Construction on Pilgrim’s Pride’s new prepared foods plant in Walker County is expected to begin this fall, a major step forward in a $400 million development local and state leaders say could reshape the area’s economy and bring hundreds of jobs to Northwest Georgia.
LaFayette Farmers Market-GA is inviting local makers, growers, and producers to apply to become vendors for the 2026 market season. Market organizers say the LaFayette Farmers Market is a producer-only, community-centered market focused on supporting local agriculture, artisans, and small businesses—welcoming vendors who grow it, raise it, bake it, or make it.
All vendors, including those who participated in past seasons, are required to re-apply for 2026. The market will run Saturdays from April 25 through August 29, operating 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine, in Downtown LaFayette, Georgia.
Vendor applications are available online HERE
Chattooga County and much of Northwest Georgia are seeing a shift toward unsettled weather as a strong storm system moves through the Southeast, bringing widespread rainfall and the chance for isolated thunderstorms from Sunday through early Monday morning.
New home construction in unincorporated Walker County slowed in 2025 as rising construction costs pushed home prices higher, but county officials say activity remains historically strong despite the slowdown.
The Bank of LaFayette will host a community blood drive with Blood Assurance on Friday, February 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 101 W. Patton Street in LaFayette.
Community members are encouraged to give local and help save local lives. All donors between February 1–14 will receive a special “Donor for Life” tattoo shirt as a thank-you gift.
To prepare for donation, donors are asked to eat a good meal, drink extra water, avoid energy drinks, and bring a valid ID.
Appointments can be scheduled online at www.bloodassurance.org/bankla or by calling 1-800-962-0628.
Walker County Commissioners were told Thursday that a recent walkthrough and structural review of the Walker County Courthouse revealed multiple environmental hazards inside the aging facility.
Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia are heading into a stretch of dry, breezy weather that could elevate fire danger this weekend, followed by a noticeable warm-up as next week begins.
A Walker County jury has convicted Michael Forker, a 74-year-old man from LaFayette, on charges of Child Molestation, Sexual Exploitation of Children, and five counts of Invasion of Privacy. Following the verdict on December 3, 2025, Forker was sentenced by Lookout Mountain Superior Court Chief Judge Brian House to 65 years in prison, with 58 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Once again, Georgia and much of the Deep South appear headed for a round of winter weather this weekend, but like last weekend, the best chance for frozen precipitation looks to stay mainly east of Chattooga, Floyd, and Walker Counties. The National Weather Service says confidence continues to increase for measurable snowfall across parts of northeast and east-central Georgia between Friday night and Saturday night, prompting a Winter Storm Watch for those areas.
A longtime favorite in Summerville has served its last slice. The Crushed Tomato closed its doors last week after 14 years in business.
