Local News | AM 1180 Radio

April 18, 2026

Four Georgia State Troopers Fired Following Misconduct Investigation

Local News, Local News Items #Accountability, #Ethics, #GeorgiaDPS, #georgianews, #GeorgiaStatePatrol, #LawEnforcement, #MisconductInvestigation, #PublicSafety, #statenews, #TroopersFired, #wzqznews 0

Four Georgia State Troopers have been terminated following an internal investigation into misconduct involving personal injury claims, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

In a statement released by the agency, officials said the investigation began after information surfaced in January 2026 indicating that several troopers were filing personal injury claims tied to incidents stemming from vehicle pursuits.

The Department’s Office of Professional Standards conducted a review and found that the troopers had submitted numerous crash and incident reports to an attorney. That attorney then sought monetary settlements on their behalf from individuals involved in pursuits that had been initiated by the troopers.

Officials determined that the manner in which the claims were made violated department policy and ethical standards. As a result, all four troopers involved were dismissed.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety emphasized that the actions of those individuals do not reflect the agency as a whole, noting its commitment to professionalism, accountability, and maintaining public trust.

The investigation has concluded, and no additional details about the individuals involved have been released.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Veterans’ Trust In VA Hits Record High

Local News, Local News Items #America, #healthcare, #MilitarySupport, #PublicService, #SupportOurVeterans, #VA, #VAHealthcare, #VetCare, #VeteranNews, #veterans, #VeteransAffairs, #VeteranServices, #VeteranSupport, #wzqznews 0

Trust in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reached an all-time high, according to new data released by the VA.

Officials say 82% of veterans who used VA services in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 reported they trust the agency to fulfill its commitment to them.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Labor Force, Employment Reach Record Highs In February

Local News, Local News Items #EconomicUpdate, #EmploymentRecord, #GeorgiaBusiness, #GeorgiaEconomy, #GeorgiaJobs, #GeorgiaLabor, #HealthcareJobs, #JobGrowth, #JobMarket, #LaborForce, #LaborReport, #StateEconomy, #UnemploymentRate, #WorkforceDevelopment, #wzqznews 0

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The Georgia Department of Labor says the state reached new all-time highs in both labor force and employment in February, even as the unemployment rate ticked up slightly and job totals declined for a second straight month.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Student Taken Into Custody After Alleged Online Threat Against Gaylesville School

Local News, Local News Items #BreakingNews, #CherokeeCountyAL, #FederalAuthorities, #GaylesvilleAL, #GaylesvilleSchool, #JuvenileCase, #LawEnforcement, #NorthAlabama, #PublicSafety, #SchoolSafety, #SchoolSecurity, #SchoolThreat, #SheriffJeffShaver, #StudentInCustody, #wzqznews 0

A student is in custody after allegedly making online threats directed at Gaylesville School, prompting a rapid response from local and federal authorities.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

AdventHealth Redmond Opens New Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute

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Community members across Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama will soon have access to expanded heart care through the new AdventHealth Redmond Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute.

April 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

State Wildlife Officials Urge Georgians to Prevent Canada Goose Problems Before They Start

Local News, Local News Items #CanadaGeese, #georgiadnr, #GeorgiaOutdoors, #georgiawildlife, #GolfCourses, #GooseConflicts, #HumanWildlifeConflict, #Landowners, #NeighborhoodPonds, #NestingSeason, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorLiving, #PropertyOwners, #ProtectedSpecies, #SeasonalAwareness, #WildlifeManagement, #wildliferesourcesdivision, #WildlifeSafety, #wzqznews 0

With nesting season now underway, state wildlife officials are encouraging homeowners, landowners, and property managers to take steps now to prevent conflicts with Canada geese before they become bigger problems later in the year.

April 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Pipe Burst Forces Closure of Walker County Government Building in Rock Spring

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A Walker County government building in Rock Spring is closed today following significant water damage caused by a pipe burst overnight.

Officials say the Local Government Services building, located at 122 Highway 95, experienced flooding that impacted several offices and public areas.

The closure affects multiple departments housed in the building, including the tag and tax office, assessor’s office, planning and zoning, and code enforcement.

Residents needing services are advised that the Walker County Tax Commissioner’s office in Rossville remains open.

There is no word yet on when the Rock Spring facility will reopen as crews work to assess and address the damage.

April 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Arrest Report – Friday – April 17, 2026

Local News, Local News Items #April2026, #arrestreport, #BookingReport, #CatoosaCountyGA, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaSheriff, #crimereport, #DadeCountyGA, #floydcountyga, #FridayNews, #JailBookings, #LawEnforcement, #LocalCrime, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicSafety, #RomeGA, #SheriffsOffice, #summervillega, #trionga, #WalkerCountyGA, #wzqznews 0

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Friday, April 17, 2026:

April 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Dangerous Fire Conditions As Hot Dry Weather Continues

Local News, Local News Items #AprilHeat, #BurnBan, #CatoosaCountyGA, #chattoogacounty, #ColdFront, #DadeCountyGA, #DroughtConditions, #DroughtWatch, #DryConditions, #ExtremeHeat, #FireDangerStatement, #FireWeather, #floydcountyga, #georgiaweather, #HeatWave, #LocalWeather, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NorthGeorgia, #NorthGeorgiaWeather, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorBurning, #RainChance, #RecordHeat, #RomeGA, #StormChance, #summervillega, #trionga, #WalkerCountyGA, #WeatherAlert, #WeekendWeather, #WildfireRisk, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia are once again under heightened fire weather concerns as dangerously dry conditions and unusually hot temperatures continue through Saturday.

April 17, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Berry Farms Farmers Market Returns April 18 In Rome

Local News, Local News Items #berrycollege, #BerryFarms, #CommunityEvent, #EatLocal, #FarmersMarket, #FreshProduce, #LocalFarmers, #northwestgeorgia, #RomeGA, #ShopLocal, #StudentRun, #SupportLocal, #WeekendPlans, #wzqznews 0

The Berry Farms Farmers Market is set to return this Saturday, April 18, offering a wide selection of locally grown and handcrafted goods in Rome.

The market, a student-run enterprise from Berry College, will be held from 9 AM until 12 PM at the Westcott parking lot on the Berry College campus.

Shoppers can expect a variety of fresh and locally sourced items, including Angus beef, herbs, potted plants, artisan cheeses, honey, and beeswax products, along with handcrafted goods produced by students and local vendors.

The market highlights products from Berry’s Season’s Harvest program and other student-led enterprises, giving visitors a chance to support both local agriculture and student entrepreneurship.

Organizers say the event is a great opportunity for the community to explore fresh products while supporting Berry College students and their hands-on learning experiences.