The Town of Lyerly held the first of three required property tax increase meetings on Thursday evening.  The town has opted not to roll back the millage rate which will cause an increase in property taxes inside the town limits.  The millage rate of 7.833 is the same as it was in 2022.  Concerned citizens can attend two more meetings, both of which will be held on Tuesday of next week.  The Town of Lyerly millage rate meetings are scheduled for November 21st at 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM at Lyerly Town Hall.

The Chattooga County Board of Education has approved a rollback of the millage rate to a rate of 10.898 mills.  The millage rate will mean around $70 more in taxes for a home with a fair market value of $125,000.  Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry is rolling back the millage rate for the county’s portion of the property taxes. 

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Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader says that his office is still trying to find out what happened to a forty-four-year-old Chattooga County man who has been missing since Monday evening.  Sheriff Schrader told WZQZ News that Kevin White of Trion was reported missing by family members after he didn’t return home.  The sheriff said that White had been deer hunting on Taylor’s Ridge and had lost his wallet.  White asked a family member to drop him off in the area of Rennea Lane in the Mountain View-Spring Creek area of northeastern Chattooga County, as he planned to search for his missing wallet.  White never returned home.  White is described as six-feet tall with brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing camouflage clothing.  Sheriff Schrader said that he, along with law enforcement from the U.S. Forest Service are still looking for evidence as to White’s whereabouts.   Anyone with any information should contact the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office at 706-936-9744.

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Thursday, November 16, 2023:

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The Georgia State Patrol worked an accident in Summerville on Wednesday. According to a preliminary report, a Dodge Challenger was attempting to make a left turn to go north on Highway 27.  A Chevrolet Traverse was travelling south on Highway 27 in the right lane and a Pontiac G6 was stopped in a parking lot facing south.  The Challenger pulled into the path of the Traverse.  The driver of the Traverse swerved to the left and struck the Challenger.  The Challenger traveled off the roadway into the parking lot and struck a sign poll and then an unoccupied Pontiac G6.  Two people were transported for treatment.  A complete report will be released when it is completed by the Georgia State Patrol.

Monday, a Chattooga County Deputy met with Jacob Allen regarding an unauthorized transaction in his bank account. Allen had received a call from the fraud alert line that his account had been compromised. After reviewing Allen’s account and documents he provided showing two unknown transfers, the bank says that his online banking appears to have been hacked.  A Chattooga County Sheriff’s Deputy told the complainant that a report would be on file concerning the incident.

On Sunday, a Chattooga County deputy arrived on scene on Rosser Road, in response to a stolen car hauler trailer. Rosser Road is located in Trion off of Cooper Pit Road. Zach Rosser says he borrowed the car hauler trailer from his friend, Lance Palmer. Palmer contacted Rosser earlier that day saying Rosser needed to check on the trailer and when Rosser checked up on it, he found it to be missing. Rosser says the last he heard of the whereabouts of the trailer was at an unknown location in Berryton.

Ice skating returns to Rome for the holiday season, and it will be a little earlier than first anticipated. The Rink at Ridgeferry was originally scheduled to open on Thanksgiving Day, but that plan has changed, according to Jim Alred with Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation.

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Last week the Chattooga County sheriff’s department responded to a call from Spring Creek Road regarding theft of property.  The responding deputy spoke with the victim who said that his engine hoist, battery, and trim rings had been stolen. The victim said he has identified a suspect who he believes has stolen the items and has been trying to get in touch with the suspect for weeks about the stolen items and has yet to get a response. The information has been passed along to an investigator.