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September 28, 2026

Two USDA Deadlines Approaching For Chattooga County Farmers And Landowners

Local News, Local News Items #ACEP, #agriculture, #CattleProducers, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyAgriculture, #ChattoogaInfo, #conservation, #CSP, #DisasterAssistance, #EQIP, #FarmDisasterRelief, #Farmers, #FarmPrograms, #FarmServiceAgency, #ForestLandowners, #FSA, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #HayProducers, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #NRCS, #RCPP, #summervillega, #trionga, #USDA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County farmers, cattle producers and landowners have two important USDA deadlines approaching, including a September 30 deadline for disaster assistance and an October 9 deadline for several conservation programs.

September 22, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

USDA To Drop Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits Across Chattooga County In October

Local News, Local News Items #AerialBaitDrop, #AnimalHealth, #CatoosaCountyGA, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #DadeCountyGA, #floydcountyga, #GordonCountyGA, #LowFlyingAircraft, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #OralRabiesVaccine, #PetSafety, #PublicHealth, #Rabies, #RabiesPrevention, #RabiesVaccine, #RaccoonRabies, #Raccoons, #summervillega, #trionga, #USDA, #USDAAPHIS, #WalkerCountyGA, #WhitfieldCountyGA, #Wildlife, #WildlifeServices, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Residents in Chattooga County can expect to see low-flying aircraft again this fall as the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares for another oral rabies vaccine bait distribution across Northwest Georgia in October.

August 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Emerges From Historic Drought As Northwest Georgia Sees Major Recovery

Local News, Local News Items #CattleFarmers, #CattleProducers, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyGA, #ChattoogaInfo, #Drought, #DroughtMonitor, #DroughtRecovery, #Farmers, #floydcountyga, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #GeorgiaDrought, #GeorgiaFarmers, #georgiaweather, #GordonCountyGA, #HayProducers, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NationalWeatherService, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #NorthwestGeorgiaAgriculture, #NWSAtlanta, #Pastures, #Rainfall, #SoilMoisture, #SummerRain, #summervillega, #trionga, #USDA, #USDroughtMonitor, #WalkerCountyGA, #WaterResources, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

After months of severe drought that brought dry pastures, stressed crops and concerns over water supplies, Georgia has experienced a dramatic turnaround — and Northwest Georgia is among the areas seeing substantial improvement.

August 5, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Meat Processors Can Now Sell Products Nationwide Under New USDA Agreement

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Small meat processors across Georgia will soon have access to customers across the country following a new agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

July 15, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia SNAP Payment Error Rate Among Nation’s Highest, State Working to Improve Accuracy

Local News, Local News Items #ChattoogaInfo, #FoodAssistance, #FoodBenefits, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfHumanServices, #GeorgiaGovernment, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicPolicy, #SNAP, #USDA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Georgia continues to rank among the states with the highest payment error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to newly released federal data, prompting state officials to implement changes aimed at improving accuracy and avoiding future financial penalties.

July 12, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Man Arrested in Multi-Agency Dog Fighting Investigation; 23 Dogs Rescued

Local News, Local News Items #AnimalCruelty, #ChattoogaInfo, #CrawfordCountyGA, #DogFighting, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #LawEnforcement, #PublicSafety, #TylerHarper, #USDA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

A Crawford County man is facing state and federal charges after a multi-agency investigation into alleged illegal dog fighting led to the rescue of 23 dogs and the seizure of firearms and suspected illegal drugs.

June 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

FDA Authorizes Emergency Treatment for Flesh-Eating Screwworm in Pets

Local News, Local News Items #agriculture, #AnimalCare, #AnimalHealth, #Cats, #CattleIndustry, #Dogs, #EmergencyUseAuthorization, #FDA, #Livestock, #NationalNews, #NewMexico, #NewWorldScrewworm, #PetHealth, #PetOwners, #PublicHealth, #Screwworm, #Texas, #USDA, #VeterinaryMedicine, #wzqznews 0

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for nitenpyram, a medication used to treat New World screwworm infestations in dogs and cats. The action marks the first approval of a generic animal drug specifically authorized for use against the flesh-eating parasite.

June 7, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Producers Urged to Review USDA Screwworm Resources After Confirmed U.S. Case

Local News, Local News Items #AgricultureNews, #AnimalHealth, #APHIS, #CattleProducers, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #FarmNews, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #LivestockHealth, #LivestockProducers, #NCBA, #NewWorldScrewworm, #northwestgeorgia, #RuralGeorgia, #USDA, #wzqznews 0

Livestock producers are being urged to stay alert following the recent confirmation of a New World screwworm case in the United States.

The USDA confirmed New World screwworm in a calf in Zavala County, Texas, on June 3. The CDC says no locally acquired human infestations have been reported in the United States, but the outbreak has been moving northward through Central America and Mexico since 2023, affecting livestock, pets, wildlife, and people.

New World screwworm is a serious pest that can infest wounds in warm-blooded animals. Because of the potential risk to livestock and agriculture, the USDA has released preparedness resources for producers, including current status updates, a U.S. response plan, fact sheets, field identification guides, and additional response materials.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says it also plans to release simplified resources in the coming weeks to help producers better understand the USDA response playbook.

Producers are encouraged to review USDA materials and monitor livestock closely for suspicious wounds or signs of infestation.

April 27, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Named Primary Natural Disaster Area Due To Drought

Local News, Local News Items #agriculture, #April27, #April272026, #chattoogacounty, #Drought, #EmergencyLoans, #Farmers, #FSA, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #GeorgiaFarmers, #Level1Drought, #Monday, #NaturalDisasterArea, #northwestgeorgia, #USDA, #WaterRestrictions, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County has been named a primary natural disaster area due to ongoing drought conditions, as state and federal officials continue to respond to dry weather impacting Georgia cities and rural communities.

April 6, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

USDA To Drop Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits Across Chattooga County Region

Local News, Local News Items #AerialBaitDrop, #AnimalHealth, #BartowCounty, #CatoosaCounty, #chattoogacounty, #chattooganews, #CommunityAwareness, #DadeCounty, #FloydCounty, #georgianews, #GordonCounty, #HealthAlert, #LowFlyingAircraft, #northwestgeorgia, #NWGANews, #OralRabiesVaccine, #PetSafety, #PublicHealth, #RabiesPrevention, #RabiesVaccine, #RaccoonRabies, #Raccoons, #USDA, #WalkerCounty, #WhitfieldCounty, #WildlifeManagement, #WildlifeServices, #wzqznews 0

Low-flying aircraft will be seen across Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga County, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture begins distributing oral rabies vaccine baits to help prevent the spread of raccoon rabies. The baiting effort is scheduled to take place from April 7 through April 15 as part of a larger cooperative program involving USDA Wildlife Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and other agencies.