A 20-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges after a Chattooga County Sheriff’s deputy reportedly discovered marijuana packaged for sale and a firearm during a traffic stop late last month.
Recent rainfall has lowered the immediate wildfire threat across Northwest Georgia, but the latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows Chattooga, Floyd and Walker counties remain Abnormally Dry, indicating the region has not fully recovered from recent dry conditions.
U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are again urging the Defense Health Agency to abandon plans to significantly reduce services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, warning the proposal could negatively affect thousands of active-duty servicemembers, veterans, military families and civilian employees.
In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Keith Bass, the senators expressed concern over the agency’s plan to eliminate all inpatient services and transition the hospital into an ambulatory care center. The proposal would also convert the facility’s emergency department into an urgent care center. The lawmakers said the Defense Health Agency has not provided a clear plan explaining how patients would continue receiving care or how the changes would affect the surrounding healthcare system.
Ossoff and Warnock wrote that reducing services without a comprehensive transition plan could create confusion and make it more difficult for servicemembers, their families and veterans to access the care they need. They urged the agency to halt implementation of the plan, withdraw its congressional notification and provide additional information before moving forward.
The senators noted that Eisenhower Army Medical Center serves an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 active-duty servicemembers, retirees, military families and Department of Defense civilians in the Central Savannah River Area. Senator Ossoff first began pressing the Defense Health Agency for answers about the proposed reductions last year and has continued to oppose the changes
Publix customers in Georgia are being urged to check their freezers after the grocery chain recalled a specific lot of frozen blueberries linked to 12 confirmed cases of E. coli illness.
Governor Brian Kemp recently met privately with executives from OpenAI and Georgia Power as state leaders continue exploring Georgia’s role in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence industry. According to documents obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act, the meeting took place on June 11 at the State Capitol, although neither the Governor’s Office nor OpenAI disclosed what was discussed.
Several Georgia Lottery players had a winning holiday weekend as jackpot games continued to climb across the state.
Monday’s Powerball jackpot rose to an estimated $416 million, while tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $576 million.
Among the weekend winners, a Stone Mountain player won $50,000 in the July 1 Powerball drawing, while a Brunswick player won $100,000 in the July 4 Powerball drawing after the Power Play multiplier doubled the prize.
An Albany player also hit a $290,307 Fantasy 5 jackpot on July 2 through the Georgia Lottery mobile app.
Other big wins included $250,000 for a Jasper player on a Diggi Game, $10,000 prizes in Kennesaw and Douglas, and two $7,500 Millionaire for Life prizes sold in Woodstock and Bonaire.
Georgia Lottery officials remind Mega Millions and Powerball winners they have 180 days from the drawing date to claim prizes. Proceeds from Georgia Lottery games benefit education across the state.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is urging livestock producers, veterinarians and pet owners to remain alert for signs of the destructive New World Screwworm, even though no cases have been confirmed in Georgia.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Tuesday, July 7, 2026: