The Chattooga County 2026 Firefighter Recruit Class is being recognized for reaching an important milestone in their training after successfully completing a live burn and passing a key state exam required in the firefighter certification process.
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.
An attempted drug-smuggling incident tied to Hays State Prison over the weekend is the latest reminder of a growing problem facing Georgia’s prison system: contraband—especially drugs and cell phones—continuing to make its way into facilities through increasingly aggressive and sophisticated methods.
On Saturday, December 13, at approximately 7:30 p.m., deputies were alerted to a suspicious male carrying a duffle bag who entered the woods off Underwood Drive near Hays State Prison. Deputies, Trion Police, Warden Jones, and members of the prison staff quickly responded and established a perimeter around the area.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says a major gang operation tied to Hays State Prison in Chattooga County has been shut down following the convictions of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Gangster Bloods. The case stems from a large-scale investigation into violent crime, drug trafficking, and gang recruitment allegedly directed both inside and outside Georgia prisons.
Drones are becoming one of the biggest contraband threats facing Georgia prisons—and Chattooga County has already seen how these drops can play out on the ground.