After a mostly cloudy start to the Juneteenth holiday, skies will gradually clear across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia this afternoon. Temperatures are expected to top out near 86 degrees, with light winds making for a comfortable day.
Summerville’s Natural Gas Friday Night Concert Series wraps up tonight, Friday, June 19, with a free downtown concert featuring Strictly Skynyrd, a premier Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band.
Georgia Highlands College is inviting students, employees, alumni, families and community members to a special Community Impact Day celebration on Friday, June 26, at its Floyd Campus in Rome.
The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the state has reached a major economic milestone, surpassing 5 million jobs for the first time in state history.
According to the latest labor report, Georgia recorded 5,002,400 jobs in May, an all-time high. The state’s labor force also reached a record 5,470,704, while total employment climbed to a new high of 5,283,862.
Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 3.4 percent in May, down from a revised 3.5 percent in April and well below the national unemployment rate.
“Five million jobs, an all-time high labor force, and record employment in a single month: This is what a modern, adaptable economy looks like when it works for all Georgians,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes.
The state added 6,900 jobs during May and has now experienced job growth for three consecutive months. Employment increased by more than 56,000 jobs over the past year.
Among the industries posting the largest gains in May were accommodation and food services, administrative and support services, transportation and warehousing, local government and state government.
Over the past year, health care and social assistance led all sectors with nearly 25,000 new jobs added statewide.
The labor department also reported that initial unemployment claims declined in May, another sign of continued strength in Georgia’s workforce and economy.
Today, Friday, June 19, 2026, communities across the United States are observing Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved African Americans were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The day is recognized as a time to reflect on freedom, history and the continuing pursuit of equality.
Locally, Chattooga County government offices are closed today in observance of the holiday. Municipal offices in Summerville, Trion, Lyerly and Menlo are also closed. Banks, post offices and many other government offices across the nation are not operating today.
However, Chattooga County officials remind residents that the Chattooga County Transfer Station and all county dumpsites will remain open and operate on their regular schedules throughout the holiday.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and is celebrated nationwide with educational events, community gatherings, cultural programs and opportunities to reflect on an important chapter in American history.
The Summerville Police Department is investigating the theft of wheels and tires from a vehicle at a local auto dealership.
According to the incident report, the theft involved a white 2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer located at a dealership property on Martin Street. The stolen property was listed as four wheels and tires removed from the vehicle.
Police documented the theft and advised the vehicle owner that the case would be turned over to investigators. Officers also indicated that extra patrols would be conducted in the area as the investigation continues.
No suspects had been identified at the time of the report, and the case remains under investigation by the Summerville Police Department.
A woman was arrested on a criminal trespass charge after allegedly returning to a property from which she had previously been banned, according to the Summerville Police Department.
Police identified the suspect as Sandy Waynette Wilson, 48, of Summerville.
According to the report, officers learned Wilson had been criminally trespassed from the property approximately 13 days earlier and was prohibited from being there. After confirming that information through dispatch, officers placed Wilson under arrest and transported her to the Chattooga County Jail.
The charge listed in the report is criminal trespass. The case was handled by the Summerville Police Department.
Summerville Police officers responded to a reported disturbance involving a child custody exchange at a residence on Carol Drive.
According to the incident report, a disagreement arose regarding the transportation of bicycles during a child exchange between family members. Police spoke with those involved and determined the situation was a civil matter.
The report states that an argument occurred between family members over where the bicycles would be transported. Officers mediated the dispute, and after several phone calls, the parties reached an agreement regarding the bicycles.
No criminal charges were filed, and the incident was cleared following mediation by the Summerville Police Department.
