Issued by The National Weather Service
Atlanta, GA
11:03 am EST, Sun., Jan. 24, 2010

… FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

* UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING

* A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AS IT MOVES EASTWARD THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH IN ADVANCE OF THIS STORM SYSTEM… PROVIDING THE FUEL FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE THIS EVENING.

* WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES… WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE… ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA BEGINNING THIS MORNING… SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

REMEMBER… A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT RAINFALL FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS TODAY. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

Listed as cited or arrested in the past 24 hours according to the docket records of the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Dept.: Heather Nicole Hines-25-Summerville-Possession of marijuana more than 1oz., possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of oxycodone, possession of clonazepam, possession of methylphenidate, possession of firearm or knife during crime, possession/use of drug related objects Adrian Agular Morales-19-Hope-Affixing tint to windows or windshields, driving without valid license Tyra Gabrielle Myers-21-Trion-Obstruction of an officer Olegario Daniel Vasqu Ramirez-23-Trion-Speeding, driving without valid license Thomas Laverne Black-53-Summerville-Disorderly conduct Samuel Jacob Blackmon-24-Summerville-Driving with suspended/revoked license Dustin Dewayne Earl Hines-24-Summerville-Possession of firearm or knife during crime, possession/use of drug related objects, possession of marijuana more than 1oz., possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession oxycodone, possession of methylphenidate, possession of clonazepam Kenneth Adano Mack-49-Summerville-D.U.I., Open container, improper backing Edward Henderson Smith-38-Summerville-Weekend Sentence Phillip Ray Teague-45-Summerville-Probation Violation Connie Louise Tidmore-31-Menlo-Probation Violation Jacob Ashmore Allen-17-Armuchee-Possession of marijuana less than 1oz., possession/use of drug related objects James Melvin Bentley-41-Lyerly-Open container, no proof of insurance, D.U.I., no tag, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to maintain single lane Brandon Chase Graves-18-Summerville-Possession of marijuana less than 1oz., possession/use of drug related objects William Blake Graves-17-Summerville-Possession of marijuana less than 1oz., possession/use of drug related objects 

Severe weather is no stranger to North and Central Georgia. Severe Weather Awareness Week is designed to provide information about the types of severe weather that affect Georgia, and what to do in the event that severe weather occurs.

The Town of Lyerly is planning a fundraiser on Saturday, February 6 in observance of Georgia’s Severe Weather Awareness Week. The newly installed tornado siren will be sounded so that Lyerly’s citizens will be able to recognize it in the event of an actual tornado.

In addititon to the Lyerly Volunteer Fire Department selling hotdogs and hamburgers from 10 am to 2 pm on that day, AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio will be broadcasting live from Lyerly from 10 AM until 1 PM with lots of information regarding emergency preparedness in severe weather situations.

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) is reporting that the state`s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate returned to 10.3% in December. That matchs the record high that took place in July.

Statewide, education and health services have added over 10,000 jobs while workers in the rest of the economy have suffered.

Coosa Valley News

Read more

An investigation conducted by the Cherokee County Narcotics Unit, resulted in the arrest of a Centre man on drug charges. The investigation was initiated after the Sheriff’s Office received several calls, regarding illegal drug activity.

The Narcotics Unit, along with Sheriff’s Office Investigators and Deputies, soon obtained enough information to arrest the suspect – and to conduct a search of both his vehicle and residence at 300 County Road 494 in Centre.

The individual was found to have in his possession a large quantity of narcotics, and also a large sum of cash.

31 year old James Michael Latty was placed under arrest just after 9:00pm on Wednesday and then transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center charged with the Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (Meth).

He currently remains lodged in the Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.

WEIS Radio

The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission is partnering on a multimillion-dollar grant application to expand broadband access in Floyd, Chattooga, Polk, Walker and Paulding counties.

Among the benefits: faster and more reliable Internet connections for homes and businesses.

Another $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for broadband was announced last week. The application deadline is March 15, with awards announced by Sept. 30.
Tentatively, NWGRC would own the network and a local fiber optic company such as Summerville-based Parker Systems LLC would manage it.

David Parker told the NWGRC at its monthly meeting Thursday that his company already has more than 80,000 miles of fiber optic cable in the region.

Parker was asked to work with the NWGRC’s telecommunications committee after the regional commission was approached with the partnership offer by Jerry Shearin, a principal in Blue Streak Cable & Telecommunications LLC and a former Paulding County commissioner.

The groundwork for the fiber optic plan was laid in 2008-2009 through a state-funded TechSmart needs-assessment done for Floyd, Chattooga, Polk and Walker counties.

Billy Croker, chairman of the NWGRC, created an oversight committee chaired by Catoosa County Commissioner Ken Marks to work with staffers and Blue Streak. Marks has scheduled the first meeting for 10 a.m. Wednesday.

RNT

Reservoirs above and below lakes Allatoona and Lanier are part of the solution to water woes in metro Atlanta and north Georgia, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal said Thursday, Jan. 21.

Deal, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, spoke to about 50 members of the 15-county Northwest Georgia Regional Commission during their monthly meeting in Rome.  Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters attended the meeting.

Deal told the elected officials and community leaders that he wants to establish a dialogue between the governor’s office and local governments.

He asked if their separate communities would be able to agree on shared road-construction packages, if legislation to fund transportation projects through regional sales taxes passes the Georgia General Assembly.

Deal also voiced concerns that state cost-cutting shifts the financial burdens to the local level.

Scaling back on funding for the state crime lab means defendants awaiting trial are held longer in county jails, he said, and cuts to mental health also end up mental health cuts also affect local sheriffs and courts.

Calhoun Times / AM 1180

A Chattooga County resident was arrested in Floyd County late last week and booked into the Floyd County Jail.  According to jail records from Floyd County: 

Fernando Sanchez, 22, of 211 Eleventh St. in Trion, was arrested Thursday at 1 p.m. by the Rome Police Department on a city court order for misdemeanor no license. ]

An agent with the Secret Service in Atlanta has filed a complaint in U.S. district court in Rome against a Spring Place man who is in the Murray County Jail on child pornography charges.

Albert Vernon Norton, 47, of 1178 Highway 225 S., Lot 56, was charged by the Murray County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 12 with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of manufacture of marijuana. The 16-page complaint states Norton “possessed and received child pornography,” charging him with that offense, and details how files containing child porn are shared between some online computer users.

An affidavit by agent Joey Ward with the Secret Service states the child porn Norton possessed and received depicted “the use of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” It details a “Gnutella network” that is used to trade digital files, including still images and movie files of child porn.