The monthly unemployment numbers have been released by the Georgia Department of Labor and they show a slight improvement for Chattooga County.  In the month of November unemployment stood at 11.8% in the county.  That number has now dropped to 11.2%. 

Chattooga County has seen double digit unemployment numbers for the past 12 months, once reaching the point to where Chattooga County had the second highest unemployment rate in the state.  Chattooga’s small population and work force means that only a slight change in new unemployment claims can cause the numbers to fluctuate up or down.

Reports indicate that the Summerville City Council may appoint a new city manager as soon as next Monday evening.  Two candidates are being considered for the position which was left open when former City Manager Grady McCalmon passed away last year.

The City Council in Summerville will be holding their regular monthly work session and monthly meeting next Monday, February 1st.

The selection of a Summerville City Manager has been narrowed to a former county manager and a city comprehensive planner, according to Mayor Joe Robert Norton.  The Candidates have been identified as Charles Madray and Russell Thompson.  Madray was county manager in Brantley County  and Thompson works for the City of Milledgeville.

Trion Police Chief Chad Spraggins

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A former Polk County deputy who pleaded guilty to mail fraud last year was sentenced to five years of probation in federal court Thursday.

Kenneth Lane Gravett, 43, of Cedartown, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, will serve the first 10 months of his probation confined to his home with electronic monitoring, per the order of Judge Robert L. Vining Jr., of U.S. District Court in Rome.

“I think this is the appropriate sanction for the offense,” Vining said. “I’ve taken into account that you were a police officer, and I think the greatest punishment is that you can no longer serve as a peace officer.”

According to information previously presented in court:

In 2008, Gravett fell behind on his loan payments for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and then on Dec. 3, 2008, falsely reported to the bike stolen from his garage.

Gravett reportedly used the insurance proceeds to pay off the delinquent loan and on Dec. 4, 2008, another co-conspirator sold the motorcycle to an FBI informant for $1,500.

He then reported the theft to his insurance carrier American Modern Select Insurance Company, mailing the fraudulent police report to the company, reportedly in order to obtain funds to pay off the motorcycle.

Gravett was ordered to pay back $12,517.02 and was ordered to immediately pay a special assessment of $100 to the government. Vining said if he could not pay the total amount to the insurance company for the fraudulent claim, he would have to pay it back in installments of $300 a month.

With his family sitting behind him, Gravett apologized to the court for his crime and admitted his wrongdoings.

“I’m working to make a better life for me and my kids,” he said.

The conditions of Gravett’s probation confine him to his home with exception to work, visiting a doctor, school, religious services, visiting his lawyer or making a court appearance. Gravett, who his lawyer said was also an avid hunter, was also advised he was not allowed to own or use firearms.

It is a felony for convicted felons to possess firearms.

RNT

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) reported today that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area rose to 11.0 percent in December, up one-tenth of one percentage point from a revised 10.9 percent in November. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed workers in the area increased by 485, from 44,459 in November to 44,944 in December.

In December 2008, there were 37,472 jobless workers in the Northwest Georgia area, when the unemployment rate was 8.9 percent.

Statewide, the number of payroll jobs in December 2009 was 3,859,800, a decrease of 175,000, or 4.3 percent, from 4,034,800 in December of 2008. The over-the-year losses came in trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, construction, and professional and business services. On a positive note, educational and health services added 11,200 jobs over the year.

Meanwhile, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 10.3 percent in December, matching the record high reported last July. The jobless rate was up two-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 10.1 percent in November. The rate was up 2.8 percentage points from 7.5 percent at this same time last year. The national adjusted unemployment rate is 10.0 percent. For 25 of the last 26 months, Georgia’s unemployment rate has exceeded the national unemployment rate. And, since the recession began in December 2007, Georgia’s workforce has shrunk by 121,257, or 2.5 percent, from 4,823,467 to 4,702,210.

The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us

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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Walker County and Dade County.  Chattooga County is not included in the watch area:

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
459 AM EST THU JAN 28 2010

…WINTER STORM TO IMPACT NORTH GEORGIA FROM FRIDAY EVENING INTO
SATURDAY…

.A DEVELOPING WINTER STORM OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL TRACK
EAST ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY REACHING THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON FRIDAY.
RAIN…POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SNOW AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS…WILL
DEVELOP ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA ON FRIDAY…WITH TEMPERATURES COOLING
TO AROUND FREEZING FRIDAY EVENING. THIS WILL LEAD TO A MIX OF
SNOW…SLEET…AND FREEZING RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR NORTH INTO
NORTHEAST GEORGIA FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY.

Wednesday February 3rd – Mayor Jessica Eller from Lyerly to talk about Severe Weather Awareness Day

Friday February 5th – David Tidmore from the Chattooga County Chamber of Commerce to talk about upcoming annual meeting.

Wednesday February 10th – Fredda McCrickard from "The Well"

Wednesday February 17th – Chattooga County Extension Agent Rebecca Thomas to talk about Spring Gardens

Wednesday February 24th – Commissioner Jason Winters

Be sure to join us for these interviews at 8:15 AM on AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio.  If you have questions for any of our guests, please let us know.  We will be happy to pass the questions along to them.