A high-impact winter storm is expected to bring significant icing to Chattooga County and parts of Northwest Georgia this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an Ice Storm Warning. The warning is in effect from 7:00 AM Saturday until 10:00 AM Monday.
Voters in Chattooga County and neighboring counties in Northwest Georgia are expected to see an additional special election tied to the shakeup in the 14th Congressional District. Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a call to fill Georgia Senate District 53, the seat vacated by Colton Moore after he qualified to run for the open U.S. House seat.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College has selected three students as its finalists for the 2026 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to GOAL program coordinator Trish Wiggins. The finalists are Brittney Elrod of Ringgold (Business Management, Catoosa County Campus, nominated by Dr. Dwight Watt), Latasha Fluker of Rome (Marketing Management, Floyd County Campus, nominated by Mark Upton), and Noelia Sargento of Rossville (Business Management, Walker County Campus, nominated by Tracy Gentry).
Forecasters say a high-impact winter storm is increasingly likely across Georgia this weekend, with freezing rain and ice expected to be the primary hazards and the potential for widespread power outages and dangerous travel conditions. The Winter Storm Watch has been expanded to include most of North Georgia and a small portion of Central Georgia, with the watch starting 1:00 AM Saturday for the far northern tier and beginning 1:00 PM Saturday for areas generally near and south of I-20. Both time periods extend through 10:00 AM Monday.
The Georgia Department of Labor has released new local unemployment numbers for November 2025, and Chattooga County’s unemployment rate came in at 4.8%.
Candidate qualifying concluded on Wednesday for the Special Election to fill the unexpired term of Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. There are 17 Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent who will be vying for the seat during the March 10 election.
A major healthcare transition is underway today, January 11, as CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital North Georgia opens its doors in Ringgold, expanding access to medical services for Catoosa County and surrounding counties in Northwest Georgia.
The opening of the new hospital also marks the closure of CHI Memorial Hospital in Fort Oglethorpe (formerly Hutcheson Hospital). The Fort Oglethorpe facility is closing for all services as operations shift to the new location.
The new hospital, located at 4710 Battlefield Parkway, is now accepting patients for emergency care as well as inpatient and outpatient services. Residents who previously used the Fort Oglethorpe hospital are encouraged to plan for the change and seek care at the Ringgold facility moving forward.
Governor Brian Kemp issued an order Tuesday calling for a special election on Tuesday, March 10 to fill the vacant 14th Congressional District seat after U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome resigned, effective Monday, Jan. 5.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety reports that seven people died in automobile crashes statewide during the 102-hour New Year’s holiday travel period, as troopers and officers worked high-visibility patrols across Georgia, including routes serving Northwest Georgia.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is warning consumers across the state to stay on alert for gift card scams, as fraud reports typically spike during the holiday season and into January when many people begin redeeming cards they received as gifts. Carr is joining attorneys general from other states in a public awareness push aimed at stopping criminals who steal gift card numbers, drain balances, and target victims through phone calls, texts, emails, and social media messages demanding payment in gift cards.
