Chattooga GOP will meet Thursday, January 5th at 6 pm at the Senior Center in Summerville. Guest speakers will be representatives of the Georgia Republican Assembly. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia says that we could see several waves of showers and thunderstorms impacting north and central Georgia early Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening.
Village of Summerville Marker
Most people realize that Georgia has two Chattooga Rivers – the one we know here in Chattooga County and the more famous one on the other side of the state that was the location for the 1970’s movie “Deliverance”, but some people may not be aware that at one time, Georgia had two “Summervilles” as well – and could once again.
A forty-seven-year-old Summerville man was arrested on December 28th on charges of child molestation. According to Chattooga County Sheriff Investigator Wendell Flood, David Anderson Kellar is accused of molesting a relative who was under the age of 16 at the time the crimes are alleged to have happened. The sheriff’s office believes that the molestation of the child has been ongoing for around three years, and “the crimes happened on multiple occasions”. Kellar was booked into the Chattooga County jail on charges of child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes. He was being held without bond.
Teachers are returning to work after the holidays today, but local students still have more Holiday break to enjoy. Teachers and staff at both the Chattooga County School System and the Trion City School System will be returning to work today for teacher work days. Chattooga students will be returning to class tomorrow, Wednesday, January 4th and Trion students won’t return to class until Thursday, January 5th. The next day off for Trion students will be Monday, January 16th which is MLK Day. Chattooga students, who are on a four-day calendar, will already have the day off. Spring break for Chattooga will be April 4-7 and for Trion students, spring break will be April 3-7, 2023.
A twenty-year-old Trion man was arrested over New Year’s weekend in Rome on DUI charges. According to arrest reports from the Floyd County Jail, William Shane-Douglas Johnson of a Reed Street Trion address was charged with driving under the influence, under the age of twenty-one. Johnson was additionally charged with underage furnishing alcohol to a minor and possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana. Johnson was stopped by the Georgia State Patrol on Riverside Parkway at Riverside Drive in Rome and was booked into the Floyd County Jail on New Year’s Day.
Football is altering the legislative landscape in Georgia. Next Monday, lawmakers will be at the State Capitol in Atlanta for swearing-in ceremonies until around noon. Just a light schedule is expected for Tuesday because of the college football national championship the night before with the Georgia Bulldogs taking on TCU. There’s also set to be a light schedule on Wednesday of next week to give legislators, state officials and others time to return from the West Coast. Some officials say they expect at least a dozen lawmakers to attend the game, along with lobbyists, aides and other political figures. Governor Brian Kemp set his inauguration for next Thursday that will include a prayer service at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, so that it would not conflict with the UGA game.
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With a new year here, there are several new laws that are now in place. Access to Georgia’s mental health system and substance abuse care is one of the big changes this new year, with a big overhaul costing between $63 and $94 million a year. School districts also have to start taking complaints regarding content that is deemed innapproriate for students. The new law requires education officials to remove the content within 7 days and decided to ban or restrict access within 10 business days. People can get tax credits on their state income tax by donating to law enforcement foundations, and donating to rural hospitals. And food trucks can now operate statewide with just a health permit from their home county’s health department.
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Several area fire departments responded to a fire in a field on New Year’s Day. The owner of the property was attempting to burn some leaves in a ditch when the fire got out of hand and spread to approximately two acres on Nellie Lane in Trion. Nellie Lane is a dead-end road located off Cummings Road in the Welcome Hill area. The Trion Fire Department was assisted by the Summerville, Teloga and Hays Correctional Fire Departments. No structures were damaged.
A thirty-two-year-old Cedartown woman was arrested on Christmas Day in Chattooga County after she left her child in the car, in 30 degree weather, for an hour while she played games inside a convenience store.