Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia are waking up to low clouds and patchy dense fog this Saturday morning, but brighter skies and unseasonably warm temperatures are on the way.
Widespread showers and a few isolated thunderstorms will continue across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia today and into tonight as a cold front tracks south through the region. Early activity has included occasional lightning, but storms have remained scattered and disorganized with no strong or organized severe threat showing up in the near-term pattern.
State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), who represents all of Chattooga County and part of Floyd County, says the Georgia House has passed the halfway point of the 2026 legislative session after completing Legislative Day 22. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol following the President’s Day holiday and moved several bills forward during a busy week.
Lumsden highlighted passage of House Bill 1063, which would prevent electric utilities from shifting certain costs tied to large data centers onto residential and small business customers, while codifying Public Service Commission cost-allocation rules into state law. He noted Georgia’s rapid data center growth is driving increased energy demand statewide.
The House also approved legislation to increase access to naloxone on college and technical campuses, expand protections for foster placement caregivers, support autism screenings for children in foster care, strengthen student-athlete health requirements, and improve roadside safety during traffic stops as work continues toward Crossover Day.
See Rep. Lumsden’s complete report below:
Atrium Health Floyd has lifted the temporary masking and visitor restrictions that had been in place since December, citing a steady decline in respiratory illness cases among patients and staff.
Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia can expect average to slightly above-average temperatures to continue through the weekend, along with several opportunities for rainfall and a few thunderstorms heading into Thursday and Friday.
The Rome Police Department is investigating a deadly incident that happened Tuesday, February 24, 2026, after a person was struck by a train behind the Rome Kroger.
According to Floyd County Coroner Gene Proctor, the deceased is a female, and her body is being sent to the GBI Crime Lab.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing, and no additional details are being released at this time.
Authorities are reminding the public to use extreme caution around railroad tracks. Trains can be quieter than expected, move faster than they appear, and require a long distance to stop.
Charges have been dismissed in connection with a 2023 fatal crash that claimed the life of a LaFayette motorcyclist, according to documents filed in Floyd County Superior Court.
Georgia drivers are seeing some welcome relief at the pump this week, with the statewide average falling to $2.69 per gallon, three cents lower than last week, the same as a month ago, and 30 cents below this time last year. At that price, filling a standard 15-gallon tank costs about $40.35.
Drought conditions continue to grip Georgia, with 87.4% of the state now classified under at least D2 (Severe Drought) conditions — the highest statewide coverage seen since October 2011. While weekend rainfall brought measurable totals to parts of the state, it is not expected to significantly improve overall drought conditions.













