At approximately 9:30 PM (Alabama Time) on Sunday, Cherokee County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a call on County Road 865 in Gaylesville requesting emergency aid, in regard to an accidental discharge of a gun resulting in injuries. County Road 865 is located between Gaylesville and Little River Canyon off of Highway 35 about eight miles south of Menlo.
Deputies and investigators arrived at the residence to find both parents hurt and an eleven year old child fatally injured. According to information in a news release from Sheriff Jeff Shaver, the father was apparently cleaning a handgun when it discharged – with the bullet going through his hand, then striking the eleven year old who was sitting on the couch, and then striking the mother in the elbow.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Jeremy Deaton – while the parents were transported for medical treatment for their injuries.
The case remains under investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Major Crimes Unit.
Officers from DeKalb County and first responders were on the scene as well.
Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) career centers in the areas included in Gov. Nathan Deal’s State of Emergency for Disaster Preparedness declaration will be closed tomorrow, Monday Feb. 16. The declaration is because of the possibility of extreme winter conditions in the affected 15-county area.
The career centers in the affected area are: the Blue Ridge Career Center, the Dalton Career Center, the Habersham Career Center in Cornelia, and the Lafayette Career Center.
Meanwhile, all GDOL employees who live in the 15-county area should not report to work Monday, whether their office is in the affected area or not.
The 15 counties covered under Deal’s declaration are: Catoosa, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Union, Walker, White and Whitfield.
The career centers will reopen when weather permits for the safety of GDOL customers and employees. The public is encouraged to monitor the GDOL web site at www.gdol.ga.gov for continuous updates on schedules for career centers and other offices.
The Georgia State Patrol has issued charges against a teenager involved in a tragic accident on June 23, 2014. Four year-old Alexis Evans was killed near her residence on Orchard Hill Road when she was struck by a car driven by Haley Madsion Lloyd. This past week charges were filed against the teen that included vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident, according to Chattooga County Jail reports.
Also this past week Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters said that changes are being on Orchard Hill Road. Commissioner Winters asked Sheriff Mark Schrader and the Georgia State Patrol to make recommendations about the safety of the road. In a letter written to the commissioner in January of this year and released to the media last week, law enforcement recommended the following:
– Reduce the speed limit to 35 MPH on Orchard Hill Road between Martin Dairy Road and Hair Lake Road
– Create a three-way stop at Denson Road and Orchard Hill Road
– Place a "stop sign ahead" sign on approach to Denson Road and Orchard Hill Road in both directions
Commissioner Winters said that the changes are expected to be in place by March 1st of this year.
The Chattooga County Environmental Health Department had no food service scores to report for the first half of February. If you should ever have any complaint about any food service or tourist accommodation that operates in Chattooga County you can register that complaint with the Chattooga County Health Department by calling 706-857-3377.
Lookout Mountain Community Services will be closed on Monday due to the threat of winter weather.