Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader warns residents about a jury duty scam affecting the area. Scammers are calling people, falsely claiming they owe money for missing jury duty to avoid arrest or legal action. The Sheriff stresses that this is fraudulent, and individuals should never send money for alleged missing jury service, as legitimate agencies communicate through mail, not phone. No court or law enforcement will demand payment via untraceable methods. Residents are advised to hang up on such calls and report them to the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff urges caution against unsolicited calls or emails that pressure for money.

The Chattooga County Historical Society will hold its summer meeting tomorrow, Sunday, July 13th at 2 PM at the historic depot in Summerville. The meeting will focus on “The Lives and Legacy of the Cherokee Natives,” honoring the area’s indigenous people before the county was established in 1838.  Prior to 1838, Chattooga County was a landscape profoundly different from today, primarily populated by Cherokee communities with distinct culture and loosely connected towns. Historical records indicate seven such towns within what would become Chattooga County, with the major centers being Chattooga, Island Town, and Broomtown. Other significant settlements included Kar Tah (Dirt Town), Raccoon Town, Dirtseller Mountain, and Scraper Mountain. The meeting tomorrow will also discuss the Cherokee’s forced removal during The Trail of Tears. Local Cherokee expert Dale Willingham will present and showcase his collection of Native American artifacts. The Chattooga County Historical Society invites the community to attend and learn about the Cherokee people’s history in the region.

On Monday of this week, a Summerville man reported the theft of medication from his residence on Highland Avenue.  Terry Anthony told Summerville Police that on July 3rd, he went to a doctor’s appointment at AdventHealth Redmond in Rome and when he returned home, he discovered some pain medication missing.  Anthony told police that he had left the medication in a bag on the table of his home.  Anthony told police he needed a police report to give to his doctor for replacement of the medication.

This week, Georgia Power and state energy regulators acknowledged uncertainty in the utility’s future energy demand forecasts, needing updates in the coming years. During a Public Service Commission hearing, critics argued that Georgia Power is not promoting energy efficiency enough.

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The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) has launched the Quality Rated (QR) Family Support Call Center to improve family support services. This new system combines the 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS child care helpline with additional resources to help families access childcare information and other DECAL programs more easily. Starting July 1, 2025, DECAL specialists began answering calls, offering assistance with high-quality child care referrals, enrollment processes, and connecting families to various DECAL departments. The QR Family Support Call Center is available in multiple languages, including English and Spanish. Families can reach the center by calling 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays. They can also email findqrcare@decal. ga.gov or use the online childcare search service at https://families. decal. ga.gov. The initiative aims to streamline access to child care and other early education services for Georgia families.

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Downtown Rome on Friday, July 18. The appearance is part of a tour by Anheuser-Busch to honor service members, with a portion of proceeds from certain Budweiser products going to Folds of Honor. “They are going to be making several deliveries, and they will be on Broad Street from 3 until 5 p.m., said Kristi Kent with the Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism. “That is just a fun photo moment. It’s a good opportunity to see something cool. The horses are beautiful and they have the cutest little Dalmatian. I have never seen a cuter Dalmatian. He just sits there, perched in the seat, and just kind of looks around, all prim and proper. It’s just the cutest thing in the world.” More details concerning the visit are expected to be released in the coming week.

WRGA

A Trion man is facing serious charges related to fraud involving payments for property improvements, authorities announced today. John Paul Ramsey, 42, has been charged with conversion of payments for real property improvements following an investigation into allegations that he failed to fulfill financial obligations under a contract, resulting in significant losses for a client.

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The Georgia Supreme Court is taking proactive steps to manage the rapidly expanding influence of artificial intelligence within the state’s judicial system, announcing a comprehensive three-year plan to address the integration and potential misuse of AI technologies.

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More than $200 million in federal education grants designated for Georgia schools are currently being withheld by the Trump administration, just weeks before the new academic year is set to begin. The unprecedented freeze comes as the administration reviews whether certain state education programs are advancing what officials deem a “radical left-wing agenda,” according to the Learning Policy Institute (LPI).

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