U.S. 41 in Bartow County will be closed at the bridges over the Ga. 293 and CSX railroad tracks starting next Monday night.

The right lane of U.S. 41 north and southbound at these locations will be closed every night from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., to allow for work on repairing the bridge beams. The bridge beam repair is expected to take 6-8 days to complete. This bridge work and the lane closures it necessitates are weather permitting and subject to change.

“Georgia DOT wants to constrict traffic flow in this area as little as possible, but delays at times are almost unavoidable,” said Kent Sager, district engineer at the DOT office in Cartersville. “We have made every effort to minimize the impact this bridge repair may have on the heavy traffic on U.S. 41 in Bartow County.”

Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters recently approved a county expenditure of $7,500 for The Well in Chattooga County.

The Well is an emergency shelter for battered women – the only facility of its kind in Chattooga County.  Commissioner Winters told AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio that money from local government will allow the non-profit shelter to apply for several different grants that they would have not benn eligible for without local governmental support.

The Well opened in 2003 and actually serves residents of Chattooga, Walker, Dade, Catoosa and Floyd counties.  The organization has been strapped for cash in the past and while the $7,500 expenditure won’t meet all of their needs it is a start in allowing the organization to apply for more funds.

 A minor earth quake hit LaFayette on Tuesday morning.  According to information from the US Geological Survey, the small 2.6 magnitude earthquake’s epicenter was in downtown LaFayette in the area of Culberson Avenue.  The earthquake was located about 3.2 miles below the surface of the earth.  Some residents in LaFayette reportedly heard a "booming" sound when the small earthquake hit.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
149 PM EST TUE JAN 5 2010

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>073-078-079-
061100-
DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS-
CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW-
CHEROKEE-FORSYTH-HALL-BANKS-JACKSON-MADISON-POLK-PAULDING-COBB-
NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-
HARALSON-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON-
NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-
SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM-HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP-
MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES-BALDWIN-HARRIS-TALBOT-
149 PM EST TUE JAN 5 2010

…WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT…

A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH GEORGIA ON THURSDAY USHERING
ANOTHER ROUND OF ARCTIC AIR INTO GEORGIA. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE
IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF
MEXICO…AND MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF COAST STATES. MOISTURE
FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL SPREAD ACROSS GEORGIA ALONG AND AHEAD
OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. WITH COLD AIR REMAINING IN PLACE…
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL IN THE FORM OF SNOW…SLEET…
AND FREEZING RAIN. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA…IN
THE FORM OF LIGHT SNOW. PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD BE COLD
ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ALL SNOW NORTH OF A LINE FROM LA GRANGE TO
FORSYTH TO WARRENTON. SOUTH OF THIS LINE A MIXTURE OF
SNOW…SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE PRECIPITATION
SHOULD FALL PRIMARILY IN THE FORM OF RAIN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
COLUMBUS TO MACON TO LOUISVILLE.

ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF A LA GRANGE
TO FORSYTH TO WARRENTON LINE. PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS ARE THAT
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE NORTH
OF THIS LINE…WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE IN THE
MOUNTAINS. SOUTH OF THIS LINE…ANY WINTRY PRECIPITATION THAT
FALLS IS NOT EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE SIGNIFICANTLY. THE EXACT PATH
OF THE SURFACE LOW THAT DEVELOPS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO…AND THE
AMOUNT OF MOISTURE RETURN ACROSS GEORGIA WILL AFFECT THE EXPECTED
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. IF THE LOW REMAINS NEAR THE GULF COAST…LIGHTER
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED. IF THE LOW TRACKS INLAND ACROSS
SOUTHERN GEORGIA… HEAVIER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE POSSIBLE. THE
MAJORITY OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD COME TO AND END ACROSS NORTH
AND CENTRAL GEORGIA BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING…ALTHOUGH FLURRIES OR
LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER IN THE NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS
THROUGH LATE FRIDAY MORNING.

RESIDENTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE
DEVELOPING WINTER WEATHER SITUATION AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IF A WINTER STORM WATCH OR WINTER WEATHER ADVISERY IS ISSUED.

The National Weather Service has updated the extended forecast for Chattooga County and the chance for snow on Thursday has now increased to 80%

CLICK HEADLINE FOR FORECAST FROM NOAA

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MACON – Georgia Farm Bureau will award a total of $14,250 in scholarships to ten high school seniors who plan to pursue a college degree in agriculture, family and consumer sciences, or a related field, Wayne Hurley, Chattooga County Farm Bureau president, recently announced. The top three students will each receive a scholarship of $3,000. The remaining seven students will each receive a $750 scholarship. Students are eligible to submit an application if they, a parent or legal guardian were a member of Georgia Farm Bureau as of September 1, 2009. The scholarships are sponsored by the Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in cooperation with the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.

            Applicants must plan to enter a unit of the University System of Georgia or Berry College during the 2010-2011 academic year to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. All applications must be submitted to the Chattooga Farm Bureau Office by Friday, February 19, 2010.

“I would like to encourage any of our local high school seniors who are planning to pursue a degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field to consider applying for the Farm Bureau Scholarship,” said Wayne Hurley,  Chattooga County Farm Bureau president.

Please contact the Chattooga County Farm Bureau office at 706-857-3214 for more information about the scholarship program or to obtain an application. You may also download a copy of the application by going to www.gfb.org and selecting GFB Programs, then Ag in the Classroom. The application includes a list of all the University System of Georgia Institutions students may attend to qualify for the scholarship and examples of qualifying majors. All scholarship applications must be approved and signed by the Farm Bureau president of the county where Farm Bureau membership is held before being submitted to the Georgia Farm Bureau home office.

            “Farm Bureau welcomes the opportunity to assist our state’s future agriculture leaders in continuing their education,” said Nanette Bryan, Chattooga County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chairman.

The scholarship recipients will be announced in May 2010. The scholarships will be distributed in the summer of 2010 after the recipients provide confirmation of their enrollment in a college/university and their major area of study.

            Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.         

A Floyd County business discovered that a heavy-duty trailer and some equipment had been stolen over the weekend.

According to Floyd County police reports:

Owners of a roofing and metal works company in the 3000 block of Rockmart Road discovered that sometime on Friday or Saturday, an unknown person apparently entered the property and stole a Horton cargo trailer with some equipment inside.

The trailer was described as a black 7-by-14-foot trailer with double rear doors. The trailer was valued at $4,500.

The equipment inside included a Barracuda gutter machine, along with miscellaneous roofing tools and supplies. The value of all the items inside, along with the trailer, was listed at more than $14,500.

Police are continuing to investigate the theft.

RNT

Jimmy Ray Bailey, age 42 of Summerville, Charged with Suspended Registration, No Insurance, Driving with Suspended / Revoked License

Danny Kieth Pickard, age 34 of Summerville, Charged with Failure to Appear

Michael Patrick Morton, age 45 of Buchanan, GA., Charged with VGCSA – Possession of Schedule IV Drug, Schedule II Drug (Codine) Schedule II Drug (Oxycodone), Schedule II Drug (Percocet), Drugs to be Kept in Original Container, Open Container, Failure to Maintain Single Lane, DUI / Drugs

Larry Joe Barnette, age 26 of Trion, Charged with Probation Violation

Scottie Latell Brown, age 47 of Trion, Charged with Weekend Superior Court Sentence

Valerie Jean Hawkins, age 46 of Summerville, Charged with Failure to Appear

Katharine Anne Kerce, age 23 of Summerville, Charged with VGCSA – Possession of Schedule IV Drug, Possession of Marijuana

Youth interested in the outdoors can test their knowledge, demonstrate their skills and win various prizes at the state’s second annual Hunter Education Skills Challenge on Jan. 16 in Walton County. This is the second statewide event for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division’s Hunter Education Skills Challenge program. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat., Jan. 16 at the division’s dove field in Walton County, just adjacent to the Wildlife Resources Conservation Center, located at 2065 U.S. Highway 278, SE in Social Circle. 

Open to all hunter education-certified youth, 18 years of age and younger, the challenge aims to test participants’ abilities in six outdoor components: archery, air rifle, a safety trail challenge, orienteering, wildlife identification and a responsibility exam.

“The program itself is similar to a ‘graduate studies’ course for hunter education students,” explains Jennifer Pittman, Wildlife Resources Division’s shooting sports coordinator. “Each component of the program simulates realistic conditions in an effort to reinforce and test a young hunter’s skills.”

Participants receive scores for each component with a maximum total score of 500. The competition includes two age divisions – Junior (ages 14 and younger) and Senior (ages 15-18).

The January state challenge kicks off a series of local challenges to be held throughout the state in 2010. Upcoming events will be highlighted on the division’s Web site, www.georgiawildlife.com, under the “Education” tab. Also visit the Web site for practice tests and program information or call (770) 761.1698