Mayor: Mismanagement, but No Crime Found in Probe of Alleged Financial
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See A9 Porterdale Mayor: Mismanagement, but no crime found in probe of alleged financial wrongdoing By TOM SPIGOLON 2018 after council mem- Interim District Attorney the council’s Budget Com- Graduation [email protected] bers were given inaccurate Randy McGinley said he mittee, approached Chap- Porterdale’s mayor says an budget numbers, officials was reviewing it with the man “regarding what she investigation into a former have said. Georgia Bureau of Inves- felt were some discrepancies ceremonies city manager’s spending is Former District Attorney tigation “as quickly as on the part” of Thomson, nearing its end after it found Layla Zon worked with city possible.” He wanted to do Mayor Arline Chapman this weekend he mismanaged the city’s officials on the case before so because he was not the said. finances but did nothing that Gov. Bri- district attorney when his “At my suggestion we Newton - Friday, 8 p.m. warranted criminal charges. an Kemp office originally reviewed it met with someone who had The “mismanagement” by appointed GET MORE: in 2019, he said. no personal interest but Alcovy - Saturday, 8 a.m. former city manager Bob her as a Residents react “I have the duty to make would be able to assess the Eastside - Saturday, 8 p.m. Thomson likely contributed Superior to proposed my own individual assess- information that she had,” to the city’s government Court tax increase ment,” McGinley said. Chapman said. “We were By TAYLOR BECK having unpaid bills with a judge in Porterdale The investigation began in advised to meet with the [email protected] variety of agencies totaling in early CovNews.com 2019 after Councilwoman district attorney.” COVINGTON, Ga. — Co- almost $1 million since June. Linda Finger, a member of The mayor said she and mencement ceremonies for See Probe | A2 Newton County Schools’ class of 2020 continue Satur- Seeking to serve day, Aug. 1, after the celebra- Newton BOC tion for Newton High School seniors was held Friday night, approves 6% July 31. Alcovy High School seniors budget increase will receive their diplomas Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m. for 2021 at Sharp Stadium, located on By TOM SPIGOLON Williams Street NE. [email protected] Before COVID-19 took its COVINGTON, Ga. — toll, graduation was set for The county government will Alcovy on May 23. operate on a 2021 budget Eastside High School that is nearly 6% larger than graduates will take the field the 2020 document and in- at Sharp Stadium beginning cludes funding for new fire at 8 p.m. The Eagles’ original stations and employees. graduation date was supposed It also assumes a property to be May 22. tax rate that is 4% below last To follow safety protocol, year’s rate. each graduate was provided Newton County commis- two tickets for guests, ac- sioners voted Tuesday, July cording to Newton County 21, to approve a $104.6 Schools spokeswoman Sherri million budget for 2021 that Davis. She said every guest is 5.8% larger than 2020 — must have a ticket to enter the including a $3 million in- event — even small children. crease in the General Fund. Masks and social distanc- It includes $2.2 million in ing were also required for all funding for 69 new employ- graduates, ticketed guests and Special to The Covington News ees, including seven new staff, she said. When former Republican sheriff candidate Clay Ivey conceded to Ken Malcom after the Primary sheriff’s deputies and 18 In the event of rain, cere- Election in June, it didn’t mean he would stop serving the community. Thursday, July 23, he and “vol- new firefighters, according monies will be held Sunday, unteers from all over” came together at Prospect United Methodist Church in Covington and gave out to county officials and Aug. 2. more than 1,500 boxes of food to members of the community. — Read the full story online at CovNews.com. See Budget | A3 Local man charged in connection to recent church, business burglaries By TAYLOR BECK gree burglary and one Breach Thrift Center, according to Porterdale and especially from the but Malcom said there [email protected] count of second-degree Tava’s Diner and Great- police. hard work of Detective could be more. COVINGTON, Ga. burglary as result of er Grace Church. A list Malcom said bur- Jeff Bruno,” Malcom “A lot of burglars are — A local man is be- an investigation led by of items stolen was not glaries that occur in said. “A serial burglar territorial, so it may be hind bars after alleged- Covington police. immediately available. the same vicinity is an who was focusing on that this arrest could ly burglarizing two Covington Police The two churches “obvious” sign they locations in Covington help Porterdale police businesses and three Capt. Ken Malcom said burgled in Porterdale were made by the same and Porterdale is now with some of its un- churches in Newton the incidents each took were identified as Rain- person or group, which off of our street.” solved burglaries” he County. place along Washing- bow Covenant Church helped investigators Shortly after being said. Torres Guinn, 27, ton Street. Three of the and Led By the Spirit locate the suspect. taken into custody, As of Friday, July 31, of Porterdale, was burglaries in Covington Baptist Mission. Guinn “This arrest is the authorities said Guinn Guinn was being held arrested Sunday, July were believed to hap- was believed to have result of a thorough admitted he was in- at the Newton County 26, and charged with pen July 20 and July stolen money, food, investigation by our volved with the five Jail. three counts of first-de- 21 at Repairers of the keys and other items, patrol and CID teams, burglaries reported, NEWCOMER’S G Volume 155, No. 31 UIDE TO Still Available NEWTON 2020-2021 Index Obituaries COUNTY Copies of the Newcomer’s Guide to Newton Obituaries ..........................A3 Franklin Aiken County are still available at The Covington News. Opinions ............................A4 Oxford This year’s magazine educates readers about the Classifieds .........................A5 Thomas Burroughs area and shows how the community has stood Public Notices ....................A6 Social Circle Unwavering Sports ................................A9 strong despite a global crisis. A community standing strong amidst crisis Amanda Johnson Business ..........................A10 Covington See A3 A special publication by SINCE 1865 Get breaking news updates, manage your subscription, place an advertisement and read the e-edition at CovNews.com A2 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, AUGUST 1-2, 2020 THE COVINGTON NEWS Ezammudeen talks run for Congress Judge extends deadline for Johnson only oper- by working for for- legal arguments on halting Republican candidate to ates one field office mer President George now off I-20 in south W. Bush’s election in challenge incumbent DeKalb County. Ezam- Florida in the 2000s, statue’s removal mudeen said she wants she said. By TOM SPIGOLON By TOM SPIGOLON name [email protected] [email protected] to operate up to four After moving to out field offices to make Georgia, she was COVINGTON Ga. — A Newton County judge Johsie Cruz Ezam- in an them more accessible part of a Atlanta-area is giving those supporting Covington’s Confeder- mudeen said she area in for more District 4 Latino group working ate statue another 30 days to make their case why stepped up when others which residents. for President Donald it should remain in the middle of the city’s down- would not do so to Johnson “People want to have Trump’s election in town area. challenge a sitting is well that direct contact,” she 2016. Superior Court Judge John Ott on Wednesday, congressman for one known Johsie Cruz said. She also worked to July 29, also ordered the county government not to of Georgia’s 14 U.S. after al- Ezammudeen A native of Vene- help Karen Handel get move the 114-year-old statue while the issue is still House seats. most 20 zuela, Ezammudeen elected to Congress in pending in the courts “except by further order of The House seat rep- years as immigrated to the U.S. 2017, and for Brian the court.” resents half of Newton a county commissioner at age 23 and eventual- Kemp’s 2018 cam- In the order, Ott extended his deadline 30 days County and the con- and congressman. ly became a citizen. paign for governor. for those on both sides of the issue to send him gressman is seven-term “I’ll go to their house She works in the Ezammudeen admits their legal arguments concerning the county gov- incumbent U.S. Rep. if I’m asked,” Ezam- health insurance indus- she is a political novice ernment’s planned removal of the statue from its Hank Johnson, D-Li- mudeen said. try and admits she can and has never run for location in Covington since 1906. thonia. She and her cam- empathize with people elected office. Ott said he was extending the deadline from Ezammudeen was paign also were very who have experienced “Just like Trump,” Aug.