Chattooga County is taking additional legal steps to recover more than $300,000 in taxpayer funds tied to a controversial broadband project in the Menlo area that never materialized.
The Finley Law Firm — which represents Chattooga County in PFAS-related litigation — is warning that a proposed bill in the Georgia Senate could effectively end the county’s case and shut down similar lawsuits filed by local governments across the state seeking cleanup costs for “forever chemical” contamination.
The Chattooga County Chamber of Commerce will host a Lunch & Learn event on Monday, March 16 at 12 p.m. featuring Summerville City Manager Jason Winters as the guest speaker.
The event will be held at 10050 Commerce Street in Summerville.
According to the Chamber, Winters will discuss how the City of Summerville’s recently awarded Rural Zone designation is expected to help revitalize the city’s business landscape. The designation is designed to encourage investment and economic development in designated downtown areas.
The catered lunch is open to the public, but reservations are required. Admission is $12 for Chamber members and $17 for non-members. Organizers encourage attendees to review the event policy on the official event page prior to registering.
Chamber officials say the event will provide valuable insight for business owners, community leaders, and residents interested in the future of economic growth in Summerville.
Mortgage rates have dipped below the 6% mark for the first time in months, offering potential relief to home buyers and renewed opportunity for sellers across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia.
A special community event is coming to Summerville on Sunday, March 8, as Make-A-Wish Georgia grants a heartfelt wish for 13-year-old Jude.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Sunday, March 1, 2026:
Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia are waking up to patchy fog this Sunday morning, but clearer skies are quickly taking over as high pressure settles across the region. The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia says mostly clear conditions will dominate today after the fog dissipates shortly after sunrise. Dry weather is expected to continue through Monday as a strong surface high builds down the Eastern Seaboard.
A bipartisan measure moving through the Georgia General Assembly would eliminate the state’s 4% sales tax on diapers, baby formula, and menstrual products, classifying them as essential goods rather than taxable items. Supporters say the change would ease financial pressure on families, noting that while groceries and prescription drugs are already exempt in Georgia, diaper and feminine hygiene products are not.
Advocates point to long-term costs, with estimates showing the average woman spends about $18,000 on period products over her lifetime — plus roughly $1,000 in taxes. Government assistance programs like SNAP and WIC do not cover diapers, and the Georgia Diaper Bank Coalition estimates ending the diaper tax could save families about $80 per child. Diaper banks statewide distribute more than 1.4 million diapers each year to families in need.
The effort is being led this session by Republican State Sen. Randy Robertson, who says the issue is about prioritizing families despite the potential loss of millions in state revenue. The bill must pass committee before heading to the Senate floor ahead of Crossover Day, and supporters say it has bipartisan backing. If approved, Georgia would join a growing number of states that have eliminated sales taxes on menstrual and baby care products.
New unemployment benefit filings in Georgia declined last week, a sign layoffs may be easing slightly statewide even as national claims moved higher. The U.S. Department of Labor reports Georgia initial claims fell to 3,979 for the week ending February 21, down from 4,293 the week before (a drop of 314).
Nationally, seasonally adjusted initial claims rose to 212,000, up 4,000 from the prior week, according to the same weekly report.
In the week’s state-by-state movement, Rhode Island posted the largest percentage jump (from 1,154 to 2,677, about +132%) while Michigan saw the biggest percentage drop (from 7,315 to 3,667, about -49.9%).
A former Chattooga County School System teacher, Dr. Elizabeth Anderson has been named executive vice president and chief academic officer at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, effective March 1, according to GNTC President Dr. Heidi Popham.