The Walker County Board of Education has announced the resignation of Mr. Stacey Meeks from the Post 4 School Board seat. Mr. Meeks, who was elected in November, has announced that he will be relocating to another area of the county and will thus be unable to fulfill his duties.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Georgia through testing of a hunter-harvested deer in Lanier County.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has made significant strides in the ongoing investigation tied to remains discovered at the Johnson Funeral Home in Ben Hill County, Georgia. Authorities recently announced that all remains connected to the case have been identified, although the investigation remains active as officials continue to uncover the full extent of the situation. This investigation gained traction following the December 8, 2024, arrest of James A. Sirmans, 52, from Fitzgerald.
This past Friday, Cherokee County, Alabama District Attorney Summer Summerford announced that Eric Kyle Hooper was found guilty of murder by a Cherokee County jury for the 2022 death of Lachancey Williams.
On January 18th, the 2024-25 Wrestling Duals State Championship crowned Social Circle the state champion in the Class A bracket. Wrestling is one of the only sports that does not have a split Class A and the Redskins are a Class A Div. I school. Runner-up Toombs County is also in Class A Div. I and finished runner-up to Social Circle. Trion fell to Social Circle in the winner’s bracket and then dropped a 51-27 loss to Bremen in the consolation finals to finish fourth place. As a result, Trion was the furthest advancing Class A Div. II-based school in this year’s Class A wrestling duals and will get another chance to make a run when the traditional meet rolls out next month.
A twenty-eight year old Summerville man lost his life in an accident on Friday night. The accident happened on Highway 114 (the Lyerly Highway) in the area between Belmont Baptist Church and Ellenburg Subdivision. According to Chattooga County Coroner Jeremy McElhaney, Travis Bailey was the fatality in the accident. Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader says that there were a total of five vehicles involved in the accident. Highway 114 and Norton Road were closed to traffic for a period of time while first responders and law enforcement worked the accident. Details are still under investigation. WZQZ will have more information as it becomes available.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ruby Bridges, a civil rights icon, spoke to nearly 2,000 people at Berry College, highlighting her experience as one of the first Black students to integrate an all-white elementary school in the U. S.
Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton reminds residents that Georgia law requires returns for all real estate and personal property, submitted to the Assessor’s Office at the courthouse annex in Summerville. Property changes must be reported by April 1, 2025.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp presented his budget proposal to the Georgia General Assembly, highlighting the need for relief following Hurricane Helene’s devastation. He emphasized that this budget aims to support farmers and small businesses, provide relief from high living costs, and strengthen infrastructure, education, healthcare, and public safety without increasing government size.
The Walker County Board of Education has announced that it will not opt out of House Bill 581, the floating homestead property tax exemption, despite the concerns raised by neighboring school districts. This announcement comes in the wake of the Chattooga County Board of Education, Trion City Schools Board of Education, and the Floyd County Board of Education all expressing their intentions to opt out of the legislation.
