The City of LaFayette is investing in the future of its youth wrestling program with the construction of a new dedicated facility, providing a permanent home for a program that has grown significantly over the past decade.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners has approved a temporary moratorium on new data center development, giving county officials time to study the issue and determine whether additional local regulations are needed before such facilities are considered.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners will consider several significant items during its regular meeting Thursday, July 9, including a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers, the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, updates to the county’s land development regulations, and several major spending requests. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Walker County Courthouse Annex IV in LaFayette.
A newly released report from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) shows that most counties across Northwest Georgia continue to maintain stable economic classifications, although a handful of counties remain among the region’s most economically challenged. The designations are used by ARC to help determine grant eligibility and investment priorities for economic and community development projects throughout Appalachia.
Georgia motorists are seeing another small drop in gasoline prices this week, according to AAA, as lower crude oil prices continue to help keep fuel costs in check. The statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on Monday is $3.53, down slightly from last week, while the national average stands at $3.80 per gallon. AAA says prices could continue to fluctuate throughout the busy summer travel season, but drivers are benefiting from improving market conditions.
Here are the latest AAA average prices for regular unleaded gasoline in the local area:
- Chattooga County, Georgia: $3.55
- Floyd County, Georgia: $3.54
- Walker County, Georgia: $3.53
- Gordon County, Georgia: $3.50
- DeKalb County, Alabama: $3.64
- Cherokee County, Alabama: $3.50
AAA encourages motorists to compare prices between stations, keep tires properly inflated, and avoid aggressive driving to maximize fuel economy.
The Walker County Animal Shelter has reopened after completing a 30-day quarantine that began when a litter of surrendered puppies tested positive for canine distemper virus, or CDV.
Shelter officials announced that the facility resumed normal operations on June 24 after all cleaning and quarantine protocols were completed. Sadly, all eight puppies in the affected litter died from the highly contagious virus. Officials said no other animals at the shelter became ill during the quarantine period.
Canine distemper is an airborne virus that spreads easily among dogs. Because the Walker County Animal Shelter has an open-concept design and does not have adequate facilities to fully isolate exposed animals, officials determined that a complete shutdown of the shelter was necessary to prevent the virus from spreading.
During the month-long closure, shelter staff conducted an extensive deep cleaning of the facility, disinfecting equipment as well as all entry and exit points.
The shelter currently has more than 60 dogs and cats available for adoption. Staff members have also been working through a backlog of stray animals and owner surrenders that accumulated during the quarantine.
The Walker County Animal Shelter is located at 5488 North Marble Top Road near Chickamauga and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Walker County officials are clarifying the county’s new spay and neuter ordinance and explaining which pet owners may qualify for exemptions.
The ordinance requires most dogs and cats six months of age or older to be spayed or neutered unless the animal qualifies for an exemption or the owner purchases an annual unaltered animal license. County leaders say the goal is to reduce pet overpopulation and ease pressure on the Walker County Animal Shelter.
Exemptions include animals owned by licensed commercial breeders or pet dealers, animals with a veterinarian-certified medical exemption, and working animals used for farming, herding, hunting, service work, law enforcement, or show purposes. Owners must have proper documentation.
Pet owners who do not qualify for an exemption may purchase an annual license through the Walker County Animal Shelter. The fee is $100 per year for dogs and $50 per year for cats, with proceeds going toward the county’s spay and neuter voucher program.
County officials say the ordinance will be reviewed later this year to evaluate how well it is working.
Georgia motorists are getting another break at the pump just as one of the busiest travel weeks of the year gets underway.
A Chattooga County woman was arrested on a charge of theft by shoplifting after investigators say she was identified through store surveillance video and later located by Walker County deputies.
According to an incident report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Alan Garmany responded on June 19 to a report of a shoplifting at a local business. Store employees told the deputy they observed 32-year-old Crissy Leigh Ingram on surveillance video remove a pair of purple aviator-style sunglasses from a display, conceal them in her pocketbook and leave the store without paying.
Store personnel provided investigators with surveillance footage and a vehicle tag number, which was relayed through Chattooga County 911 to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Walker County Sheriff’s deputies soon located a vehicle matching the description and detained a woman matching the suspect shown in the surveillance footage.
Deputy Garmany met Walker County deputies at the Walker County line near the Highway 27 and Highway 151 intersection, where custody of Ingram was transferred. She was then transported to the Chattooga County Jail without incident on the shoplifting charge. The incident was recorded on the deputy’s body-worn camera.
Georgia gas prices have continued to decline in recent weeks, giving drivers some relief at the pump even as overall costs remain a concern.