Every one of the 435 members of the House of Representatives gets between $1.3 million and $1.9 million a year as operating allowance, although Congress is gradually reining in the spending. 

U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, has $1,325,000 to work with this year. According to spokeswoman Jennifer Hazelton, that’s 6.4 percent lower than the $1.4 million office budget last year, and the 2011 Members’ Representational Allowance is 5 percent down from 2010.

The amount of an MRA is calculated using standard staffing and operations figures plus a cost factor for other expenses, based on the make-up of the district. Within those parameters, representatives can allocate their budget as they see fit.

A Statement of Disbursements of the House of Representatives, published quarterly, shows how each member is using the money. 

During the first two quarters of 2012 Graves spent a total of $632,715, compared to $569,773 for the same period last year. The approximately 

$60,000 increase is almost equal to the rise in franked mail and printing costs, although the budget shifts were more complex.

Chattooga County Republicans celebrated the grand opening of their local headquarters on Saturday. The headquarters is located on Commerce Street in downtown Summerville, just down from the Dandee Denson Shrine Auditorium

Local Republican candidates, James Dawson, who is running for sheriff,  Dewayne Dawson who is running for oounty commissioner,as well as Senator Jeff Mullis who has no competition come November were on hand to meet voters.

Local party vice- chair Brad Hayes says the  focus of the party is to get the candidatrs names out there and  to match them up with the republican party, which is the conservative party. He said it is fortunate that the local Republican candiates are not members of the same party as the current  president of the Unitd States.

Hayes said local candidates will be staffing the headquarters some evenings and will be available to speak with voters. He said two barbecue fundraisers are planned also.  

An update on charges against a California man in connection with Thursday's shooting in Chickamauga.

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson reports that 24-year-old Michael Anthony Brooks II has a total of nine charges against him in Walker County:  Two counts of aggravated assault on a police office; three counts of aggravated assault; two counts of obstruction of a police officer; and two counts of theft by taking. Additional charges will come from Catoosa County for a carjacking, and from Hamilton County for assaults  against Walker and Catoosa deputies in the police pursuit that captured Brooks. The suspect is lodged in the Hamilton County Jail on a $150,000 bond. Two people with Brooks were questioned and released with no charges. 

The Summerville City Council meets at 6 p.m. tonight (Monday Sept 10) in a regularly monthly meeting.

On tonight's agenda is the second reading of a peddler's ordinance and adoption of the ordinance.

The council also is expected to set a called meeting for 6 p.m. Sept. 24 to hold a public hearing concerning the city's Americans With Disabilities Transition Plan.

The council will be updated on the various fall events to be held in the city park, the city's most recent CDBG grant award, an RFP concerning energy service providers and the city's wellness participation rates.

Once again, the Summerville City Council meeting in its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. tonight t Summerville City Hall. 

Read more

Heard County leads Chattooga 40-6 in the third quarter in Franklin, GA. The Indians scored early, but Heard County reeled off 40 unanswered to take the lead.

Trion puts in another touchdown, but misses the extra point to make the score 31-0 Trion over La Fayette.  

Read more

Chattooga has scored to go ahead of Heard County 6-0 early in the first quarter. You can listen to the Indians live on the web here.

Trion is scoreless at LaFayette early in the first. That game is live on the air on AM 1180 or you can listen live on the web.

A Summerville man arrested while nude in the Chattooga 1180 Am Parking lot early Thursday morning has been released from the Chattooga County Jail on a $5,000 property bond. Robert Nathan Wofford was released from jail the same day he was arrested.

Wofford was arrested just before 2 a.m. Thursday morning when a Chattooga County Sheriff's Deputy spotted him driving naked down Commerce Street in his Chevy S10 Pickup in the center lane in front of Chattooga County Radio. Deputy John Chandler wrote in his report, that Wofford, "beckoned to get" his attention, as he was driving in the center turn lane and then pulled into the parking lot of the radio station. Wofford then reportedly got out of the truck voluntarily and laid down in the parking lot with no  clothes on.  Since the radio station is inside the city limits, it was at this point that Chandler notified Chattooga Central to send  a City of Summerville unit  to AM 1180.

In his report, Summerville Police Officer Matt Pritchard wrote that officers covered Wofford with a sheet and called Redmond EMS due to the fact that Wofford had superficial lacerations to the side of his head and was "apparently under the influence of some type of drug,"  As officers tried to find out from Wofford why he was there,  "Wofford mind would apparently wonder, he would get off the subject and then forget what he was talking about," according to the report.  

According to the report, to the best of anyone's knowledge, Wofford and Christopher Warren, of Summerville argued over a cell phone and that led to a physical altercation. Warren reportedly was stabbed in the abdominal area and then fled on foot.  It was at this point that Wofford retrieved a rifle and layed it on the hood of his truck. Shortly after that, Wofford left in his pickup to find Warren.

According to Summerville Detective Brian Ozment, 27-year-old Warren was stabbed with a rat tail file in the area of his abdomen and the side of his head. The injuries are non-life threatening and Warren was treated and released from Redmond Hospital. 

Wofford was charged with possession of a Sawed-Off Shotgun/Machine Gun/Silencer/Dangerous Weapon; DUI/Drugs/Less Safe; and  Improper Use of Center Turning Lane. More charges could be pending.