A 53-year-old man,  identified as Torre Perez Darden, was arrested early Wednesday, New Year’s Day, for criminal trespass at a McDonald’s location on Highway 27. The arrest followed a call for service made to Chattooga E911, indicating that Darden, who had previously been barred from the premises, was found in the restaurant’s lobby. According to a report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received the call at approximately 3:34 AM. Upon arriving at the scene just nine minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy found Darden sitting in a booth with his head down. The deputy recognized Darden from a prior incident that occurred on December 17, 2024, during which Darden had been formally trespassed from the establishment. Due to the repeat nature of the offense, deputies took Darden into custody without incident. Darden was transported to the Chattooga County Jail, where he was charged with criminal trespass.

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Several governmental meetings are scheduled for the first full week of January 2025.  The Summerville City Council has announced a special called meeting for tomorrow, Monday, January 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM.  The purpose of that meeting is to discuss an update on the city’s water supply and to discuss the budget.  Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen has called a meeting to appoint members to the new county election board.  That meeting will take place at the civic center in Summerville on Monday evening at 6 PM.  The Chattooga Board of Education has called a public meeting to discuss the new property tax law.  That meeting will be held at 7 AM on Tuesday morning at the Chattooga Education Center, located on Penn Street in Summerville.  The Town of Trion has announced a special called meeting for Tuesday evening at 6 PM.  The meeting will be held at Trion Town Hall and is set to discuss the town’s budget.  Then, on Thursday of this week, the Walker County Board of Commissioners will have their monthly meeting for January. That meeting takes place at 6:30 PM at the Walker County Courthouse Annex III, located at 201 S Main Street in LaFayette.

Habitat for Humanity – Coosa Valley is now accepting applications for homeownership for families in Floyd, CHATTOOGA, and Polk counties. Those interested can find applications online at https://www.habitatcoosavalley.org or you can pick up at our office located at 504 East First Ave, Rome, GA 30161.

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The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has announced that starting Monday, January 6, through Friday, January 10, crews will be conducting nightly lane closures on 2nd Avenue as part of an ongoing improvement project. The closures, weather permitting, will take place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. The 2nd Avenue improvement project stretches from the Oostanaula River to just north of the intersection with Turner McCall Boulevard. Motorists should prepare for temporary lane closures that will be implemented periodically in both directions between West 3rd Street and Turner McCall Boulevard. “We advise all motorists to exercise caution in the area during these times,” said a GDOT spokesperson. “Delays are expected, and we urge drivers to reduce their speed while traveling through the work zones.” To stay informed about the latest traffic conditions and work status, drivers can call 511, visit 511ga.org, or download the Georgia 511 app before heading out.

At the request of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating a death in Macon County after hunters discovered a body in the woods near Flint River.

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Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Saturday, January 4, 2025:

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A 47-year-old man was arrested late on New Year’s by Summerville Police after a drunken episode on Smith Street ended with charges of disturbing the peace.  According to police, Chris John Gianoulis was inside the residence yelling and cursing and then began to break items in the home.  Smith was placed under arrest and was booked into the Chattooga County Jail.  The cirmustances around the incident were no immediately available from police.