A benefit singing will be held Saturday night (Nov. 17) at the Armuchee Valley Community Center at Villanow. Singers include the Gospel Soul Seekers, Forgiven, and Right Path. There also will be chili and soup, and a cake auction. All proceeds will go to the medical expenses of the Beason family. The singing is from 6-9 p.m. at the Villanow Community Center on Highway 136. 

The Walker County Foster and Adoptive Parents Association will host a Harvest Jubilee at the Walker County Ag Center Saturday (Nov. 17). Singers include Chris McDaniel, Vince Stalling, Steve and the Next of Kin, and the Cowboy Church Dancers. There will be inflatables for children, a karaoke competition and food vendors. It's from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. November 17, at the Walker County Ag Center, behind the Civic Center at Rock Spring.  

Special programs will be held at the Lookout Mountain Battlefield this weekend commemorating the 149th Anniversary of the Civil War Battle Above the Clouds. The Point Park Visitor's Center will be open today (Nov. 17) and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be Confederate artillery and infantry demonstrations, guided tours, and history talks. For more information call the Point Park Visitor's Center at 423-821-7786.

Listed on the November 16 Arrest Report at the Chattooga County Jail are:

John Andrew Freeman, Valley Head, Al — Failure to Appear

Christy Corene Hogue, Summerville — Theft by Taking; VGCSA/Possession Schedule II Substance; Unauthorized Distribution of Controlled Substance/Ficticious Registration

Billy Ray Watkins, Summerville — Court Production Order

Jermiah William Glenn, Lyerly — Simple Battery; Disorderly Conduct; Public Drunkeness

Margie Lavon Kellar, Trion — Deposit Account Fraud

The Georgia Department of Labor has announced  that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted 

unemployment rate declined to 8.7 percent in October, down three-tenths of a percentage point 

from 9.0 percent in September. The jobless rate was 9.7 percent in October a year ago. 
 
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says, “The unemployment rate dropped because we had an increase of 36,000 new jobs, which is the

 largest September to October job increase ever.” 

That job growth pushed the number of jobs in October to the highest level in any month since 

December of 2008.”
 
There were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up nine-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,935,700 in

 September. The growth came in retail trade, up 8,000; education and health care, up 7,000; 

professional and business services, up 6,000; state and local public schools, up 5,000; leisure

 and hospitality, up 3,000; technology, up 2,400; construction, up 1,700; financial services, up

 900; and manufacturing, up 700. 
 
Butler added, “While manufacturing gained 700 jobs during the month, it’s more important to note that the in

dustry has gained 10,500 jobs in the last year." 
 
Georgia gained 68,000 jobs, or 1.7 percent, from 3,903,700 in October 2011. Additional growth

 sectors over the year include: professional and business services, up 25,500; retail trade, up

 14,000; education and health care, up 13,000; food services and drinking establishments, up 

9,400; and technology, up 3,600.  
 
Georgia’s labor force continued to increase, climbing to 4,793,540 in October, up by 17,438, or 

four-tenths of a percentage point, from 4,776,102 in September.  The state’s workforce totaled

 4,734,487 in October 2011.   
 
Butler said, "Our labor force has grown consistently over the past year, indicating that Georgians are more 

optimistic about finding a job, and fortunately, we’ve had the job growth necessary to put these

 people to work.” 

  
The number of initial claims rose 11,931 to 51,495 in October; however, the number of claims 

is down by 4,370, or 7.8 percent, from 55,865 in October 2011. Most of the October increase

 came in manufacturing, trade, administrative and support services, and construction. 
 
The number of long-term unemployed workers declined for the sixth consecutive month, 

dropping 2,100 from September to 206,700 in October. The long-term unemployed—those out

 of work for more than 26 weeks—make up 49.4 percent of those unemployed in Georgia, the 

lowest percent in slightly more than two years.

A research expert from the Atlanta Federal Reserve told Dalton leaders this week, that many of the carpet jobs lost since 2007 are not coming back.

Michael Criszt said the flooring industry had been forced by the recession to speed up its use of new, more efficient technology. That means companies can make flooring produces with fewer workers than in the past. Dalton's workforce has been cut by around 20 percent since the recession began.

He emphasized that Dalton needs to diversity, particularly into supplying parts for the automotive industries in the region.

The Georgia Department of Labor is also working to find jobs for Dalton's displaced workforce. A Career Expo is set for the Dalton Trade Center on December 5 from noon until 5 p.m. It's a follow up to the recent three-day job readiness workshop in Dalton, where some 500 job seekers worked on resumes and job interview skills

Three Chattooga Countians booked into the Floyd County Jail Thursday, according to the jail report.

Jonathan Dean Stough of a Summerville address was arrested in Lafayette charged with a probation violation in Floyd County. 34-year-old South was picked up by Floyd County Sheriff's deputies.

Janeen Marie Noe of Highway 151 Trion, was also arrested in Walker County. The 25-year-old Noe was charged with a probation violation by Floyd County Sheriff's deputies.

Paul Hix Elrod, of Marsh Avenue, Trion, was arrested in Chattooga County on Thursday. 47-year-old Elrod is in the Floyd County Jail on charges of failure to appear in Floyd County.

Listed on the November 15 Arrest Report by the Chattooga County Jail are:

Nicholas Shea Crabtree, Trion — Failure to Appear

Brenda Marie Hutchens, Summerville — Deposit Account Fraud

William Allen Gobble, Rome — Driving with a Suspended/Revoked License

Charome Undera Powell — Probation Violation

Hayden Tyler Stoker — Probation Violation

A local woman reported that she was the victim of a scam about a month ago. According to the report filed by the Chattooga County Sheriff's department dated October 16, but received by AM1180 on Wednesday. The report says the 24-year-old woman made a telephone inquiry about an online secret shopper job and received instruction on how to make some money. She said she followed the instructions and received a check in the mail for $1,896.65. She said she went to cash the check at National Title Pawn and found out that the check was not any good. The check was from Chrome Fase Corp., of Florida and was made out to the woman. She said she had not given the company any of her personal information except for her email address. The incident was turned over to investigators.

On Tuesday Chattooga County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call and found two men involved in a fight on the front porch of a Dickeyville Road, Trion,  residence. According to the report, both men were loud, yelling boisterously, and cursing at each other. The men were identified as 18-year-old Jerome Paul Vaughn of a Dickeyville Road, Trion address; and 18-year-old Joseph Adam Wehner, of a Fair Street, Summerville address. Vaughn reportedly said that Wehner swung at him hitting him on the head and breaking his glasses which caused swelling to his forehead. Wehner told deputies that Vaughn became irate at his girlfriend, grabbed her personal property, and threw it out into the yard, and called her several obscene names. Both men were arrested charged with disorderly conduct and transported to the Chattooga County Jail.