Nat Harwell
Nat grew up in the small Georgia town of Greensboro, well before there was ever a Lake Oconee and a Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Greene County. He met his future wife whilst matriculating at then-tiny Georgia Southern College in Statesboro, well before Coach Erk Russell resurrected the football program. Nat, tuba player and band captain, met Louise, co-captain of the Majorettes, and they married in 1973.
Looking for the perfect small town in which to settle and raise a family, the Harwells anchored in Covington and Newton County in 1977. There Nat taught social studies and coached at the middle school level, while Louise, a charter faculty member of Eastside High, put in 33+ years as a science teacher of renown. Nat’s teaching career spanned 22 years in area middle schools while also putting in 13 years with Delta Air Lines and its subsidiary, Atlantic Southeast Airlines. The three Harwell children, Francie, Christie and Davis, planned their career goals, and are graduates, respectively, of The University of Kansas, Clemson University, and Indiana University. All three children are now married and scattered across the USA, allowing Nat and Louise to enjoy trying to spoil their three grandchildren from long distance.
Nat first worked for Delta from 1980-1984, serving in various capacities but ending as the writer for the company’s in-house publication, Delta Digest. He returned to teaching and coaching until the first child reached college age, and served with ASA from 1999-2008 while also teaching. In 1999 Brian Knapp, then editor for The Covington News, asked Nat to write a weekly column, which he did for more than 12 years. Brian and Nat were reunited when Brian was named editor of Newton Community Magazine and asked Nat to contribute articles.
In retirement, Nat and Louise reside in Statesboro, Georgia, roughly two miles from where they first met as students at Georgia Southern. There, they enjoy attending college activities, especially Eagles baseball, as well as frequenting nearby Tybee Island’s beach and selected seafood eateries along Savannah’s riverfront.
Inner Strength
Massage therapist Laurie Oliver made her way in the world by meeting challenges head-on. Breast cancer was no different. by Nat Harwell There is courage, and there is the John
Diamonds in the Rough
The Oaks Course and Ashton Hills Golf Club endear themselves to local golfers by offering world-class amenities with close-to-home convenience. by Nat Harwell Whenever an assignment pops up, I try
Coaching ‘Coop’
by Nat Harwell I was coaching at Conyers Middle School in 1996 when I learned through the grapevine that some people in high places wondered if I would be interested
Matt Cooper’s Damascus Road
The Covington police officer was shot between the eyes while responding to a shoplifting call on Sept. 3, 2018. Though his miraculous physical recovery has been wrought with difficulty, it
Passing the Baton
D. Alan Fowler’s drive for excellence in music turned the Eastside High School band program into the envy of countless others. Having turned over the reins to one of his
Always a Coach on the Field
Jay Cawthon quarterbacked Newton High School to the state quarterfinals and continued his playing career at the University of West Georgia before exchanging his helmet for a headset. After nearly
When Hollywood Brought the ‘HEAT’
Newton County had been on the film industry’s radar for years, but during its seven-year run from 1988 to 1994, ‘In the Heat of the Night’ flung open the doors
Standing the Tests of Time
Reborn out of the rubble left by an April 3, 2017 tornado that struck Mansfield, the generational, family-owned Hays Tractor & Equipment company carries on the legacy of its founder
Unlocking Dyslexia’s Doors
A sixth-grade social studies teacher at Indian Creek Middle School, Rob Gourlay overcame one of the most frustrating impediments to education anyone can meet. by Nat Harwell It is not