Chattooga County Emergency workers responded to an accident on Sunday evening around 7:35 PM near 361 Edmondson Street in Summerville. According to radio reports from local law enforcement it appeared that someone had run off the road and into a ditch. There were no injuries reported from the accident.
ATLANTA — Monday, Nov. 23, is the final day to apply for federal grants and low-interest disaster recovery loans related to September’s severe flooding in Georgia. Disaster recovery officials urge flood survivors to register for federal aid now, if they haven’t already.
“This is your last chance to seek federal help for September’s floods,” said Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Director Charley English. “Don’t wonder if you’re eligible. Register to find out for sure.”
Flood survivors can apply for federal help by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362); TTY: 800-462-7585. Phone lines are open Sunday and Monday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Help is available in all languages. Registrations also are accepted online until midnight Monday at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which are available to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes, also must be postmarked by Monday if returned by mail. Online loan applications will be accepted through the filing deadline of Monday,
Nov. 23, at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
Flood survivors who received a loan application from the SBA are strongly encouraged to fill it out and return it by Monday—even if they feel they can’t afford a loan. Returning the application continues the financial aid process. Homeowners and renters may be referred back to FEMA for further grant assistance.
To date, more than 27,000 families, individuals and businesses have registered with FEMA. More than $93 million in grants and low-interest loans have been provided.
“We want to provide every dollar of grant assistance flood survivors are eligible for,” said Gracia Szczech, head of FEMA flood recovery in Georgia. “Your first step is to call FEMA or go online to register, but you must do it by Monday.”
People with questions about disaster loans can call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or TTY: 800-877-8339 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit www.sba.gov.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation
Animal Advocates of Chattooga County is having their second annual tour of homes Sunday,
December 6th beginning at 12:30 at the historical Summerville Depot. A Home for the Holidays
is this year’s theme.
The tickets are available from AACC members, Gayler Insurance, and
Guffin and Eleam Insurance and are a $20.00 donation. Tickets can also be purchased the
day of the tour at the Depot along with a tour map. Refreshments will be served and
information about AACC will be available.
The Animal Advocates of Chattooga County is an all volunteer group that helps shelter pets
get a second chance through rescue groups all over the United States. They also have a low
cost spay and neuter program to offer chattooga county pet owners.
The group has starteda food bank program for pet owners in need. Volunteers help make pictures of shelter pets,post them on petfinder and other sites, aid rescue groups in choosing the pets for rescue,then transport the pets to the rescue’s desired location. Volunteers are needed to help kick off this coming year’s educational programs in the county’s schools.
The Chattooga County Health Department has released the following inspection scores for area restaurants:
Burger Shack – 81 , B (11/09/09)
Huddle House – 82 , A (11/16/09)
Kudzu – 69, U (10/30/09)
Percolator – 99, A (11/16/09)
Trion School Cafe – 91, A (11/10/09)
Should you have any complaints regarding any permitted food service operating in Chattooga County, please feel free to register that complaint with the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department by calling (706) 857-3377.
The Floyd County Police Department will be the lead agency in an internal investigation into the timeline of events and actions that occurred during a shooting incident last Tuesday that left one man dead, another hospitalized. 26-year-old Robert Timothy Spriggs has been charged with shooting and killing 46-year old John Gregory Davis at Davis’ home on Old Dalton Road at around 4:30pm. Spriggs then allegedly took Davis’ Chevy Blazer and drove to 127 East Clinton Drive where he shot and wounded 32-year-old Scott Sulsberger.
According to a statement from Floyd County, the Board of Commissioners and Manager’s Office received a complaint regarding the timeline and based on that complaint, the agencies involved requested that the internal investigation be conducted of the handling of the incident to make sure proper policies and procedures were followed. Floyd County Manager Kevin Poe then authorized the investigation. When the investigation is completed, Floyd County will review the finding of the investigation and make a determination as to whether additional action should be taken. If needed, outside agencies will be called in to assist.
WRGA
Raymond Phillip Cundiff – Pedestrian under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Rebecca Estelle Adams – Weekends/superior court sentenced
Alan Scott Holbrook – Simple Battery Family Violence Act
Douglas Ray Lance – Superior Court Probation Violation
Mrs. Ruth McKenzie, age 87 of Marsh Avenue, Trion, passed away Friday, November 20, 2009 in Oakview Nursing and Rehab Center. Mrs. McKenzie was born August 12, 1922 in Chattooga County, GA. She was retired from Riegel Textile Corporation and was a member of the Trion First Baptist Church.
Mrs. McKenzie was preceeded in death by her first husband, Gene Watson and her scoond husband, James Henry McKenzie; son, Richard Watson, father and mother, Homer and Jessie Williams Boyles; sister, Katie Ashe; brother, Reggie Boyles; and step-daughter, Rita Moore.
Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Pam and Charlie Miller of Cornelia, GA; son, Bradley E. Watson, Alabama; step-sons, Ronnie McKenzie of Atlanta, GA and Ritchie McKenzie of Athens, GA; number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and several neices and nephews also survived.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, November 24, at 2:00pm from the chapel of the Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home with Rev. Ron Pledger officiating. Interment will be in the Westh Hill Cemetary. Mrs. McKenzie will lie in state Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at the Erwin Petittl Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 12:00 to 2:00pm. Pallbearers will be family and friends. Honorary Pallbearers will be grandsons. Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for Mrs. Rugh McKenzie.
Shorter college announced plans to expand programs earlier this week. A Shorter spokesperson said there are a growing number of students that can look forward to more educational and athletic choices. This includes on-line courses, with a bachelor’s degree in sports management now available completely on-line. There is also a new nursing program in the final stages of installation and the football team has created a need for expanding facilities on campus. Also, the band program is growing. The Shorter spokesperson says the focus in education will remain as changes continue in preparation for the change from Shorter College to Shorter University in June of next year.
WRGA
Sexual assault charges filed against a former Model High School basketball coach have been dead docketed after coming up on the November trial calendar in Floyd County Superior Court.
Matthew Douglas Blanton was arrested in November 2008, accused of having consensual sexual contact with a student.
A June 2009 ruling in Chase v. State by the Georgia Supreme Court stated that a lower court erred in the trial of a Richmond County teacher charged with having sex with a student by not considering if the relationship was consensual.
While the charges are effectively dropped, said District Attorney Leigh Patterson, the court dead docketing the case means Blanton’s bail agreement of making no contact with the student remains.
Another coach, Daniel Lowell Brown, was also charged — his charges were dropped earlier.
Both ex-coaches accepted the Floyd County School superintendent’s recommendation for immediate termination and gave up rights to a due process hearing before the school board.
Rome News Tribune
Law enforcement officials say that a man killed in a wreck in Gordon County during a police chase Tuesday was a suspect in a robbery Monday of a Cedar Bluff, Ala., convenience store.
Bobby Spears, 39, of 28 Melody Lane, Rome, was killed Tuesday after a pursuit that ended in a head-on collision, according to Lt. Paul Cosper, a Georgia State Patrol information officer.
Spears was a suspect in a Monday night robbery of a convenience store in Cedar Bluff, Ala., according to Cedar Bluff Police Chief Steve Walden.
Walden told the Calhoun Times that a man fitting Spears’ description, and driving a similar vehicle, stole two moneybags containing an undisclosed amount of cash and checks from the Country Store on Ala. 9 North in Cedar Bluff. According to Gordon County Sheriff Mitch Ralston, checks written to the Country Store were recovered from Spears’ vehicle.
Chief Walden said he could not confirm if Spears was the culprit in the robbery until evidence was returned from Gordon County.
According to Ralston, the pursuit began when Spears was pulled over by a Calhoun police officer at around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
A sheriff’s deputy attempted to block the fleeing vehicle on East Line Street, where Spears left the roadway and drove across Fain Cemetery.
At the intersection of Ga. 156 and U.S. 411, Spears turned left, traveling north on U.S. 411, where a deputy sheriff pulled alongside the suspect vehicle in an attempt to stop it.
Spears drove his vehicle into the deputy’s car and then lost control, crossing into the path of an oncoming truck and camper. A head-on collision resulted in Spears being ejected from his automobile. The driver of the truck/camper was slightly injured.
“It blows your mind to think people believe they are going to elude officials, that they’re going to get away,” Ralston said.
Ralston said while it is a tragedy that Spears was killed, officers were within department guidelines in pursuing Spears.
“It is our job to protect citizens,” Ralston said. “He had every opportunity to pull over. This individual chose to do what he did.”
The collision is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol.
Rome News Tribune