Summerville Cemetery Announcement

The City of Summerville has put up baskets by the trash receptacles at the Summerville Cemetery for flowers that have been misplaced during weather events. Flowers will be left in the baskets for a week before discarding them. If you have questions please call City Hall 706-859-0900.

Chattooga County Plant Swap Seeks Vendors

Summerville Main Street Kicks Off Friday Night Live Series This Week

Summerville Main Street will kick off the 2024 Friday Night Live Free Concert Series on Friday, April 19. This concert series will feature musical entertainment, vendors and fun on the third Friday of April – July. April’s first concert will feature a famous group that entertained Summerville in 2023 known as The Sock Hops. The concert will be held at the Open Air Space on East Washington Street from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

The Sock Hops specialize in the four-part harmony sounds of doo-wop, Motown, beach music and more. This fan favorite group hits all the popular music of the 50s, 60s and 70s in a delightful evening with a stroll down memory lane. Although this group is guaranteed to get the crowd up dancing, the public is still encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy this evening of music and fun.

East Washington Street will be blocked off from Commerce Street to Economy Street for this event beginning at 5:30 p.m. and remain blocked until 9:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to support downtown restaurants by having supper downtown prior to the concert, but there will also be a few vendors on site. Public restrooms will be available inside the Summerville Depot for the nighttime concert. In the event of rain, the concert location will be moved inside to The Summerville Depot. This concert is sponsored by The City of Summerville Main Street. For more information on upcoming city events visit The City of Summerville Georgia Facebook Page or www.summervillega.org

AG Carr Kicks Off "Georgia Legal Food Frenzy"

Attorney General Chris Carr, Feeding Georgia, and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia are kicking off the 13th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a two-week fundraising competition to benefit the state’s regional food banks. This year’s drive will take place from April 15-26, 2024, and is open to everyone in the legal community, including law firms, legal organizations, corporate or in-house counsel, clerks and judges. Every dollar raised directly benefits the regional food bank in each competitor’s respective community, and every $1 donated helps to provide up to four meals to our neighbors in need. Registration is available now and will remain open until April 26, the final day of the competition. Those who wish to participate can do so by visiting www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org.

“We know that time is a lawyer’s most valuable asset, and what better way to dedicate our time than to fighting hunger and ensuring Georgia’s students are well-fed all year round,” said Carr. “That’s why I’m once again challenging our fellow attorneys to donate the equivalent of one billable hour during the competition so we can make this another record-breaking year in support of children and families across our state.”

Nearly one in eight children in Georgia is food insecure, and 60 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals at school. Over the summer, their families often struggle to put enough food on the table without the daily guarantee of school meals. For this reason, the annual Legal Food Frenzy has historically been timed to stock the food banks in anticipation of this summer surge.

“The Legal Food Frenzy has raised more than $5 million in the 12 years that it has been operating,” said Executive Director of Feeding Georgia Danah Craft. “All funds stay local, which means donations from law firms and legal organizations go directly to the regional food banks within their communities. It’s a tremendous effort that aligns with our mission to ‘end hunger in Georgia, together.’ I’m certain this fundraiser would not have the reach and response from attorneys state-wide without the continued support of the Attorney General’s Office and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar. And for that, we are deeply appreciative of this valued partnership and the contributions of the entire Georgia legal community.”

“The Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia is honored to support the annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy,” said YLD President Brittanie Browning. “Each year we aim higher to raise even more funds for our local food banks across the State of Georgia. Together we can join as a profession to help our neighbors, senior citizens, families, and children. Hunger is a statewide issue impacting our communities, including litigants and clients. By supporting the Legal Food Frenzy and our food banks, we improve the quality of legal services in our state. I hope every Georgia lawyer will join our efforts – whether it’s their first or 13th year participating – and help to combat food insecurity in our local communities.”

Last year, Georgia’s attorneys raised a total of $829,239 for the state’s regional food banks – the equivalent of over 3.2 million meals. For every dollar raised, teams will earn four points towards their competition score. In 2023, Habachy Law of Atlanta won the Attorney General’s Cup for the 10th consecutive year, earning 94,222 points – the most per person. Coleman Talley LLP took home the Bar President’s Award for the fourth time, earning 226,874 points – the most overall.

The Legal Food Frenzy is spearheaded by a team of young lawyers who oversee the promotion of the competition across the state. The 2024 efforts are led by the Young Lawyers Division Legal Food Frenzy Co-Chairs Brittanie Browning, Ashley Akins, and Caroline Scalf as well as regional representatives listed here.

A current list of all competing firms is available here.

Man Arrested At Family Dollar Store On Sunday

A forty-one-year-old Marvin Avenue, Summerville man was arrested on Sunday at the Family Dollar Store on Commerce Street in Summerville.  Summerville Police say that the incident started at the man’s residence on Marvin Avenue.  Police were called because the suspect was screaming and yelling.  When officers arrived the suspect told police to “just shoot” him.  Police called for EMS to check the suspect out, but the suspect ran from the scene.  Police followed the suspect down Kelly Street to Commerce Street and then arrested him at the Family Dollar Store Parking lot.  Jeremy Rich was charged with disorderly conduct and booked into the Chattooga County Jail.

Arrest Report - Monday - April 15, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Monday, April 15, 2024:

Good Faith Grant Act On Governor's Desk

Georgia is one of only two states that does not have a needs-based scholarship program for secondary education.  Right now, almost 42% of Georgia’s college students report that they get no financial support from their parents.  Some of those students don’t qualify for the HOPE scholarship, but still find the cost of their education to be a challenge.  A bill passed by the Georgia General Assembly would establish a grant program to help some of those students.

Additionally, a study by the University of Georgia found that students from higher-income families get the majority of grants and scholarships, even though the median family income for students in 17 colleges in Georgia is less than $40,000.  More than 30 percent of students with family income higher than $120,000 received the Zell Miller Scholarship for at least one semester, compared to less than 10 percent of students with family income less than $30,000.

Dubbed the “Good Faith Grant Act”, the bipartisan measure will create a comprehensive needs-based scholarship program for Georgia students that qualify for college admissions, but might not qualify for the Hope Scholarship.

To be eligible for a Good Faith Program Grant, students must be incoming freshmen seeking a degree at a Georgia post-secondary institution after completing an accredited public, private, or home secondary school program with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

Students must demonstrate financial need, apply for federal student aid via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and qualify for in-state tuition.

Governor Kemp is expected to sign the legislation.

Local Volunteers Recognized By Summerville City Council

Summerville Main Street volunteers working on Easter decorations

Held in April every year, National Volunteer Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of volunteers. It is an opportunity to join the impact of volunteerism and encourage more people to get involved in their communities. The Summerville City Council recognized a group of volunteers at the last city council meeting.  Summerville Mayor Harry Harvey introduced the Summerville Main Street volunteers and mentioned their contributions to making the downtown area an attractive place for residents and visitors alike.  Summerville Main Street Director Susan Locklear said that the volunteers put in over 3,100 hours of labor in 2023.  Summerville Main Street is also launching a Junior Main Street Program for youths from 7th to 12th grade.

Deadline For AgGeorgia Farm Credit Grant Is Today

AgGeorgia Farm Credit has designated $10,000 to help local farmers markets promote their markets in 2024.  The grant application period ends today and all applications must be submitted before the end of the day.  To be eligible for the grant, markets must be in the AgGeorgia service area, which includes Chattooga County.  Other requirements are that the market must be open at least eight days in a two-month period and have a minimum of five vendors.  Last year, two local markets in Chattooga County received grants. For more information, or to apply – click HERE

Today Is Tax Day

Today is the deadline to file your 2023 Federal income taxes.  Also, it is the deadline to file your 2023 Georgia income tax return.  According to the IRS, around 68% of taxpayers have already filed their tax returns, but for those who have procrastinated, you have until 11:59 PM tonight to file.  If you just aren’t ready and cannot file your taxes today, you can file Form 4868 to get an automatic six-month extension to file.  This is only a filing extension.  If you owe taxes, you will still need to send a payment to the IRS before midnight tonight in order to avoid penalties and interest.   If you are expecting money back from the government – the IRS says the average tax refund this year is around $3,000.

Optimist Club Hosts Senior Luncheon At CHS

The Summerville-Trion Optimist Club hosted a CTAE Senior Luncheon Friday, April 12th at the Ag Center. Students from both Chattooga High School and Trion High School were in attendance, and the Club (and additional volunteers) prepared a hot-dog lunch for them. Joe Reed donated the hot-dogs, Walmart donated the buns and condiments and sent Sandy Blangin to help & represent the store, the Chamber donated the dinnerware supplies, and Club members Barbara Reece, Johnny Crawford and Earle Rainwater donated extras like desserts and fixings. It was a fun time for fellowship and recognition of the students who completed pathways at both schools. Congratulations, Seniors!!

Chattooga Senior Places Fifth In National Welding Competition

A Chattooga High School Senior placed in a national welding competition over the weekend. Kentucky Welding Institute hosted its fifth annual weld competition for high school seniors across the country. More than 130 seniors from 11 states traveled to Fleming County to compete for prizes and meet future employers. Missouri’s Kyle Bruns took the top prize, as well as a $14,000 scholarship. Alexandria Courtney from Kentucky finished second. She earned $12,000 in scholarships as well.  Chattooga High School Senior Griffen Heaps came in fifth place and earned a $1,000 scholarship at the event that was held on Saturday.

Man Gives False Name To Police

A thirty-four-year-old man is accused of giving a false name to Summerville Police Officers in an attempt to avoid arrest.  According to police Jarvis Drion Caldwell was stopped by police and found to be in possession of an open container of alcohol and a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.  Caldwell told officers that his name was Brandon Byers.  He then told officers that his name was Brandon Conners.  Police discovered that Caldwell had a warrant for his arrest in neighboring Floyd County.  In October of last year, Caldwell was arrested in Floyd County on charges of hit and run and probation violation.

Health Inspections First Half Of April 2024

There were no health inspections to report for the first half of April from the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department.  Should you ever have any complaint with any food service or tourist accommodation that operates in Chattooga County, you may register that complaint by calling the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department at 706-857-3377.

Sheriff's Office Investigating Death At Gore Area Motel

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a death that was reported on Saturday evening at The Summerville Motel on Highway 27 in the Gore Community.  Investigators were called to the scene after a person was found deceased in one of the motel rooms.  Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader confirmed to WZQZ News on Sunday evening that investigators are looking into the possibility that the death was caused by an overdose.  The sheriff also confirmed that the deceased person was a male.  WZQZ News will have more information as it is released from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.

Arrest Report - Sunday - April 14, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Sunday, April 14, 2024: