On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, 19 Islamist extremists hijacked 4 planes in a series of attacks orchestrated by Al-Qaeda, resulting in 2,977 people being killed and thousands more being injured. Among those killed were hundreds of police officers and firefighters carrying out rescue efforts. It is widely considered to be the worst terrorist incident in history.  Today, we remember those who lost their lives and those who fought to save lives on that day.  9/11 – or Patriot Day – is not a Federal holiday, but is a national observance.  All around the country, people observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM but many people also do that at 9:03 AM, 9:37 AM, and 10:03 AM, commemorating each moment that a plane crashed on September 11, 2001.  Each year, the President issues a proclamation that citizens should participate in appropriate activities in honor of the victims. It also instructs all Federal facilities and citizens worldwide to fly the United States flag at half-mast, from sunrise to sunset.  You can read President Biden’s Patriot Day proclamation below:

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The first day of Autumn is coming up later this month on Saturday, September 23rd, but we won’t start seeing fall foliage colors until much later.  There are a lot of factors that go into how much fall foliage we get each year in Northeast Alabama and Northwest Georgia – the amount of rain over the summer and temperature are the two biggest factors.  According to the “2023 Fall Foliage Map” that is put out by SmokyMountains.com, Chattooga County won’t start to see fall colors until mid-October and could be late October before peak colors start to show.  You can check out the map and keep up with the leaf changing HERE

Hot weather may have played a part in the dip in attendance for this year’s Chattooga County Agricultural Fair, but fair organizers said that the record attendance of 2022 also played a roll in this year’s attendance numbers being less.  The fair was cancelled in 2020 and in 2021 the fair had the lowest attendance ever due the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic were still being felt.  In 2022, people were ready to get out and socialize and visit attractions after the quarantines from the pandemic.  The Chattooga County Fair Council says this year’s attendance was 7,315.  It should be noted, that number is the gate number.  Several hundred more attend the fair in various capacities.  Next year’s fair is set for August 22-25, 2024.

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office and AtriumHealth Floyd EMS responded to a call about a gunshot on Mustang Drive on Saturday.  Neighbors reported hearing the gunshot before law enforcement and EMT’s arrived on the scene.  Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader confirmed to WZQZ News on Sunday that it was a self-inflicted, fatal gun-shot.  Sunday was National Suicide Prevention Day. Almost 50,000 people died from suicide in 2022.  Remember, you are not alone.  Dial 988 for help 24-hours a day – 7-days a week.  Don’t face things alone.  Reach out for help.

The Trion School System is continuing its effort to identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities who reside in the Town of Trion.  Child Find is an effort to find all unidentified students with disability ages 3-21, for the purpose of determining present and future program needs.  Mutual cooperation between parents, public and private agencies is essential in finding children that are not receiving services.  If local residents or agencies know of any children residing within the Trion city limits not receiving services, please contact Heather Stewart, Parent Resource Coordinator with Student Support Service for Trion City Schools at 706-734-0724.

The Trion Fire Department responded to a fire call on Saturday in the Mountain View area.  Fire Chief Justin Lowe told WZQZ news that when they arrived on the scene, smoke was coming from the mobile home.  One person was still inside the home, but was removed quickly by firefighters.  The person was transported by AtriumHealth Floyd EMS to an area hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.  The Trion Fire Department, Hays Prison Fire Department and AtriumHealth Floyd EMT’s all responded to the fire.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Steam Passenger Train returns to Chattooga County this weekend and the Chattooga County Historical Society says that the historic Couey House, near the Summerville Depot, will be open for visitors.

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The Summerville City Council will have their regular monthly meeting this evening at Summerville City Hall.  The meeting will get underway at 5 PM.  Before the meeting, there will be a question and answer session with the mayor and city council members at 4:30 PM.  The public is invited to attend.  You can see a complete agenda for tonight’s meeting below:

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Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Sunday, September 10, 2023:

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Reminder, that the railroad crossing on Highway 27 near Highland Avenue and Farrar Drive is closed while the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railroad continues repair work on the crossing.  Local traffic is being rerouted around Highland Avenue to Stockade Road to Farrar Drive and then back on Highway 27.  Out-of-town, commercial traffic is being routed down Highway 48 to the four-way stop in Menlo and then north on Highway 337 and then back to Highway 27.  The repair work will continue until Monday evening at 7 PM.