Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton is reminding residents that about 1,900 parcels remain unpaid for 2025 property taxes that were due December 10, 2025. Hampton says delinquent letters will be mailed out this week and encourages anyone who may have missed a bill to make payment soon to avoid added costs.
Flu activity across the United States is beginning to decline, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but emergency room visits among school-aged children are increasing.
Georgia Highlands College has signed a new agreement with the University of West Georgia that allows students to be enrolled at both institutions at the same time, creating an easier transfer process and guaranteeing admission to UWG for qualified students.
Drivers across Georgia are seeing slightly higher prices at the pump as severe winter weather continues to disrupt energy production nationwide. The state average gas price rose six cents to $2.70 per gallon on Monday, with additional fluctuations possible in the days ahead.
Current prices are six cents higher than last week, the same as one month ago, and 26 cents lower than this time last year. For motorists filling up a standard 15-gallon tank, the average cost now comes in at approximately $40.50.
AAA says colder temperatures are playing a key role in the recent uptick. “Colder weather has pushed fuel costs up, leading to slightly higher gas prices across the state even though demand hasn’t changed,” said Montrae Waiters, spokesperson for AAA–The Auto Club Group. Officials are also urging drivers to limit travel until weather conditions improve and roads are safer.
Nationally, the average gas price also edged higher, increasing four cents to $2.86 per gallon. While winter weather kept many drivers off the roads, gasoline demand typically reaches its lowest levels this time of year, helping keep crude oil prices in the high-$50 to low-$60 range. Demand is expected to rise later in February and early March as warmer temperatures arrive and Spring Break travel begins.
Area gas price averages:
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating three individuals wanted in connection with the theft of three vehicles from a local car lot.
Chattooga County Scouts are inviting the community to take part in a drive-thru food drive as part of Scouting America’s annual “Scouting for Food” campaign. The event will be held Saturday, February 7, from 10:00 AM until 12:00 noon on Ralph Stanley Drive in Summerville.
Cub Scout Pack 38 and Scouts BSA Troop 7 will be on site to collect nonperishable food donations. Residents are encouraged to simply drive through and drop off items without leaving their vehicles. Most-needed items include canned vegetables and fruit, canned meats such as tuna or chicken, peanut butter, pasta and pasta sauce, rice, cereal, boxed meals, and shelf-stable soups.
All donations will benefit the Chattooga Resource Center, helping provide food assistance to local families in need. Organizers say every donation makes a difference and thank the community for its continued support.
North Georgia EMC sent line crews to help restore power in other areas after Winter Storm Fern, using the mutual-aid network that electric cooperatives rely on when storms cause widespread damage. NGEMC said it has both provided and received assistance through this system in past emergencies.
After it became clear NGEMC’s service area missed the worst impacts of the storm, three NGEMC crews were dispatched Sunday to regions hit much harder. One crew assisted Amicalola EMC on Sunday before continuing on to Habersham EMC in northeast Georgia on Monday, January 26. Two additional crews traveled north to support Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative in Tennessee.
NGEMC asked residents to keep storm victims and the crews working long hours in their thoughts as recovery continued. North Georgia EMC serves 3,614 members in Chattooga County.
State Rep. Eddie Lumsden, a Republican from Armuchee, who represents Chattooga County and part of Floyd County, says the second week of the Georgia legislative session focused on “budget week,” as lawmakers reviewed Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposals for the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget and the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Lumsden highlighted a proposed one-time $1 billion tax rebate, a $2,000 supplement for state employees and school personnel, investments in rural economic development and timber industry recovery, increased funding for higher education and HOPE scholarships, and the creation of the state’s first need-based aid program through the DREAMS scholarship. He also noted funding for behavioral health housing support, public safety, transportation projects, and workforce development, along with updates on Georgia’s revenue outlook and preparations for winter weather, including a statewide State of Emergency. Lumsden said budget subcommittees will continue their work in the coming weeks and encouraged constituents to stay informed and engaged. See his complete report below:
Mrs. Lanie Webb Wilson, age 59 of Summerville, Georgia passed away Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at her residence.
Lanie was born in Rome, Georgia on February 15, 1966, daughter of Cheri Crane Parker and the late Lewis Wilson. She was a graduate of Trion High School and was employed with Master Cuts as a cosmetologist. In addition to her father, Lanie was preceded in death by a brother, James Wilson.
Lanie is survived by a son, James Webb; daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Castro and Maurice Guffey; mother and step-father, Cheri and Jackie Parker; brother and sister-in-law, Jeff “Fro” and Christie Wilson; step-brothers, Jackie Parker and Leslie Parker; grandchildren, James Webb and Paisley Webb; and nieces and nephews, Tyler and Brooke Wilson, Kristen and Andy Pangle and Matthew Wilson.
Funeral Services for Lanie will be held Friday, January 30, 2026 at 1:00 P.M. in the Chapel of the Coffman Funeral Home with Dr. Brannon Martin officiating. Interment will follow in the West Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers will include Jeff “Fro” Wilson, Tyler Wilson, Matthew Wilson and Maurice Guffey.
Lanie’s family will receive friends Friday morning from 11:00 A.M. until the funeral hour.
Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory is honored to be serving the family of Mrs. Lanie Webb Wilson.
Please visit www.coffmanfh.net to sign our online guestbook and post condolences.
Georgia State Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash Monday night involving a City of Summerville backhoe and a Dodge Ram truck on Highway 27 (Georgia 1) just north of the Chattooga River bridge.
