guidance and vocational preparation

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LEARNING

Seventh-grade STEM students at Peachtree Academy take part in an ‘Egg Landers’ project. Students were required to use their STEM skills to make sure the egg not only survived but the landing device remained undamaged for continued use. Special Photo | Peachtree Academy

Private schools foresee growing alongside area’s population, economy

By TOM SPIGOLON

S

tspigolon@covnews.com

ome area school leaders believe private educational institutions should grow along with Newton County’s economy and population in coming decades.

Private schools’ educational offerings often differ from public schools and create educational options for parents, they say.

JaNice Van Ness, chief executive officer of Peachtree Academy, said she believes anticipated population and economic growth will benefit the multi-campus school, which has locations in Conyers and Covington.

School leaders foresee about a 16% enrollment growth in two years in Peachtree’s service area based on 8

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

such measures as building permits and number of approved single-family subdivision lots, Van Ness said.

Van Ness said the school now serves students from eight counties.

Parents are willing to drive longer distances in metro Atlanta, especially to provide a quality education for their children, she said.

Rachel Ernst, the head of school and upper school principal at Loganville Christian Academy, also said she sees the area’s potential population growth as benefiting LCA. The school added the most students in its history this school year, she said.

LCA has enrollment goals through the next decade that she declined to disclose, but she said the school

anticipates about 600 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 in the 2022-23 school year.

“As long as those areas keep growing, we will see the benefits,” Ernst said.

She said public schools’ general reaction to the pandemic may have people more seriously considering private education.

National publications have noted the pandemic prompted some increases in private schools’ enrollments because they more closely followed parents’ wishes about the timing of returns to in-person learning.

“People are looking for a change since what public schools have gone through,” Ernst said.

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Van Ness said Peachtree Academy is SACS and Cognia accredited but is able to offer a learning environment that is an alternative to larger public schools.

Because Peachtree has smaller class sizes, students are better able to focus on schoolwork, she said.

“I think parents want smaller classes,” she said.

Parental involvement also is greater at Peachtree because they are encouraged to give 10 volunteer hours to the school, Van Ness said.

Even as LCA grows, school leaders choose to keep class sizes relatively smaller than public schools, Ernst said.

She noted private school students also have opportunities they likely would not have at much larger public schools, such as better chances to participate in competitive athletics and other activities.

Public schools typically have many more students trying to gain a few spots on athletic teams or participate in other extracurricular activities compared to private schools where the competition is not as fierce, Ernst said.

Loganville Christian Academy Lower School Principal Amy McCaulley stands with some students at the school on Ga. Hwy. 81. Special Photo | Loganville Christian Academy

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 9

Newton schools preparing students as future job opportunities grow

By TAYLOR BECK

A

tbeck@covnews.com

s housing developments and new industries are welcomed into the community, Newton County Schools is ready to serve however many students may accompany them.

But for now, the school system hasn’t seem any growth in enrollment.

“I do anticipate in the future that we will experience growth in enrollment, given what I know about the economic development and the housing projects being constructed all over the place,” Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey said. “We stand ready to serve the kids as they come.”

As the district prepares to open

the new Eastside High School facility next year, Fuhrey said further planning is underway to expand its programming.

Once the current Eastside High School facility is vacated, it will become home to the Newton County Theme School the following year, Fuhrey said. But the school will shift its theme to a STEAM program, “which we’re building a continuum from K-12, because we have the STEM institute at the College and Career Academy, so you’ve got kind of a nice flow,” the superintendent said.

In doing that, Fuhrey said the school system was exploring the idea of expanding its performing arts offerings.

“We also have looked at the

Academy of Liberal Arts at Newton High School, trying to build the same type of continuum at the same time,” Fuhrey said. “There are some things that we have to work through. It was recently presented to Board of Education, and they had a lot of questions, so we’ve got some things that we’ve got to work on there, but it will build a K-12 continuum in the performing arts as well — performing and liberal arts that will flow from Porterdale, perhaps through the Newton High School Academy of Liberal Arts.”

Fuhrey said one of the questions from the Board was, “are you planning for growth?”

“The answer to the question for people is pretty hard to understand, because we’re constructing a new

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Students participate in the InspiHER: Code Like a Girl program at Newton County Schools.

Special Photo | Newton County Schools

high school for Eastside, and the core facilities are built to serve 2,500 students. But the facilities itself is only built to hold 1,850 students,” she said. “So people ask the question, ‘Why? Because you’re going to get 2,500 students at EHS, so why not just build it that way?’

“The short answer is that the state will not fund you unless the people are present,” Fuhrey said. “So you have to build the school for the people who are present, and then as growth comes, you have to address it by doing what we all do not want to do, which is bring in mobile units. The state will then recognize that we have a spike in enrollment, and they will fund us to build an addition… It’s has never made sense to me either … but that’s why.”

But Fuhrey said she and district administrators were “confident” with current enrollment numbers paired with the number of seats available in all schools that “we will be in good shape, at least for the foreseeable future, dependent upon how many people move into the county with children.”

“Right now, data shows birth trends are pretty low, so we’re not expecting to see a huge increase in elementary enrollment,” she said. “The people moving are bringing middle and high school students, so our younger students — there aren’t as many of them as there once was. But I think that’s tied to the birth trends.”

Part of Fuhrey’s confidence comes through knowing the district has such strong ties with the county, including the Board of Commissioners and chairman, as well as the city of Covington, the county’s economic development officials and others.

“Four or five years ago, we won an award for our collaboration with the economic development office,” Fuhrey said. “We’re hand in glove. I meet with them regularly to talk about employment trends, business and industry, connectivity to our students so that we’re preparing them to enter into the jobs that are currently here and will be coming. So we are lock-step, which is something that’s not in place in every community, so we’re fortunate to have that partnership.”

Fuhrey said there are a plethora of programs tied directly to workforce development and preparing students for careers awaiting them now, and to come, in Newton County.

THE COVINGTON NEWS

One is Be Pro Be Proud — a program simply designed to expose students to various careers and job fields.

Another is the district’s “robust” robotics program.

There’s also been a special focus placed on coding and programming — especially for female students. In addition to having media specialists trained to teach coding to students grade K-5, there is also a program for girls called InspiHER: Code Like a Girl, to garner their interest.

And finally, there’s Connect Newton, which was created in 2018 by Serra P. Hall, who is the executive director of the Newton County Industrial Development Authority. Connect Newton is a teacher externship program that gets teachers into local industries to see what is available and then bring it back to their students. The program was so successful, the state Board of Education has implemented a model of it statewide.

“I think the wave of the future is immersing kids in experiences and giving them opportunities that they might not otherwise have, and in roles and jobs that stretch them to think about advanced manufacturing, technology, the jobs that will likely be in existence in the future that require collaboration, creativity, communication — all of those things that our kids need to see in action and be able to implement as they graduate from high school,” Fuhrey said. “I think the future is bright for our children, our community, our school system. We’ve just got to stay together, keep each other informed and make sure that what we are doing benefits the whole.”

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Oxford College farm grows produce, students’ agricultural knowledge

By SARAH DAVIS

B

news@covnews.com

lueberries, asian pears, arugula, carrots, bok choy and various heirloom varieties of apples: these are just a few of the crops that are grown at Oxford College’s organic farm.

The farm serves as a site for community growth, not just through the fresh produce it produces but also the educational opportunities it provides.

After a generous alumnus donated 11 acres of land for an organic farm in 2011, the college’s lead farmer and educator Daniel Parson launched farming operations in 2014.

In the years since, the farm has grown substantially, with half of its food going to the dining halls at Oxford College, Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Emory Hospital. The remaining produce is sold to the Oxford community, at the Oxford and Emory farmer’s markets and donated to local food banks.

Parson’s journey to the College Farm was a long one. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University, Parson dedicated his time outdoors, backpacking. And, while he enjoyed these experiences, he found himself conflicted by the ways in which the activity conflicted with his mission of environmental stewardship.

“When I came home I couldn’t stay out forever,” Parson said. “I had to come back and go to the grocery store and load up with more food and go back out and feel self-sufficient. I thought, ‘Well, this isn’t really self sufficiency. I need to learn to grow my own food.’”

With this realization, Parson went to work for four years on a farm in Dawsonville, where he learned “the ropes” of organic farming. However, for many of the farm workers, it was their second career, and Parson 12 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

Field Manager and Educator Catherine Reuter stands at Oxford College’s organic farm, where she teaches farming methods.

Sarah Davis | The News

found they didn’t necessarily possess some of the agricultural knowledge he wanted to learn, such as soil quality, the impact of insects on farming and crop diseases. So, he went back to Clemson for a masters degree in plant and environmental science.

After working on a farm in an Atlanta housing community, Gaia Gardens, and establishing his own organic garden in South Carolina, he heard about the farm being started at the College.

“I thought, ‘This is perfect: I get to start another farm, I get to work with students and the community and the campus,’” Parson said. “The size of it was just right, and the goals that they had were just right, so it all worked out and I’ve been here since then.”

The farm has five full-time staff workers, including Parson, and around 20 student workers. Additionally, about 100 students and Oxford community members volunteer

their time at the farm annually.

Parson said that their student worker staff is the backbone of the farm’s operations.

“It’s not just working one day; it’s seeing through the season,” Parson said. “So, any given day, they may feel like they’re doing a random job … but, by the end of the school year, they’ve seeded crops, they’ve planted crops in the ground, they’ve weeded crops, they’ve harvested them, they’ve done all the things that need to be done.”

These kinds of experiences are part of the farm’s mission to educate students about the importance of organic farming, with student farmer Jordan Hayes calling the program “a haven for learning.”

Alongside Parson, Field Manager and Educator Catherine Reuter teaches farming methods to student workers and provides educational experiences for a variety of college interests, from film to economics to sociology to environmental science. Reuter, who joined the farm in 2018, said that her role as a farming educator has made her a “better farmer.”

“You don’t know anything as well until you’ve taught it to somebody else,” Reuter said.

“You realize all the gaps in your knowledge and all the assumptions you have made. Every time I have to teach something to somebody I get better at doing it and I get better at explaining it to people and just understanding the nuances of what I’m doing.”

From the basics, like learning how to use a shovel, to more technical skills, like how to plant and weed, Reuter uses her knowledge base to help students see the value of farming.

Hayes recalled coming into the farm lacking a full understanding of how produce was grown or even how it looked outside of a shelf in a THE COVINGTON NEWS

grocery store.

“Some of the foods and vegetables that I ate on a daily basis, I didn’t know how they actually grew,” Hayes said. “I only saw it in the packaging, so that was really interesting to see how sweet potatoes actually grow in the ground.”

Reuter previously worked for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, studying non-game aquatics. In this position, she helped identify how farming pollutants harmed fish populations.

“We knew what was hurting them, but my work wasn’t helping them,” Reuter said.

“What we needed was to use the land better.”

After making the realization she wanted to be “part of the effort to improve things,” Reuter turned her focus to sustainable agriculture, going on to get a master’s degree in freshwater ecology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, eventually leading her to the Oxford farm. There, she said she finally feels like she’s making the impact she wanted.

“Our farm is small, but farming covers a huge landscape proportion and every inch that we manage more sustainably is protecting everything downstream,” Reuter said.

This natural preservation includes taking care of native plants in the woods behind the farm. Recently, the Farm partnered with the city of Oxford’s Pollinator Project to weed out invasive species and allow for native species to flourish. Reuter worked with students to educate them on the history of these native species.

Student farmer Emily Oliver Ferron said that this up-close education brings a certain significance to the issues of pollution and loss of native species that cannot be gained from reading a textbook. “[Reuter] is one of those people who knows everything about everything,” Ferron said. “She’ll just list off the Georgian natural history, dating back to pre-colonial indigenous practices. She’ll tell us about the erosion that was the result of colonization and the clear cutting of the Georgia forests, but she’ll do so

while she’s pointing to the proof of it in the creek.”

Ferron came to Emory for its prestigious healthcare program.

Her work on the farm has brought a new perspective to how she views medicine.

“Learning about healthcare through a more preventative standpoint has been super eye-opening,” Ferron said. “You eat healthy foods, you’re healthier, so you should go to the doctor regularly but you’re not going to need as much emergency care. It makes sense that I would come to Emory for its medical reputation and learn so much about medicine but in a very unconventional classroom.”

While the farm serves as a site of education about organic farming for many, it also is a place of respite for students facing heavy loads of school work.

“The farm gives me a sense of serenity and calmness out of all the hectic things that happen in college,” Hayes said. “I love being around nature and the farm gives me the opportunity to do so.”

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FFA interest increasing across county

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD

A

Eastside High School students pose with their FFA jackets.

Interest in the agriculture-based program is taking off across Newton.

Special Photo

phubbard@covnews.com

ccording to local FFA chapter advisors, popularity has grown among their respective chapters with seemingly more interest from students each school year.

Newton and Eastside high schools as well as the Newton College and Career Academy (NCCA) have seen considerable growth in their FFA chapters in recent years.

NCCA Chapter Cecily Gunter is the NCCA chapter advisor and teaches Basic Agriculture, Animal Science and Biotechnology, Veterinary Science, Animal Production and Small Animal Care. She’s been the chapter’s advisor for five years now and, since then, the organization has added another advisor, Andrew Pollard and a Young Farmer instructor named Marcus Pollard.

Instructors have been added, according to Gunter, because of the membership increase in recent years.

“We have definitely grown in size,” Gunter said. “So much so that we had to add another teacher. We also have qualified for state contests and have been recognized on the national level. Our chapter is one of the top chapters in the nation. We also had the National FFA President for 2021 come from our chapter. I cannot say it enough, we have great kids.”

But watching the overall growth of the program isn’t what excites Gunter the most about being an FFA advisor. It’s watching each student develop his or her own self.

“The best part of being an FFA advisor is seeing my students grow as leaders and achieve their goals,” Dr. Gunter said. “It is so rewarding to hear from students after they graduate and see how successful they have become; whether that be in college or in the workforce, these kids are making big moves.”

NHS Chapter Alexandria Walker is the advisor

16 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

for Newton High School’s FFA chapter where she has served for five years. She also teaches five classes: Basic Agriculture, Horticulture, Plant Science, Floral Design and Nursery Landscape. Throughout the past five years, Walker has witnessed firsthand students explore numerous opportunities.

That, to her, is the top thing about being an FFA advisor.

“The best part about being an advisor is seeing students have new experiences,” Walker said. “With this organization, there are a lot of trips. I’m able to take kids out of the state who have never been past Covington. Students also meet new people. Particularly going to the National Convention, there are chapters from Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Those experiences impact their future. I’ve had several students come back and say, ‘if I wasn’t in FFA, this, this and this wouldn’t have happened for me.’ So that’s a huge part for me.”

Walker labeled the 2021-22 school year as a “rebuild year” for her chapter by still dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, currently standing at 155 members, the NHS chapter has experienced an increase in interest among the student body.

“The level of participation has grown,” Walker said. “I’m the teacher that’s going to bring these oddball things to get your attention and be like, ‘now I got your attention.’

So, we’ve been growing by word of mouth, especially with the officers being my spokespeople. Then, we’re able to show them what they

do and get students engaged with all of the possibilities.”

EHS Chapter Eastside’s FFA chapter has the largest membership in the school with 210 members. Heading up the organization are two advisors: Catrina Pollard and Sarah Beth Hammond. Both teachers oversee the program as well as teach the classes in the Agricultural Pathway.

Across the classes and the chapter, the advisors have stressed how they are “busting at the seams” to find space to have students participating in multiple projects and activities.

“Some students sit on the counters, I have stools and some will sit on the floor. Not that I don’t have enough tables and chairs, but for them to have room to spread out from each other,” Pollard said. “All of our classes are full and it’s a good problem to have. Eight years ago, I only had one class with 28 kids, not all of my classes always consistently have more than 28 kids.”

Pollard took over the chapter eight years ago — Hammond’s senior year of high school at Eastside.

With her perspective changing from student to advisor, Hammond stressed how much interest has piqued among the student body compared to her days as a student.

“It’s really cool to see,” Hammond said. “Social media has been interesting, too. Because I had a kid walk up to me the other day who saw our Instagram page and asked, ‘how do I get in this class?’ I feel like it has grown a lot.”

THE COVINGTON NEWS

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ENTERPRISE

GPTC worked to address the shortage of workers in advanced manufacturing jobs across the region by signing agreements with industries in Newton and two other counties for hiring of apprentices in late 2020. Special Photo

Industrial growth not seen as draining employees from small businesses

By TOM SPIGOLON

C

tspigolon@covnews.com

ovington native Larry Wilcox grew up near the Square in the latter part of the 20th century and recalled when few small businesses were operating in the area.

Wilcox now lives in Eatonton and said he was glad businesses like Fletcher’s Jewelry had survived since his time living off Monticello Street.

He said he is surprised at the growth of small businesses and the amount of traffic around the downtown area.

“I can remember when there were three people and a cop,” he said.

Newton County’s future industrial growth potentially could have a major effect on employment in the county’s small and independent restaurant and retailers — many of which operate in downtown Covington.

However, at least one longtime observer and participant in the Newton business community says she does not foresee new industries having such an effect on the labor 18 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

market.

Kathy Morgan leads the 278 Community Improvement District (CID), which works to improve the U.S. Hwy. 278 corridor in Covington.

The CID’s goal is to make the area more attractive to high-end businesses and increase the existing owners’ property values, according to its website.

The downtown area includes numerous small businesses, including restaurants and retailers, from which new industrial employers like the proposed Rivian EV manufacturing plant or existing companies could potentially pull employees.

However, Morgan does not see that happening.

“They (Rivian) are going to take some jobs,” Morgan said. “I don’t think a full-scale mass exit is going to leave small businesses high and dry.”

Morgan served as chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners in the midst of the Great Recession from 2008 to 2012.

Like Wilcox, she noted the now-bustling Covington Square area is far different from the years

she was chairman and her second-floor office in the Historic Courthouse looked over a downtown area with much less activity.

“If there were 12 cars a day it was a good day — 20, it was great,” Morgan said.

However, the economy has picked up and made employment more plentiful in Newton County — especially in the downtown area, she said.

Tourism attracted by the locations seen on TV shows like “Vampire Diaries” and “Sweet Magnolias” helped attract people to the area — which in turn led small businesses to follow and grow, Morgan said.

“Now when you look, parking’s not available,” Morgan said.

She said those who want to make a change in their employment situations likely already are in the process of doing so in this era of labor shortages connected to the pandemic. Many employees of small businesses “love what they do” and do not want to leave, she said.

Others may have work hours tailored to their lifestyles, or are skilled laborers, she said.

THE COVINGTON NEWS

Operating since 1894, Berry’s Tree Farm knows all about growth

By GARRETT PITTS

B

Correspondent

erry’s Tree Farm has been providing high quality Christmas trees as well as memorable family experiences for over 40 years.

The family-run farm started in 1894 but made the transition to selling Christmas trees in 1983, where the fifth and sixth generations of the Berry family still run the business.

Since then, Berry’s Tree Farm has continued to grow along Almon Road as their trees have reached homes across Georgia.

As Covington has grown and developed over the past 10 years, the growth has helped the business as it has allowed the farm to grow and

THE COVINGTON NEWS

reach new families.

“Growth is everywhere around us,” Chuck Berry said. “The population growth [in Covington] has helped the business, we sold almost 4,000 trees last year. There are a lot of people in the area who are two or three generations removed from a farm… so many of them want to go out and see a farm, we can give them that opportunity.”

Even with the focus of the farm being dedicated to selling trees, the family focuses on providing a great family experience for anyone who comes to the farm. “[Our goal is] being able to give them something to where they can come and make family memories and a place where they want to come back to every year,” Berry

said. “[It is not] just picking up a Christmas tree off a street corner or out of a big box retailer.”

Berry’s Tree Farm allows anyone to come and pick out their own tree, but it does not stop there as they also show and allow the families to cut it down themselves.

To add the goal of providing great family memories, the farm provides much more than just picking and cutting trees.

The farm also offers train rides, a petting zoo, concession stand, and pictures with Santa.

As the community continues to grow and evolve, the family still focuses on the techniques and practices of growing that they used since the beginning. “[The growing] is on a bigger

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 19

Berry’s Tree Farm is located off Almon Road in Covington. The family farm has been in operation since 1894. Garrett Pitts | The News

scale, but the process is the same,” Berry said. “We plant every winter and maintain throughout the year and sell at Christmas time. The process of planting and maintaining is

the same as it was 40 years ago.

With an ever-changing community and environment, Berry’s Tree Farm has stood the test of time and continues to do so as they provide

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THE COVINGTON NEWS

New businesses thriving across Newton

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD

W

phubbard@covnews.com

ithin the past year, Newton County has seen numerous businesses begin or relocate to the area. Two of those businesses are Covington Nutrition and I-20 East PowerSports.

And, while the two businesses are totally different from one another, the owners share the reason why they decided to come to Newton County.

Covington Nutrition is located at 2189 Pace St in Covington. It opened for business in May 2021.

Owner Melanie Pitts highlighted the intimacy Newton County brings to serving her customers.

“We love the small town feel with all the history, we could not do this without all the people here who welcomed us and are supporting the business,” Pitts said. “It is better than we could have imagined.”

I-20 East Power Sports specializes in ATVs, scooters, go-karts and much more in Newton County.

Staff | The News

It offers healthy and tasty drinks and shakes that are all 200-250 calories, low in sugar and contain 24-27 grams of protein. Shakes are also low carb and Keto-friendly.

I-20 East PowerSports is located at 2113 Pace St. in Covington.

Its doors opened in September 2021. One of its owners, Marshal “Q” Barnes, is a Covington native who graduated from Newton High School in 1999.

According to Barnes, it was a no-brainer to bring this business to

2155 Pace Street #7 Covington, GA 678-314-6469 EMAIL: covingtonnutritionga@gmail.com FB/INSTA: @covingtonnutrition • SNAPCHAT: @covnutrition

THE COVINGTON NEWS

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 21

his hometown.

“Why not open a business at home,” Barnes said. “It helps me give my hometown support.”

I-20 East Power Sports sells ATVs, scooters, dirt bikes, go karts, golf carts and all the accessories that go along with each motorized vehicle.

In addition to their shakes, Covington Nutrition also offers “loaded energy” teas which Pitts categorizes as the “equivalent to two cups of coffee.” Also included in the teas are aloe for digestion.

Pitts highlighted how getting a tasty beverage is just one of the things customers can expect when visiting her store.

“Covington Nutrition strives to build healthy positive relationships with our customers,” Pitts said. “We constantly look for new and fun ways to meet our customer needs.

When you keep the focus on what your customers want, you can be sure that they will welcome your product improvements instead of viewing them as unnecessary bells and whistles.”

Pitts also pointed to her team’s customer service as one of the top things she believes differentiates her business from others similar to hers.

Interacting with customers in Newton County has especially been important to Covington Nutrition’s growth in the last year, too.

“Covington’s amazing community has supported us and our growth from day one,” Pitts said. “Our oneof-a-kind customer service brings them back daily, along with bringing a friend or two. We love it here!”

The same goes for Barnes and I-20 East PowerSports.

Barnes stressed how crucial his business’ customer service has been to the development of his business the past few months. “[When customers visit], they can expect someone to greet them at the door with a smile,” Barnes said.

“And, most of all, they can expect a sincere greeting. If customers come in and want something and we don’t have it on the floor, most definitely I can get it for them.”

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Nevertheless, the future excites Pitts and Barnes even more than what Newton County has brought to their businesses thus far. What’s next brings an “energy” that Pitts believes will continue to help Covington Nutrition grow at an even faster rate.

“Newton County has much more than charm to offer,” Pitts said.

“There’s a new generation of visitors showing up and bringing a welcome energy. If you want to know how well we stand, just drive by any evening, and see the vehicles with people supporting local businesses.”

Barnes concurred with Pitts about his excitement concerning I-20 East PowerSports, too. He highlighted how, being a local native owning a business, has always been a goal of his.

“I grew up in this area,” Barnes said. “So, a lot of people know me and our employees who are from here as well. I went to school with them, worked with them, shopped with them and eat with them.”

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THE COVINGTON NEWS

GPTC helps train future industrial workers

By TOM SPIGOLON

D

tspigolon@covnews.com

evelopment programs offered by Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) are already training Newton County’s future industrial workers and employees in high-demand job sectors.

The college’s parent agency, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), has a major training role in Newton County, both at GPTC in Covington and in its Bioscience Training Center near Social Circle.

Irvin Clark is the vice president of economic development for GPTC and heads a department that has “course offerings designed for individuals seeking educational opportunities in business and manufacturing” as well as workforce training programs to assist local businesses.

Clark said his department determines its training programs and student courses by working with existing industries, industrial

GPTC began offering courses in Residential Building Design Technology (RBDT) in the fall semester of 2021 to train in-demand residential design technicians to assist architects and designers in the creation and revision of production drawings and in research for permits, bids and construction. Special Photo

recruiters and the TCSG to gauge current and future job demands.

GPTC works with an advisory committee from various local industries to help officials determine how the college can best provide

training programs for existing employers.

It also works with development authorities in Newton and other area counties to determine which new industries are considering locating in the area and “what that may look like and how we can be prepared for that.”

In addition, the college reviews TCSG data on enrollment trends to check areas of greatest student demand, he said.

Clark’s department opened its advanced manufacturing center at its Covington campus in 2017 that features a computer lab and labs equipped with the newest technology in electrical wiring, mechanical power, programmable industrial computers, and machine tools.

GPTC has partnered with manufacturers in the three counties to develop such programs as the five-week Manufacturing READY Program.

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The program is funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and provides certifications in a variety of trades or skills, such as forklift operation or industrial safety.

It also gives the skill sets that could lead to employment in various manufacturing facilities, according to information from GPTC. The college also offers an Industrial Maintenance program that teaches fundamental concepts and skills to those wanting to work as industrial maintenance technicians -- a position that combines knowledge of mechanical technology, electrical and electronic circuits.

Monday-Friday: 7am-5pm 5190 Hwy 278 678-712-4720

Both programs target unemployed and underemployed individuals “who have little or no manufacturing experience but who wish to reenter the workforce with new and in-demand skills,” according to the college. Yet another program is the four-week Transportation READY Program that trains tractor-trailer drivers for the high-demand field of freight hauling and makes them eligible to sit for the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam.

Walmart recently announced it was raising starting pay for its new CDL drivers to between $95,000 and $110,000, up from an average of $87,500, USA Today reported.

It follows reports that trucker shortages nationwide worsened as the pandemic prompted demand for hauling and delivering freight to skyrocket. The American Trucking Association estimates the nation is short about 80,000 drivers.

In 2020, the college announced apprenticeship program partnership with industries in its three-county area, including SRG Global and Verescence in Newton.

The program taught the funda-

mentals of mechatronics which combines mechanics, electronics and computer science with manufacturing to increase efficiency, according to GPTC. Separate from GPTC, the Georgia BioScience Training Center trains workers in the life sciences sector at its facility in the Stanton Springs South technology park near Social Circle. It is “Georgia’s first standalone facility dedicated to delivering customized workforce training for companies in the Life Sciences sector” and was first developed to support Shire, now Takeda Pharmaceuticals, according to information from the technical college system.

The Technical College System of Georgia’s Quick Start program operates the Center and has instructional areas “designed to mirror the exact processes used in biomanufacturing processes.”

“It also contains equipment and facilities for training in a wide variety of advanced manufacturing technologies, ranging from electronics and mechatronics to process control systems and in-line sensor operation and calibration.”

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THE COVINGTON NEWS

WELLNESS

GPDH wants county better informed of health services as area grows

By TOM SPIGOLON

T

tspigolon@covnews.com

he Georgia Department of Public Health plans to be more proactive about informing Newton Countians about its services as it works to serve a population expected to grow at all income levels.

However, a top official also said the department must solve current staffing issues to be able to provide those services at the level required.

Dr. Audrey Arona, director of Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Health Departments, also known as GNR Health, said its services and staffing typically grow along with its service areas’ populations to meet the need for supplemental healthcare.

Arona said the health department “fills in the gaps where community resources are lacking for under-insured folks.”

“As the population grows, those gaps sometimes broaden,” she said.

“Sometimes the gaps get smaller and sometimes ... entirely change.

“We’re constantly reevaluating our strategic plans and trying to meet community needs and manage community resources that we have,” Arona said.

The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget predicts Newton County’s population will grow by 15% to 130,000 in eight years, and 41% to 191,000 by 2060.

However, reports of heavy physical and psychological demands COVID placed on health care workers nationwide were common during the pandemic. It led to some seeking less-stressful employment and resulting in acute shortages in many health care professions — especially in nursing.

“Coming off COVID, in healthcare in general, we all are regrouping staffing-wise primarily because THE COVINGTON NEWS

The Newton County Health Department’s clinic operates in a county-owned building on Hazelbrand Road near the Newton County Library.

File Photo

of losses in nurses off of COVID,” Arona said. “Not only do we expect staffing to change with growing populations, but we find ourselves now at a place where we really have to adjust our staffing levels based on what we currently have.”

Arona said the department has no short-term plans to expand its clinic in Covington, which operates in a county-owned building on Hazelbrand Road near the Newton County Library.

But it does plan to make a new COVID testing option available in a kiosk near the clinic to allow residents to access rapid tests after hours, Arona said.

She said her department wants to more actively inform Newton Countians about the need to be vaccinated against COVID. Despite the number of new infections dropping, the disease is still very present in the U.S. and some prominent people recently announced they had become infected.

More than 46% of Newton County residents had been fully vaccinated against the disease through April 11, which is lower than the statewide average of 56%, according to the state public health department.

”Throughout the pandemic response, it’s been very difficult to convince people in Newton County to get vaccinated,” Arona said.

“And now, as we kind of change our focus away from the pandemic, as we get toward more normal services that we provide, we really look forward to having to engage our Newton County residents in one-on-one conversations where we’ll be looking to assess individual risk differently and personally and hopefully convince them that the vaccine is right for them,” Arona said.

She said the department also is focusing on informing qualifying residents that they are eligible for programs like the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC. The program provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income women who are pregnant or either breastfeeding or not, postpartum.

It also is available to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Arona said the department is working to tell residents about the income requirements because many women’s economic situations worsened during the pandemic.

They may not know about the program or that they qualify for it, she said. In Georgia, a single woman with one child and an annual income of $32,000 or less can qualify for WIC benefits, according to the state public health department.

Arona said partners play vital role in increasing access and public awareness of services.

“We can do so much more work when we combine with our partners,” she said.

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 29

A staff member works inside an exam room in the oncology department at Knox Surgical Center at Piedmont Newton Hospital.

Taylor Beck | The News

Piedmont Newton ready to serve community now and into the future

By TAYLOR BECK

A

tbeck@covnews.com

s Newton County’s population continues to increase, Piedmont Newton Hospital is stepping up to the challenge of meeting the healthcare needs of the growing community.

CEO David Kent recently told The Covington News that Piedmont Newton Hospital was “in great position to serve the county now and into the future.” And the biggest reason the hospital is able to do so is mostly due to being a part of the Piedmont Healthcare system.

“We’re fortunate to be part of Piedmont,” he said. “That can’t be understated … We have such a great group of doctors and access to so many resources that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Before becoming Piedmont Newton in 2015, the area hospital operated independently as Newton Medical Center. While considered a great facility, the hospital’s capabilities had been limited due to financial constraints. But since joining the Piedmont Healthcare group as 30 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

an equity partner, all barriers had been removed, Kent said.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can’t do,” said Kent, who has been CEO since April 2020. “We just need to make sure we match what the county needs.”

While there are no longer financial constraints, Kent said the hospital has placed great focus on expanding services and adapting to the exponential growth happening now, as well as what’s to come.

“We’re a little behind the last 1015 years of past growth,” he said, “but we’re closing the gap.”

Efforts to close the said gap include the addition of new doctors and committing ample funds on various departmental upgrades and renovations.

In 2019, Piedmont Newton Hospital spent $10 million on expanding its emergency department, practically doubling its size, Kent said.

Within the last two years, Kent said, there have been more than 15 physicians hired on. Across all departments, Kent said the hospital was fully staffed; however,

that was thanks to supplemental staffing through agencies. Kent said the hospital was currently working to decrease its supplemental staff to increase its full-time Piedmont Newton staff.

Major renovations had been undertaken in recent years to enhance the patient experience and services across multiple departments, Kent said, including the gastroenterology and oncology units on the first floor of Knox Surgical Center, as well as the pulmonary and ambulatory units at the hospital.

Kent said there were also plans “on the drawing board” to significantly widen the ambulatory footprint within the community.

Residents could see these plans take effect by late summer or early fall, he said.

“We’re excited for growth in Newton County,” Kent said. “This is a tremendous place. We stand ready to serve the great people of this community, and are privileged to do so.”

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 31

Urgent care clinics could be wave of future in Newton County

By TOM SPIGOLON

U

tspigolon@covnews.com

rgent care clinics have grown in popularity in Newton County and metro Atlanta in recent years amid growing demand for alternatives to emergency rooms and traditional medical clinics.

Piedmont, Northside and other healthcare providers have grown their affiliated network of urgent care centers in recent years as consumers seek medical care less expensive than emergency rooms, more convenient than traditional family care clinics and treat more serious conditions than walk-in clinics.

Urgent care centers are healthcare clinics that offer on-demand medical services and are equipped to treat ailments ranging from the common cold to fractures and wounds.

They also often provide services like blood tests and X-rays.

More than 9,000 urgent care centers operate in the U.S., according to a report by the Urgent Care Association. That figure is up 6% from 2018.

Software company Experity surveyed half of U.S. clinics and found urgent care clinics saw a 58% increase in visit volumes in 2020 alone due to the demand for COVID-19-related episodic care.

Testing and vaccinations accounted for more than 60% of total visits, Healthcare IT News reported.

Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet is a for-profit entity that is a joint venture with Piedmont Healthcare and the largest in the state by the number of patients it sees, said CEO Ron Lavater.

It has acquired or opened numerous urgent cares in recent years and increased its centers to 40 locations in Georgia as of mid-February 2022, according to the healthcare news website Fierce Healthcare. That

32 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet is a for-profit entity that is a joint venture with Piedmont Healthcare and the largest in the state by the number of patients it sees, said CEO Ron Lavater.

Special Photo | Piedmont Urgent Care

includes one on U.S. Hwy. 278 in Covington.

The health care provider advertises “shorter wait times, lower costs, and more personalized care” at its urgent care centers,.

Piedmont Urgent Care is open seven days a week for specific hours each day. It treats “bumps. bruises. coughs. colds” and other “non-life threatening illnesses and injuries, as well as basic healthcare services.”

“For other medical events including stitches and broken bones, WellStreet provides shorter wait times, lower costs, and more personalized care.”

However, Piedmont says an urgent care center should not be used “if you are experiencing a life-threatening injury or illness” and says to call 911 immediately “or head straight to the emergency room.”

Emory Healthcare also has increased its network of affiliated Peachtree Immediate Care centers in recent years and operates one on Brown Bridge Road in Covington.

It opened its 39th and 40th centers after acquiring Reddy Urgent Care locations in Loganville and Monroe in mid-2021.

Peachtree Immediate Care has the largest number of urgent care centers in Georgia, Georgia Health News reported.

In addition, Walmart also has entered the healthcare market with its rapidly growing its chain of Walmart Health clinics, which are a cross between urgent care and traditional medical clinics with some extra services included.

The national retailer opened its first Walmart Health clinic in Paulding County in 2019 and now operates locations attached to 17 stores in Georgia, including Conyers, Loganville and Monroe in the Newton County area.

Walmart Health offers services at a flat fee, including primary care, dental care, labs, imaging and sometimes offers mental health service and optometric care, CNBC reported.

The clinics often operate in underserved areas because the retailer often serves such areas. They also give patients without broadband access the opportunity to have virtual consultations with a specialist at one of the WalMart Health clinics.

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 33

Growth in chiropractic care has helped local practice become mainstay

By GARRETT PITTS

T

Correspondent

he Covington Family Chiropractic, located in Morgan Plaza, is driven with the goal of encouraging people to make decisions to better their health.

Whether it is an infant or a senior, Covington Family Chiropractic is dedicated to working with everyone.

As one of the largest pediatric and prenatal chiropractic offices in the area, the staff focuses on neurologically based chiropractic care as well as educating everyone about making better decisions for their health.

Covington Family Chiropractic is run by Dr. Jamie Adams, who purchased the office in 2016.

“We treat any age, from day one of life to super seniors,” Adams said.

“We specialize in taking care of babies, pregnant moms and families.

[Our focus] is family wellness.”

One goal of the office is to show that chiropractic help is for everyone, not just those who are experiencing pain or discomfort.

“Chiropractic is more of a proactive approach to health,” Adams said. “We want to make sure that every part of the body is functioning at its very best so that way your health is 100%. If the body is not functioning well, then your health is not going to be well either.”

As the growth of the chiropractic field has increased over the years, more people are beginning to go towards getting chiropractic help.

This growth in the chiropractic field has allowed Covington Family Chiropractic to become a mainstay in Covington, as the office has won many awards over the past 10 years.

“People are looking to be very proactive, and to be able to do things that will keep them healthy and prevent of health challenges that tend to happen as we age,” Adams said. “As chiropractors, we do not treat anything, we just make sure that there is one hundred percent great function off the body.”

With many people still on the fence about getting chiropractic treatment, Adams wants to put the focus on showing that it can be for everyone, including those who are not experiencing pain.

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Along with the size and services of the office, Adams contributes a large amount of the success of the practice to the staff.

“We have a wonderful and amazing staff that is always caring our practice members and we take care of each other. We are always looking for ways we can serve in the community, we do a lot for charity events,” Adams said.

As more people join the trend of getting chiropractic treatment, Covington Family Chiropractic will continue to offer to the highest quality service to all members of the community in all walks of life to promote better health for everyone.

As the growth of the chiropractic field has increased over the years, more people are beginning to go towards getting chiropractic help. Metro Creative

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 35

Turn to Growing in Hope when life’s struggles mount

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ewton County has options available for people who find themselves in need of a counseling service. But there’s one, in particular, in the area who brings a unique service to help serve its clients.

Growing in Hope counseling is located at 5109 Hwy. 278 NE Suite D in Covington. Andrea Smith, who is a certified EMDR and trauma specialist, started the counseling service with one goal in mind: give people hope. As a matter of fact, that also factored into the name of the counseling service.

“It was God-inspired,” Smith said. “I wanted the name to appeal to what I believe that everyone is searching for and in need of, hope. The word ‘hope’ means to have an expectation. I want to help people identify a source of hope, even when there is uncertainty in their lives.”

Smith does this through psychotherapy — a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Growing in Hope counseling helps adults ages 20 and older as well as provides educational workshops and training and wellness classes to children and adults. Wellness classes include calming/emotional regulation skills, too.

In addition to her wellness classes, Smith offers a class called “Move Into Balance,”which “aims to create balance between the mind-body-spirit connection through calming and movement techniques.”

Smith’s passion for dance fuels the idea behind that class. But, all of her classes try to help individuals in every area of their lives, Smith said.

“Although I primarily offer therapy services, I think that it’s important to address the whole person: mind, body and spirit,” Smith said. “I like to focus on the whole person throughout the process.”

This ties in with Growing in Hope’s mission statement to “inspire others to overcome patterns of self-defeat and unproductive thinking, while helping them to heal from past hurts, build faith, and transform their negative beliefs.”

In addition to her role as a counselor, Smith offers advice to the common person on how to keep hope through an everyday life.

She believes encouraging one another daily can go a long way in every person’s life.

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 37

“It sounds too simple and yet, it’s so powerful and has long-lasting effects,” Smith said. “Encouragement can be given in so many ways: being polite and supportive; helping others in their time of need; volunteering and spontaneous acts of kindness.”

With that in mind, Smith recognizes how there are common myths surrounding individuals seeking help from a counseling service.

Believing that therapy is a sign of weakness, simply talking to someone won’t change anything or believing that a person should be better after a certain amount of sessions are among the assumptions Smith says people make about going to a counselor.

But Smith urges everyone to not let any myths deter them from seeking help, if they need it.

“Whether this is your first time or whether you plan to resume therapy, try not to judge what you’re feeling about taking this step,” Smith said. “It’s very common to have mixed feelings about starting/

Growing in Hope Counseling helps adults ages 20 and older as well as provides educational workshops and training and wellness classes to children and adults. Metro Creative

resuming therapy. If doubt enters your mind, remind yourself that you don’t have to continue to figure things out on your own.”

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are typically 45 minutes to one hour long. For more information on Growing in Hope counseling, visit https://www.growinginhopecounseling.com/ or call 678-769-5089.

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 39

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 41

COMMUNITY

Porterdale grew up around a clothing mill in the early 20th century and is in position for development that could grow its population significantly by 2030. File Photo

Cities’ location, makeup apparent factors in how fast they develop

By SARAH DAVIS and TOM SPIGOLON

C

news@covnews.com

ontinued growth in Newton’s industrial and retail sectors and Metro Atlanta’s economic growth in general is producing jobs that appear to be fueling the county’s population increase.

Newton County’s population grew by about 2.6% in one year between 2020 and 2021 — after growing by more than 12% since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Its largest city, Covington, grew by more than 8% between 2010 and 2020 and added more than 1,000 new residents The growth spurts of both the county and Covington appears to be affecting, in various ways,

42 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

the growth of the other cities in Newton County based on their location.

PORTERDALE — The town that grew up around a clothing mill in the early 20th century is in position for development that could grow its population significantly by 2030.

Porterdale’s population grew by a modest 3.8% in 10 years — from 1,429 in 2010 to 1,484 in 2020.

However, the county’s growth appears to be spreading to Porterdale in the form of two major multi-use construction projects either underway or planned.

They are designed in part to take advantage of the town’s relatively easy access to the I-20 commuter route to Atlanta and

Newton County’s still-developing industrial area in northeast Covington and near Social Circle.

Porterdale Mayor Arline Chapman was among city officials and Covington developer Brad Mitchell to ceremonially break ground in March 2021 on the estimated $140 million Cedar Shoals project on a long, narrow 257-acre site stretching from Covington Bypass Road on the south to Georgia Hwy. 81 on the north.

Plans call for 1,225 residential units, including 341 detached single-family homes, 164 townhomes and 720 apartments.

City leaders also approved plans for a residential/retail development on the site of the now-closed Oaks golf course in THE COVINGTON NEWS

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 43

the city’s north end.

Mitchell also is developing the 257-acre site which includes construction of 692 residential units — 332 single-family attached and detached units and 360 multi-family units — and about 27 acres of commercial development including 143,000 square feet of retail with a possible grocery store anchor.

OXFORD — In the city of Oxford, the population is largely influenced by the growing enrollment of students at Oxford College which has historically dominated the town.

In the past 20 years, the college’s student population has almost doubled, growing from 512 in 1990 to 1,067 in 2021.

In this same time period, the census reported that the city grew by 444 residents and stood at a population of 2,448 I 2020.

But only about 79 new houses were constructed in Oxford in the last 20 years, according to

Mayor David Eady.

MANSFIELD — Mansfield’s population grew by about 14% between the 2010 and 2020 decennial censuses in the east Newton town. A total of 466 residents were recorded in Mansfield in 2020, an increase of 56 from the 410 counted in 2010.

Mayor G.W. Davis said his city had seen new businesses filling vacant buildings and spaces that made him optimistic about the future of the city’s historic business district.

Davis said residential growth also rose to its highest level in recent memory in 2021 when 11 new homes were permitted — an unusually high number for the city.

The city sold its electric substation to the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG), which is the agency from which Mansfield buys wholesale electricity, to give city residents a more reliable power grid.

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In addition, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority in November 2021 approved a $956,600 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan to Mansfield to finance an overhaul of the city’s water pollution control plant.

The city’s interest in its part of the Cricket Frog Trail prompted the city to approve a $50,000 expenditure to the county government to pave about 0.8 of a mile of the trail that is within Mansfield’s city limits.

NEWBORN — In the county’s easternmost town, Newborn, population growth is also on the rise.

The town’s population is growing at an annual rate of 2.20% and a population increase of 20.26% was reported in the most recent census, growing from 696 residents in 2010 to 837 in 2018.

In the city’s two-square-mile span, Newborn has a population density of 525 people per mile.

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THE COVINGTON NEWS

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Here We Grow @ discovercovington cityofcovingtonga

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200 Years of History...Infinite Possibilities for the Future THE COVINGTON NEWS

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 45

Covington celebrates 200 years of growth

By TAYLOR BECK

C

tbeck@covnews.com

ovington was formed nearly 200 years ago specifically to be the county seat for Newton.

When Newton County was established in 1821, Covington was nothing more than an idea yet to be realized. It was Brick Store — a general store and stage coach shop — that was the center of activity and the original county seat. The first session of court ordered by the General Assembly was held at the Brick Store, which was the residence of Martin Kolb at the time. Brick Store is located in the easternmost part of the county.

The property was reportedly 250 acres, which was drawn in the 1820 land lottery of Walton County by a Hall County man, then later sold to Kolb for $200 in May 1821. Calculations show $200 then would have been equivalent to nearly $5,000 today.

But before long, the General Assembly insisted the county seat be located at the central most part of the county. A county seat, which was the place where a courthouse and local government center would be located, was organized for every county

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established.

Thus, Newtonsborough was born … but it wouldn’t stick.

The town was officially renamed Covington in December 1822, named after Gen. Leonidas Covington.

Covington was a military officer in the War of the American Revolution. He was a native of Aquacco, Maryland. He was commissioned lieutenant of Dragoons in 1792; joined the army under Gen. Wayne and reportedly “acquitted himself with such bravery that he was made a captain in 1794.”

He retired from active military service soon thereafter.

Covington served as a legislator in Maryland.

He was a member of Congress from 1805-1807. He was appointed Lt. Colonel of Calvary in that year; and in 1813 he made Brigadier General.

While on the northern frontier, he was fatally wounded in the battle of Crystal’s Field in 1813.

From its inception to 1870, the town of Covington grew thanks in large part to the advent of the railroad in 1845. In 1854, Covington was chartered as a city.

By 1870, Covington had a reported population of approximately 1,121. By the turn of the century, the city nearly doubled in population to 2,062. By 1950, the city increased its population to 5,192.

In 1955, the movie, “A Man Called Peter,” was filmed in Covington, the first of what would become many productions for the city.

More than 20 years later, television series “The Dukes of Hazzard” produced its first five episodes in the Newton County town, and, from there, the city of Covington quickly became the “Hollywood of the South.”

Home to nearly 100 major television and movie productions today, Covington is also the site of what is soon to be one of the largest film studios in

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THE COVINGTON NEWS

Former Covington Mayor Dr. A.S. Hopkins is shown in front of the courthouse breaking ground for the city’s first paved street as spectators look on. The exact date of the photo is unknown, but the photo was published as part of The Covington News’ Centennial Edition in 1965. Archives | The News

the country, Cinelease-Studios Three Ring.

While film has played a pivotal role in the city’s evolution, so, too, has industry.

Once a local economy driven by agriculture, an influx of industry and continued population growth lead to major change in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many generational farmers took note of such rapid growth and increasing land values, and they began to repurpose their land for housing. As an example, in a September 2020 interview with The Covington News, Newton County Chamber 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.”

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ington today, providing ample job opportunities to area residents.

According to the 2020 Census, the city of Covington is now home to 14,192 residents — an increase of exactly 9,000 since 1950.

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 47

Housing supply, prices may rise in coming years

By TOM SPIGOLON

T

tspigolon@covnews.com

he supply of new housing in Newton County and Metro Atlanta may grow in coming years but some industry reports say home prices also could continue their recent increases because of demand spurred by the area’s projected job growth and population increases.

The average sales price of a single-family residence in Newton County in March of this year had increased 5% in one month and 23% in one year.

Median price of a home in Newton County increased to $295,000 in March from $240,000

in the same month of 2021, according to the Georgia Multiple Listing Service.

However, some of the price increase can be attributed to a lack of supply and one industry expert said local governments can help encourage new development.

Dena Lynn Sosebee, president of the Covington-based East Metro Board of Realtors, said the future supply of housing is dependent on a number of factors, such as building material prices and availability, according to national news reports.

Sosebee also said policies of any area’s planning and zoning boards concerning housing den-

sities and timing of growth affect the supply, as well — though she did not single out any single governmental entity in the area.

She said if any county governing body decided to make less land available for residential construction, the result could be higher costs because less supply of new housing would be available.

“It’s how many they will allow,” she said.

In metro Atlanta, new housing construction is a product of both the residential and industrial sectors, according to a report in Atlanta Agent magazine.

It also reported that the metro area — in 2020 and 2021 — saw

The Rotary Club of Covington serves Newton County through its Empty Stocking Fund, Top 10 students and Camp Sunshine projects, along with nationwide and international contributions.

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48 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

THE COVINGTON NEWS

Dena Lynn Sosebee, president of the Covington-based East Metro Board of Realtors, said if any county governing body decided to make less land available for residential construction, the result could be higher costs because less supply of new housing would be available. Metro Creative

its top years for new home construction in the past decade.

That could imply more supply and lower prices are on the way in coming years.

According to the real estate data advisory service Mashvisor, the predicted price of a home in Metro Atlanta will be $284,598.

Georgia will see “bigger boosts

in housing construction and benefit from automotive industry gains” this year, Mashvisor reported.

It stated the Metro Atlanta region’s relatively lower cost of living, job growth and quality of life currently are combining to bring pressure on the real estate market and will continue to do

so in the coming decade.

The real estate market in Georgia is expected to keep growing due to the number of jobs in Atlanta, it stated.

Around 1.2 million jobs are expected to be added to the Atlanta metro area by 2050. In the last five years, Atlanta’s job growth averaged 2.3% annually, outpacing the national average of 1.6%.

“The attractive cost of living and a multitude of jobs in various industries has made Atlanta one of the hottest residential and labor markets in the country. It continues to grow in terms of population and employment.

“While Georgia has been adversely affected by the pandemic, it did not suffer ruthless job cuts compared to other parts of the country.

“In fact, the GDP of Georgia, which is estimated at $623 billion, has grown by about 49% since 2010. Jobs increased by 1.17% since 2020.”

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 49

Public safety groups talk future as community grows

By TAYLOR BECK tbeck@covnews.com

As Newton County grows, so too does the weight of local public safety officials’ duty to protect and serve the community.

Growth is nothing new to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

From 2004 to 2020, Newton County’s population has dramatically increased from approximately 72,000 residents to more than 112,000 residents — an addition of nearly 40,000 people.

But in the same period of time, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office has adapted to ensure all residents are able to be protected and served.

Only 143 people were em-

ployed by the Sheriff’s Office in 2004. Today, the law enforcement agency has exceeded 300 employees.

In addition, a 10,000-squarefoot expansion project was recently completed at the sheriff’s office headquarters just off Alcovy Road.

The Sheriff’s Office also has two precincts — one on the west side and another on the south side that will open in the near future, Brown said.

Brown said the agency has partnered with the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center, located at 720 FFA FHA Camp Rd. in Covington, to open a precinct there, which “will increase law enforce-

ment presence” in the southern portion of the county. However, the south precinct would not be open to the public. He said the precinct would only serve as a safe location for deputies to write reports, follow-up with other deputies on calls for service and meet with investigators to discuss active cases.

As the county continues to grow, Brown said his office would face any challenges that may arise like any others — head on.

“Law enforcement across the nation is changing rapidly, every day, and my deputies are faced with daily challenges,” Brown said. “We always and will contin-

Here We Grow Our Vision: Newton County is a Thriving Community United Through Strong Relationships and Partnerships.

50 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

THE COVINGTON NEWS

ue to be prepared for the future of not only law enforcement but this community. As the environment changes, my leadership team and I continue to look for new tools and policing strategies that will help my deputies adapt to the growth.”

In Covington, Police Chief Stacey Cotton said the city’s police department is “in excellent shape” for the future, considering the circumstances of COVID-19, as well as a period of national civil unrest slighted toward law enforcement.

While many law enforcement agencies around the country seemed to lose support, Cotton said the community and its leaders stood firm in “backing the blue.” He said the city of Covington has opted to budget more funds to better serve officers and, in turn, better serve the community.

As the population continues to grow and more rooftops are

A Newton County Sheriff’s deputy directs traffic.

Special | NCSO

being constructed throughout the city, Cotton said the police department was doing its best to be prepared but, by nature, would ultimately be working from behind.

“You have to recognize that law enforcement is always going to be in a lag,” Cotton said. “In other words, you can put infrastructure in the ground … then wait for a development to come,

and then you wait for people to start building. For us [as a police department], as soon as you start doing anything to a piece of land, it immediately becomes a point of attraction for possible activity.

“As you build and develop the property out, you’re going to have more and more activity,” he continued. “Not just criminal activity, but activity as a whole

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 51

that requires us to patrol and be present … Once people start moving in and living there, then they’ll start calling for service.

So, what we do, we base our manpower, our staffing and our deployment on calls for service, and so that’s always going to behind.

“But I think we’re well poised,” Cotton added. “I think that my communication with elected officials is to recognize and understand that we’re getting ready to substantially increase our manpower as our nighttime population and calls for service increase over the next few years.”

An expected need for more manpower would likely not call for an additional precinct, Cotton said, unless it made sense geographically and financially.

“There are some conversations about adding precincts, and I’m open-minded to listen to anybody,” Cotton said. “But we have to understand … when people say we need to open a precinct in the neighborhood, my first question is always, ‘What is your expectation?’”

Cotton said the reason why precincts are open in most jurisdictions, such as Atlanta, is because of the size.

“It’s big enough that it makes no sense for an officer to drive to a central location to work everyday, when they could build a precinct out in the community neighborhood that those officers could report to,” he said. “So geographically, if it makes more sense for our officers to respond to another location than [the headquarters located on Harland Drive], we would certainly look into that. But the city is only 14 square miles, and we just don’t see a need for that.”

The argument, however, is a precinct in certain locations could deter crime, Cotton said.

“I think oftentimes we hear precinct as a quick fix, but that’s not necessarily so,” he said. “And 52 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

it may, but I always ask people, ‘What are their expectations?’ ... If your expectation is to see officers out on the street, then we don’t necessarily need a precinct. But if your expectation is that you want to see police officers in a building, then we can talk about that.”

Another reason the subject of precincts had been discussed was a recent spike in drive-by shootings — something Covington had not been used to. To combat the issue, the department is conducting additional patrols and working to be more visible in the area. Cotton said officers were also making an effort to reach out and talk to community members.

Another way to help the issue is to put the instigators behind bars and keep them there by way of thorough investigations and working with local judges.

“Sometimes people get low bonds and get released with a long violent criminal history and shouldn’t even be on the street,” Cotton said. “That’s not happening here. Our judges do a great job of making sure that if a person needs to have a high bond or no bond, they do their due diligence.”

Cotton said he, the sheriff, judges and the district attorney had met to discuss how to make sure this continues happening.

“One example is that we make sure the detectives from the Covington Police Department testify on the warrant hearings or the bond hearings so the district attorney’s office and judges will get a clearer picture of the situation,” he said. “Because again, we don’t want something to slip through the crack.”

Unfortunately, Cotton said a large number of people that were committing crimes locally are coming out of Atlanta and DeKalb County.

“I believe we’re doing everything we can at the local level, but we have to realize that a lot

of the problems that we’re having are people that ... have no commitment to Covington — just living a lawless lifestyle. And we may be the victims of violence from some of these people who’ve been given low bonds or no bonds in another jurisdiction.”

The Covington Fire Department will stick to its strategic plan developed a couple years ago to ensure it continues operating at the highest level as the city continues to grow.

In fall 2020, the fire department crafted a five-year strategic plan with the input of more than 30 community members “from all walks of life.” Through the community’s response, the fire department determined its strategic initiatives would be community outreach, training, human resources, internal communications, physical resources and accreditation.

Today, Chief Jeremy Holmes Holmes said the department was working to continue reaching those goals and being one of the best fire departments in the state. Covington Fire Department is currently one of only six accredited agencies in the state of Georgia by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

However, as the city of Covington continues to grow, obstacles — like the need for a third station — still remain.

Holmes identified the need for a station in the southern portion of the city in a 2020 presentation.

A new station would likely cost millions of dollars.

Aside from another station, Holmes said the department needs additional personnel.

While fully staffed currently, the ability to have more firefighters on staff would allow the department to serve the community even better.

While there are personnel needs, virtually all equipment needs have been addressed by the city council, Holmes said.

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VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 53

Hall leads charge in local economic development

LEADERS

By TAYLOR BECK

S

Community Spirit Award:

Serra P. Hall

Newton County IDA Executive Director Serra P. Hall poses with a copy of The Covington News featuring the announcement Rivian Automotive was going to build an electric vehicle manufacturing plant at Stanton Springs. Taylor Beck | The News 54 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

tbeck@covnews.com

erra P. Hall, who is executive director of the Newton County Industrial Authority and one of the lead recruiters for the Joint Development Authority (JDA) of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton Counties, has played an integral role in luring a number of industry giants such as Meta (formerly Facebook), LIDL Inc., McKinley Paper (formerly U.S. Corrugated) and now Rivian Automotive to the area.

Each deal takes months, sometimes years, of nearly 20-hour work days and sleepless nights.

But Hall doesn’t necessarily view her position as work. Rather, she sees it as a privilege to be able to sell the majesty of Newton County to industries and incorporations around the world and, in turn, help bring jobs and “good growth” to her hometown.

“This isn’t work. I mean, it’s work, and it’s tough, but at the same time, it’s also something I don’t consider work,” she said. “It’s something I enjoy and love to do every day. I wake up every day, and I’m excited for the new challenges.”

Despite her passion for economic development now, Hall once never imagined this would be the path her life or career would take.

Hall was born in Bogotá, Colombia. Her parents, the late Kaye Phillips and Thomas “Bubba” Phillips, adopted her and brought her home to Covington when she was 6 months old.

She attended Eastside High School and later went to UGA, where she majored in sports management with a focus on recreation THE COVINGTON NEWS

and leisure studies.

During her days at the University of Georgia, in 2007, Hall’s mother passed away. Her family’s heartbreak coupled with the state of the economy made for a difficult time for Hall.

Hall said she didn’t know what was supposed to happen next. She described that time as not only difficult but confusing. It was a period where it seemed everyone was just “trying to figure things out,” as there was so much uncertainty in the job market.

So, she came back home to Covington and started working with the Newton County Recreation Department. There she helped raise money and support programs for the county’s Miracle League Field.

“It was the door that opened into a new way of looking at Newton County and Covington for me — as a worker and not so much as a student and a kid,” she said.

Fresh out of college with no husband or children, Hall said she was often “volun-told” to be on various committees and help organize various events. While maybe not so much at the time, Hall said she is thankful now for those opportunities, because it helped pave the way for a bright future.

One of the committees Hall participated on was the city’s Main Street board. At that time, the recession’s effects were in full swing and the Square was a “very bleak place.”

“It wasn’t the vibrant place I remembered as a kid, or what it is today,” Hall said. “I looked at downtowns in a whole different way.”

Hall said she was thankful for the time spent on the Main Street board and getting the chance to help “figure out how to invigorate business and to create business and livelihood into downtown.” But then, a “little show” named “Vampire Diaries” came along, she said.

“That’s something, to be honest, that I think our board, the city and beyond, could’ve turned their heads to, and could’ve said ‘absolutely not in our town,’” she recalled. “Thank God they didn’t. Thank God we continue to embrace filming. ‘Vampire Diaries’ has sparked tours, restaurants, merchandise, hotel room stays and so much more.

“It was such a huge turning point, I’m grateful for being able to see it and experience it being back here,” she added, “and I would’ve never had that had I not been in Newton.”

Hall said she was like most typical teens — the kind that want to get out of their hometown, find their dream job and never look back. In fact, as a lover of sports, she wanted to work in the sports industry in some capacity.

But little did Hall know at the time, her dream job was at home in Newton County.

After her time with the recreation department, Hall worked at the historic Oaks Golf Course for a couple of years. Then, in 2011, Hall was hired on to serve as Covington’s Main Street director.

“I’m proud to say through work of myself and others, we worked on revolving loan funds and grants for THE COVINGTON NEWS

In December 2021, Newton IDA Executive Director Serra P. Hall, left, stands with Newton County Chairman Marcello Banes, middle, and JDA Chairman Jerry Silvio, right, at the Rivian announcement ceremony in Atlanta.

Taylor Beck | The News

buildings like the Lula Building and even Mystic Grill,” Hall said. “It brought me into a new age of really seeing how government works; how you could utilize public-private partnerships in funding.

“I can’t thank [former city manager] Leigh Anne Knight enough for the opportunity she gave me at the time. To really have no background or experience in downtown development, but also know that we needed a person here locally and somebody that could help continue to brighten the town up.”

And brighten the town she did. In her time as director, Hall finalized the vision of a “beautifully lit Square area with over 70,000 lights in year one.” She also helped bring in new businesses to occupy the Square.

But in 2014, Hall transitioned into the world of economic development — a world she admittedly didn’t have much knowledge of.

“I had no idea really what economic development was, besides knowing that everything is economic development,” she said. “I literally jumped in with both feet.”

Hall joined the staff of the Newton County Industrial

Congratulations to Serra P. Hall for winning the Community Spirit Award!

We are so grateful for all you do to serve our growing community.

firstbaptistcovington.com VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 55

Authority as senior project manager. To cut her teeth in the economic development arena, she spent time “investigating, learning, taking every class I could, going everywhere I could to really understand ways we could really adapt and better our footprint and identity of Newton County to bring in really amazing jobs, and also to garner and harness the jobs that we have.” And in doing so, she made a discovery.

“I very quickly realized when I went around the state that Newton County was more special than I could’ve ever imagined,” Hall said.

“You don’t have places like our Square, like the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, like our industry and business we have here … you don’t have the amount of people, and our population continues to grow and participate in our labor force and others places in the state. All along, having the availability to continue to grow and continue to thrive in that.

“We are definitely unique, and it’s a great honor to be able to market and sell it every single day,” she continued. “It’s exciting to me. It is something that I don’t take lightly.

When I share and talk about Newton County, it’s something that I do with the utmost respect and importance. I feel in some ways that Newton County not only gave me my home many years ago, but it’s exciting to me to see how many other people want to celebrate and be in and around our home. I think it’s amazing. We don’t necessarily want everybody to move here, but I can’t understand why people wouldn’t want to move here.

“I think we’re probably the greatest place in Georgia. Now, if we could find a beach somehow … it would be pretty perfect,” Hall laughed. “But seriously, Newton County is a place I certainly feel is a precious, precious piece of Georgia, and it’s really precious to me.”

Hall eventually climbed the ranks, becoming vice president of economic development in July 2020 and then her current position as executive director in July 2021.

In addition, Hall works hand-inhand with the JDA as one of its 56 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

lead recruiters.

As executive director, Hall said her primary duties revolved around three areas of focus: recruiting, retention and sustainability. Essentially, this is to recruit businesses to Newton County, retain those businesses by getting to know them and what their needs are; and work with them to make sure they are successful long-term.

“We’re dreamers and thinkers — vision forecasters,” Hall said. “But we’re also community connectors, too.”

One of the things Hall loves most about her job is when a company’s vision is able to become reality.

“When you see a company that’s come to us about their vision, they’ve laid it out for us and we’ve been able to make it happen, then we get the opportunity to go witness it and see it, and I think that’s just amazing,” she said. “It’s such an incredible feeling to feel that you were such a very tiny part of making someone’s dreams come true.”

But when mega deals are finally struck, Hall said the feeling is “indescribable.”

“This office works really hard, and we really push to make sure Newton County is at the forefront of any major projects or deals,” Hall said. “So when these deals happen, you feel a sense of honor, you feel humbled, incredibly blessed and thankful … And these mega projects, they’re not done alone. They’re not just done by Serra Hall, ever.

There’s a village behind it, and it’s incredible to see the fruits of those labors come together.

“I’m just incredibly thankful and blessed to see and be part of that.

And I can’t say that enough of how thankful I am of this community to allow me the opportunity to do so.”

She also feels a rush when she meets others who are just as passionate about Newton County as she is.

“When I see their passion, it gives me a spark,” Hall said.

Hall also enjoys the behind-the scenes work.

“I love being able to eat a lot of Cheerios, see a lot of golf balls,” she said in reference to General

Mills and Bridgestone Golf, “go on the backside and understand the secrets and histories about these businesses.”

While leading the county’s economic development office, Hall is also a dedicated wife to her husband, Stephen, and mother to her 7-year-old son, Samuel.

Kathy Morgan, who is the Highway 278 CID administrator, shares an office space with Hall and sees her efforts firsthand. Morgan described her as not only a hard worker, but also confident, yet humble.

“I think people don’t realize how much value she adds to this community,” Morgan said. “She inspires and impresses me more and more everyday.”

When people see Hall, that’s part of what she hopes is seen — a resemblance of her late mother.

“I hope they see a fun, lighthearted, genuine person that’s loving and fair,” Hall said. “It’s who my mother was, and I hope people can see a piece of that.”

And the community does. It is those traits that have earned her the Visions 2022 Community Spirit Award, presented by The Covington News. This award is presented each year to a person who exemplifies the best of Newton County, is an advocate for the community and contributes to the growth and prosperity of the community.

As for what’s next in Hall’s journey, she said her aspirations are to continue growing her family, be that resemblance of her mother and love others.

“Those are my aspirations,” Hall said. “I think those aspirations are there because I had parents that really instilled in me that if you have all the things you ever wanted, but if you don’t care, or you aren’t kind, or you don’t love one another, then it means nothing. And I’m really thankful for that, that I am definitely not a complacent person. I am definitely not a person that likes to just be comfortable, but I’m also not a person that constantly has to have more and more, because I know doing what I do everyday with integrity, kindness and a sense of community is really what fulfills me.”

THE COVINGTON NEWS

Congratulations

Serra Hall!

2022 Community Spirit Award Winner Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to newton County!

THE COVINGTON NEWS

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 57

Employer of the Year Award:

Snapping Shoals EMC

Headquartered in Newton County just off Brown Bridge Road, Snapping Shoals currently provides electricity to approximately 99,000 homes, business and other facilities in an eight-county area. Special | Snapping Shoals EMC

Power supplier’s aim remains being reliable, making community a better place

By TAYLOR BECK

S

tbeck@covnews.com

napping Shoals Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has powered much of Newton County for more than 80 years, but the organization is much more than the average electric supplier.

As a cooperative, Snapping Shoals EMC places a special focus on being “plugged in” to the community.

“Plain and simple, that’s part of why we were created,” said Shaun Mock, who is CEO of Snapping Shoals EMC. “While it’s not unique to Snapping Shoals, one of our founding cooperative principles was ‘concern for community.’ We are here to provide power. We are here to be that reliable energy partner. But, we’re also here to make these communities we serve a better place.

“We could be the power company,” he added. “But if we’re what we were chartered to be, we’re truly an energy partner. We’re not here 58 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

to make sure our profits are maximized. At the end of the day, if we make a profit, it’s going right back to the member that paid it. We’re simply here to meet our members’ energy needs.”

The cooperative’s dedication to members is what earned it the Visions 2022 Employer of the Year Award, presented by The Covington News.

Headquartered in Newton County just off Brown Bridge Road, Snapping Shoals currently provides electricity to approximately 99,000 homes, businesses and other facilities in an eight-county area that includes large portions of Newton, Henry and Rockdale counties, as well as parts of DeKalb, Butts, Walton, Jasper and Morgan counties.

The cooperative is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors that is responsible for establishing policy and overseeing the finances and administration of Snapping Shoals EMC.

Board members include Chairman Frank Lineberger of DeKalb County, Vice Chairman Jake Carter of Henry County, Secretary/Treasurer Lance Harper of Newton County, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Jeanette Berry of Newton County, Ruby Woods of Newton County, Alfred Flanigan of Rockdale County, Anthony Norton of Rockdale County, Dr. Millard Ross of Rockdale County, Walter Johnson of DeKalb County, Gene Morris of Henry County, and James I. White of Henry County.

As the region welcomes new industry and the population continues to mount, Mock said Snapping Shoals EMC was well-positioned for the future thanks to the foresight and diligence of past and current leadership.

About 20 years ago, Mock said, Snapping Shoals EMC began installing fiber lines between its substations. While a questionable decision at the time, Mock said it has turned THE COVINGTON NEWS

out to be quite the investment.

“It allowed us to build a smarter network,” he said. “It was really the backbone of how we are able to accurately pinpoint outages, and it also enabled us to do what’s called ‘smart switching,’ where an outage can be minimized with an automatic switch. Before, we had to roll out a truck and get someone out in the field. So, having those types of investments already in the field provides you a platform to really [handle] future growth, or any technology, or as population sort of moves around in the service territory.”

Mock said Snapping Shoals EMC also converted its system voltage years ago from 7200 volts to 14,400 volts — decades before some other cooperatives. He said that decision helped pave the way for growth that took place in the 1990s and was a $100 million project that would’ve cost upwards of $300 million today.

“Our Board had a lot of vision in allowing them to spend that money and really allow us to build a world

class electric distribution system that is ready for almost any amount of growth,” Mock said.

As the region grows and changes, so do members’ needs, Mock said.

Snapping Shoals EMC has evolved technologically to ensure those needs continue to be met.

A few years ago, Snapping Shoals EMC built an in-house management system that puts crews “not in the area of the outage, but exactly on the location of the outage … which results in much faster restoration times,” Mock said.

Within the last six months, Mock said a new customer relationship management software had been implemented in the call center.

“We, like everyone, have worked through COVID and seen call volumes be all over the place, and so this new software has enabled us to bring some best in class features, including ‘virtual hold’ where you give members the ability to plug in a number and call back when a spot is open rather than sitting on hold for an extended period of time.

“We’re always looking at, as those touch points evolve, how do we make those touch points as seamless and easy for our consumers?”

But what truly lifts Snapping Shoals above is its approximate 240 employees — from a customer service representative in the call center to the often under-appreciated lineman out in the field.

Mock said there’s a family atmosphere that has become the “secret sauce” for the cooperative’s longtime success.

“It’s not that uncommon to have a 40-year employee here,” he said.

“And I think that’s a testament to our Board of Directors for maintaining that commitment to our employees.

“This place has been run well for a long time,” Mock continued. “I give all the credit in the world to my predecessor and his predecessor before that. It’s a tall honor, I think, for any of us to put on that Snapping Shoals EMC logo. Hopefully it means something when you walk out into the community.”

A few years ago, Snapping Shoals EMC built an in-house management system that puts crews “not in the area of the outage, but exactly on the location of the outage … which results in much faster restoration times,” CEO Shaun Mock said. Special | Snapping Shoals EMC THE COVINGTON NEWS

VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 59

Youth of the Year Award:

J. Harrison Kirkham

Covington resident’s action makes splash in community

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD

I

phubbard@covnews.com

n May 2021, Newton County saw a four-year project finally come to fruition when the Splash Pad officially opened at Denny Dobbs Park. The driving force behind this project was Covington resident J. Harrison Kirkham.

While brainstorming ideas to help him earn his Eagle scout rank in the Boy Scouts, a splash pad wasn’t at the forefront of Kirkham’s mind. After watching previous Eagle scout projects leave a mark on the local community, Kirkham aimed to accomplish the same goal. The Splash Pad just played into that.

“That is what motivated me and discussions with my parents about how we can make a really big impact in the community,” Kirkham said. “We noticed that there weren’t many opportunities for water recreation. There wasn’t anything that was widely accessible.”

So, Kirkham went to work generating presentations, proposals and more to help present the idea of bringing a splash pad to Newton County. He saw other towns had splash pads, too, which fueled his drive throughout the process.

The four-year process was anything but smooth sailing, according to Kirkham. As a matter of fact, Kirkham acknowledged that it was a long road to see his dream become reality.

There were even some doubts from Kirkham himself.

Even so, once the Splash Pad’s construction was complete, Kirkham couldn’t hardly believe his eyes.

“For so long, it was me on a little laptop in my kitchen making a Powerpoint making a presentation to present to the city,” Kirkham said. “Or just talking to someone on the phone from Texas about how a splash pad works. It seemed so distant and impossible. I think a lot of us, myself included, get caught in this trap of thinking we can’t make a difference. The culmination of it all is really awesome to see that it actually happened.”

The project began in 2017 when Kirkham was a student at Eastside High School and the Newton College and Career Academy as a STEM student. He has since graduated from Eastside as part of the Class of 2019.

Now a student at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, Kirkham remains involved in various extracurricular activities.

At college, he is a member of BYU’s marching band and the pep band that plays at each of the home bas60 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

J. Harrison Kirkham, of Covington, was selected as Visions 2022 Youth of the Year Award winner, presented by The Covington News. Special Photo

ketball games.

Though Kirkham currently resides nearly 2,000 miles away from Covington, he is still active in his home church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In fact, Kirkham was on a mission trip in Seattle, Washington, for two years while the splash pad was under construction.

Nevertheless, it was still surreal for Kirkham to have been a part of bringing something unique to his home community.

“It was really amazing to see it come together,” Kirkham said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without the support of the community and everybody who joined with me to make it happen.”

What began as an Eagle scout project turned into figuring out what Kirkham wanted to do with his life and why he’s currently planning to major in mechanical engineering at BYU. However, he aspires for something simpler as a life goal.

And it’s all thanks to the splash pad.

“Whatever I end up doing in life, I want to do my part to help make the world a better place,” Kirkham said.

THE COVINGTON NEWS

Unsung Hero:

Duane Ford Duane Ford stands on the Cricket Frog Trail near its Elm Street crossing in downtown Covington. Ford chaired the nonprofit Newton Trails Inc. as it oversaw major moves toward completion of the 15-mile pedestrian trail. Tom Spigolon | The News

Ford led all-volunteer organization in making major strides toward countywide trail system

By TOM SPIGOLON

D

tspigolon@covnews.com

uane Ford wanted to stay active when he and his wife moved to Georgia after his career in higher education ended.

The former community college president has indeed stayed active — and even helped lead a trails organization to the cusp of making a connection that could benefit Newton County for years.

Ford serves as chairman of the the board of directors of the nonprofit Newton Trails Inc., a nonprofit that includes about 40 “pretty active” volunteers and 30 additional people who regularly participate on its numerous projects and activities, he said.

It is dedicated to building, maintaining and linking an extensive THE COVINGTON NEWS

system of bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the county -- with a major focus on completing a continuous 15-mile route for the Cricket Frog Trail from Covington to Mansfield.

The trail sits atop the bed of an abandoned railroad — a local version of similar “rails to trails” projects that have proven to be economic boons to communities in other parts of metro Atlanta in recent years.

In 2021, Ford led the nonprofit as its volunteers refurbished former railroad bridges, installed trailside benches and pet waste stations, saw local governments pave many miles of the trail, and began an ambitious fundraising campaign to renovate the final, and largest, bridge on the trail.

Ford noted Newton Trails has “a long history, a lot of stuff, over many, many years.”

“I can’t take a lot of credit,” he said. “I can say that I made some contributions.”

“There have been so many people that have been working on getting this to happen over decades,” Ford said. “I think it was headed in the right direction because of the work of so many people in the past and I just happened to become involved in Newton Trails at the right time.”

The nonprofit was first chartered in 1998 and its first project was a 4.7-mile soft surface trail at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center near Mansfield.

It followed in the 2000s with the Eastside Trail linking Chimney Park and Eastside High School; the OxVISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 61

ford Trail in the Oxford College area; and a loop trail along the Yellow River in Porterdale; before it tackled the Cricket Frog Trail in 2016.

That local focus on developing pedestrian trails indirectly led Ford and his Tennessee native wife, Sheri, to move to Covington after they decided to move South in 2016.

Ford spent much of his life before retirement gaining an expertise in agricultural science -- beginning with the real-world application of it on his family’s farm between Chicago and Peoria in northern Illinois.

He earned an undergraduate degree in agronomy from the University of Illinois, and master’s and doctorate degrees in Crop Production and Physiology from Iowa State University, before beginning a career in teaching and academic leadership in 1986 at Truman State University in Missouri.

He rose to become chairperson of the Department of Agriculture at Southeast Missouri State University; dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; and served as president of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College before retiring in 2015.

In Wisconsin, he served on the Platteville Water and Sewer Commission, Platteville Economic Development Advisory Committee, and Southwest Health Board of Directors and was actively involved with the Grant County Economic Development Corp. and Fennimore Industrial and Economic Development Committee.

Ford said he and Sheri also had been biking enthusiasts in Wisconsin where hundreds of miles of former railroads have been converted into trails.

“We were trail tourists. We would take a long weekend,” Ford said.

“When we were shopping for some place to move to, we must have looked at 15 different communities,” he said. “One of the criteria that we were looking for was some place that had some kind of opportunity for trails.”

Another factor in the move: they knew about the area because his wife’s son-in-law was already in 62 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

Newton Trails volunteers work to complete a wooden covering on a former railroad bridge over East Bear Creek for its use as part of the Cricket Frog Trail in 2021. Special | Newton Trails

Covington working as a set dresser for the production company filming “The Vampire Diaries.”

After moving to Newton County, Ford has served on the Main Street Covington board of advisors in addition to his leadership roles with Newton Trails.

Under Ford’s leadership, Newton Trails’ 2021 fundraising campaign exceeded its goal of $25,000.

The organization led efforts to refurbish and add new surfaces to bridges over West Bear Creek and East Bear Creek in east central Newton; and assisted the city of Covington in rebuilding the 247-foot wooden trestle bridge over Dried Indian Creek, including adding a 12foot concrete surface for pedestrian use.

Mansfield city government committed $50,000 to pave 0.8 miles of the trail within its city limits this year. The city of Covington also completed paving nearly a mile within its borders — meaning more than 12 miles of the 15-mile trail now have hard surfaces, Ford said.

Newton Trails received donations in 2021 for six trailside benches — two of which were installed in 2021 and the remaining benches on order, he said.

They also added new abutments at either end of the two Bear Creek bridges, and removed trees and brush along five miles of unpaved trail.

The vegetation removal work cleared the way for the county

government to pave five miles of the trail from the Alcovy River to East Bear Creek in unincorporated Newton, Ford said. The county also installed user-activated crossing lights at Piper Road.

Donations also were made for eight pet waste stations in the Covington and Mansfield areas.

The nonprofit is in the midst of an effort to raise over $612,000 to complete the renovation of the nowclosed bridge over the Alcovy River bridge which is about twice as long as the Dried Indian Creek bridge.

Its completion will make the Cricket Frog an unbroken, 15-mile pedestrian path between Covington and Mansfield.

The organization is hoping grants and private donations will bring in enough money to complete the work within two years, Ford said.

He said he would like to see all major trails in Newton County connect in the future -- among them a Yellow River Trail that extends the current riverside loop; as well as the Dried Indian Creek trail under development by the city of Oxford; and a federally funded pedestrian trail planned by the Newton County government along Fairview Road in west Newton.

Newton Trails also is negotiating to extend its lease of the former Norfolk Southern/Central of Georgia railroad bed from Mansfield through Newborn to the Jasper County line, Ford said.

THE COVINGTON NEWS

Unsung Hero:

Janet Goodman Former Covington councilwoman Janet Goodman was selected as one of three Visions 2022 Unsung Hero Award winners. Phillip B. Hubbard | The News

Former councilwoman has made lasting impact on Covington

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD

J

phubbard@covnews.com

anet Goodman is no stranger to Covington and its residents.

Her active role in the local community is largely to thank for that.

Throughout her life, Goodman has taken on various roles to help enrich her hometown. But, her motivation doesn’t come from fond memories growing up in the area. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite.

“I spoke at something they had for the city and people who made an impact,” Goodman said. “And I remember saying, ‘I didn’t want them to think that I ran for city council because Covington had been really good to me as a child, because it had not been.’ And I remember that.”

Goodman recalled multiple occa-

THE COVINGTON NEWS

sions where she was discriminated against because of the color of her skin as well as her gender. That didn’t deter her from setting out to help make Covington a better place for future generations.

As a high school student, Goodman worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She even attended a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a student.

During her days as a R.L. Cousins High School student, Goodman participated in protests and marches, too.

When Goodman was growing up, local restaurants had not yet integrated. She helped lead the charge to get restaurant owners to integrate.

“The joke always was, ‘anybody

who doesn’t want to eat, go with Janet.’ Because they knew they weren’t going to feed me,” Goodman recalled.

In the 1970s, Goodman helped organize the Newton County Voters League, the Washington Street Community Center as well as the United Black Front.

Goodman has also broken the status quo along the way, too.

She was the first African American employee for The Covington News, where she served over the graphic arts department for 18 years. In 1978, Goodman was the first African American female to be voted onto the Covington City Council. Goodman also worked for the Newton County Board of Education for 31 years.

In 2015, as her tenure on the city VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 63

council was drawing to a close, Goodman was the longest-serving African American female city council member in Georgia.

During her 37 years on the city council, Goodman led the charge for many things. One of the first things she is most proud of leading is Covington’s recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.

Goodman remembers the exact night and meeting she brought it up during public comments and how the thorough discussion came about.

“Covington was the third city in the state of Georgia to recognize the MLK celebration,” Goodman said. “And Coretta Scott King sent me a ‘thank you’ letter.”

All in all, Goodman’s desire to see her hometown become better than it was when she was a child has driven her to a lifetime of service and dedication to Covington.

But, now in Covington, Goodman feels like her efforts to help develop her hometown have been worth it. And, even though she knows there’s still work to do, Goodman is

In 2016, Georgia Municipal Association Executive Director Lamar Norton presents the Lifetime Serivce Award to Covington’s Janet Goodman. Archives | The News

glad to call Covington her home.

“Seeing the changes, being a part of the changes and realizing that a lot of people that made fun of Covington, now you can’t keep them

out of here,” Goodman said. “I like being in a town where you go somewhere and you know somebody.”

Congratulations to all the Visions Winners!

Mrs. Linda D. Hays The Clerk of Courts It is my honor to serve the citizens of Newton County 64 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

NEWTON COUNTY CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT 1132 USHER STREET, SUITE 338 COVINGTON 770-784-2035 • ALCOVY CIRCUIT.COM THE COVINGTON NEWS

Unsung Hero:

Mike Hopkins Friends of the Miracle League chairman Mike Hopkins discusses his long history with the organization in his office at the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority. Tom Spigolon | The News

NCWSA director calls work with Miracle League and its players ‘a joy’

By TOM SPIGOLON

M

tspigolon@covnews.com

ike Hopkins says he is just one of many trying to provide a place for kids with disabilities to enjoy the great American pastime in Newton County.

The chairman of the Friends of the Miracle League committee has had a personal reason for leading the charge to maintain the county-owned facility that was specially built for its unique players -- he’s the father of three special needs children.

Hopkins, who is director of the Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority (NCWSA), said it was a “joy” to see disabled players get their chances to play the game at Newton County’s Miracle League complex at City Pond Park in CovTHE COVINGTON NEWS

ington.

The league’s field is designed for use by players who may be confined to wheelchairs or others with mobility issues.

“Our kids are non-verbal and they’re wheelchair-bound,” he said, in reference to his own children.

“To me it was always a joy to see the others that were less severely disabled that could actually move, walk, talk and run, and how much joy they got out of it,” Hopkins said.

“They really take it just as serious as all the healthy children,” he said. “I get more of a blessing than I would ever give back to them.

“When you’re a buddy or a health coach or you take time just to show up and watch them -- they just want somebody to see them.”

Hopkins and wife, Kelli, have

one daughter with special needs, Michala, and one daughter, UGA student Marlee, without any medical conditions.

Two others have died after both suffered from forms of mitochondrial disease, including son, Abe, 6, and daughter, Mary Elizabeth, 21, who died three months apart.

Michala is a 23-year cancer survivor who lost her leg at age 1 to the disease. She also is essentially a medical miracle by living to age 24 with Aicardi syndrome, a rare condition that caused her brain to develop without individual left and right sides. It only affects about 1,000 girls worldwide, he said.

“We were always the marvel of the genetics teams at Egleston and places where we were,” he said.

They also were the 17th GeorVISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW 65

gia family to travel to Colorado for access to medical marijuana to treat Michala’s seizures she suffered from the condition.

“This (NCWSA) board allowed me to commute back and forth every week from Denver to here,” Hopkins said. “My family lived out there and I worked out here during the week and I went out there on the weekend until we could legally bring it back here to the state of Georgia.”

The Hopkins’ children began participating in Miracle League in Rockdale County -- years before its beginnings in Newton County, he said.

“It’s easy to get involved with Miracle League when you have children with special needs,” Hopkins said.

He also worked with Cheryl Delk, Amber Richardson, former county recreation director Tommy Hailey, Stanley Edwards Sr. and others who helped bring the program to Newton County, he said.

“I was thankful to be part of that group -- just some great people that

had a big heart for these kids and wanted all of them to be able to play. The healthy and those with disabilities.”

Newton County voters in 2011 approved $1.5 million of the $58 million SPLOST for the project to create the Miracle League facility.

The Friends group organized in the same year to be the fundraising arm of the construction effort.

The Miracle League Complex opened in 2015 after three years of construction at City Pond Park.

Hopkins, 52, is a Newton County native and earned his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in Atlanta. He is in his 19th year as executive director and 26th year overall with NCWSA. He said the NCWSA board has been proactive in getting involved in the community -- in part to let residents know about the safety of their water system.

“To me, it’s part of it. If you’re going to live here, you need to be in the community,” Hopkins said. “A lot of people know and understand.

“Technically, we could be looked at as a monopoly. That doesn’t mean we can’t get out here and get in the community.”

In addition to the Miracle League, Hopkins serves as secretary-treasurer of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals, which is a professional development and resource organization for water utilities statewide.

He said Newton County has a unique system among all Georgia water systems because its supply is not owned by the entity that distributes the water.

Newton County government owns the Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant and NCWSA distributes the plant’s treated water to its customers. “(The relationship) has worked well,” he said.

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