The Family Resource Agency of North Georgia Head Start/Early Head Start/Pre-K Program is accepting applications for two Early Head Start Teacher positions at the Chattooga Head Start/Early Head Start location. The start date will be determined later, and the positions are full-time at 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with no weekends, totaling 1,976 annual hours.
For generations of families in Chattooga County, Camp Hamby has been a summertime tradition where children learn, grow, and build friendships in a setting rooted in faith and community. Operated by local United Methodist Churches, the long-running day camp has served as a welcoming place for kids to explore their relationship with Jesus while enjoying a full schedule of classic camp activities.
A Chattooga County man has been arrested following an investigation into multiple fires reported at a vacant property on 228 Weems Road.
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Photo Credit: Education Week
Georgia lawmakers are considering extending a statewide ban on student personal devices to high schools, meaning today’s sophomores could face phone-free school days by their senior year. A ban covering kindergarten through middle school is already set to take effect next fall after passage last year, and the bill’s sponsor now wants to expand that policy to older students beginning in fall 2027.
The Georgia Department of Labor released new employment numbers Thursday showing continued improvement in Northwest Georgia’s job market. Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes said December saw more Georgians working and unemployment declining across every region of the state, adding that the focus in 2026 will remain on connecting workers to in-demand careers and helping businesses find the talent they need.
In Northwest Georgia, the unemployment rate fell eight-tenths of a percent over the month to 3.1 percent, down from 3.6 percent one year ago. The labor force increased by 885 over the month and by 3,180 over the year, reaching an all-time high of 459,957. Employment also reached a record high, rising by 4,207 over the month and 5,363 over the year to 445,548. Initial unemployment claims increased to 7,613, up 5,227 from the previous month and 568 higher than one year ago.
A Rome man who was originally arrested August 12 on a burglary charge is now facing a felony count of involuntary manslaughter. According to an arrest warrant, 52-year-old Anthony James Ponto was allegedly attempting to burglarize a home on East Hermitage Road in the Kingston area when he was confronted by 59-year-old John Richard Couey.
The warrant states a physical altercation occurred during the confrontation. After Ponto was arrested on the burglary charge, Couey reportedly suffered a medical event and later died. The new involuntary manslaughter charge has been filed in connection with the circumstances surrounding Couey’s death.
Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries is inviting the community to start 2026 by giving back, with new volunteer opportunities now available during the week and select weekends. Executive Director Lindsey Kilby says individuals can sign up online at hungerministries dot org, making it easy for people to choose available times and get involved.
Kilby adds that weekend volunteer slots are especially geared toward groups of six or more who can commit at least an hour and a half of service. Along with volunteer help, the nonprofit is also asking for donations, with details available on the organization’s website.
Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries serves low-income families, seniors, and children facing food insecurity in Floyd, Chattooga, and Polk Counties. The organization says its mission is to help break the cycle of poverty by meeting basic needs through hunger relief.
Capitol Beat News Service contributed to this story
A proposed amendment to the Georgia Constitution could eliminate sales taxes on timber, a move supporters say would help stabilize a forestry industry that has been hammered by mill closures and storm damage. House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration of Mulberry is sponsoring House Resolution 1000, saying the bipartisan effort is meant to protect what he called a cornerstone of Georgia’s rural economy.
MRS. JUDY GALE CARTER, age 80, of Menlo, Georgia, passed away Wednesday evening, January 28, 2026, in a Rome hospital. Native to Summerville, Georgia, She was born to the late James and Evelyn Warren Bryan on November 21, 1945. Mrs. Carter was retired from the sort and grind department of Mohawk Industries. In addition to Parents, She was preceded in death by sons, the late George Carter, Jr., and the late Thomas Britt Carter; sister, the late Brenda Crowe; brothers, the late Jimmy Bryan, Ronnie Bryan, and Michael Bryan.
Surviving are Her husband, George (Gene) Carter; daughters, Lisa Cordell and Jill Spears; son, James Carter; grandchildren, Stephanie Morgan, Crystal Wade, Dalton Bonanno, Blake Bonanno, Tori Patterson, Amber Lemming, Dillon Carter, Bailee Carter, Emma Patterson Carter, and Gracie Patterson Carter; Eight Great Grandchildren, Nieces, and Nephews also survive.
Memorial service will be held Sunday, February 1st, at 2:00 P.M. from the J. D. Hill Memorial Chapel of Earle Rainwater Funeral Home with Paston Sammy Barrett officiating.
Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in charge of arrangements for Mrs. Judy Gale Carter who passed away Wednesday evening.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Thursday, January 29, 2026:
