The City of Summerville has approved a balanced budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year that includes no increases to property taxes or utility base rates.
Chattooga County residents will soon have an additional opportunity each week to dispose of household garbage as county officials expand operating hours at the county’s main transfer station.
Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen announced that the transfer station on Stockade Road will begin opening on Sundays, providing residents with a weekend option for household waste disposal.
Under the new schedule, the county’s main transfer station will operate from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Allen said the change is intended to help residents who have difficulty visiting the facility during normal weekday hours.
“This will let people get rid of some of their household garbage on the weekends,” Allen said.
The expanded hours will apply only to the county’s main transfer station on Stockade Road. Other garbage collection sites located throughout Chattooga County will remain closed on Sundays.
According to Allen, opening every collection site on Sundays would significantly increase personnel and operating costs. County leaders instead chose to focus on adding hours at the main transfer station while keeping expenses manageable.
Allen said he has wanted to open the main site on Sundays for some time and believes the added hours will provide greater convenience for residents whose work schedules and other commitments make weekday visits difficult.
County officials hope the expanded access will help residents keep up with household waste disposal needs without requiring costly expansions at collection sites across the county.
Time is running out for residents to participate in the Chattooga County Young Farmers Farm Stand Card Program, with the deadline to complete and submit cards set for June 30.
Ice cream lovers will have a chance to cool off and support a local organization later this month at James H. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park.
The Friends of Sloppy Floyd State Park will host a Homemade Ice Cream Sale on Sunday, June 28, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. near the park’s Visitor Center.
Volunteers will offer a variety of homemade ice cream flavors, giving visitors plenty of options to choose from. Ice cream will be available for $3 per cup, and both cash and card payments will be accepted.
Organizers say the event is a great opportunity for families and visitors to enjoy a summer treat while spending time at one of Northwest Georgia’s most scenic state parks.
A Georgia State Parks parking pass is required for entry. Visitors must have either a $10 daily ParkPass or an annual pass to park at the facility.
James H. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park is located in Chattooga County and is known for its beautiful mountain scenery, fishing lakes, hiking trails, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
The event is open to the public.
Children and families will have an opportunity to experience an up-close wildlife encounter later this month as the Sara Hightower Regional Library System welcomes Animal Adventures of Georgia to Summerville.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, at 2 p.m. at the Chattooga County Library, located at 360 Farrar Drive in Summerville.
Animal Adventures of Georgia is a mobile wildlife education company based in Newnan that specializes in bringing live animal programs to schools, libraries, festivals, and community events across the state. The organization is known for its interactive presentations featuring a variety of animals while teaching participants about wildlife, habitats, conservation, and nature.
Library officials describe the program as an interactive and educational live animal nature show designed to engage children and adults alike through hands-on learning experiences.
The event is free and open to the public and is part of the library’s ongoing summer programming.
Families are encouraged to arrive early for what promises to be a fun and educational afternoon featuring live animals and opportunities to learn more about the natural world.
A new report from USAFacts, using data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, shows that hundreds of Chattooga County residents rely on federally subsidized housing programs.
Georgia lawmakers have taken the first major step toward resolving a voting system issue that threatened to complicate the state’s upcoming elections.
Methodist churches in North Georgia and South Georgia have taken a major step toward forming one statewide conference.
The North Georgia Annual Conference approved a proposal this week to merge with the South Georgia Annual Conference, voting 96 percent to 4 percent in favor of the plan during its annual meeting in Athens. Earlier this month, the South Georgia Annual Conference also approved the same Unification Plan, with 96.6 percent voting in favor.
The proposal would create the Georgia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, bringing both conferences together under one statewide structure.
Church leaders say the vote marks an important step, but the merger is not yet final. The Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference must still decide whether to hold a special virtual session in August 2026 to consider the proposal.
If approved, Bishop Robin Dease would call a joint special session of both annual conferences in September to help prepare for the transition. Under the current proposal, the new Georgia Annual Conference would officially begin on January 1, 2027.
A worship and celebration service is planned for January 2027, with the first session of the newly unified Georgia Annual Conference scheduled for June 2027 in Athens.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Saturday, June 20, 2026:
After a pleasant start to the weekend, Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia can expect a return to a more active summer weather pattern beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing through much of next week.