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The Town Square Podcast

The Town Square Podcast

Auteur(s): Trey Bailey Gabriel Stovall
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Not just another podcast, but a place to meet in the messy middle and have difficult discussions with transparency and diplomacy where the outcome is unity, not uniformity.

The primary topics will be the local interests of Newton County, Georgia residents and those in the surrounding community.

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  • Giving Thanks in the Messy Middle: What 65 Episodes Have Taught Us About Unity, Humanity, and Newton County-Episode 65

    Giving Thanks in the Messy Middle: What 65 Episodes Have Taught Us About Unity, Humanity, and Newton County-Episode 65
    Nov 18 2025
    As 2025 winds toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season settles over Newton County, something feels especially meaningful about this particular episode of The Town Square Podcast. For the first time in months, it’s just the two of us — Trey and Gabriel — back at the table, returning to the roots of what launched this show in the first place: storytelling, tough conversations, humility, grace, and a deep belief that our community is better when we choose unity over uniformity.This wasn’t just another episode.It was a pause.A breath.A moment to reflect on 65 candid, sometimes messy, always meaningful conversations with leaders, influencers, contrarians, thinkers, servants, and everyday Newtonians who give their best to this place we love.This episode is our Thanksgiving table — a long, heartfelt conversation filled with gratitude, honesty, humor, reflection, and even some tears. It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and how much we still want to accomplish together.What follows is a full exploration of the themes, stories, and heart behind Episode 65.Back to Day One: Why We Started This PodcastBefore the first microphone was plugged in, before the first episode aired, before the first guest sat across from us, we had a simple question:“How do we create a space where people in Newton County can disagree without disrespect?”This began because we watched neighbors talk past each other online.We watched conversations break down into insults rather than ideas.We watched people assume the worst about people they’d never even spoken to.And we knew there had to be a better way.The messy middle — the space between extremes — is where most people actually live. It’s where complexity lives. It’s where the truth usually lives. But it’s also the space our culture avoids, because the middle requires humility. It requires letting go of absolute certainty. It requires listening long enough to learn something new.This podcast started as an experiment:Could we create a platform where real conversations — nuanced, layered, human conversations — were possible?Sixty-five episodes later, the answer is yes… and then some.Humbling Growth: A Community That Was Ready for ThisWe didn’t expect the response.Not the thousands of downloads.Not the messages.Not the people who stop us in the grocery store.Not the guests who walk in nervous and walk out relieved.Newton County was hungry for civil discourse, hungry for depth, hungry for context, hungry for a reprieve from the algorithm-driven extremes that dominate our feeds.As Gabriel said in this episode:“It’s humbling to watch people finally feel like there’s a place to have these conversations — a place where people can humanize politics again.”Long-form conversations make room for nuance.Nuance makes room for empathy.Empathy makes room for connection.Connection makes room for solutions.That’s the heartbeat of the show.Why the Messy Middle MattersThe messy middle is not comfortable.It’s not neat.It’s not easy.Being in the middle means you have to acknowledge that your side — your comfort zone — might have blind spots. It means recognizing that someone else, someone raised differently, someone shaped by a different neighborhood or childhood or church or trauma, may see the world differently… and may still have something true to say.In Episode 65, we reflected on what we’ve seen:People willing to share perspectives they rarely get to articulatePeople with opposing worldviews discovering shared humanityPeople who disagree learning to disagree without dehumanizingPeople willing to “sit in the tension” rather than run from itThe messy middle isn’t the absence of conflict — it’s the transformation of conflict into conversation.Episode Highlights: Conversations That Defined Who We AreWe spent a good portion of this episode looking back at some of the most quintessential Town Square conversations — the ones that best represent what we long to do.Here are some of the standouts we discussed:Stephanie Lindsey — Courage in the Heat of ControversyWhen Newton County’s political climate hit a boiling point, Attorney Stephanie Lindsey walked into our studio with indictments swirling around her name. She sat down, face-to-face, and said:“Here’s my perspective. Here’s my experience. Here’s my truth.”No filters.No rehearsed lines.No political posturing.That’s the messy middle. And it took guts.Marshall McCart — A Different Lens, Same CommunityMarshall brought a completely different worldview — politically, culturally, journalistically — and shared it with calmness, self-awareness, and curiosity.Two very different guests.Two very different perspectives.Same table.Same willingness to talk.Same messy middle.Serra Hall — Cutting Through Economic Development MythsPeople often assume economic development leaders only want “more chicken restaurants” or fast food chains. Serra ...
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    52 min
  • Capt. Bret Dunn: From Marine Corps Discipline to Georgia Senate Duty – Episode 64

    Capt. Bret Dunn: From Marine Corps Discipline to Georgia Senate Duty – Episode 64
    Nov 11 2025
    A Mansfield Native, Marine Captain, and Mission-Driven Attorney Steps Forward to ServeOn this special Veterans Day edition of The Town Square Podcast, host Trey Bailey sits down with Captain Bret Dunn, a Newton County native whose life story reads like a roadmap of service, faith, and conviction. Dunn grew up between Oak Hill and Mansfield, graduated from Alcovy High School in 2013, earned his law degree from Mercer University, and went on to serve as a U.S. Marine Corps officer—eventually becoming a defense counsel at Parris Island.Now a partner at Strauss & Dunn Law Firm and the Republican candidate for Georgia Senate District 42, Capt. Dunn brings his military discipline, courtroom experience, and faith-driven values into a new kind of battlefield: public service.In this hour-long conversation, Trey and Bret explore his journey from Mansfield to Quantico, from defending Marines to defending Georgians, and from carrying a rifle to carrying a calling. The uniform may be off, but as he says, “the mission is still the same.”Growing Up Southern StrongBret Dunn’s story begins in Mansfield, Georgia—a “Mayberry-style” small town where neighbors wave, manners matter, and your reputation follows you through every front porch.Raised between his mother’s home in Mansfield and his father’s house in the Oak Hill area, Bret learned discipline early. His father, Jackie Dunn, served as a Marine before spending 37 years as a police captain in Conyers. The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor symbol was a constant presence in their home, as was the sound of “Yes sir” and “No ma’am.”“Those little things—manners, respect, accountability—laid the foundation for something much bigger,” Bret recalls. “You didn’t say yeah or nah in my house. You said yes sir or no sir.”A proud product of the Newton County School System, Bret attended Oak Hill Elementary, Veterans Middle, and graduated from Alcovy High School’s Class of 2013. His formative years in Newton County shaped his work ethic and small-town values—qualities he says have never left him, even as his path took him into some of the world’s toughest environments.Answering the Call: From Mercer to the MarinesLike many who grow up under the shadow of the American flag, Bret knew service was in his future—but he wasn’t always sure how.After earning his undergraduate degree from Georgia State University, he felt a tug toward military service. Yet when he first tried to enter the Marine Corps in 2015, the timing wasn’t right. Fitness and recruitment standards were high amid federal budget cuts, and Bret found himself temporarily shut out.But as he says, “Every time I tried to do something that God didn’t want me to do, I failed at it.”Instead, a Marine Corps officer encouraged him to consider law. That conversation changed everything. Bret enrolled at Mercer University’s School of Law in Macon, joining a long line of “Bears” who have shaped Georgia’s judiciary—including Judge Sammy Ozburn, Judge John Ott, and former Governor Nathan Deal.Between his second and third year of law school, Bret entered Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico. On June 1, 2019, he stepped onto the famous yellow footprints that have tested generations of Marines. Ten weeks later, he earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant.“I came home from Quantico on a Saturday,” he remembers, “and by Monday morning, I was back in evidence class at Mercer. One day I’m doing pushups in the Virginia humidity; two days later I’m highlighting case law.”After passing the Georgia Bar Exam on his first try, Bret received orders to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, where he would serve as a Defense Counsel—representing Marines in courts-martial, administrative hearings, and boards of inquiry. Over time, he rose to the rank of Captain, blending his love of justice with the Marine ethos of “Semper Fidelis”—Always Faithful.Veterans Day: Honoring Service and SacrificeIt’s fitting that Episode 64 airs on Veterans Day, a holiday that carries deep meaning for Capt. Dunn.“Memorial Day is for those who gave their lives,” he says. “Veterans Day is for those who served and came home. The best thing anyone can do for a veteran is to simply say thank you—and to pray for them.”Bret speaks candidly about the invisible wounds of war, about the friends who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan only to struggle with loss and disillusionment.“There are folks right here in our community who are still hurting,” he says. “A simple thank you might be what keeps them going another day.”From Court Martial to Courtroom: A Calling to DefendToday, Capt. Dunn wears a different kind of uniform: a suit and tie. But his mission remains the same.At Strauss & Dunn Law Firm, he represents clients in criminal and civil cases throughout Georgia—and still defends service members when called upon.“When King...
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    1 h et 6 min
  • Travis Moore: Clearing the Air on Cinelease and Cemetery Controversy – Episode 63

    Travis Moore: Clearing the Air on Cinelease and Cemetery Controversy – Episode 63
    Nov 4 2025
    Introduction: When Facebook Turns into City HallEvery community has those moments when social media explodes and rumors outpace reality. For Covington, Georgia, that moment came when the city council voted to purchase property from Cinelease/Three Ring Studios—a move that set keyboards ablaze across Newton County. Many residents wondered: Was the city bailing out the studio? Was this another taxpayer burden?So this week on The Town Square Podcast, host Trey Bailey sat down with Travis Moore, East Ward Post 2 Councilman, to get the story straight from the source. Moore is known for his transparency, his calm on social media, and his willingness to explain city decisions in plain language.This conversation also dove into another hot-button issue: the new ordinance banning for-profit cemetery tours in Covington. After a video went viral, emotions ran high, accusations flew, and Moore once again found himself clarifying facts online—and ultimately casting the council’s lone “no” vote.In true Town Square fashion, Trey and Travis unpacked both stories in the “messy middle,” where nuance replaces outrage and facts matter more than Facebook.Setting the Scene: A Councilman Who Actually CommunicatesBefore tackling controversy, Trey opened with appreciation. In an era when public officials often hide behind press releases, Moore has built a reputation for directly communicating with citizens after each council meeting.“You’re setting the bar for how we should communicate as public servants,” Trey told him.Moore laughed, modestly noting that he just likes to “be out there with the folks.” Whether it’s concerts, movie nights, or ribbon cuttings, he’s visible—and online, he’s transparent. After every meeting, he posts the highlights, summarizes the votes, and explains his reasoning.It’s the kind of grassroots accountability residents say they want—and the kind that probably explains why his Facebook posts often calm storms before they turn into political hurricanes.The Cinelease Purchase: What Really HappenedThe Need for ConsolidationAt the heart of the Cinelease story wasn’t Hollywood drama—it was logistics.Covington’s utility departments were scattered all over town: electric trucks here, gas meters rented from a warehouse off Cook Road, poles and transformers stored elsewhere. It was inefficient, costly, and frustrating.“We needed to consolidate,” Moore explained. “Get all our materials, trucks, and departments in one place.”So the city put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to find property suitable for a centralized utilities complex. Several options surfaced, but the Cinelease/Three Ring property—roughly 20 acres with two 36,000-square-foot buildings—offered the most space for the same price as smaller alternatives.The $15 Million Price TagThe agreed purchase price hovered around $15 to $16 million. As soon as that figure hit the local paper, the Facebook comment sections caught fire. The narrative? The city was using tax dollars to bail out a struggling studio it once helped attract.“I could see the tar being heated up,” Moore said with a grin. “We needed to cool the temperature down.”So he jumped online and clarified the facts.No, It Wasn’t Paid with Taxpayer MoneyThe purchase did not use property-tax funds or utility-rate hikes. Instead, it was financed through MEAG Power—the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia—and the Municipal Competitive Trust, commonly called the MCT fund.Here’s the short version:Covington buys wholesale electricity from MEAG.Each year, MEAG reconciles its budget. If it collected more than it spent, cities get a refund.Covington has historically received money back.Rather than spend it, the city deposited those refunds into the MCT Trust—a kind of utility savings account.“It’s not baked into the city’s annual budget,” Moore explained. “We didn’t raise rates or dip into taxpayer funds. We used money already saved for utility needs.”That trust can only be used for utility-related projects, such as infrastructure or debt service. In this case, the purchase perfectly fit that criteria.Why This Property Made SenseThe new complex will:Eliminate monthly rent for the warehouse on Cook Road.Speed up response times for outages by housing crews and materials together.Improve safety and inventory control with fencing, lighting, and cameras.Provide a modern, efficient base for Covington’s utility departments.Construction and relocation are slated to wrap by April or May 2026, saving taxpayers money while improving service delivery.“It just makes things more efficient,” Moore said. “You’ll see faster repairs, fewer delays, and less wasted time.”That’s the kind of behind-the-scenes decision that rarely trends online—but makes a real difference when the lights go out during a storm.The Cemetery Ordinance: Respect, Revenue, and RumorsHow It StartedThen came controversy #2...
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    45 min
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