The Community Resource Center of Chattooga (CRC Chattooga) is thrilled to announce its annual 5K Walk/Run, a fundraising event to support its vital services to the Chattooga County community. The race will take place on March 15th, 2025, at 8:00 AM, offering a fun and active way for community members to contribute to a worthy cause.
Today is “Crossover Day”, the last day for bills to pass either the Georgia House or Senate to be considered by the other chamber. In recent days, Georgia legislators rushed to pass several education bills covering various topics, including school security and a cell phone ban for students. These bills must also be approved by the other chamber before the April 4 deadline.
Early voting for the Chattooga County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) election is experiencing a slow start, according to officials at the Chattooga County Registrars Office. Less than 200 residents have cast their ballots in person, and only four absentee ballots have been received by mail. Chattooga County voters are being asked to decide the fate of a one-cent sales tax, a funding mechanism that has been in place for decades. This SPLOST provides vital revenue for infrastructure projects throughout the county, benefiting the county government, as well as the four municipalities within Chattooga County: Summerville, Trion, Lyerly, and Menlo. Early voting is being held at the Chattooga County Registrars Office, located at 10017 Commerce Street in downtown Summerville. Weekday voting hours are from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Residents will also have the opportunity to vote this Saturday, with polling hours from 9 AM to 5 PM. Voters are encouraged to participate and make their voices heard on this important issue that impacts the future of Chattooga County’s infrastructure.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Wednesday, March 5, 2025:
Residents of Northwest Georgia are waking up to a blustery Wednesday after overnight thunderstorms packing strong winds swept through the region, leaving hundreds without power. While the rain has moved eastward, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a wind advisory for the area until 7 PM this evening, warning of continued strong gusts. Winds are expected to reach speeds of up to 30 mph, posing a risk to unsecured objects, tree limbs, and potentially causing further power outages. The strong winds could also make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. The National Weather Service urges drivers to use extra caution. “Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and additional power outages may result. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution,” stated a release from the NWS. The forecast for today includes a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 3 PM, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 57 degrees. Southwest winds will be blowing at 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Tonight, temperatures will drop to a low of around 32 degrees under mostly cloudy skies, with west winds at 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Thursday offers a respite with sunny skies and a high near 54, though winds will still gust up to 25 mph. Looking ahead, a chance for thunderstorms may return to Northwest Georgia Saturday night into Sunday morning, bringing with it a new round of potential weather hazards.
Storms overnight have left hundreds of people in Chattooga County without power as of Wednesday morning. Georgia Power is reporting multiple outages across the county. Most of the outages are small affecting less than 10 residence, with a notable exceptions being in the Cooper and Neal Gap Road area as well as the Hair Lake and Beavers Road area. Other outages are reported on Highway 48 at Cloudland, Oak Hill-Alpine Road, Highway 114 at Ellenburg Subdivision and Norton Road in Summerville as well as Dray Valley Road and a small outage reported near Trion Town Hall. North Georgia EMC says there are 96 customers without power in Chattooga County this morning with area affected including: Raccoon Road, Ramsey Avenue, Trion-Teloga Road and the Harrisburg Road area.
A legal dispute over a permit for four poultry houses in the Gore community of Chattooga County is ongoing, with both sides awaiting a decision from Judge Don Thompson following a recent court date. The case pits Rocking S Farm LLC and poultry farmer Dustin Smith against Chattooga County, with current County Commissioner Andy Allen questioning the legality of a permit originally issued by former Commissioner Blake Elsberry. At the heart of the debate is whether the county had the authority to revoke the permit. Smith’s attorneys are arguing that Georgia’s “Right to Farm” Act protects their client, while the current county government maintains that does not supersede local permitting requirements. Testimony heard in Chattooga County Superior Court last month highlighted concerns surrounding the permit procedures. Judge Thompson initially indicated support for the county’s decision to revoke the permit. However, he has requested both sides to submit briefs focusing on broader questions of state law and its applicability to the situation. A recent amendment to the argument by Rocking S Farm’s legal team has caused a delay in Judge Thompson’s decision. The next court date is scheduled for March 19th, where both sides will likely present further arguments before Judge Thompson renders his verdict.
Summerville Police were called to a Scoggins Street address on Monday morning after a report about damage to a vehicle. When police arrived, they spoke with the 21-year-old female complainant who said that someone had slashed two of her car tires. The damage was estimated at $358. According to the report, the woman believed that the incident had happened sometime the previous Friday, February 28th. The incident is under investigation by the Summerville Police Department.
The City of Summerville is now accepting applications for a Cathodic Protection Technician to maintain and operate the city’s crucial cathodic protection system. This system utilizes electric current to prevent corrosion on vital underground infrastructure, particularly the city’s natural gas distribution lines.
