The American Red Cross urges donors to give blood now to reinforce the blood supply as much as possible before the summer winds down. Type O blood donors and those giving platelets are especially needed to help keep hospital shelves stocked through August.
Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods
Georgia’s superintendent of schools seemingly reversed course Wednesday following backlash over the state’s refusal to provide funding for a new Advanced Placement class in African American Studies.
Georgia students showed progress on standardized tests given in the 2023-2024 school year, but it’s far from a quick rebound to pre-pandemic achievement levels as students in some grades and subjects aren’t showing a clear recovery. The Georgia Department of Education released the annual Milestones test results Friday. Students in grades 3 through 8 as well as high schoolers take tests in math and English language arts, while a few grades take science and social studies tests. Federal law requires most of the tests. Because the state administered a math test for a redesigned math curriculum, those scores won’t be available for several more months. Proficiency levels — the share of students meeting expectations for what they should know — averaged 43.5% in English language arts in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. In 2024, they averaged 39.5%, up a percentage point on average from 2023.
The Summerville City Council will be holding a called meeting on Monday evening at Summerville City Hall. According to an agenda released on Friday, the purpose of the meeting is for the council to interview potential candidates for the city manager’s position. Larry F. Deaton, Jr., Emma Wells and Jason Winters are the three finalists selected for the position. Deaton is a state employee that lives in Calhoun. Wells works for the Rome / Floyd County government and Winters is the former three-term sole commissioner of Chattooga County. While Monday’s meeting is open to the public, the council will go into executive session to interview the candidates. According to a timeline the council set earlier, a decision is expected before August 15th.
Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas is facing multiple felonies after he was arrested early Friday morning in Athens. Records from the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff’s Office show that Thomas has been charged with three counts of second-degree cruelty to children, and three counts of family violence battery. Officials have not shared details about what led to Thomas’s arrest. According to the records, Thomas remains in custody without bond. This was Thomas’s second arrest during his time at the University of Georgia. In January 2023, he was charged with false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery. Those charges were eventually dropped.
A 12-year-old girl whose disappearance galvanized a Georgia community has been found in Ohio.
Friends, family and the community gathered in the Conference Center at Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Gordon County Campus in Calhoun on July 22 to honor 12 students graduating from Basic POST Certification Class #BPC1-2024-07.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriffs Office for Friday, July 26, 2024:
It’s back to school today for students in the Chattooga County School System. WZQZ Radio wants to wish all of the students, teachers, support staff and administration at Menlo Elementary, Lyerly Elementary, Leroy Massey Elementary, Summerville Middle School and Chattooga High School a great 2024-2025 school year!
