Kyler Wells, a rising sophomore at Chattooga High School, is lassoing success in the demanding world of rodeo. Wells recently completed his inaugural season with the Georgia High School Rodeo Association (GHSRA) with impressive results, placing 3rd in the state in tie down roping and 5th in team roping, alongside partner Cooper Rice from Nashville, GA. He also captured the coveted title of Rookie All-Around Cowboy. His 3rd place finish in tie down roping has earned him a coveted spot at the 2025 National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR), the world’s largest high school rodeo competition, held July 13-19 at the Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs, Wyoming. The NHSFR draws top talent from 41 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, and Australia. The GHSRA, an affiliate of the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA), offers students across Georgia the opportunity to embrace the time-honored traditions and unwavering grit of the cowboy lifestyle. Unlike conventional high school sports, rodeo is an individual pursuit, with no team or coach to guide the athletes. Kyler’s achievements are a testament to the unwavering support of his family, his unwavering personal discipline, and the countless hours of relentless hard work he has invested. He also carries on a family legacy, as the grandson of Charlie and Wanda Lowry, the founders of 4L Rodeo. He now sets his sights on Wyoming, ready to represent Chattooga High School and the state of Georgia on the national stage.

A Summerville man was arrested early last Friday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after a traffic stop initiated by Summerville Police. According to a police report, officers were alerted to a gold-colored passenger car being driven by a potentially intoxicated individual. An officer located the vehicle traveling on Commerce Street and turning onto Kelly Street and began following it. The officer observed the vehicle fail to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Kelly Street and Scoggins Street, prompting a traffic stop. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer detected the odor of alcohol. The driver was identified as 58-yearold Tracy Barnes. Barnes exhibited signs of intoxication, including glazed eyes, dilated pupils, and slurred speech. Mr. Barnes admitted to consuming alcohol the previous night and taking “3 or 4” Xanax pills, despite being prescribed only 1 or 2. Due to his inability to follow instructions, Mr. Barnes could not complete Standardized Field Sobriety Testing conducted by Officer Goins. A breathalyzer test yielded a positive result of 0.33, significantly above the legal limit. Mr. Barnes was taken into custody, and implied consent was read for a blood sample, which he accepted. He was transported to EMS Station 12 for blood collection and subsequently transported to the Chattooga County Jail without incident.

The Georgia Department of Revenue has begun issuing one-time state income tax refunds to eligible taxpayers this week, as announced by Governor Brian Kemp on Monday. This marks the third such rebate provided to Georgians this decade, following approval by the General Assembly during the recent legislative session.

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Georgia agriculture officials are continuing their plea for residents to report any sightings of the invasive yellow-legged hornet, aiming to curb the spread of the destructive insect before it establishes a stronger foothold in the state.

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A traffic stop for a broken headlight on Martha Berry Highway Saturday night resulted in multiple charges, including felony possession of methamphetamine, for a 53-year-old Armuchee woman. According to Floyd County Jail reports, Wanda Michael Nelson was arrested and charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor DUI, driving with a suspended license, having an expired tag, a missing headlight, and an open container violation. Reports indicate that Nelson allegedly told officers she had ingested multiple narcotics prior to their approaching her 1970 Chevrolet Camaro. A subsequent search of Nelson revealed suspected methamphetamine located in her pants. Authorities also discovered an open bottle of liquor underneath the driver’s seat. The incident occurred after officers pulled Nelson over for driving with a broken headlight and an expired tag.  Nelson was also wanted on an outstanding warrant from Gordon County.

Round up the whole family and head to the Summerville Depot (119 East Washington Street) on Saturday, June 7, for an unforgettable day packed with Wild West adventures, a double steam engine train arrival, a rubber duck race, Jeeps, live music, and more! Festivities run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and best of all—admission is free.

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Chattooga County Schools will make important changes to its Summer Feeding Program starting June 13, 2025, in response to community feedback. School Nutrition Director Brandie Wooten  announced that children will no longer need to stay on-site to eat. Instead, there will be three meal pick-up locations providing a week’s worth of meals. Families can collect meals on Fridays at Dowdy Park, Trion Veterans Memorial Park, and Fairway Recreation Center from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. An adult can pick up meals for children without them present. There will be no service from June 9-12. You can read the complete announcement below. For questions, contact Brandie Wooten at 706-859-3054.

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Northwest Georgia is experiencing another day of dry conditions and hazy skies due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canada. The lingering smoke aloft is causing a milky appearance in the sky as a mid to upper-level ridge of high pressure remains over the eastern United States. Residents can expect a sunny day with scattered fair weather clouds developing in the afternoon. Temperatures will be warm, reaching the lower 80s, possibly a degree or two higher than yesterday. However, the dry spell will break tomorrow (Wednesday) as rain chances return to the area. A weak area of low pressure is expected to bring Gulf and Atlantic moisture inland, pushing through Florida, South/East Georgia, and South Carolina. This influx of moisture will result in scattered showers and thunderstorms spreading from south to north across the region throughout the day. Meteorologists predict that the greatest coverage of showers and storms will occur along and south of Interstate 20. While increasing cloud cover may hinder significant destabilization, isolated strong storms could develop in areas with breaks in the clouds. These storms could produce gusty winds up to 40 mph, locally heavy rainfall, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. Residents are advised to stay informed and be prepared for potential severe weather on Wednesday.  Rain chances remain for the rest of week into the weekend.