A Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia this Monday morning as a blast of Arctic air sends temperatures plunging into the teens, with wind chill values in the single digits in some locations. The coldest readings are expected in low-lying and rural areas, where residents may feel the harshest impacts during the early morning hours.
On Saturday, December 13, at approximately 7:30 p.m., deputies were alerted to a suspicious male carrying a duffle bag who entered the woods off Underwood Drive near Hays State Prison. Deputies, Trion Police, Warden Jones, and members of the prison staff quickly responded and established a perimeter around the area.
With Christmas just days away, shipping carriers are reminding customers that key deadlines are approaching to ensure packages arrive by Christmas Day 2025. Shoppers across northwest Georgia are encouraged to ship early and double-check carrier-specific cutoffs to avoid last-minute surprises.
The City of Summerville will hold a special called meeting this evening (Monday, Dec. 15, 2025) at 5:30 p.m. at Summerville City Hall to consider several agenda items, including a year-end budget ordinance, recreation upgrades, and property matters tied to a local family donation.
Here are the latest health inspection scores from the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department for the first half of December, 2025:
Georgia Northwestern Technical College President Heidi Popham has been elected to serve on the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions across the southern states.
A winding section of Penn Bridge Road near the Chattooga River will soon see a lower speed limit as officials take action to address ongoing safety concerns. According to Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen, the change comes after repeated vehicle accidents and hazardous driving conditions in the area.
A 24-year-old man faces felony and misdemeanor charges following a disturbance inside the Chattooga County Jail on December 7, 2025, according to an arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.
Families across Chattooga County, Northwest Georgia, and nearby Alabama communities are planning now as school systems across the region have set their Christmas break schedules for the 2025–2026 school year.
On Sunday evening, Chattooga County Sheriff released information about an incident on Saturday where deputies responded to reports of a suspicious man with a duffle bag entering the woods off Underwood Drive near Hays State Prison, prompting deputies, Trion Police, and prison staff to quickly set up a perimeter. Sheriff’s Investigator and drone pilot Daniel Sanford used a thermal drone to locate and track the suspect, who later exited near the Verizon store and Hwy 27 where officers took him into custody after he provided false identification and claimed he only went into the woods to use the bathroom. A search of the area with assistance from a Gordon County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit uncovered a backpack containing 21 packages of marijuana and tobacco, more than 20 cell phones, and tools including a Dremel with metal-cutting blades and security bits, with two more similar packages found Sunday morning. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Demarco Letroy Statham Jr. of Atlanta, was charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses related to attempted prison contraband introduction, drugs, and obstruction, and Sheriff Mark A. Schrader praised the quick coordinated response from all agencies involved. See the WZQZ Facebook Page for more details and check back on Monday for updates.
