Summerville Installs Sign At City Cemetery

The City of Summerville continues to make improvements at the Summerville Cemetery.  Last year, the city took over responsibility for the upkeep after the trustees of the Summerville Cemetery Corporation came to the city to ask for help in maintaining the cemetery.  Earlier this week, the city, along with the Friends of Summerville Cemetery had a cleanup day.  Yesterday, the city posted new signs that instruct anyone doing work at the cemetery to contact the city for prior approval before work begins.  Anyone with questions about the cemetery may contact Summerville City Hall at 706-859-0900.

Spring Plant Sale At GNTC

(From left) GNTC Horticulture students Dana Jenkins, a resident of Rossville; Ruben Hall, of Calhoun; and Trey Morgan, of Rome, prepare for GNTC’s upcoming Spring Plant Sale to be held April 8-11.

The Spring Plant Sale at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC), an annual tradition in Rome, will be held April 8-11.

The sale will begin on Monday, April 8, at 8 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. The sale will continue Tuesday, April 9, through Thursday, April 11, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or until plants sell out.

Nick Barton, director of Horticulture at GNTC, advises that the plants frequently sell out before the last day of the sale.

“We have a huge selection of flowering annuals and perennials,” he said.

Purchases may be made with cash or check. Credit cards are not accepted.

The sale is a way for GNTC to contribute to the community while giving Horticulture students real-world experience and an opportunity to display their work. All proceeds from the plant sale will benefit the Horticulture program at GNTC.

Items being sold include annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, blooming plants, Boston ferns and geraniums. The vegetable plants will include tomato, pepper, squash, cucumber, zucchini, cantaloupe and watermelon. Flowering plants include impatiens, dianthuses, petunias, marigolds, SunPatiens, lantana and million bells.

The sale will take place at the greenhouses located across from GNTC’s Floyd County Campus, next to the Woodlee Building.

Chattooga Library 30th Anniversary Celebration In April

The Chattooga County Library is inviting the public for a 30th Anniversary celebration coming up on Friday, April 19th from 1-2 PM at the Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Snakes Are Out - What To Do When You See A Snake

As spring warms up, snakes are moving and Daniel Sollenberger’s phone is ringing. As state herpetologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Sollenberger is a go-to for snake questions. In the spring, most of those questions center on two topics: What species is this and what should I do?

As for the first, seldom is the snake a venomous species, according to Sollenberger, a senior wildlife biologist with DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section.

Whether it’s venomous, of course, is the worry or fear underlying most of the questions. Chances are it’s not. Only seven of the 47 species native to Georgia are venomous and only one – the copperhead – usually thrives in suburban areas, which is where many Georgians live.

“With spring, a variety of wildlife species become active and visible in and around our homes, yards and gardens, including snakes,” Sollenberger said. “While seven of Georgia’s snake species can be dangerously venomous to humans, the 40 other species are nonvenomous, completely harmless and actually protected by state law.”

Which brings us to the second question: What should you do, or not do, if you see a snake?

  • First, do not attempt to handle the snake. Give it the space it needs.
  • You can try to identify it from a distance. Resources such as https://georgiawildlife.com/georgiasnakes, which includes DNR’s “Venomous Snakes of Georgia” brochure, can help.
  • Remember that snakes are predators that feed on small mammals, amphibians, insects and even other snakes. There is no need to fear nonvenomous snakes. Also, as Sollenberger mentioned, Georgia’s native nonvenomous species are protected by state law. One – the eastern indigo – is even federally protected.
  • If a clearly identified venomous snake is in an area where it represents a danger to people or pets, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/preventing-wildlife-conflicts for a list of private wildlife removal specialists. Most bites occur when a snake is cornered or captured and defending itself.

Nonvenomous snakes such as scarlet kingsnake, eastern hognose and watersnake species are frequently confused with their venomous counterparts – coral snakes, rattlesnakes and water moccasins, respectively. Although pit vipers, which include all venomous species native to Georgia except for coral snakes, are often identified by their broad, triangular-shaped heads, many nonvenomous snakes flatten their heads when threatened, which can make their heads appear triangular-shaped. Also, some nonvenomous species have color patterns similar to venomous snakes.

The bottom line: While it’s likely not venomous, use caution around any unidentified snake.

“To keep yourself safe and allow our native wildlife to thrive,” Sollenberger said, “give all snakes the space they require and the ability to escape on their own.”

For more on Georgia’s snakes, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/georgiasnakes. “Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia” (University of Georgia Press) also provides a comprehensive reference.

Snake Insights

  • Venomous vs. poisonous: Venom is a toxic substance. But a key difference when the terms are used to describe organisms is how the toxin is delivered. Venomous animals inject theirs by biting, stinging or sticking – think venomous snakes, wasps and stingrays. Poisonous species, such as poison frogs, deliver toxins passively, such as when they’re eaten or through skin secretions when they are touched.
  • Benefits: While some snakes eat rodents and even venomous snakes, others prey on creatures some Georgians also may not want near their homes. Brown and red-bellied snakes, for example, feed on snails and slugs, the bane of gardeners. Crowned snake species primarily eat centipedes.
  • Baby snakes? Snakes such as earth and brown snake species are small (usually less than 12 inches long) and homeowners occasionally mistake them as juveniles. The common concern here: Are the parents nearby? Some snake species are live-bearers and some are egg-layers. But most snakes do not exhibit parental care. If there are parents, they are not watching over their offspring.
  • Prevention: To reduce the potential for snakes near your home, remove brush, log piles and other habitat features that attract mice, lizards and other animals on which snakes prey.

Help Conserve Wildlife

From eastern indigo snakes to bald eagles, DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section works to conserve rare and other Georgia wildlife not legally fished for or hunted, as well as rare plants and natural habitats. The agency depends primarily on fundraisers, grants and contributions. That makes public support key.

  • Georgians can help by supporting the state’s Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund. Here’s how:
  • Buy a DNR eagle or monarch butterfly license plate, or renew one of the older plate designs, including the hummingbird. Most of the fees are dedicated to wildlife. Upgrade to a wild tag for only $25! Details at https://gadnr.org/license-plates.
  • Donate at https://www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com. Click “Licenses and Permits” and log in to give. (New customers can create an account.) There’s even an option to round-up for wildlife.
  • Contribute to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund when filing state income taxes – line 30 on form 500 or line 10 on form 500EZ. Giving is easy and every donation helps.
  • Donate directly to the agency. Learn more at https://georgiawildlife.com/donations.
  • Purchase a hunting or fishing license. A one-day, $5 hunting/fishing license returns to Georgia wildlife that fee plus about $45 in federal excise taxes paid by hunters and anglers nationwide.

To see how your support helps wildlife, go to https://georgiawildlife.com/conservation/annualreport.

Berry College Solar Eclipse Lectures

Berry College will host an eclipse viewing and offer solar eclipse lectures from NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassadors.

The lectures will take place:

  • April 1, 3-4 p.m., Cedartown Library
  • April 1, 5-6 p.m., Rockmart Library
  • April 3, 7-8 p.m. in Berry’s McAllister auditorium.

Professor of Physics and Astronomy Todd Timberlake and Mary Jenkins, a physics student at Berry, will discuss eclipses and how to view them safely. Additionally, they will offer hands-on activities about eclipses, viewings of the sun through telescopes, and a free set of eclipse glasses.

The lectures are meant to prepare the community for the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8.

Berry will host a solar eclipse viewing starting at 1:30 p.m., April 8, in Berry’s football stadium. The event will be a partial eclipse in Rome with the moon covering approximately 87 percent of the sun at its maximum eclipse. Maximum eclipse will be achieved at 3:04 p.m. Viewing the eclipse without proper precautions can result in serious side effects and eclipse glasses are highly recommended. Eclipse glasses will be offered to participants and solar telescopes will be set up for the viewing.

You can learn more about the solar eclipse events here.

Man Arrested After BOLO For Drunk Driver Issued

On Thursday of last week, Floyd County 911 issued a “be on the lookout” for a possible drunk driver that was leaving Floyd County and was believed to have been traveling to Echols Road in Chattooga County.  The call came in around 1 PM and said that the possible drunk driver was driving a white F-150 Ford pickup truck with a toolbox in the back.  A short time later, a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Deputy on Highway 48 spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Echols Road.  According to the report that was released yesterday, the driver had a strong smell of alcohol and told the sheriff’s deputy that he had had only one beer.  After performing a field sobriety test, Steven Bullard was arrested and charged with DUI for Alcohol and was booked into the Chattooga County Jail.

Vietnam Veterans To Be Honored Tomorrow At Memorial Home

The program beginning at 11:30am will honor all Vietnam veterans with fifteen receiving Honor Awards from the State of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Defense.  The recipients are: John Adams, Army;  Terry Adams, Navy;  Michael E. Allison, Navy;  Jerry Crabtree, Army;  William Cecil Hubbard, Army;  Ralph Walter Kent, Marine Corps;  Dennis F. McCary, Navy;  Ben Sanders, Army;  Donald Wilson Smith, Navy;  Jerrold Smith, Navy;  Richard Allen Sutterfield, Army;  Conrad Trautner, Navy;  Billy Vann Trotter, Air Force;  Charles Scoggins, Army; and Aubrey Dale Housch, Army.  Awards will be presented by Major General Thomas Carden, Georgia Adjutant General, and Patricia Ross, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

Major General Carden and Colonel Patricia Ross will be honored for their military service with a Quilt of Valor. The quilts will be presented by Brenda Park and our local QOV volunteers.

Lunch will be served after the program. There will be ample time for veterans to visit with each other and make photos with Carden and Ross.

Colonel Ross is a 25 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and retired in 2014. She served in leadership positions at bases across the United States, Germany, and Italy.  Her career culminated with serving as Vice Commander of the 78th Air Force Wing at Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. In 2021, she was selected to lead the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

Major General Carden began his military career in 1986 when he enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard as an infantryman.  He has held key positions while serving in the National Guard and during active duty deployments. He was most recently the Deputy Commanding General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Multi-National Division Southeast in Bucharest, Romania.  He deployed to Iraq as Operations Officer of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom and, he served as Operations Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry deploying to Bosnia during Operation Joint Forge.  In January of 2019, Governor Kemp appointed Major General Carden as the 43rd Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense. His responsibilities are directing, coordinating, organizing and stationing the Army and Air National Guards of the State of Georgia, the Georgia State Defense Force, and federal and state civilians, ensuring their readiness to perform state and national missions.

General Carden’s expertise and leadership abilities are well known in military circles.  In January, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the President had nominated Major General Thomas Carden for the rank of Lieutenant General and assignment as Deputy Commander of the United States Northern Command and Vice Commander of the United States Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. His appointment and rank have been approved by the U.S. Senate. Both the Northern Command and Defense Command share a common goal of defending the United States and North America.

General Carden will assume his new duties in May. Governor Kemp has announced that he is appointing Major General Richard “Dwayne” Wilson as the
44th Adjutant General of Georgia. General Wilson has visited Chattooga County for several patriotic events, but will not be attending this time due to a mission to Bosnia in support of our troops.

AtriumHealth Floyd EMS Named "Georgia EMS Service Of The Year"

Atrium Health Floyd EMS was named the Georgia EMS Service of The Year during the Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association (GEMSA) awards held Tuesday night in Buford. It marked the fourth time Atrium Health Floyd has earned statewide the award.

Individual honorees for Atrium Health Floyd EMS include:

· Brittany Holcomb, emergency preparedness coordinator at Atrium Health Floyd, who won the Joe Lane Cox Excellence in EMS Award

· EMT Macey Eickleberry, who was named the Georgia Emergency Medical Technician of The Year

“We strive to provide a team-driven, servant leadership culture within Atrium Health EMS,” said Bud Owens, executive director of the service and Atrium Health’s EMS leader for the Georgia market. “That focus has worked, and our teammates are the best in the industry. They constantly strive to serve our patients, families and communities with a focus on excellence in everything they do. That is why we are successful. They are truly an elite few and I am so proud of them.”

Atrium Health Floyd EMS provides emergency ambulance and non-emergency transport services to residents throughout Floyd County, northwest Georgia and Cherokee County in Alabama. It is the designated 911 responder for the majority of Floyd County and all of Chattooga County and Cherokee County, Alabama.

“With over 180 teammates consisting of Paramedics, EMTs, telecommunicators, mechanics, support staff and leadership, the bottom-up leadership culture of the organization is recognized across multiple states,” the GEMSA news release stated. “Over 600 hours of community service and community benefit have been logged during 2023 by teammates who have graciously served the northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama communities through health fairs, educational programs, event coverage, support of athletic events and programs to benefit the health of communities served.

The Joe Lane Cox Excellence in EMS Award recognizes a worthy individual who is not employed in EMS but donates their time and efforts to continue the improvement of EMS on the local, state and national levels.

In her role as emergency preparedness coordinator, Holcomb “is constantly going out of her way to include EMS in every aspect of her job and to any benefit of the community,” according to the GEMSA news release. “Her main goal is to have the community comfortable with EMS and to educate the public on the capabilities of an EMS service.”

Eickleberry received the Georgia Emergency Medical Technician of The Year for her skill, knowledge and dedication to her teammates and her community.

“She is an advanced EMT who serves in a dual role with capabilities of running her own AEMT truck and is confident enough to support any need her paramedic partner may need,” according to the news release.

She often buys groceries and other items to help someone less fortunate. She has also been known to cook a meal for a patient in need.

“The amount of kindness and compassion she shows to all she meets is a testament to her servant leadership qualities,” the news release stated.

Atrium Health Floyd EMS held the most nominations statewide and was recognized with placement in the top three in 12 of the 13 award categories.

Other Atrium Health EMS nominees were Dr. Kevin Hardwell, Greg Goedert, Ben Fleming, Amber Eason, Cristy Harris, Megan Dozier, Darby Hopper, Daniel Herring, Dusty Johnson, Robby Hill and Don Taylor.

The statewide awards come after Atrium Health Floyd EMS also earned recognition on the regional level.

Paramedic Dusty Johnson was named the Danny Hall Memorial Paramedic of the Year by Northwest Georgia Region 1 EMS.

Johnson has been a teammate at Atrium Health Floyd since 2018 and serves as both a responder and an instructor for EMS.

“Dusty has invested himself in the people he works with and those whom he treats. Being a great paramedic is more than performing emergency medicine on a scene. It is also about helping others reach the same high standard,” a nomination letter for Johnson stated.

Amber Eason and Ben Fleming earned the Richard Gray M.D. Excellence in Trauma award. Gray was the trauma surgeon at Floyd Medical Center when it became Georgia’s first designated trauma center in 1981.

They were honored for their response to an incident when a woman was seriously injured after possibly being hit by a train on June 17, 2023.

“The patient’s survival was due to the care and work of Amber, Ben and the Rome-Floyd Fire Department,” according to the nomination letter.

Atrium Health Floyd EMS teammates were also recognized last year as Hospital Heroes by the Georgia Hospital Association for their response to a tragic wreck in Chattooga County in October 2022.

Summerville City Hall Announces Easter Closing

In observance of Good Friday, the City of Summerville offices will be closed Friday, March 29, 2024. Offices will reopen on Monday, April 1, 2024 at 8 a.m. In case of an emergency, please call 911.

Arrest Report - Wednesday - March 27, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Wednesday, March 27, 2024:

Woman Facing Drug Charges After Being Caught Taking Items From Charity Thrift Store

A fifty-four-year-old woman was arrested last week and charged with drug possession after a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Deputy caught her taking items from the donation area of Providence Thrift Store in Summerville.  The woman admitted to the deputy that she had taken some items from the donation area and did put the items back.  The deputy then asked for verbal consent to search the vehicle, and found suspected methamphetamine.  Marian Leona Rosson was charged with possession of methamphetamine and was booked into the Chattooga County Jail.

Rep. Lumsden Weekly Legislative Report

State Rep. Eddie Lumsden has released his weekly legislative report.  Lumsden says that the Georgia House is addressing the fentanyl crisis in the state with the approval of Senate Bill 465 which will allow people manufacturing or distributing fentanyl to be charged with involuntary manslaughter.  Also, the House addressed legislation that would improve and expand mental health services in the state.  The House also passed legislation aimed at strengthening Georgia’s sex offender laws.  You can read Rep. Lumsden’s complete report below:

My House colleagues and I returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, March 18, 2024, to begin the eleventh week of the 2024 Legislative Session. This week, we convened in the House Chamber for three legislative days and continued to give passage to a number of Senate bills. There are now only two legislative days remaining in the session until we reach Sine Die on Thursday, March 28, 2024. These finals legislative days are among the busiest days of the entire session as we finalize our legislative business for the year before the Sine Die deadline.

This week, the House took legislative action to combat the growing fentanyl crisis in our state. My colleagues and I unanimously passed this important, life saving measure, Senate Bill 465, which would create the crime of aggravated involuntary manslaughter when someone intentionally manufactures or sells a controlled substance that contains fentanyl and fentanyl is determined as the sole cause or a contributing factor in a victim’s death. In the prosecution of this crime, the government would not need to prove that the defendant knew fentanyl was present in the drug. Anyone who violates this offense would be found guilty of a felony and subject to imprisonment between 10 and 30 years. Additionally, SB 465 would create a felony crime for unlawfully possessing, purchasing, delivering or selling a pill press or tableting machine if there is reasonable cause to believe that the item will be used to manufacture a controlled or counterfeit substance. A person who commits this crime would be subject to imprisonment between one and 10 years. Under current law, if someone selling drugs claims that they had no knowledge of fentanyl presence in a drug that caused an overdose, that person would not be charged with this felony crime. This bill would update the law so that those who sell drugs and counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl are held accountable for overdoses. SB 465 is known as “Austin’s Law,” named after a young man who died tragically after unknowingly taking a substance laced with fentanyl. His parents joined us in the House Chamber while we honored his life with the passage of the bill. Later in the day, our counterparts in the Senate voted to give this legislation final passage, sending this important bill to Governor Kemp’s desk to be signed into law.

The House has focused its efforts on improving and expanding mental health services across our state in recent years, and this week, we continued those efforts by giving final passage to Senate Bill 480. This legislation would provide student loan repayment assistance to mental health and substance use providers who offer services to underserved youth or practice in geographic areas of the state that lack adequate services. Specifically, SB 480 would allow mental health and substance use providers to apply for student loan repayment through the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce. SB 480 would incentivize professionals to work in areas of critical need, which would ensure access to vital mental health and substance use services for Georgians in need in all corners of our state. To be eligible, applicants would be required to be legal residents of Georgia with non-defaulted student debt, and the repayment amount would be determined by the workforce board, covering a maximum duration of five years. We know that there is a pressing need for increased mental health and substance use providers and services in Georgia, particularly in rural and underserved areas where access to such services are limited. SB 480 now awaits signature into law by Governor Kemp.

We also gave unanimous passage to Senate Bill 440, bipartisan legislation that would make revisions to Georgia’s Accelerated Career Diploma program, which is part of the state’s dual enrollment program for qualified high school students. SB 440 is a result of the work of the Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages, which was established in 2023 in response to requests from Georgia students, families, communities and employers. Throughout last summer and fall, this joint study committee conducted numerous meetings across the state to explore and identify potential solutions for increasing dual enrollment opportunities for highly skilled talent at younger ages. As such, SB 440 would simplify the dual enrollment program and improve academic flexibility to better align with pathway programs. Under this legislation, this diploma path would only be available for an associate’s degree in applied science within Georgia’s Technical College System (TCSG) or TCSG programs included in the State Workforce Development Board’s high-demand career list. Additionally, SB 440 would introduce the Dual Enrollment ACE (Accelerated Career Education) grant program, which would provide financial assistance to eligible students participating in the Accelerated Career Diploma Program. These students would be exempt from the 30-hour dual enrollment cap, and the bill would allow dual enrollment funding to be distinguished between academic and technical students. Through these changes, this legislation seeks to simplify this important program and encourage greater student participation so that more students are workforce-ready upon their high school graduation.

We also turned our attention to strengthening public safety in our state with the passage of Senate Bill 493, which would introduce several provisions related to the protection of minors and certain regulations concerning individuals on Georgia’s sex offender registry. First, SB 493 would make it a crime for a person to use an unmanned aircraft, such as a drone, to intentionally photograph an individual, particularly a minor, without parental consent. Individuals who are found guilty of this crime would be subject to a minimum fine of $1,500, and subsequent violations would lead to felony charges and imprisonment between one and 30 years, accompanied by fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. The bill would also prohibit a person who is on the sex offender registry from knowingly owning or operating a drone used to photograph or observe any person in any way that violates that person’s reasonable expectation of privacy. SB 493 would also allow certain individuals on Georgia’s sex offender registry to petition the superior court to be removed from the registry after reaching the age of 80 years old and completing all prison, parole, supervised release and probation for the offense. SB 493 would not only be crucial for protecting Georgia’s minors from registered sexual offenders but would also play a significant role in building safer and more secure communities for all Georgians.

My colleagues and I also took action to continue our efforts to support victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. Senate Bill 324 would create a victim-centered address confidentiality program within the Office of the Secretary of State. This program would allow certified participants to utilize an address confidentiality card instead of disclosing their personal address to governmental entities in order to prevent their confidential address from being published. By making victims’ addresses confidential from public record, we can ensure that victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, human trafficking or sexual assault could remain protected from their perpetrators as disclosure could increase the risk that the victim would be threatened or physically harmed by another person. Further, this legislation would prohibit courts from issuing or approving mutual protective orders in certain instances and would provide for the issuance of dating violence protective orders. This bipartisan measure is a crucial step toward providing more protection and support to these victims in our state, allowing them the opportunity to safely rebuild their lives without fear.

Finally, the House passed Senate Bill 464 to improve literacy rates among our students and provide financial relief to educators to purchase classroom supplies. SB 464 would make changes to the Georgia Early Literacy Act to require the Department of Education (DOE) and Georgia Council on Literacy to identify up to five universal reading screeners to help identify students who are experiencing literacy problems. In addition, the bill would make one of these screeners available for free for public schools and local school systems. The second part of SB 464 outlines the School Supplies for Educators Act, which would establish a program to provide financial and technical assistance to educators to purchase school supplies. The State Board of Education would be tasked with establishing this program for the DOE to allocate funds for eligible educators, to be used at their discretion, for the online purchase of school supplies. SB 464 would help to ensure that we are supporting our students and improving literacy outcomes for Georgia’s young learners. Furthermore, this bill would also lessen the financial burden that many teachers face when supplying their classrooms with necessary learning materials and supplies.

We also gave passage to the following Senate bills this week:

  • Senate Bill 112, which would create the Workforce EXCELeration Act, which would provide for a pilot program to establish a high school diploma program for adult learners. The program would be facilitated by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia. The pilot program would be required to include at least two distinct programs and would be automatically repealed on June 30, 2029;

 

  • Senate Bill 169, which would revise the hearing dates for school suspensions. A hearing would be held no later than 10 school days from the beginning of the suspension unless there is an agreement between the parents and school system, in which case the hearing would be held no later than 15 days after the beginning of the suspension. A hearing could be held later than 15 days upon written request to the school system by a parent or guardian;

 

  • Senate Bill 230, which would add a new item to the bill of rights for foster parents, which would say that they have the right to a reasonable and prudent parent standard when determining the ability of a child in foster care to engage in certain extracurricular activities. This would clarify that foster parents would have the right to a certified volunteer advocate of the foster parent’s choosing during an investigation and also during meetings, as well as the right to a fair, timely and impartial investigation. It would also change the date that the Department of Human Services should develop a grievance procedure for dealing with grievances of foster parents from 2007 to 2024;

 

  • Senate Bill 259, which would transfer Banks County from the Piedmont Judicial Circuit to the Mountain Judicial Circuit effective January 1, 2025;

 

  • Senate Bill 293, which would revise the selection and qualifications of district health directors. The commissioner of the Department of Public Health would appoint district health directors to serve as chief executive officers of each local health department in the respective district. The director would be licensed to practice medicine or have a master’s degree in public health or a related field. If the director is not licensed to practice medicine, then a licensed physician would serve as the chief medical officer. If a position for district health director becomes vacant, the commissioner could appoint an interim without board approval until a permanent director is appointed and approved by the county boards of health;

 

  • Senate Bill 328, which would amend several provisions under the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund. The bill would increase the minimum monthly dues from $25 to $35 and the maximum monthly dues from $50 to $70; would require members to pay the full actuarial cost of creditable service for service prior to becoming a member of the fund; would increase the normal death benefit from $3,000 to $5,000; would increase the death benefit if an officer would be killed in the line of duty from $5,000 to $10,000; and would increase the disability benefit from $257 to $455 per month;

 

  • Senate Bill 340, which would amend current law related to the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption to extend the sales and use exemption to diesel exhaust fluid used for agricultural purposes;

 

  • Senate Bill 362, which would prohibit companies that receive economic development incentives from: voluntarily granting recognition rights for the employees solely on the basis of signed labor organization authorization cards, if a secret ballot could have been used; voluntarily disclosing an employee’s personal contact information to a labor organization without prior consent; or requiring a subcontractor to engage in these activities. Any employer who would receive economic incentives and would engage in any of the prohibited conduct would be required to repay all economic incentives received over the life of the project. This would apply to any agreement between the state and an employer starting on January 1, 2025. The Department of Community Affairs would be authorized to investigate allegations of prohibited conduct if the company receives economic incentives;

 

  • Senate Bill 366, which would amend current law to require that the general appropriations bill be referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee upon its first reading in the Senate and, if amended or passed by committee substitute, would not be considered until the bill has been placed on members’ desks for at least 24 hours. The bill would also require the governor’s budget report to be made available by the House Budget and Research Office and Senate Budget and Evaluation Office to their respective chambers. SB 366 would increase the number of economic analyses from 10 to 12 and would clarify that an economic analysis must be conducted if the sunset date of a tax credit or exemption is within two years and would be a state expenditure of at least $20 million, according to the most recent Tax Expenditure Report. Selections for any excess reports would be equally divided between the chairs of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees. SB 366 would also require the Department of Audits and Accounts to post a list of economic analyses to be conducted and establish a mechanism to collect relevant data from stakeholders. The department would share the data to the contracted researchers, but neither the department nor the contracted researchers would be bound to utilize all provided data in the completed economic analyses. The bill would clarify the criteria with which the Department of Audits and Accounts and contracted researchers may review and evaluate the selected tax incentive programs. SB 366 would require the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees to meet by January 31 of each year to review economic analyses completed the prior year;

 

  • Senate Bill 368, which would prohibit foreign nationals from making contributions to a candidate, campaign committee, independent committee or political action committee, as well as prohibiting those entities from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. The bill would prohibit persons from acting as agents of a foreign principal unless they have properly registered themselves with a proper registration statement. Whenever an agent of foreign principal appears before an elected official, agency, officer or General Assembly committee to testify or advocate for the interests of the foreign principal, the agent would affirmatively state they are acting as an agent and would disclose the identity of the foreign principal;

 

  • Senate Bill 373, which would amend the definition of “supervisor” related to professional counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists to remove the requirement that an applicant should be a psychiatrist or a psychologist. It would also remove the requirement that applicants to become a professional counselor should have a doctoral degree in order to be licensed. Further, an associate professional counselor would be required to have 90 quarter hours in relevant education rather than 80 hours in order to be licensed. The Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists would be required to issue expedited licenses by endorsement within 30 days from the date of application for those individuals who would have the same type of license in another state and meet other requirements, such as being in good standing. This would not apply to licenses for an associate marriage and family therapist;

 

 

  • Senate Bill 376, which would amend current law related to dependency proceedings to require that a court determine whether the parent has made substantial progress toward completion of the case plan at the initial 75-day period review. During a review that is after an initial 75-day review, the bill would require the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to develop a case plan within 14 days of the review. The bill would also require that the court review and adopt the revised case plan within 45 days of the review or at a previously scheduled hearing. The bill would also revise current law relating to termination of parental rights, which would narrow one of the situations in which termination of parental rights may not be in the best interests of a child adjudicated as a dependent. The bill would limit that situation to only include when a relative intends to be a permanent placement for that child as part of a permanency plan and in which the timeline is consistent with the developmental needs of the child. SB 376 would require the court, at least 30 days prior to the 15th month that the child has been in foster care and when the court deems appropriate, to review DFCS’s determination that terminating the parental rights would not be in the best interests of the child. The court could appoint an attorney guardian ad litem who could file a petition to terminate parental rights on behalf of the child. The court would also be permitted to make additional rulings at its own discretion;

 

  • Senate Bill 398, which would revise operations related to the Georgia Joint Defense Commission. The number of members would be increased from 19 to 23 with the addition of the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, a representative of a defense industry contractor designated by the president of the Senate, a member of the public appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a representative of an organization engaged in military or defense research designated by the governor. The director of the Governor’s Defense Initiative would also be replaced by the Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, who would serve as the committee chairperson;

 

  • Senate Bill 401, which would require each juvenile court to collect data on all cases in which a child is alleged or adjudicated to be a dependent child placed in foster care. This data would be incorporated into the Georgia Juvenile Data Exchange and the form of entry would be specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. This data would include various dates related to the disposition of cases and deadlines imposed by statute. The bill would require each juvenile court to maintain a “ready-accessible docket” that would be accessible by the parties and to utilize its local case management system to collect required data. By April 15, 2025, the Administrative Office of the Courts would be required to put together a report for the General Assembly. Further, a petition to terminate parental rights would have to be immediately filed and docketed when presented to the clerk of a juvenile court;

 

 

  • Senate Bill 412, which would increase the fines that the Office of the Secretary of State could issue to charitable organizations that violate relevant rules. A willful violation would have a maximum fine of $10,000 issued for a single violation or a maximum fine of $100,000 for multiple violations in a single proceeding or series of proceedings. The secretary of state could seek to impose these penalties through an administrative manner directly or through a superior court;

 

  • Senate Bill 420, which would prohibit a person who is not a U.S. citizen or legal resident, is an agent of a foreign government designated as a foreign adversary and has been out of the country for a period of time preceding the acquisition of land from acquiring directly or indirectly any possessory interest in agricultural land or land within a 10-mile radius of a military installation, excluding residential property. Any possessory interest in agricultural land acquired by a nonresident alien through inheritance would be disposed of within one year after acquisition, and any interest acquired in the collection of debts would be disposed of within two years after acquisition. A broker would timely disclose to their client the requirements regarding relevant land acquisition. Violations would be considered a felony with punishment of a fine of less than $15,000 and imprisonment of between one to two years. SB 420 would also allow an interest in real estate to be transferred through a transfer-on-death deed, permitting a deed to transfer ownership of an interest upon death of the record owner. The transfer-on-death deed would be executed, acknowledged and recorded in the office of the clerk of superior court of the county where the real estate is located prior to the death of the record owner. A transfer-on-death form is provided in the bill;

 

  • Senate Bill 422, which would increase the limit on the amount of investments an electric membership corporation could make or maintain in a gas affiliate from 15 to 25 percent of its net utility plant;

 

  • Senate Bill 424, which would create the West Georgia Judicial Circuit, which would be composed of Carroll and Heard counties, out of the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which is currently composed of Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties. The district attorney of the new circuit would be appointed by the governor for a term beginning January 1, 2025, with the first election held at the 2026 general election. The allocation of judges, the transfer of cases, county supplements and circuit-wide costs paid by each county would be provided in the bill;

 

  • Senate Bill 426, which would permit a claimant to join in the same action the motor carrier and the insurance carrier only when one or more motor carriers in question are insolvent or bankrupt, or personal service against the driver of the vehicle of the motor carrier could not be carried out after reasonable diligence. An amended complaint joining an insurance carrier would be served on the insurance carrier with the insurance carrier able to file an answer within 30 days of service;

 

  • Senate Bill 433, or the Donor Intent Protection Act, which would require a charitable organization or trust that accepts a contribution pursuant to an endowment agreement to not violate the terms of any donor-imposed restriction. If a donor-imposed restriction is violated, the donor, the donor’s lineal descendants or the donor’s legal representative could bring a civil action within four years after discovering a breach of the endowment agreement. If a court finds a violation, the court would be authorized to order a remedy consistent with the charitable purposes expressed in the endowment agreement. The court, however, would not be authorized to order the return of the contribution;

 

  • Senate Bill 454, which would revise the child support award calculation worksheet and rates and would clarify that the definition of custodial parent applies to the parent who earns the lesser amount of gross income and would change the process of editing child support awards to include a low-income adjustment system rather than a deviation. The bill would allow disability benefits received by the child from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to count against the noncustodial parent’s final child support amount;

 

  • Senate Bill 455, which would remove the requirement of the step therapy protocol for the treatment of serious mental illness. The bill would require acceptance of payment for health care items or services regardless of when authorization is obtained. The bill would require reimbursement to an independent pharmacy be no less than the average reimbursement for retail chain pharmacies;

 

  • Senate Bill 456, which would add disabled persons to the central caregiver registry. A “disabled person” would be defined as someone who is mentally or physically incapacitated, has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia;

 

  • Senate Bill 469, which would revise the maximum account balance allowed related to contributions to savings trust accounts for higher education expenses. The bill would increase the income tax deduction cap related to higher education savings trust account contributions;

 

  • Senate Bill 472, which would enact the Combatting Organized Crime Act and would revise current law relating to high-volume third-party sellers, sellers and third-party sellers;

 

  • Senate Bill 479, which would revise judicial compensation so that the base salary for judges would be related to the annual salary fixed for judges of the U.S. district court for the northern district of Georgia on July 1st of the second proceeding state fiscal year. Each supreme court justice would receive a maximum of 100 percent of the federal district judge’s salary, each court of appeals judge would receive a maximum of 95 percent of the base salary, the judge of the state-wide business court would receive a maximum of 92 percent of the base salary, and each superior court judge would receive a maximum of 90 percent of the base salary. Locality pay would be provided to judges in lieu of and not in addition to any prior county supplements, but in no event would the annual locality pay exceed 10 percent of the state annual salary. Each superior court judge in office on July 1, 2024, could opt-in to the new salary framework as well as any existing locality pay by October 1, 2024, through filing written notification to the council of superior court judges and the governing authority of each county comprising the judge’s judicial circuit. From July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, all local laws providing compensation for a state or local official that tie that compensation to a superior court judge’s compensation would be suspended with respect to any compensation increase. As of July 1, 2025, that suspension would be terminated and would not entitle any official to retroactive compensation;

 

  • Senate Bill 496, which would amend current law relating to tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic structures to extend the sunset date of the program to December 31, 2029, and clarify the definition of a historic building or structure to require the structure to be certified by the Department of Community Affairs as having met certain criteria. The bill would amend current law relating to revitalization zone tax credits to extend the sunset date of the program to December 31, 2032;

 

  • Senate Bill 503, is a clean-up bill, which would revise various grammar and terminology related to general contracting licensure and would split licenses into two separate categories for commercial and residential. The bill would change the annual volume threshold to $10 million that two of the members of the commercial general contractor division must have less than. Members would also be required to meet at least once every two months. A person applying for a residential-basic contractor license would also show that they are qualified as far as financial responsibility. The decision of the appropriate division would be conclusive except for fraud or willful or wanton misconduct. A business organization which loses a qualifying agent and that is acting under the statutory timeframe to find a new qualifying agent would be required to have its financially responsible officer or executive, who has assumed all responsibilities of the agent, swear in an affidavit that the permit application would be made in the applicable timeframe. A building inspector would not be able to issue a building permit unless the applicant has provided this affidavit. If a building inspector violates this provision, then they would be subject to a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $1,000. The bill would revise other dates, timelines and fine amounts;

 

  • Senate Bill 505, which would require each licensed hospital in the state to post and maintain a link to the federal related disclosures in the format established by the Department of Community Health to be updated annually and no later than July 1 of each year. The department would be directed to establish a uniform template and criteria for reporting the required documents no later than December 31, 2024, to be utilized no later the July 1, 2025. Additionally, SB 505 would require the board of a hospital authority to select one of the three proposed candidates to fill a vacancy;

 

  • Senate Bill 508, which would direct the Administrative Office of the Courts to provide written notice to each state or local government entity that possesses personally identifiable information of a judge or justice to restrict access to that information within 30 days of written notice. Within 30 days of written notice from a judge or justice that they have left office, the office would notify those entities that the restriction would no longer applicable. The office would develop a process to regularly identify local entities that possess personally identifiable information and would establish a procedure for protected persons to submit information for inclusion in a personally identifiable information database;

 

  • Senate Bill 520, which would add definitions for “income withholding” and “income withholding notice,” and would replace previous terms within in the Code. It would also require that an income withholding notice be provided to the payor to initiate income withholding. In cases involving Title IV-D child support withholding through an income withholding notice, all objections would be placed on the calendar for a hearing before an administrative law judge. The notice would remain in effect until the objection would be heard and a decision would be rendered;

 

  • Senate Bill 533, which would allow the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) to restore an accused person back to mental competency, so that they could stand trial in an appropriate facility within a jail. In order to use these facilities, DBHDD would have to have a mutual agreement with the local sheriff’s office.

 

With Sine Die now days away, the pace under the Gold Dome continues to intensify as we near the finish line of the 2024 Legislative Session. The House will return to session on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, for Legislative Day 39. With the session coming to a close soon, I encourage you to contact me to discuss legislative matters that are significant to you and your family. You can reach my Capitol office at 404-656-7850 and via email at Eddie.Lumsden@house.ga.gov.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative

Eddie Lumsden.

 

Georgia Senate Passes Budget On Tuesday

The Georgia Senate on Tuesday approved a budget that would include pay raises for public school teachers and state employees, as well as boost spending on education, health care and mental health.

Senators and representatives now must work out their differences on House Bill 916 before 2024’s legislative session ends Thursday. The budget, which passed 53-1, spends $36.1 billion in state money and $61 billion overall in the year beginning July 1.

Spending would fall from this year’s budget after Gov. Brian Kemp and lawmakers supplemented that budget will billions in one-time cash, boosting state spending to $38 billion in the year ending June 30.

Public school teachers would get a $2,500 raise starting July 1, boosting average teacher pay in Georgia above $65,000 annually, as the Republican governor proposed in January. That is in addition to a $1,000 bonus Kemp sent out in December. Prekindergarten teachers would also get a $2,500 raise.

State and university employees also would get a 4% pay increase, up to $70,000 in salary. The typical state employee makes $50,400.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery, a Vidalia Republican, said those pay raises are among “big things we agree on.”

Some employees would get more. State law enforcement officers would get an additional $3,000 bump, atop the $6,000 special boost they got last year. Child welfare workers would also receive extra $3,000 raises.

One thing that is unclear under the plan is judicial pay raises. There is money in the Senate budget for nearly $20 million, which would implement almost all of a plan to raise and standardize judicial pay. But Tillery wants the plan to be contained in a state constitutional amendment that hasn’t advanced. The House is still trying to implement the plan in a regular bill.

The state would spend hundreds of millions of dollars more to increase what it pays to nursing homes, home health care providers, dialysis providers, physical and occupational therapists, and some physicians.

The Senate proposes spending $30 million more on domestic violence shelters and sexual assault response. Tillery said that money would offset big cuts in federal funding that some agencies face.

While the House and Senate have agreed on some things, there are also significant differences. The Senate would spend $80 million more to increase pay for companies that provide home-based services to people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

The Senate would also raise the amount that local school boards have to pay for health insurance for non-certified employees such as custodians, cafeteria workers and secretaries. Tillery argues it is fair to speed up the phase-in of higher premiums because of other money the state is pumping into education, including boosting by $205 million the state’s share of buying and operating school buses and $104 million for school security. The Senate would add another $5 million for school security for developing school safety plans.

Tillery said one key element in final talks will be a push from Kemp’s administration to not spend so much additional money on continuing programs, instead focusing more on one-time spending. That could, for example, endanger some of the rate increases House and Senate members have proposed for medical and social service providers.

The state already plans to pay cash for new buildings and equipment in the upcoming budget, instead of borrowing as normal, reflecting billions in surplus cash Georgia has built up in recent years. The Senate would go farther, taking $33 million the House planned to spend elsewhere and use it instead to pay down debt, which Tillery said would free up spending in future years.

“Let’s find the bonds where the interest rates are higher than we’re making in our banks and let’s go ahead and pay them off early,” Tillery told senators

WABE

More Details On Dirt Bike Accident In Trion

Trion Police have released more details about a dirt bike accident on Monday that sent a toddler to the hospital.

According to a report obtained by WZQZ News:

On 03/25/24 at approximately 1940 hours, Trion Police Officers were dispatched to a residence on Marsh Avenue in reference to a motorcycle accident involving a 2 year old child. Upon arrival to the scene, the officer observed the 2 year old already inside the ambulance and crying. The officer then spoke to an individual who witnessed the accident. The witness stated that the juvenile driver of the small dirtbike had the 2 year old sitting between him and the handlebars. According to the witness, as they were circling around in the yard and came into the driveway, the driver must have hit the front brakes because the front tire slid out from under them and they crashed into the driveway. The witness stated that the 2 year old was wearing a helmet, but as they started to crash, the helmet came off. The driver attempted to grab and hold onto the 2 year old as they hit the ground.

While investigating the scene, the officer observed the helmet that the 2 year old was wearing and found that it was for an adult, not a small child. The 2 year old hit with his head in the gravel driveway, causing lacerations around his eye area. An EMS worker also advised the officer that the 2 year old had a large knot on the side of his head. The witness stated that he ran and picked up the 2 year old, but he must have been knocked out because he was limp and not saying anything. It was at this point that the witness called for an ambulance.

The officer asked the witness if that was the first time that the juvenile had given the 2 year old a ride on the dirt bike. The witness stated that it was not and that the juvenile gave the 2 year old rides all of the time, probably 40 or so times in total. The officer asked where the mother was during the incident, at which time the witness stated that she had went inside the residence to use the restroom.

The officer was advised that EMS had transported the 2 year old to the Chattooga County ER and was then airlifted by helicopter north.

Utah Man Arrested In Tennessee For Kidnapping Walker County, Georgia Child

A non-custodial father was arrested in Tennessee after allegedly kidnapping his 3-year-old son from his Walker County,  Georgia home on Tuesday, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.

John Kavin Samples, 26, of Utah, was wanted for taking the boy from his mother’s home in Rossville after forcibly kidnapping the boy.  The mother chased the suspect on foot until Samples was handed a gun by his girlfriend, identified as Anjela Baker.  Samples is accused of shooting at the boy’s mother and attempting to hit her with the vehicle.  Later on Tuesday, deputies in Rutherford County, Tennessee stopped Samples on I-24 near Murfreesboro.

Samples and Baker were charged with being fugitives of justice and were booked into the Rutherford County Detention Center.  The boy was returned to a family member. The Department of Children’s Services took custody of Baker’s 5-year-old daughter and her 6-month-old baby, who is Samples’ child.  Samples is facing charges in Walker County, Georgia of  aggravated assault, kidnapping, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, cruelty to a child first-degree.

Baker is being charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.

Today Is American Red Cross Giving Day

Today is the 10th annual Giving Day, held annually on March 27th. Giving Day is an opportunity for local communities to come together on one day to help families impacted by a home fire or other disaster who urgently need Red Cross services to get back on their feet.

The Red Cross of Georgia has partnered with Georgia’s Own Credit Union to mark Giving Day. On March 26 and 27, a mural atop their 450-foot building at 100 Peachtree St. NW will illuminate the Atlanta skyline, encouraging everyone to give a gift that provides hope and critical relief during emergencies.

“Donations enable the Red Cross to respond to disasters in the U.S. when help can’t wait for families who need emergency shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance,” said Alicia Doherty, Regional Executive for the American Red Cross of Georgia. “This support remains critical as large disasters like hurricanes, floods and wildfires grow in frequency and intensity year after year — and home fires continue to impact lives every day.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP On March 27, unite with thousands of compassionate people during Red Cross Giving Day by donating at redcross.org/givingday. A gift of any size makes a difference in providing shelter, food, relief items, emotional support and other assistance. In the morning, the Malott Family Foundation will generously match online donations up to $200,000 and Kevin and Patricia Terrazas will generously match online donations up to $300,000 in the afternoon.

Giving Daycaps off March is Red Cross Month, a time to recognize the people who make the Red Cross mission possible – volunteers, blood donors, people trained in lifesaving skills and our supporters – who step up to aid others when #HelpCantWait.

Red Cross Monthis a national tradition that began in 1943, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation—and each U.S. president has followed since. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a proclamation declaring March as Red Cross Month. The Georgia House and Senate issued resolutions. Proclamations were also signed in Gordon County, Bartow County and the City of Dalton. In Sandy Springs, the ‘King and Queen’ towers at I-285 and GA 400 were lit red during the first week of March.

Help Can’t Wait When Emergencies Strike. Volunteers comprise about 90% of the national Red Cross workforce to power its lifesaving mission, along with generous blood, platelet and financial donors; people trained in skills like first aid and CPR; and other supporters. Below are some of the ways that people from the community have delivered relief with the Red Cross in times of crisis:

  • The Red Cross of Georgia has more than 2,800 active volunteers. In fiscal year 2023, many of those volunteers assisted over 13,700 people affected by disasters, nearly 11,400 of them in home fires.
  • The Red Cross of Georgia helped more than 350 people impacted by the fire at the Reserve at LaVista Walk apartment complex in November 2023.
  • In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, the Red Cross of Georgia served nearly 7,500 households impacted by the storm.
  • Donors in Georgia gave nearly 175,000 units of blood and blood products in fiscal year 2023.
  • More than 88,200 people in the state were trained in first aid, CPR, AED and water safety courses during fiscal year 2023.

Man Tells Cops He Should Have Left His Meth At Home

Summerville Police arrested a fifty-seven-year-old man on drug charges after a traffic stop on Saturday night.  Police noticed a vehicle without a working tail light.  The vehicle pulled into the parking lot of Farmer’s Furniture off Highway 27.  Police asked the driver for consent to search and noticed a plastic bag with suspected methamphetamine on the ground near the driver’s feet. The driver admitted that there was a firearm in the vehicle and the officer also found marijuana residue.  The driver was arrested and taken to the Chattooga County Jail.  While at the jail, the driver said that he was having a bad day and that he never takes his meth outside his house and that he shouldn’t have done so that day.  He also told officers that the bag of meth that they found had fallen out of his pants pocket.  Rodney Allen Wood was charged with abandonment of dangerous drugs and possession of methamphetamine.

Young Farmers Taking Orders For BBQ Sack Lunches

The Chattooga Young Farmers are having their annual BBQ lunch coming up on Wednesday, April 24th.  The lunches will consist of a sandwich, chips and a dessert and are $7 each.  Orders will be taken until April 19th for pickup at the Chattooga County Ag Building.  Deliveries are available to schools and businesses with five or more orders.  You may place your order with the Chattooga Young Farmers on Facebook, with any Young Farmer member or by emailing ljarrett@chattooga.k12.ga.us. Or you can use this Order Form

Toddler Airlifted After Dirt Bike Accident In Trion

Trion Police say that a two-year-old child was airlifted by LifeForce on Monday after a dirt bike accident on Marsh Avenue.  Police Chief David Gilliland told WZQZ News that the toddler was on a dirt bike with a twelve-year-old driver at the time of the accident.  The toddler was wearing an adult helmet, which came off the toddler during the accident.  No word as to the extent of the injuries or the condition of the toddler as of Tuesday afternoon.  Chief Gilliland says that the Trion Police Department is continuing an investigation into the accident.  No further details were available at this time.

Arrest Report - Tuesday - March 26, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Tuesday, March 26, 2024: