Two pregnant women were among those involved in a two-car wreck on Shorter Avenue that sent four to the hospital Thursday evening, according to Rome police.

According to Pfc. Joel Wooten:

A preliminary investigation determined that a white Pontiac Aztek pulled out of Williamson Street onto Shorter around 6:30 p.m. when it was struck by a gold Toyota Camry traveling east on Shorter.

The driver of the Camry, Shannon Marie Johnson, of Summerville, along with the female driver of the Aztek and two male passengers were taken to Floyd Medical Center for treatment.

Wooten said that a third car not directly involved in the incident received damage from some of the debris from the wreck.

A Cedar Bluff man was injured Monday afternoon, after his motorcycle collided with a car at the Blanche Crossroads. According to Alabama State Trooper reports the accident took place at 1:10pm at the intersection of Alabama Highway 35 and Highway 273. The driver of the 1995 Honda Motorcycle, identified as 66 year old Ray Davis of Cedar Bluff, was air-lifted from the scene to an undisclosed hospital. No information has yet been made available, regarding the extent of his injuries. The driver of the 2008 Buick LaCrosse – Gaylesville resident Judy Hartline  was unhurt in the crash. The Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, Alabama State Troopers, and the Gaylesville and Broom-town Fire Departments all responded to the scene. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Redmond Regional Medical Center is again partnering with the City of Rome and the Coosa River Basin Initiative to drive the `Clean Rivers for Rome` program to provide a drop-off location for the proper disposal of unused, expired prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. The event will be held on April 27, from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. outside of Redmond Regional Medical Center.

`Proper and timely disposal of medication is extremely important,` says Dustin Smith, Pharmacy Director at Redmond. `Not only is proper disposal an environment issue, keeping unneeded medications around the home is also dangerous, especially in situations where children could access them.`

 Bartow County officials urge motorists and sight-seers to please avoid the area around Plant Bowen near Euharlee.

“No life-threatening injuries and no fatalities have been reported following an explosion late this afternoon at the Georgia Power Company facility,” according to Bartow County Acting Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Craig Millsap. 

“Minor injuries have been reported, an accountability check of personnel is complete, and there is no immediate threat to the area surrounding Covered Bridge Road, off Georgia Highway 113,” he adds.

Acting Director Millsap says additional information will be provided by Georgia Power Company.

The following information lines have been opened:

_ For families inquiring about relatives employed at Plant Bowen, call 706-266-9902.

A source at Plant Bowen has confirmed there was a large-scale explosion at the facility. The cause remains unknown but the source says the explosion took place on the tripper floor, which is where coal enters the building from the outside.

There are no injury reports at this time. Bartow County Coroner Joel Guyton has not received information about any deaths at Plant Bowen resulting from the explosion to this point.

The Bartow County Sheriff's Department has issued a statement asking all residents to avoid the area as security is not allowing unauthorized personnel near the facility. Covered Bridge Road/Plant Bowen and area roads are CLOSED until further notice.

Listed on the April 4 Arrest Report at the Chattooga County Jail are:

William Lamar Ballenger — Simple Battery/FVA

Michael David Eller — Failure to appear

Earnest Lavon Flowers — Weekender 24 hours

Garth Anthony Gentry — VGCSA/ Possession of methamphetamine; VGCSA/ Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute

Teya Sharea Hedgecoth — VGCSA/ Sale of methamphetamine; Failure to appear

Jeran Scott Lawrence — Disorderly Conduct

Shanese Lamekian Lawrence — Disorderly Conduct 

A Chattooga County man tried to convince sheriff’s deputies that a woman he is alleged to have assaulted hit herself causing injuries to her face.  Sheriff’s deputies were summoned to a Walnut Street address in Summerville in relation to a domestic incident on Friday of last week in which thirty-six year old Lloyd Grasser claimed that a woman that lived at the same address had hit him with a box that contained his tattoo gun. 

Grasser met deputies outside the residence when they arrived and told them that he and the woman had been arguing and that she hit him with the box causing him injuries.  The deputy that responded noticed blood on Grasser’s clothing and hands.  When the deputy went inside the house he saw that the woman had injuries to her face.  The woman told deputies that Grasser had hit her in the face with his fist. 

The deputy called Redmond EMS and the woman was transported to the hospital in Rome because of the injuries to her face.  Grasser was booked into the Chattooga County jail. 

The argument between Grasser and the woman is said to have started over a card game.’

An accident on Taylors Ridge Wednesday morning is still under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.

Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader told AM1180 that a deputy had pulled over to assist a stranded motorist on Highway 27 going over Taylors Ridge.  The deputy had his blue lights on and was going to turn around and pull in behind the stranded vehicle.  As the deputy was turning around, Jame Burse of a Ben Mosley Circle, Summerville address approached the scene.  Burse attempted to switch lanes to avoid hitting the deputy.  When he did he over corrected and flipped the vehicle he was driving into the ditch.

Sheriff Schrader said that the deputy may have been at fault in the accident and is awaiting the report from the Georgia State Patrol.  Burse was conscious when he was pulled from his vehicle and transported by Redmond EMS to a Rome hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  Schrader said that Burse was able to give his account of the accident to the trooper before being transported to the hospital.

Police say that two men were involved in an attempted armed robbery Tuesday night in South Rome.

A man dressed all in black fired two shots at a store clerk at the Big H Food Store, 127 E. 12th St., as he was attempting to close the store around 10 p.m., police said.

According to police reports:

One bullet grazed the clerk's right thigh and the suspect ran to the back of the store where he met up with another man. They then both ran from the scene.

The subject that allegedly shot at the clerk was described as a skinny black male approximately 5-foot-7.

Both were dressed in all black, making it difficult for the clerk to give any further description of the men.

It’s the second time in less than a month that a store in that area has been robbed. 

On March 22, two men robbed the Big H Food Store on East Main Street. 

Two suspects escaped with almost $3,000 from the Big H, 29 E. Main St., after robbing a clerk with a knife, police said. No arrests have been made in that case.

The robbery happened about 11 p.m. The clerk was closing the business, and had walked over to the adjoining Big H Laundromat in the same building to clean before he left, said Rome police officer Nicholas Hovers shortly after the robbery. 

Two nights later, a man attempted to rob a Maple Avenue convenience store, according to a Rome police report. 

According to the report, a man walked into the One Shop Stop, 2017 Maple Ave., on March 24 and showed the clerk a gun in the waistband of his pants. 

He told the clerk, “I am going to rob you tonight. You are going to get hurt tonight.”

The man left the store without taking any money. The report did not indicate why he just left the store.