The Thanksgiving travel period is routinely the busiest time of year on Georgia roadways, and state officials say 11 people died in traffic crashes during this year’s holiday reporting window.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Thursday, December 4, 2025:
Just in time for the holiday season, the Georgia Grown program and the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin have released the 2025 Georgia Grown Christmas Tree Farm Map, highlighting nearly 100 Christmas tree farms across the state. The map is designed to help families find locally grown trees and keep holiday dollars closer to home.
Pilgrim’s, one of the world’s leading food companies, has officially broken ground on a new prepared foods facility in Walker County, a major project that leaders say will bring long-term impact to Northwest Georgia. The $400 million investment, first announced in July, is expected to create more than 630 new jobs once the plant is fully operational.
Northwest Georgia’s political landscape is shifting as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene prepares to step down from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Greene announced she will resign effective January 5, 2026, a move that will trigger a special election to fill the remainder of her term.
The Walker County Animal Shelter is partnering once again with the BISSELL Pet Foundation to bring holiday cheer to homeless pets. The shelter is one of 300 locations across the country taking part in the Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope adoption event, running December 1st through 15th.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, December 4th at 6 p.m. at the Walker County Courthouse Annex in LaFayette. The agenda includes several routine items, such as approval of the agenda and minutes from the November 6th meeting.
Northwest Georgia is reacting to the announcement that U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign her seat — but nothing will change until her resignation becomes official on January 5th, 2026. Greene revealed her decision in a ten-minute video, saying ongoing attacks and frustration with both parties led her to step away and not seek reelection in the primary.
Nearly nine years after a death first ruled a suicide, a Walker County jury has convicted Marshall Payne of malice and felony murder in the 2016 shooting of Donald Edward Fickey Jr. Investigators originally accepted Payne’s account that the shotgun discharged accidentally, but the case was reopened in 2023 after a medical examiner reversed the ruling. New witness statements, evidence of violence, and testimony about tensions between Payne and the victim led prosecutors to pursue charges. After a week-long trial, jurors deliberated less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts. Payne has now been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Rain returns to Chattooga County and much of Northwest Georgia today as a cold front approaches the region. Forecasters say most of the area can expect three-quarters of an inch to an inch and a half of rainfall, with a few isolated spots possibly seeing up to two inches or more, especially across the higher elevations of far northwest Georgia.