Emergency personell were busy yesterday evening after a strong storm moved through the Holland area of Chattooga County.  Funnel clouds were reported being sighted in Cherokee County Alabama about 15-20 minutes before the storms moved through the Southeast portion of Chattooga County.

Eyewittness accounts indicated that a roof was blown off a house on Highway 100.  Power outages were widespread in the area.  North Georgia Electric was working to restore power to the affected areas. 

Chattooga County Public Works Director Lamar Canada shut down a portion of Hair Lake Road last night as water was running over a bridge in the area.  Canada said the road would possibly be re-opened this morning.

The National Weather Service stated that the Chattooga River was at 14.5 feet and rising earlier this morning.  Flood Stage is 14 feet. 

Larry Gwynne Williams of Lyerly, Charged with Driving with Suspended or Revoked License and Use of License Plate to Misrepresent

Justin Lamar McRae, Charged with Weekend Superior Court Sentence

Roy Loyd Terry Roper of Summerville, Charged with Parole Violation

Daryl Wayne Watts of Summerville, Charged with Simple Battery FVA

Charles Michael Wright of Summerville, Charged with Disorderly Conduct

There are currently 62 inmates housed in the Chattooga County Jail, with 32 Housed in Floyd County, 1 in Dade County and 1 at the RYDC for a total of 96 inmates in the custody of the Chattooga County Sheriffs Department.

The investigation into the murder of Flintstone business owner Mike Mullens continues, but “there are no new leads that have appeared,” Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said Tuesday.

Citing both declining enrollment and funding, Jacksonville State University has requested a release, from its lease of a city-owned building in Fort Payne. Fort Payne City Clerk Jim McGee said the Fort Payne City Council will consider letting JSU out of its lease of the building in the City Hall complex, becoming effective at the end of February. McGee said officials have also requested a pro-rated refund of a current annual payment made in October. McGee said the school has leased the six classrooms for the past six years, for $10,000 a year.

Attempts will be made to lease the facility to other interested parties as soon as possible.

A 45 year old Arlington Heights Illinois man was sentenced to nearly eight years in federal prison for attempting to engage in a sexual relationship with an 11 year old Cartersville girl.  It was not actually the girl that Rory Villejo met in an internet chat room, but her father, a Cartersville police office who was showing his wife what was going on in teen chat rooms.   In addition to the prison time, Judge Harold Murphy sentenced Villejo to spend the rest of his natural life on supervised release.  The case was originally made in November of 2005 when Villejo was arrested at a Cartersville location with condoms, lingerie for the child and a camera.

WRGA

… THE COUNTY FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM EST FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN GILMER… GORDON… CHATTOOGA… FLOYD… PICKENS… BARTOW AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES…

AT 230 AM EST… LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN CONTINUED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA AND IS EXPECTED TO END LATER TODAY. THIS AREA HAS RECEIVED 3 TO 4.5 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. THIS HAS CAUSED MANY CREEKS AND STREAMS TO COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

OTHER SPECIFIC CREEKS AND STREAMS TO NOTE ARE:

CHATTOOGA RIVER AT SUMMERVILLE. AT 215 AM… THE STAGE WAS 14.5 FEET AND RISING. FLOOD STAGE IS 14.0 FEET.

HEATH CREEK NEAR ARMUCHEE. AT 1045 PM… THE STAGE WAS 8.0 FEET AND HOLDING STEADY. FLOOD STAGE IS 8.0 FEET. NO OTHER OBSERVATIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED SINCE 1045 PM.

ARMUCHEE CREEK 7 MILES NORTH OF ROME. AT 215 AM… THE STAGE WAS 22.0 FEET AND RISING. FLOOD STAGE IS 19 FEET.

COOSA RIVER 6 MILE SOUTHWEST OF ROME. AT 200 AM… THE STAGE WAS 26.6 FEET AND RISING. FLOOD STAGE IS 24 FEET.

OOTHKALOOGA CREEK IN CALHOUN. AT 230 AM… THE STAGE WAS 17.9 FEET AND RISING. FLOOD STAGE IS 18 FEET.

OOSTANAULA RIVER AT CALHOUN. AT 215 AM… THE STAGE WAS 21.5 FEET AND RISING. FLOOD STAGE IS 20.0 FEET.

ETOWAH RIVER AT EAST CANTON. AT 200 AM… THE STAGE WAS 22.1 FEET AND STEADY. FLOOD STAGE IS 16 FEET.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW MUCH WATER IS ON ROADS.

A COUNTY FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED. STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW AND FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER… ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

IF YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING… WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED… AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

The only school closings we know for certain in our listening area are as follows:

Walker County Schools

Dade County Schools

DeKalb County, Alabama  Schools - 2 Hour Delay

Cherokee County, Alabama Schools - 2 Hour Delay

Gordon County

Complete List Below:

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Strong storms that moved through Cherokee County Alabama and into southern Chattooga County near the Floyd County line have caused quite a bit of debris and damage.  Eyewittness reports stated that a roof was damaged on a home just south of Holland on Highway 100 just a few miles from the Floyd County line.  Motorist were reportedly being diverted from the area by emergency and law enforcement personell.

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that there was damage and a lot of debris in the area, but did not have any confirmation regarding any tornadic activity.

AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio has also heard of uncomfirmed reports of a funnel cloud in Cherokee County, Alabama near the Weis Lake Music Park.  Authorities in Floyd County were preparing for the strong storms as they moved through that area.  Shoppers at Wal Mart in West Rome were held in the back of the store as the strong storms moved over the area.

Tune in to AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio on Wednesday morning for more updates on the severe weather moving through the area.

The Chattooga County Grand Jury handed down an indictment on Monday against Michael Bright.  Bright is charged with the 2007 murder of a Trion man.  According to reports at the time of the murder, Bright allegedly drove by the Harris residence on Halls Valley Road and shot Richard Shawn Harris with a small caliber handgun.  The Chattooga County Grand Jury has indicted Bright for malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault. 

Representative Barbara Massey Reece, D- Menlo, told AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio that there are sure to be some tough decisions to be made in the upcoming legislative session.  Reece stated that it would not be a good time for the supporters of vouchers for private schools to try to bring up that issue with the state education budget in such a shortfall.

Reece, who opposes vouchers, said that the proponents of giving public education dollars to private schools would have a tough sale.  Reece also said that school districts across the state are looking for ways to help overcome the shortage of money flowing from the state.  While there may be no other alternative for many school districts, the possibility remains that larger class sizes may have to be allowed during the budget shortfall.

Representative Reece  serves on the Education Committee where she served as vice-chair and is currently vice-chair of the Education Support Sub-committee.

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