A Chattooga County officer was serving a warrant on Wednesday, September 3rd on James Street when he made a discovery.

Mr. William Ragland had a warrant for his arrest. When an officer traveled to his home, he searched Mr. Ragland. He found a Marlboro box in his pants pocket, and Mr. Ragland told the officer that there was marijuana inside of the box. Upon opening the box, the officer found a plastic bag with a green leafy substance.

Mr. Ragland was placed under arrest and taken to the Chattooga County Jail. 

A Rome religious group wants to inform the community about how to reach out and help families in need. 

The Faith Coalition for Families is hosting a community seminar Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon in the Wilder Center at Rome First United Methodist Church, 202 E. Third Ave.

Anyone interested in attending should RSVP tommm@mauerhome.com or call 706-506-9608.

IF YOU GO

What: Faith Coalition for Families meeting

Where: Rome First UMC, 202 E. Third Ave.

When: Wednesday,

10 a.m. to noon

RSVP: 706-506-9608 

Chick-fil-a's Rome Dwarf House remembers its beloved founder after his death.

Truett Cathy's death this week sparked a sense of loyalty for regular Chick-fil-a customers, who traveled to their closest restaurant to support the franchise during the loss of the 93-year-old founder. 

Cathy also played a part in the WinShape Foundation, which hosts a camp on Berry College's campus in Rome.

The founder is survived by several family members that continue to support the positive acts that Chick-fil-a will continue to fund. 

A woman was gunned down in Chattanooga, TN early Sunday morning on Market Street.

Some witnesses were able to confirm that they heard gunfire at 2:30 am. When they went to investigate the origin, they discovered the body of a young woman in the road. Two other victims of gunshots were treated at a nearby hospital.

The shooting resulted as the 22nd homicide in Chattanooga and the 15th person killed by gunfire in the city. 

Walker County's Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell proposed a budget for the upcoming year that did not leave Walker County residents happy.

Residents were against the Commissioner's proposition to raise property taxes for the year of 2015. Since there have not been any increases for the past few years, residents do not feel like it is a necessity.

Ms. Heiskell's reasoning for the increase is that one of the county's mills is not performing at the same success rate as before, so a tax increase would help the county play "catch up" for the difference. 

Commissioner Heiskell plans to raise the tax around 12 percent.

 “There’s a lot of research that shows that when calves get sick with scours within the first 2-3 weeks after birth, it will greatly affect performance and morbidity levels,” says Dr. Lance Kurz of Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Nebraska. “When the weather changes, we’ll start seeing some pneumonia in these young calves. Calves that receive adequate immune protection are better able to fight off diseases, like pneumonia, and keep growing. It all ties back to what kind of colostrum and the amount of immune protection a calf received at birth.” 

Dr. Kurz recommends these five key management practices to jump-start your calves this calving season:

1) Provide good nutrition for the cow: Healthy calves start with properly conditioned cows that are fed a high nutrient diet. Cows in proper condition will get off to a better start and will be better able to nourish their calves throughout the season.

2) Booster colostrum: Protecting the calf’s immune system is of utmost importance. Many factors can impact colostrum quality and intake, so supplementing with a USDA-approved antibody product like First Defense® will ensure that your calves have the immediate protection they need.

3) Calve in a clean area: During peak calving season, it’s not uncommon for multiple cows to be calving at once in the same area. The last thing you want is for that newborn calf to fall face-first into an environment filled with bacteria and pathogens. Keep the calving area as clean as possible to limit exposure to harmful pathogens.

4) Ensure the calf receives colostrum and supplements before intestinal closure: A calf’s ability to absorb antibodies starts to decrease almost immediately and is done by 24 hours old. Provide your calves with colostrum and supplements as soon as possible after birth to provide immediate protection.

5) Move calves from calving area as soon as possible: Calving areas, when not carefully managed, can be a hotbed of damp, unclean bedding. Move your calves to a clean, dry area with adequate protection from wind as soon as possible after birth.

 Peanut growers have a new tool to help them figure out their base acreage and payment yields under the 2014 Farm Bill.

 The Preliminary Base Acreage and Payment Yields Decision Calculator, which was created by the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness, launched the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City, Fla. this week. The annual conference brings growers from across the Southeast for three days of educational sessions focusing on production, research, marketing, industry issues and legislative issues.

The NCPC developed the calculator to assist producers in developing farm strategies and decisions based on their individual needs. The calculator is available for download on the Georgia Peanut Commission’s website, www.gapeanuts.com. 

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SCHOOL

                        Dates:                         October 11 – 13, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

                        Classroom Work:      Calhoun, Georgia, Stockyards Indoor Sale Arena

                        Cow Practice:            Calhoun Stockyards holding pens

The ABS Global AI Management School offers students the opportunity to learn AI techniques and herd management under skilled supervision.  The curriculum includes Anatomy and Reproduction; Reproduction and Fertility; Heat Detection; Nutrition; Principles of Genetics and Sire Selection; Herd Management Success; Proper Semen Placement; and Insemination Practice.  Also, Synchronization of Beef Cattle and Planned Breeding of Dairy Heifers will be introduced.  This is a comprehensive course consisting of 24 hours of instruction: 14 hours in the classroom and 10 hours in lab working with cattle.

REGISTRATION FEE:  $350.  This covers the cost of supplies and practice cows used at the school.  This program is limited to 15 students in order to insure as much one-to-one help during practice as possible.  Therefore, registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Complete this form and return it with a check for $350 payable to:

                                    Allen Southard      (678) 617-2945 

                                    5040 Hwy. 52                                                        

                                    Gillsville, GA 30543                                              

OR contact James Umphrey at james.umphrey@genusplc.com.

Special note:  Due to current cattle prices and limited availability of cows, we must have all forms and fees to Allen Southard by October 1, 2014.

Please contact the Cooperative Extension Office at (706) 857-0744 to register. 

Extension specialists were able to display the key differences in soil at various workshops by using old underwear.

Throughout the workshops this past summer, specialists displayed the effects of cotton in carbon-rich soil versus soil low in carbon.

The soil low in carbon would eat away at the old underwear, leaving only the waistband behind, while the underwear left in the carbon-rich soil would hardly seem affected.

The specialists warn about the dangers of overgrazing as well. If cows do not eat all of the grass in a pasture, it is not necessarily wasting, since the remaining grass is "feeding" organisms in the soil. 

Test your soil with old cotton or old underwear to see how carbon-rich your soil is.