EAST METRO Top Stories for February 21st Publish Date: February 21st Commercial: MORGAN MEDICAL JAN_FINAL- RINGLING BROS_FINAL From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to The Community Podcast. This Podcast brings you the top stories from the Rockdale-Newton Citizen and the Morgan Citizen. Today is Friday, February 21st and Happy birthday to Alan Rickman ***02.21.25 - BIRHTDAY – ALAN RICKMAN*** I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by Times Journal Two killed in plane crash at Covington Airport Early Voting For Special Election Begins Feb. 24 Arbor Day Celebration Kicks off City-wide Treasure Hunt Ahead of Spring Festivities Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on seed oil These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Community Podcast for Rockdale, Newton, and Morgan Counties! Please like, follow, and subscribe. BREAK: SPRING IT ON - RINGLING BROS_FINAL STORY 1: Two killed in plane crash at Covington Airport A small plane crash at Covington Municipal Airport late Saturday night claimed the lives of Janet Hardee, 59, and James Hardee, 62. The single-engine Rockwell Commander crashed in woods north of the runway shortly after takeoff, with no further communication from the aircraft, according to the FAA. Covington Police responded to the scene around 11:20 p.m. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. STORY 2: Early Voting For Special Election Begins Feb. 24 Morgan County voters will begin early voting on Feb. 24 for three local races in the March 18 Special Election. District 1 voters will choose a new county commissioner among Ed Latham (R), Carl Jones (D), and Cedrick Robertson (I). District 5 voters will select between Nathan Park (R), Dr. Claudia Crenshaw (D), and Zeke Lambert (I). Madison District 3 residents will vote for a city council representative, with Jim Malanowski (R) facing Tim Robinson (D). Early voting runs weekdays and two Saturdays, March 1 and 8, at the Elections Office in Madison. Election Day voting requires visiting assigned polling places, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. STORY 3: Arbor Day Celebration Kicks off City-wide Treasure Hunt Ahead of Spring Festivities Conyers will celebrate Arbor Day on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Big Haynes Creek Nature Center's Pollinator Education Garden. The event, hosted by Mayor Vince Evans and the Georgia International Horse Park staff, will include planting host plants for pollinators, poetry readings, and tips on supporting Monarchs and butterfly habitats. The Georgia Forestry Commission will distribute native tree saplings. The celebration also kicks off the "Treasures in the Trees" scavenger hunt, featuring guided plant walks and decorative blossoms leading up to the Cherry Blossom Festival on March 22-23. Participants can exchange blossoms for artisan-crafted prizes at the festival. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. We’ll be right back Break: RINGLING BROS_FINAL STORY 4: EVENT OF THE WEEK On Saturday, Feb. 22, the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center will host a free family-friendly event, *Intro to Jazz*, featuring the Joe Alterman Trio. From noon to 2 p.m., families can enjoy an instrument “petting zoo” to introduce kids to jazz instruments. A second performance will follow in the evening from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. STORY 5: DECAL seeking nonprofit sponsors for summer meals for kids In Georgia, nearly 64% of public school students rely on free or reduced-price lunches during the school year. To address food insecurity in summer, Happy Helpings, Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program, provides free meals and snacks to children under 18 and individuals with disabilities. Administered by DECAL and funded by the USDA, the program seeks nonprofit sponsors to expand meal access, especially in rural and underserved areas. Sponsors receive federal reimbursements for qualifying meals and must meet specific eligibility criteria. Last summer, 73 sponsors served over 3.2 million meals at 1,026 sites statewide. For more information, visit the Happy Helpings website. We’ll be back in a moment Break: SPRING IT ON - Ingles Markets 7 And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on seed oil *** INGLES 1 'ASK LEAH' SEED OILS*** We’ll have closing comments after this. Break: RINGLING BROS_FINAL Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Community Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/ and...
