Newspaper Page Text
ai,E © wnngtnn Nms
Volume 112, No. 10
Roy Varner, chairman-elect of the Newton Coun
ty Board of Commissioners, urged progress and
development through a "united effort" of people,
government, business, and industry working
together to make good things happen in his ad
dress before the Newton County Chamber of
Commerce at their quarterly membership
Council sets millage rate;
citizens oppose airport
Covington City Council voted
Monday night to set the tax millage
rate for 1976 at 5.5 mills, the same
as in 1975. Assessment will be 75
percent of the 100 percent fair
market value based on figures pro
vided by the Newton County Tax
Commissioner. The 5.5 mill rate is
expected to bring in $563,000 in
taxes.
Bill Johnson and Lanier Morris,
representing citizens of the west
central portion of Newton County,
met with the council to object to Site
11, of the Airport Master Plan as
outlined by Welker <S Associates,
engineers, as the best location for a
Regional Airport.
They stated that this area was one
of the better areas of the county for
residential growth because there are
both water and gas mains and a
sewer trunk line already installed.
Johnson stated that it would be
conceivable to extend Stewart Road
through present city property,
allowing the extension of the present
Officials and members of the Covington Pilot's
Club gathered on the Square Friday night to
dedicate and light three "memory trees” in ob
servance of "the real meaning of Christmas, the
birth of our Lord, that gave us our strength for
our yesterdays, and our real hope for all our
34 Pages
Chairman-elect addresses Chamber
Covington Municipal Airport
runway to 5,000 feet in order to
accommodate planes like the Lear
Jet and Cessna Citation used by
local industries. He requested that
the council look into this possibility.
The council informed them to voice
their objections to Site 11 by letter.
City Manager, Frank Turner
advised the council that he had
received a letter from Drew Peslar,
vice-president of Automotive
Moulding Company, the parent
company of Covington Moulding
Company, that his firm was plan
ning to construct another plant in
Georgia, and had chosen LaGrange
over Covington primarily because
Covington did not have an airport
with a 5,000 foot runway, nor plans
to provide an adequate runway for
company jets in the near future.
Donald R. Griffin met with the
council to discuss specifications set
forth in the Southern Standard
Building Code as related to new
buildings.
Memory trees dedicated
meeting Thursday night at the NCCHS cafeteria.
Shown at the head table (I to r| are: Mrs. Art
Cassella and her husband, the Chamber's
executive director; Chairman-elect Varner;
Chamber President Sam Ramsey and Mrs. Ram
sey.
Members of Multiple Channels of
Georgia, Inc. (cable television! met
with the council to again discuss the
possibility of getting a franchise
from the council to install cable tele
vision in the Covington area.
Councilman Luke Savage made a
motion to grant Multiple Channels
of Georgia. Inc. a franchise to install
cable television within the city. The
motion died for lack of a second.
The council approved the minutes
of the Planning Commission’s
regular meeting of Nov. 16, 1976.
They also passed a resolution
directing the City Fire Chief to
organize or establish a mutual aid
agreement with surrounding fire
departments which will secure ample
fire protection when and if national
disasters or conflagrations occur.
A motion passed to approve for
payment a statement from M. B.
Davis, electrical contractors, in the
amount of $1,050.02, for wiring at
(Please turn to page 4A|
tomorrows.” Shown left to right are: Mrs. Joyce
Yarborough, vice-president; Mrs. Jack Jennings,
internal affairs co-ordinator; Rev. Jack Nelson,
who delivered the invocation; Miss Grace Cook,
president; Mayor Bill Dobbs, dedication
speaker; Mrs. Francis Allen, treasurer.
:e-Winning Setcspaper, Serving Newton County For 110 Yean
Covington, Georgia
Thursday, December 9,1976
Varner speaks t
chamber banque
Newton County Commission
Chairman-elect Roy Varner was the
guest speaker at the Newton County
Chamber of Commerce quarterly
membership dinner meeting held on
Dec. 2 at Newton County Compre
hensive High School. Varner told the
assembled group that as chairman of
the board of commissioners he will
function under the direction of the
five member board and will serve
only to implement the board’s
policy, not to make that policy
himself. He went on to say that he is
well aware that Newton County
must continue to grow in order to
prosper, and added that he will seek
out all elements of the community to
help achieve these goals.
The chairman-elect said he has not
announced specific policies, pro
grams or objectives because of his
belief that the chairman is not the
policy maker, and he is cautiously
aware that positive statements on the
function of the commission could be
Newton County Sheriff Gerald Malcom stands be
side an airplane impounded at the Covington
Municipal Airport Saturday by U.S. Customs offi
cials. The twin engine Beechcraft is believed to
have been used to transport a load of marijuana.
It is theorized that engine trouble forced it to land
in Covington. Sheriff’s deputies were notified
about the plane by airport officials who became
suspicious of the apparently abandoned craft.
Commissioners vote office space
for Congress man-elect Barnard
The Newton County Board of
Commissioners Tuesday voted
unanimously to provide office space
for I Oth district Congressman-elect
Doug Barnard in the county office
building (old Kroger store). The
action came after Ted Hammock, an
aide to Barnard, spoke to the board
concerning the location of such an
office in Covington.
Last month Barnard announced
that he would establish a full-time
office here, along with others in
Inside
Neiua
eA Prize* W inning
Newspaper
1976
Better Newspaper
Contests
Editorial 2A
Society IB
Obit 8B
Sports IC
Classified Ads 6C
. Legal Ads 3C
3 Sections
misunderstood by other board
members.
In other business at the chamber
meeting, Ed Crudup, chairman of
the nominating committee, present
ed his committee's slate of pro|M>sed
new chamber officers for action by
the chamber. The slate was unani
mously approved as follows: Oby
Brewer, president; Sam Ramsey,
municipal vice-president; Al
Pearson, industrial vice-president;
Luther Carson of Newborn and
Jerry Prosser of Mansfield, board
members.
President-elect Brewer briefly
addressed the meeting, pledging his
dedication to the continued growth
of the chamber and soliciting the
support of all elements of the com
munity to a unified pursuit of indus
trial. commercial and residential
growth of the county.
Following Brewer's remarks. Presi
dent Ramsey presenter! Dr. Bond
Fleming, past president of Oxford
Marijuana plane impounded
Athens and Augusta.
In a related matter, the commiss
ioners agreed to have the Kroger
Company markings removed from
the old Kroger building, and to have
a sign identifying the buildin g as the
Newton County Office Building
erected.
Billy Jones, director of the county
ambulance service, met with the
board to request that a new ambu
lance be purchased. The commiss
ioners agreed to the requent, autho
rizing Jones to purchase a new, fully
equipped ambulanc?, at a cost of
$12,740, provided that no better
price could be found.
The board also agreed to build an
extension on the shelter at the ambu
lance service, large enough to cover
all emergency vehicles.
Approval was given for the pur
chase of a John Deere tractor, with a
sickle mower attached, from Larry
Ellis. The price of tractor was
$1,600. The commissioners also
authorized the transfer of a used
tractor with a rotary mower to the
Water and Sewerage Authority to
cut rights-of-way for water lines.
In other action, the board adopted
a resolution designating Newton
County a re-development area under
provisions of the public works and
College, with a lem-
bership in tl unty
Chamber of C stin-
guished serv ice and
its objective js. for
outstanding service was Leo S.
Mallard, c 1 hairman of the Newton
County Bi, centennial Committee. A
plaque wi is presented to Mallard
from the chamber, along with the
expressed appreciation of the presi
dent and ' the chamber membership.
Presidei it Ramsey also addressed
the grou p concerning the past and
future o! (' the local chamber, express
ing dee p appreciation for the co
operatic in and support he received
from tl le city of Covington and the
county commissioners, as well as the
chamber membership, during his
term o f office. In stating his concern
forth e continued need for a strong
and i ndependent chamber, he em
phasi zed the need for Covington to
Deputies discovered suspected marijuana seeds
and resid'ue in the vehicle and noted that its scats
had been removed, possibly to allow for the trans
portation of the illegal drug. The G-B-I and later
Customs officials were called in. Covington police
also assisted. The investigation has now been
taken over by the Customs Dept., which will seek
to determine the origin of the plane and to locate
its owners.
economic development act passed in
1965. The designation could help
the county in obtaining federal
funds.
The board also consulted with
Mansfield Mayor Rufus Spears con
cerning the new dumping fee system
at the county landfill.
Holcombe
mayor of
Newborn
John Holcombe has been elected
mayor of Newborn, replacing
retiring incumbent Luther S.
Carson. Holcombe won the office in
elections held Monday, defeating
opponent Sheridan Davis 34 votes to
26.
Four city council members were
also elected in the voting Incum
bents Albert McDowell and Joe
Webb 111 received 56 and 59 votes
respectively, while Tray Polk got 59
votes and Albert Ozburn Jr. received
56 votes.
(Please turn to page 6A|
