Fox Theatre announced it has awarded a substantial $20,000 grant to support the renovation of the historic Tooga Theater balcony. This funding comes from the 2024-2025 Fox Gives grants program, a testament to the Fox Theatre’s dedication to preserving cultural landmarks and strengthening communities across Georgia.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Friday, November 1, 2024:
It’s the final week of the 2024 regular season and both of our local teams have playoff berths secured and are looking for big wins to finish the regular season. The Trion Bulldogs will have a huge showdown on the road at Bowdon while Chattooga will take on Coosa the little Big Horn.
The Trion Bulldogs are 8-1 on the season and ranked #8 in the state according to the AJC. They are tied for 2nd place in region 7-A Division 2 with the Bowdon Red Devils. Bowdon is 7-2 on the year and ranked #3 in state by the AJC. Both Trion and Bowdon have one region loss coming at the hands of the Manchester Blue Devils. The winner of tonight’s game will secure 2nd place in the region and most importantly will secure a home playoff game in the first round. Bowdon’s two losses this year came in week 1 at home against Fellowship Christian 36-35 and four weeks ago at home to Manchester 28-20. Bowdon has won back to back state titles the last two seasons.
The Chattooga Indians secured their spot in the playoffs with a win on the road last week at Dade County 56-36. Chattooga is currently 6-3 on the season while Coosa 3-6 with only one region win against Armuchee. Coosa took a loss last week 42-14 on the road at Gordon Lee. Chattooga’s 6 wins this season are the most wins they have had in a season since 2018 under former head coach Charles Hammon.
Both games will be live video streamed on the WZQZ Facebook page. The Trion at Bowdon game will also be broadcast live on 99.1 FM and AM 1180. Join Paul Cavin and Jeremy Burke along with cameraman Jim Warnock as they call the action from Bowdon. Chris “Bubba” Wilson and Steiner Davis along with cameraman Mason Gilreath will provide coverage from the Little Big Horn. The pregame show will begin at around 7:15pm with kickoff to follow at 7:30 pm.
A fifty-year-old Chattooga County man was charged with DUI after causing a multi-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 114 and Highway 27 in Summerville on Wednesday night. The Georgia State Patrol told WZQZ News that three vehicles were stopped at the stoplight at the intersection, when a Ford F-150 driven by Stacy Tudor, slammed into the back of another Ford F-150 causing a chain reaction. The second pickup truck then struck a Toyota Highlander and that vehicle struck a Acura RDX. Troopers said that Tudor, along with the driver of the other pickup truck and the driver of the Toyota were all transported to the AtriumHealth Floyd Chattooga Emergency Department in Trion with minor injuries. Tudor was subsequently charged with driving under the influence and other driving offences in connection with the accident.
Last week, a thirty-five-year-old Chattooga County man was arrested for filing a false report of a crime related to a stolen truck. A Chattooga County deputy responded to a call from Jason Eugene Hall on Village Mill Road, claiming his friend Thomas Lynch’s truck was stolen while they were away in Atlanta. Initially, Hall stated they had driven a different vehicle, leaving Lynch’s truck at home. However, as the investigation progressed, sheriff’s deputies found Lynch’s stolen 2014 Ram 1500 with deployed airbags off Silverhill Road in the Gore area. Discrepancies in Hall and his roommate Ben Pirkle’s statements raised suspicion. Ultimately, Pirkle confessed to wrecking the truck the night before, revealing inconsistencies in their stories. Following further inquiries, Hall was arrested and taken to the county jail for falsely reporting the crime.
The Menlo Lions Club will be making their famous Brunswick Stew, which will be available for pickup on November 9th from 7 AM – 10 AM. Location for pick up will be at the Menlo School Cafeteria. The stew is $8 per quart or $30 per gallon. The stew sales helps the Menlo Lions Club give scholarships to Chattooga High School students who are going off to college next fall. The Menlo Lions Club also makes sure students who need glasses in our area receive them. Call 706-862-2857 or 706-844-2349 for more information.
Georgia’s limited Medicaid expansion program, Georgia Pathways, has seen significantly low enrollment numbers due to a complex enrollment process and strict eligibility criteria. Only 4,231 individuals have enrolled, far below the projected 25,000. The program requires at least 80 hours per month of work or other qualifying activities, leading to numerous denials. Some enrollees faced unexpected consequences, such as losing coverage due to fluctuating income. Confusion and paperwork errors have also hindered enrollment. Suggestions to improve the program include simplifying eligibility, eliminating the activities requirement, and expanding coverage. The state’s efforts to raise awareness through a $10. 7 million ad campaign have yet to show significant results.
A former Floyd County School System teacher, Lynn Katherine Allen Mitchell, has been arrested and charged with three counts of felony 1st-degree cruelty to children. The arrest warrants detail disturbing incidents that occurred at Alto Park Elementary School. Mitchell rolled a 4-year-old, special needs, non-verbal child in a blanket and restrained him by stepping on it when he wouldn’t nap. In another instance, she picked up a different child and slammed him onto a mat for the same reason. On a separate occasion, she tightly wrapped a third child in a blanket to keep him from getting up. Mitchell is no longer employed by the school system, and she remains in Floyd County Jail with a $15,000 bond. The children involved were all special needs and between the ages of 4 and 5.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) through the Georgia Council for the Arts has announced the fiscal year 2025 Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities competitive grant awards for various organizations in the state, including those in rural communities. A total of more than $1. 4 million in funding has been allocated to 69 entities in 51 counties, with funding granted to Chattooga County’s Paradise Garden. The Vibrant Communities Grant supports a range of arts programs such as murals, artist performances, theater productions, and festivals, while the Cultural Facilities Grant is aimed at improving or constructing buildings for arts programming.
The Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health team has secured a $2. 5 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to enhance antibiotic prescribing for children with acute respiratory tract infections in outpatient settings. The project will be led by Jennifer Sullivan, M. D. , M. P. H. , and co-lead by Lisa Davidson, M. D. , aiming to address the risks associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for pediatric patients. The Atrium Health Children’s Optimal Outpatient Stewardship (AH-CHOOS) program will focus on implementing research findings that narrow-spectrum antibiotics are as effective as broad-spectrum ones, with fewer side effects for treating acute respiratory tract infections in children. The initiative will expand across multiple sites served by Atrium Health and engage over 2,000 healthcare providers in enhancing appropriate antibiotic prescribing practices through education, data reporting, and evidence-based interventions. The ultimate goal is to prevent drug-resistant infections and reduce adverse side effects by empowering providers to use antibiotics judiciously and engage patients and caregivers in their care.
