We are waking up to temperatures in the low 40’s across the area and the National Weather Service says that we will see an increased chance for rain as we move into the mid-week.  We are going to have abnormally high temperatures and a lot of moisture as we head towards the weekend.  As of this morning, they are predicting anywhere from 2.5 – 5 inches of rain between Wednesday and Sunday.  With the ground still saturated, there could be some flooding issues.  Here are some of the stories we are talking about in the news on the radio today and that you can find on our website at www.chattoogainfo.com :

• A thirty-one-year-old corrections officer was arrested earlier this month and charged with attempting to smuggle drugs and cell phones into Hays State Prison in Chattooga County. Nicholas Matthew Grindle worked at the prison in Trion and was arrested by Georgia Department of Corrections authorities on January 7th after prison officials found twelve packages wrapped up in black electrical tape inside Grindle’s locker at the prison.
• The number of first-time unemployment claims in Chattooga County dropped drastically for the month of December, according to numbers released by the Georgia Department of Labor last week. There were 161 unemployment claims in Chattooga County for December of 2023.  That was down from 340 in November.
• Twenty-one Republican Senators in Georgia have introduced a bill to make guns, gun safes, accessories and ammunition tax free for eleven days each year.  Senate Bill 344  would make firearms, ammunition, gun safes and related accessories exempt from state sales and use taxes from the second Friday of October to the fourth Monday of October each year.
• Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton has cautioned the county government and board of education about making premature assumptions concerning the final numbers because of the ongoing tax appeals.

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Tuesday, January 23, 2024:

Read more

The Georgia Department of Transportation is studying the possibility of a roundabout at one of the most deadly intersections in Chattooga County.  The DOT authorized $1.2 million in 2023 for engineering for the project at the intersection of Gore-Subligna Road and U.S. Highway 27.

Read more

Last week, Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton released a letter to local media that she had sent to local officials updating them on 2023 property tax collections.  Last year, Chattooga County saw a record number of appeals that slowed down the tax process and extended the tax due date to March of this year.

Read more

A thirty-one-year-old corrections officer was arrested earlier this month and charged with attempting to smuggle drugs and cell phones into Hays State Prison in Chattooga County.

Read more

The number of first-time unemployment claims in Chattooga County dropped drastically for the month of December, according to numbers released by the Georgia Department of Labor last week. There were 161 unemployment claims in Chattooga County for December of 2023.  That was down from 340 in November.  Last year at this time, there were 401 unemployment claims in the county.  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said last week, “Georgia posted incredible numbers in 2023, sporting a blockbuster year with over 5.1 million Georgians employed. With existing companies continuing to expand and a stream of new companies calling Georgia home, 2024 appears to be headed for all-time highs again”.

Georgia gas prices held steady at the pump compared to a week ago. Georgia drivers are paying an average price of $2.95 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline (subject to change overnight). Monday’s state average was 6 cents less than a month ago, and 29 cents less than this time last year. It now costs an average of $44.25 to fill a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline. Georgians are now paying 90 cents less to fill up at the pump compared to a month ago.

Read more

The Georgia General Assembly is in session at the state capital and Chattooga County’s representatives had a busy day on Monday as they attended committee meetings. 

Read more

The Trion Town Council will hold their first regular monthly meeting of 2024 this evening.  The workshop and council meeting will be held at 6 PM at the town hall conference room.  The workshop will be followed by the regular monthly meeting.  Mayor Lanny Thomas says anyone with any questions, is welcome to contact him at Trion Town Hall.  The public is invited to attend.

Twenty-one Republican Senators in Georgia have introduced a bill to make guns, gun safes, accessories and ammunition tax free for eleven days each year.  Senate Bill 344  would make firearms, ammunition, gun safes and related accessories exempt from state sales and use taxes from the second Friday of October to the fourth Monday of October each year.  The tax free holiday for gun buying would include stocks, barrels, scopes and magazines, in addition to ammo and the guns themselves.  State Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton) was not one of the sponsors of the bill.  Moore was ousted by the Senate Republican Caucus last year.