A twenty-year-old Hunstville, Alabama woman was arrested in Chattooga County late last week after she was caught speeding in the Gore area on Highway 27.  A deputy clocked the woman traveling 84 miles-per-hour in a 65 mile-per-hour speed zone.  The woman’s license was suspended and her insurance had lapsed on the 2022 Hyundai Tucson she was driving.  Also, the arresting deputy found a six-pack of beer, with one empty beer container in the floorboard and an unopened bottle of whisky.  Also, an opened bottle of Mad Dog liquor was found in the passenger seat of the vehicle.  Maria Stephanie Guzman was placed under arrest on charges of speeding, underage possession of alcohol, open container of alcohol, driving on suspended or revoked license and driving without insurance and was booked into the Chattooga County Jail shortly before 10 PM on Saturday night.

A Trion resident lost his life in a fatal fire early on Wednesday morning and officials with the state are investigating the cause of the fire.  Trion firefighters responded to the fire on Wednesday morning shortly after 4:30 AM and found the house engulfed in flames.  Firefighters pulled two people from the fire, but one was deceased, according to reports.  The identity of the victim had not been released as of Friday of this week.  The call to Chattooga 911 was made by the woman at the residence who said that she and her son were trapped inside the burning house.  Pictures released by the Trion Fire Department on Thursday of this week show that the house was severely damaged by the fire.  The state fire marshal had not released any statement about the fire as of Friday.

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a theft that took place on Saturday of last week on Gore Subligna Road.  According to a report released yesterday by the sheriff’s office, the complainant told a responding deputy that he was doing construction work on a vacant house for a real estate company.   The complainant had left tools inside the house, including an air compressor.  According to the complainant, the doors to the house are kept locked, but he believed someone may have been able to enter via the back door.  The incident was turned over to an investigator with the sheriff’s office.

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary on Lyerly Dam Road.  On January 5th, a complainant called the sheriff’s office to report that someone came on to his property and entered a storage building and stole multiple tools and a camera. Items missing included a Stihl chainsaw, a battery-powered blower, a DeWalt drill and electric staple gun.  In all, the stolen items were valued at $1,131.18.  The incident has been turned over to an investigator with the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia issued a statement at 12:37 this (Friday) afternoon that says isolated severe thunderstorms remain possible through 8 PM this evening. The primary hazard with any thunderstorms here in Northwest Georgia is expected to be damaging wind gusts.

Gusty winds will continue through tonight. The highest winds will occur over the north Georgia mountains, where peak wind gusts of 45 to 60 mph are expected. Elsewhere in the state wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph are anticipated today.

Next Week:

A wintry mix is possible in northern Georgia Monday and Tuesday. Accumulations of wintry precipitation may occur, especially in the northwest corner of the state. Significantly colder weather is expected by the middle of next week, with wind chills in the -5 to 15-degree range possible Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Potentially hazardous temperatures may linger through the end of the week.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia has issued a wind advisory from 7 AM this morning through 1 AM on Saturday.  We have a 100% chance of rain today with sustained and gusty winds and a high of 60 degrees.  Colder weather is on the way for the beginning of next week.  Subfreezing temperatures are expected as we head throughout the upcoming workweek.  Chattooga County and Walker County Schools are closed today because of the high winds.

• The Trion Fire Department responded to a house fire on Wednesday morning and had to pull two people and some pets from the burning structure.
• While most surrounding counties saw their unemployment numbers increase, Chattooga County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.2%.
• A man has been arrested in connection with a gang-related assault at a Floyd County detention center in September of last year.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is coming up on Monday of next week and local governmental offices will be closed.

WZQZ News will have these stories and more coming up in the news throughout the day and you can find more details at www.chattoogainfo.com

You can listen to our 5 AM Newscast here:

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Friday, January 12, 2024:

Read more

Read more

Due to weather forecasts predicting high sustained wind and wind gust warnings in Chattooga County and the surrounding areas and the potential impact on transportation, Chattooga County Schools will be closed today, Friday, January 12th, 2024.

While several counties in Northwest Georgia saw an uptick in their unemployment rates, Chattooga County’s unemployment decreased.  The latest numbers from the Georgia Department of Labor show Chattooga County has an unemployment rate of 3.2%; that’s down from 3.6% from the previous report.  Local manufacturers are still hiring.  Mohawk Industries hosted a hiring event at the Trion Recreation Department the first week of January.  The latest numbers from the Department of Labor show that 291 people are drawing unemployment in Chattooga County.