The first election of 2024 will be the Presidential Preference Primary (PPP), in which voters cast their ballots for president and vice president. Georgia’s PPP election will be held on March 12, coinciding with primaries in states like Washington state, Idaho and Mississippi. Georgia’s open primary system means that voters can take part in the primary election even if they are not a registered member of a political party. Here are some dates to keep in mind:
The Chattooga County Young Farmers are hosting a dairy show at the Chattooga County Ag Center on Saturday, February 3rd. The show starts at 10 AM. Chattooga 4H will be selling concessions at the dairy show. A cow patty bingo will be held to benefit the Chattooga County FFA Dairy Show Team. The team is raising money to purchase washing stations. The cost for the cow patty bingo is $10 per square. First place prize is $100 and second place is $50. To purchase a cow patty bingo square, contact Briana Carmon on the Chattooga County Dairy Show Team Facebook page.
Center Post Community Center will host a free music night this evening (Saturday, January 20, 2024) beginning at 6 PM. Local talent, Laney Rayburn and Mason Thompson will be performing on stage. Concessions will be available for purchase. Everyone is welcome to attend. Center Post Community Center is located at 8125 HWY 337 in southern Walker County, just north of Teloga.
AdventHealth Medical Group is pleased to announce the opening of a new cardiology clinic location in Trion, opening January 22.
Due to a significant decrease in blood donations related to the weather, and an increase in emergency use from several massive blood transfusions over the last 24 hours, Blood Assurance is recommending to more than 70 hospitals around the region to hold off on elective surgeries until at least Wednesday, January 24.
Chattooga County’s longest serving elected official says that he hasn’t made up his mind if he will seek reelection this year. Coroner Earl Rainwater told WZQZ News on Friday that while he is leaning towards not seeking another term, he hasn’t made his final decision. Rainwater, one of only two elected Democrats in the county, was first elected to office in 1972. Coroner Rainwater says that he will make his final decision by the end of this month or the first of February. In addition to serving as the county’s coroner, he and his wife Phyliss also operate Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in Summerville.
A forty-year-old man was arrested this week in connection with an incident that happened in Lyerly in November of last year. Eric Neal Slater is accused of firing two shots at a house on Ragland Road on the morning of November 20, 2023. The first shot hit a transformer, knocking out power to the residence. The other shot struck an air conditioning unit. Slater is accused of texting the victim and threatening to kill them. A warrant was placed for Slater’s arrest and he is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, first-degree criminal damage to property, discharge of a firearm from or across from a road, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, reckless conduct and terroristic threats and acts.
Chattooga High School has named their STAR Student for 2024. Chattooga High School Counseling announced the 2024 STAR student, Alexis Lemmings, and STAR Teacher, Mr. Gene Greer. The student with the highest SAT score who is also in the top 10 percent of the class is chosen as the STAR student. Alexis earned the highest SAT score in her class and chose Mr. Greer as the teacher who influenced her the most. Alexis will be attending the University of Georgia majoring in Biochemistry. Congratulations to Alexis Lemmings and Mr. Gene Greer for being named STAR Student and STAR Teacher of the year at Chattooga High School.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners will hold their regular monthly meeting for January coming up next Friday. The meeting will get underway at 6:30 PM at the Walker County Courthouse Annex. You can see an agenda for the meeting by clicking on the link below. (PDF reader required).
We are waking up to temperatures in the upper 30’s across the area, and we won’t get much warmer today. After a cold rain overnight, expect cloudy skies and a high of just 37 degrees. The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia has issued a Windchill Advisory for our area from 11 PM tonight until 11 AM on Saturday. Temperatures will plummet overnight into the teens and our high on Saturday will only be in the mid to upper 20’s.
Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry is holding a meeting at 9 AM this morning at his office. On the agenda is a plan for a motel/hotel tax and he will be repealing the controversial 2022 Land Use Ordinance. He is replacing it with a similar ordinance named a “Subdivision Development Ordinance”. Critics say that while a few changes have been made, it is new packaging for the same ordinance in an election year.
Savanna McGill has announced that she will be qualifying to run in the Republican Primary in May for Chattooga County Coroner. That post is currently held by Democrat Earl Rainwater who has said he will not seek reelection this year.
Tune in to WZQZ for local news at 5 AM , 7 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, Noon, 3 PM and 5 PM today.
