A 24-year-old man faces felony and misdemeanor charges following a disturbance inside the Chattooga County Jail on December 7, 2025, according to an arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.
Families across Chattooga County, Northwest Georgia, and nearby Alabama communities are planning now as school systems across the region have set their Christmas break schedules for the 2025–2026 school year.
On Sunday evening, Chattooga County Sheriff released information about an incident on Saturday where deputies responded to reports of a suspicious man with a duffle bag entering the woods off Underwood Drive near Hays State Prison, prompting deputies, Trion Police, and prison staff to quickly set up a perimeter. Sheriff’s Investigator and drone pilot Daniel Sanford used a thermal drone to locate and track the suspect, who later exited near the Verizon store and Hwy 27 where officers took him into custody after he provided false identification and claimed he only went into the woods to use the bathroom. A search of the area with assistance from a Gordon County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit uncovered a backpack containing 21 packages of marijuana and tobacco, more than 20 cell phones, and tools including a Dremel with metal-cutting blades and security bits, with two more similar packages found Sunday morning. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Demarco Letroy Statham Jr. of Atlanta, was charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses related to attempted prison contraband introduction, drugs, and obstruction, and Sheriff Mark A. Schrader praised the quick coordinated response from all agencies involved. See the WZQZ Facebook Page for more details and check back on Monday for updates.
An arctic cold front moving into northwest Georgia tonight will bring gusty winds and the coldest air of the season to Chattooga County Sunday night into Monday morning. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect Sunday evening through Monday morning, and residents are urged to prepare now for a sharp drop in temperatures.
History was made on Saturday, December 13th, as both the Summerville 8U and 12U youth football teams won GRPA State Championships, bringing home the city’s first state football titles since 1973 — and two of them in the same day.
Memorial Hospital will host a job fair on Monday, Dec. 15, from 3–6 p.m. in the lobby of its new hospital, CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital, located at 4710 Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office says lab testing has ruled out kratom and other illegal drugs in an October incident that sent three Saddle Ridge Middle School students to the hospital.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested and charged a Union Point man following allegations that he assaulted several minors under his supervision as a youth football coach.
Summerville Police have issued warrants for a suspect after a man reported his wallet stolen at the Pay-n-Tote on Highway 114 earlier this month.
An Armuchee man has been arrested in connection with a late November incident in which he allegedly fled from a traffic stop at high speeds and escaped officers by driving over large rocks in an undeveloped subdivision, according to reports.
