Former Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry is responding to recent online discussions about findings from the ongoing 2024 audit of Chattooga County finances, offering context about accounting discrepancies identified during that time.
Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen said Tuesday that a barn on his farm was destroyed after being struck by lightning during storms overnight.
Allen and his wife, Whitney, said the lightning strike hit a fence charger, which sparked the fire that resulted in the barn being a total loss.
In a statement, the Allens thanked the Gore Fire Department and Hays State Prison firefighters for their quick response.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank Gore Fire Department and Hays Prison on their quick response and professionalism that they showed early this morning,” the statement said. “During the storms last night lightning hit our fence charger which sparked a fire and our barn was a total loss.”
The Allens said firefighters worked quickly to ensure the fire was fully contained and did not spread to their nearby horse barn.
“We appreciate their efforts and kindness,” the statement concluded.
Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen released a statement Wednesday evening outlining the county’s progress, financial challenges and plans for the future in what he described as a “2026 State of Chattooga County” update to residents.
Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen says the county made it through the 2025 budget year without using a Tax Anticipation Note (TAN), a common short-term borrowing tool used by local governments to cover expenses while waiting for tax revenues to come in.
A continuing disagreement involving animal welfare efforts in Chattooga County is drawing renewed attention after Sole County Commissioner Andy Allen released a statement this week calling for clearer communication and a face-to-face meeting with the Animal Advocates of Chattooga County. The commissioner’s statement follows months of tension and includes earlier correspondence from this spring that centered on concerns about the county animal shelter and its leadership.