**read Stories 10-6 here
The Piedmont Chronicles' Five Most Viewed Posts of 2019
5 May 2019
This whole sh!tshow was predicated on the playing of a certain card, one dealing with one's color of skin. We all know it. It is what it is. And let's not kid ourselves - a lot of the righteous indignation, disappointment & handwringing with the way all this turned out is probably based on just plain, old-fashioned racism [as well]. We got the memo. So, racism...on both sides.
We'll call this one a push.
Just keepin' it REAL, folks.
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23 January 2019
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Corner's Restaurant Review!
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| Yum Yum! |
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| 2123 Usher St. Covington, GA 30014 678.342.7253 |
Okay, guys! I'll see you next time.
- Kayla Leasure
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| Keeping an Eye on Covington |
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31 August 2019
Constitutional Officer of Newton Co., GA, USA & its Tax Commissioner, Barbara Dingler, has served a very long time here in the home county.
Frustrations, complaints, and general ill feelings have been directed towards this office for many years.
Just last month, as I was waiting for what would eventually become over an hour because there were only 3 windows out of the 14 "open for business, " I texted our esteemed 5th District Commissioner Ronnie Cowan this:
"...the tag office is a TOTAL encapsulation of all that is wrong w/ Newton Co government..."
This constitutional office is responsible for all things taxes in our political subdivision, including the Tax Assessor's office & many other things.
Then, with recent news of the IRS coming down hard on George & Josh Hart & OCHO, we're reminded of the fact that this lady has yet again failed at her job. $500K worth of unpaid property taxes by this crowd. It's been documented & in the public discourse for several years.
But yet nothing ever gets done...
Well, friends, I - for one - am damn sick & tired of it, and I hope you are too.
I know too many folks who break their backs every year to get their grossly-misspent & way-too-high property taxes paid & then...then, they witness crap like this.
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12 June 2019
It's stories & situations like this that makes me really feel like it's all just a damn waste of time - that I'm simply beating my head against a brick wall.
This publication has recently found that for a six month period, from July 1 - December 31, 2018, that the county spent $128,931 on a multitude of repairs from Precision Auto (Covington, GA), with almost all invoices coming from either the Sheriff's Office & Jail Operations, despite the fact that Newton Co. has a vehicle repair shop that takes care of most of the county's vehicles.
Further research shows that approx $300,000 was spent at Precision Auto for fiscal year (FY) 2018 with almost all of those invoices being paid by the Sheriff's Office or Jail Operations. Again, the county has an automotive shop.
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| Newton Co. Sheriff Ezell Brown |
More recently, in the month of April 2019, it appears the county spent $24,684 with Precision Auto so based on the information on hand, it's looking as if the county will end up spending as much for FY 2019 as they did the previous year.
All of this begs the following question - why is not the Newton Co. Auto Shop handling most of this work? As one Newton political watcher mentioned - "If only the labor was saved it would amount to thousands of dollars each year."
Interesting...By the way, the Sheriff paid approx $24,000 to William Thomas (Tommy) Craig in April of 2019 so it's looking like Craig will be making at least a few hundred thousand dollars this year, compliments of the Newton Co. taxpayers, once again.
Wm Thomas "Tommy" Craig, Esq.
But as Hershel Walker once famously said - "Sometime pain just in your head."
Rest assured, good people, I'll keep hitting that wall until my brains start slowly oozing from my ears & nose. Hell, somebody's gotta do it...
*****
20 July 2019
For years several have pointed out that cancer rates were higher in Covington than most cities in Georgia, and there has been data that supported this. I've personally been hearing about it since the 1990's. At that time, it was assumed that some of the earlier industries that first opened up back in the 70s & 80s were to blame, and perhaps they were, but this recent story - referencing information quietly released by the EPA over a year ago - raises concerns of more recent pollution creating much higher-than-normal cancer rates.
According to the report, BD Bard (formerly CR Bard), located on Industrial Boulevard, has been releasing thousands of pounds of a gas called ethylene oxide, that has now been scientifically classified as a cancer-causing agent.
The last five months since this news hit has been a pretty interesting phenomenon. From being originally overreacted to, to being then scoffed at by some (and several of these folks were one in the same), to full page mystery ads in the Covington News by scientists that nobody knows who paid for, to the pathetic politicizing of it by the JDS/"Take Back Our City" crowd, to the recent revelations that BD apparently doesn't give two shits what anyone believes or thinks (including the EPD) - & let's not forget the goddamn lawyers - it really is a good reminder of how hopelessly f*cked things seem to be.
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And on that note, we wish you a very happy New Year!
Let's make 2020 the best year yet!
Your Friend,
MB McCart
