The Chattooga County Board of Elections and Registration will meet today (Tuesday) at 2 p.m. to officially call four special referendums that will appear on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot.
An independent auditor told the Menlo City Council that the city’s bookkeeping was in “worse shape this year than it was last year.”
CPA Chrissan Thomas said bank accounts had not been reconciled, months of revenue had not been recorded, payroll and property tax entries contained errors, and some bank statements had not been opened. Auditors also struggled to locate invoices and other supporting records.
Thomas warned that some state grant funds had not been properly closed out and could have to be returned. She said much of the audit involved reconstructing the city’s financial records rather than conducting a normal review.
Thomas said Menlo can recover by improving internal controls, reconciling accounts monthly and closely monitoring financial reports. She praised new City Clerk Julie Willingham but said it could take several months to bring the books current.
Georgia’s nationally recognized Pre-K Program is beginning its 34th year, and for children in Chattooga County, the school year is already underway.
As students return to classrooms for the new school year, the Chattooga County School District has activated a new panic alert badge system designed to improve campus safety and speed emergency response.
According to Chattooga County Schools Superintendent Michelle Helie, the district has completed implementation of the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system after beginning work on the project last fall.
“We started working on it last fall and began the implementation phase and onboarding all in the spring, but come this year, it is active, it’s live and ready to go,” Helie said.
The CENTEGIX system is required under Georgia law and provides every school employee with a wearable badge equipped with a panic alert button. Teachers, office staff, custodians, cafeteria workers and other employees throughout the district have been issued the devices.
If an emergency occurs, staff members can press the button on the badge to immediately notify school administrators, 911 and emergency responders through the system’s alarm network.
Helie said district employees completed training on the system last week before receiving their badges. Staff members will wear the panic alert badge alongside their regular school identification badge. One side displays the employee’s identification, while the reverse side contains the emergency alert button.
The badges became active with the start of the new school year, adding another layer of security for students, staff and visitors across all Chattooga County schools.
The American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis for only the second time in its history as blood donations continue to fall well below hospital demand.
The Community Resource Center’s 2026 Back to School Bash helped 500 students from Trion and Chattooga County prepare for the new school year.
According to Maisha Ludy, each student received a backpack filled with school supplies. Families also had access to additional community resources designed to help them begin the school year with the support they need.
Organizers thanked the volunteers, community partners, donors and others who contributed their time, resources and encouragement to make the event possible.
Ludy said the strong community support made a meaningful difference for local children and families as students prepared to return to the classroom.
The annual event reflects the Community Resource Center’s continued commitment to serving families throughout Trion and Chattooga County.
The owner of a used car lot in Summerville has pleaded guilty in Chattooga County Superior Court to a serious injury by vehicle charge stemming from a February 2024 traffic crash that left a local woman with significant injuries.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Monday, July 27, 2026:
Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia should be prepared for a mix of thunderstorms and dangerous heat over the coming week, according to the National Weather Service.
Chattooga County recorded an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in the latest report from the Georgia Department of Labor, the highest rate among the nine Northwest Georgia counties included in the regional report.