A Homer man has been indicted by a Chattooga County Grand Jury on child molestation-related charges, according to court records.
Dennis Harley Taylor was charged with three counts of aggravated child molestation, three counts of child molestation, and one count of enticing a child for indecent purposes.
Investigators say the alleged offenses involved a young boy and occurred between September 8 and November 29, 2023. Taylor was arrested on March 29.
The case will proceed through Chattooga County Superior Court. As with all criminal cases, Taylor is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The Town of Lyerly is now accepting vendor applications for its annual Down Home Day celebration, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen has announced that the county is accepting sealed bids for a major road resurfacing project funded through the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG/LRA) Program.
The project includes 18.54 miles of road resurfacing throughout Chattooga County. Contractors will provide both labor and materials for the paving work. Roads identified as newly constructed dirt roads will receive 2.5 inches of asphalt, while resurfacing projects on existing roads will receive 1.25 inches of asphalt.
A complete list of roads included in the project is available from the Commissioner’s Office or online at www.chattoogacounty.gov.
Sealed bids must be clearly marked “Sealed Bid” and delivered to the Commissioner’s Office at 10102 Commerce Street, Summerville, by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 24, 2026. Bids will be opened during the Commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 10 a.m.
Contractors submitting bids must include a 10 percent bid bond, carry at least $1 million in general liability insurance, maintain workers’ compensation coverage, and be properly licensed to conduct business in Georgia. The county also requires contractors to provide a drug-free workplace for employees working on the project.
Commissioner Allen noted that the county reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
Residents planning to swim, paddle, or play on area waterways this weekend are encouraged to check water quality before heading out.
The Coosa River Basin Initiative is once again offering its 2026 Swim Guide, which tracks bacteria levels at 29 monitoring sites across the Coosa River Basin through Labor Day weekend. That includes monitoring of the Chattooga River.
Courtnee Davenport, Outreach Programs Manager for CRBI, says water samples are tested for harmful E. coli. Results are posted each Friday at coosa.org. Sites marked green indicate low E. coli levels and are considered suitable for recreation, while red sites show high levels and mean visitors should use extra caution or avoid the area.
Davenport says bacteria levels often rise after heavy rainfall, and swimmers should wait 24 to 48 hours after a rain event before getting into area rivers and lakes.
The Coosa River Basin Initiative works to protect, preserve, and restore the upper Coosa River basin.
A more unsettled weather pattern begins building across Chattooga County and northwest Georgia today, bringing a better chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Bond has been denied for an Anniston, Alabama man following his arrest in a July 4 crash in Polk County that claimed the life of a one-year-old child.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the wreck happened around 2:50 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 100 and Fields Road south of Cedartown. Troopers say a Ford Mustang was traveling too fast to negotiate a curve, left the right side of the roadway, and struck a concrete culvert head-on.
Investigators said the one-year-old child was in the front seat and was not in a car seat. The child was taken to Floyd Medical Center, where she died from her injuries on Sunday.
The driver, Ezzie Tommy Harrison of Anniston, Alabama, remains in the Polk County Jail. He is facing multiple charges, including felony first-degree vehicular homicide, DUI, endangering a child while DUI, child restraint violation, failure to maintain lane, no insurance, failure to exercise due care, and no registration.
Young readers and their families are invited to celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Challenge with a special visit from the Tellus Science Museum at the Chattooga County Library next week.
The Summer Reading Finale with the Tellus Museum will be held Thursday, July 16, at 11 a.m. at the Chattooga County Library, located at 360 Farrar Drive in Summerville.
The free program will feature an interactive dinosaur-themed presentation where children will learn what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur through a hands-on educational game. Following the presentation, participants can enjoy activity stations featuring dinosaur crafts, a dinosaur dig scavenger hunt, fossil touch pieces, bookmark coloring, and a chance to cool off with free icees.
Library officials say the event will last approximately 45 to 60 minutes and is open to the public.
Berry College and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been awarded nearly $750,000 to restore thousands of acres of longleaf pine habitat in Northwest Georgia.
The project is supported by a $387,100 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with matching funds bringing the total investment to nearly $750,000.
The grant was secured by Dr. Adrienne Ernst, director of the Berry College Longleaf Pine Project, along with collaborators Carlee Steppe and Allison Melcher of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
The funding will be used to restore calcareous flatwoods and montane longleaf pine habitats at Berry College and nearby Georgia DNR Wildlife Management Areas. The project also aims to help recover Mohr’s Barbara’s button, a federally threatened plant species found in the flatwoods.
Officials say more than 3,000 acres will be restored and managed through prescribed burning, invasive species control, and targeted habitat improvements. The team will also develop a 50-year management plan to guide long-term conservation efforts across the landscape.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services is encouraging motorists to take a few minutes to add emergency contact information to their driver’s license or state ID records—a free update that could prove invaluable during an emergency.
