The 2025 high school football season kicks off tonight on WZQZ.  Both of our local teams will be in action tonight with huge rivalry games in week 1 and both teams will start the season on the road.  The Chattooga Indians will travel to Lafayette to take on the Ramblers while the Trion Bulldogs will make the trek to Chickamauga to take on their archrival in the Gordon Lee Trojans.

Chattooga is coming off a 6-5 season last year under head coach Roone Gable who is entering his 3rd season as head coach of the Indians.  Chattooga finished 4th in the region and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Dodge County.  The Indians are hoping tonight’s opener will go just like last year’s opener when the Indians shut the Ramblers out at the Little Big Horn 30-0.  Lafayette went 0-10 last year which was the first time Lafayette failed to win a single game in a season since 1957.  The Ramblers are in their second season with new head coach Ethan Thompson.

The oldest continuous rivalry in the state will continue tonight in Chickamauga when the Trion Bulldogs and the Gordon Lee Trojans sqaure off.  This rivalry has gone heavily in Trion’s favor as of late with Trion winning  12 of the last 13 games dating back to 2012.  Trion has also won four straight games over Gordon Lee.  The last time the Trojans won in this series was a 50-13 victory back in 2020 at Trion.  Trion enters their 6th season under head coach Sean Patrick who has led the Bulldogs through one of the most dominant runs in school history over the last four years with a record of 40-9 over that stretch.  Trion finished last season with a 10-3 record and 2nd place finish in region 7-A.  Trion advanced to the 3rd round of the playoffs last year before being eliminated by Irwin County.

Both games will be live streamed on the WZQZ Facebook page and the Trion vs Gordon Lee game will be broadcast live on the radio on AM 1180 and 99.1 FM.  Paul Cavin and Jeremy Burke will call the action for Trion while Chris “Bubba” Wilson and Steiner Davis will be on the call for the Indians.

On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., the Georgia State Senate Study Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax, chaired by Sen. Blake Tillery (R–Vidalia), will convene its first hearing at the Georgia State Capitol, Room 450. This event is open to the public.

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A Summerville couple was arrested last Friday afternoon on multiple felony drug charges after a traffic stop initiated by the Georgia State Patrol led to the discovery of suspected marijuana, THC vape products, and a significant amount of cash.

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This week the University System of Georgia (USG) announced a significant increase in its economic contribution to the state, injecting $23.1 billion into Georgia’s economy during Fiscal Year 2024. This represents a 5.4% jump from the previous year, underscoring the system’s vital role in the state’s prosperity.

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The Community Resource Center of Chattooga County (CRC Chattooga) has launched an urgent appeal to local churches, calling for collaborative efforts to ensure the consistent operation of its vital food distribution program. The organization is seeking dedicated volunteer teams to help staff its 13 monthly distribution days, aiming to prevent any potential closures due to lack of help.

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A Centre, Alabama man was arrested in Rome earlier this week after allegedly leading local law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit that began over a minor traffic infraction.

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The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced on Thursday that the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.4% in July 2025, a decrease of one-tenth of a percentage point from June. This marks the lowest unemployment rate for Georgia since April 2024 and stands eight-tenths of a point lower than the national average.

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A traffic stop on Monday of this week ended with a Smith Street, Summerville woman going to jail for possession  of less than an ounce of marijuana.  According to information from the Summerville Police Department, 49-year-old Kimberly McGuire was stopped while driving a 2007 Pontiac GS on Smith Street.  McGuire was cited by the officer for misdemeanor possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and was booked into the Chattooga County Jail.  In Georgia, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is classified as a misdemeanor and can result in up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.  Some cities and counties in Georgia, including Atlanta, have reduced the penalty for small amounts of marijuana to $75 and no jail time. 

GE Appliances today unveiled a strategic investment exceeding $3 billion aimed at significantly expanding and modernizing its U.S. manufacturing operations, while simultaneously repatriating production of key appliances from China and Mexico. The ambitious plan is set to create over 1,000 new American jobs and ramp up domestic output across facilities in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina over the next five years.  The expansion includes the shifting of gas range manufacturing from Mexico to the Roper plant in LaFayette.

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Chattooga County residents can anticipate a stretch of warm and humid weather over the next several days, marked by consistent chances for afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures are expected to remain high, primarily in the upper 80s to lower 90s, with overnight lows hovering around the lower 70s.

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