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Rome is burning, no one cares
"Rome is burning, and no one cares," my colleague Jim exclaimed to our boss on a conference call in the late-1990s. We were trying to explain the budget crisis in our largest property, which was responsible for more than $1 billion in revenue.




Be prepared
Scout Oath On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country; To obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. Scout Law A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. This weekend we celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. The ...




Setting a precedent
Members of the Covington City Council had to make a very hard decision Monday night. The 4-2 vote allowed the folks who run the nonprofit Garden of Gethsemane Homeless Shelter to have a pass on their $5,000 utility deposit and to pay a little each month on their past due bills.




Thicker skin required
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel caught heat last week when he referred to a group of liberal Democrats as "retarded." President Obama's senior political aide must've felt as if he'd stepped in a yellow jacket hole after sticking both feet in his mouth. Vocal, visceral criticism from varied quarters, including the president's senior political advisor, David Axelrod - whose 27-year-old daughter has a developmental disability - forced Emanuel to immediately try and staunch ...




Examples of civility
Dear Editor: I have grown weary of the tenor of political debate on the airways, the internet, and in print. The "silent majority" remains silent because they don't want to be drawn into the ugliness of the current climate of "conversation." As the saying goes, "don't wrestle with a pig, because you both get dirty and the pig likes it."




So many reasons Y
Since its inception in 1844, the YMCA has been a beacon of hope for children and adults alike.




Health and human services
We often take things like our health for granted until it goes downhill. Other things like the services the library offers or athletic programs for our children also are often under appreciated until they disappear. After health and human services day with my Leadership Newton County class, I have a new found respect for all the people who work behind the scenes at elderly care facilities, health departments, hospitals, libraries and recreation departments.




Skeeter puts it in perspective
Whenever this world starts looking too complicated, I call my friend Skeeter Skates, owner of Skeeter’s Tree Stump Removal and Plow Repair in Greater Metropolitan Pooler. Skeeter has a wonderful way of putting things into perspective.




Our thoughts... Love thy neighbor
The tragedy that has befallen the country of Haiti and its people has probably touched you in one way or another. Some have contributed clothes, some have sent money and some have just prayed.




Many tasks at hand
After a week of appropriations hearings, we were back in session last week. The facts from the hearings were pretty sobering. Georgia, while not being in the kind of fiscal dire straights that other states are in, has more tough budget decisions ahead. Our initial challenge is to make corrections to the present, fiscal 2010, budget. The first half of the fiscal year (July through December of 2009) saw substantial declines in ...




Our thoughts... NCSO honors heroes
   Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown should be applauded for beginning a new law enforcement tradition. Brown has instituted a Purple Heart honor for deputies injured in the line of duty and a Lifesaving Award for those who go above and beyond the call of duty during life-threatening situations.




You've got a friend
My wife loves Carole King songs. The "Tapestry" album, issued in 1971, features several hit tunes, among them one of the greatest songs King ever penned: "You've Got a Friend."




The least we can do
Over the past few weeks we have noticed a decrease in donations coming in the Newton County Sheriff's Office for the inVEST fund. The fund for the highest quality bullet-proof vests for our county's heroes has only grown a bit over $5,500 since Christmas. The Covington News has pledged to run the names of the week's donors, as well as total funds raised that week, every Friday for a year. We would hate to print ...




You've got me, babe
"Well, the big difference here and in ‘94 was you've got me," was President Obama's response to possible problems in the upcoming midterm elections, according to Rep. Marion Berry.




A balance of power
We have run numerous letters to the editor lately regarding the money that is given to the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce by both the city council and board of commissioners. We understand that in this economic climate, many feel this is a waste of tax dollars, especially with the basic needs of thousands of residents going unfulfilled.




Bruce Goddard and Eulan Brown
I was in Central Florida recently and someone suggested I take a couple of minutes and drive through the town of Celebration, Fla.




A long way to go
After a break for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday on Jan. 18, the Georgia House and Senate spent three days receiving budget requests from the various departments of state government. Gov. Sonny Perdue led the briefings on Tuesday afternoon with his overall assessment of state finances and his proposed amended FY 2010 and full FY 2011 budgets. The "amended budget" means that money taken in over the previous budget ...




Can someone explain?
Dear Editor: I have not lived in Newton County very long. I moved here last year to be closer to my daughter and grandchildren. I do not understand the manner in which the city of Covington and Newton County decides how tax money is to be spent.




Not a podunk area
Dear Editor: I am writing concerning the proposed drag strip which if built at the juncture of I-20 and Highway 278 would be less than three miles from my home on Cannon Drive in Social Circle.




Our thoughts... The state of the union
The miracle election in Massachusetts recently gave us hope that the president would come to his senses and actually start being the person that people elected in 2008.




Time for tea
What this state needs is a good old-fashioned Tea Party. Not one directed at the liberal weenies in Washington who tried to ram health care reform down our throats. This protest needs to focus on the State of Georgia.




Letter to the editor - Point of no return
Dear Editor: Make no mistake about it, in my opinion, vehicles that race on drag strips are designed and built to do two things: they make an incredible amount of noise and they go extraordinarily fast. Pertaining to drag racing, speed and noise go hand in hand. You do not have one without the other. Regardless of how many noise engineers are consulted and no matter how you spin it, drag ...




Our thoughts... A new HOPE
Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship was established under the supervision of former Gov. Zell Miller in 1993. It was and still is funded by the Georgia Lottery.




Our thoughts... A missing piece
Newton County Board of Education member Dr. C.C. Bates announced last week that she would be leaving the board in June to accept a full time position at Clemson University.




Golden Dome gloom
This is not a fun time to be a state legislator in Georgia. You can see it in all the long faces in the House and Senate chambers.




Caution to the wind
Readers familiar with me know, hopefully, that I try to phrase my thoughts so as not to directly offend those with differing viewpoints. But every once in a while it’s necessary to throw caution to the winds and let it rip.




Our thoughts... Lost and gained
The city of Porterdale has lost a good public servant and Social Circle has gained a first class director of public safety.




Our thoughts... Not a man of honor
 We try our best to have respect for our elected officials. Most of them run for office with the best of intentions and sincerely try to be good representatives of the people who have elected them.




From centerfold to senator
You’d have to be eligible for Social Security to remember the last time a Republican sat in the Senate seat made vacant last year when Ted Kennedy died. Scott Brown is the first Republican to win the seat since Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. won it in 1946.




There is a difference
After reading Linda Cooper’s letter to the editor, I realized that there are people who do not understand the difference in the Newton County Animal Control Program in Newton County and the Humane Society of Newton County.




Letter to the editor - Senseless coverage
Dear Editor: The article you printed Friday, Jan. 14 on the front page, "Members of Judges’s Family Sentenced in 2008 Fight," was totally unnecessary. Why humiliate individuals again, more than a year later? Yes, what happened last December was not appropriate behavior, but that was last year. Why reprint a detailed summary on the front page with pictures. This is old news. What purpose did it serve? If you thought it ...




Our thoughts... Keeping the dream alive
We were pleased to see two local community leaders receive prestigious awards this past week.

Our thoughts... Not sinking in
Our thoughts... Not sinking in
A wise man once said that some people just don’t get it. Councilman Whatley, as clearly as you articulated your opinions in your lengthy Wednesday night diatribe (you can read it in full at CovNews.com), you do not understand the core issues of going to the north Georgia mountains for a council retreat.
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My safety net
In some ways, we were just alike. In others, we were direct opposites. But you didn’t need a DNA test to know that we were cut from the same cloth. Mine was a bit wider and his was a tad longer.




Brasstown bold
The Covington City Council voted to hold their annual retreat at the Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa located in the scenic North Georgia Mountains.




Letter to the editor... Congrats KCNB
Dear Editor: I just finished reading the KCNB supplement in Sunday’s Covington News. Wow, what an outstanding organization. I particularly enjoyed the older photographs. Clearly, KCNB has been ahead of its time for many years.




Letter to the editor... Genuine motives
Dear Editor: In this era we live in, almost everything is built on the foundation and the focus of commerce or monetary gain. Unfortunately, our churches are not exonerated from this. It has been my observation that many of the churches that exist in today’s society are more concerned with an increase in numbers or members and prosperity. The aspiration to become mega-churches has led many of our religious associations to ...




Our thoughts... Preserving the past
Members of the General Ray Davis Marine Corps Detachment 1188 of Covington are working on a project that will preserve a piece of our nation’s history for future generations of Americans.




Our thoughts... Here we go again
Once again a member of Newton County Commissioner J.C. Henderson’s family has run afoul of the law. This is extremely unfortunate.




Off to a good start
The 2010 legislative session started on an upbeat note. The first task of the House was to elect a new Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem, in the wake of the leadership changes during December. On Monday, we elected David Ralston of Blue Ridge as Speaker, and Jan Jones of Alpharetta as Speaker Pro Tem. I am very pleased with both of these selections and feel these new leaders will guide the House ...




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