Chattooga Scrimmage Game Rescheduled

Due to expected bad weather on Friday, the Chattooga High School Football scrimmage game at SE Whitfield has been moved to Thursday May 16th at 7:30 PM.

Summerville City Manager Announces Resignation

Summerville City Manager Andrea Surratt announced her resignation at Monday night’s Summerville City Council meeting.  Surratt has only been on the job for eighteen months. 

Surratt, a native of North Carolina, had worked most recently as city manager of Sandy Springs, Georgia in metro Atlanta before being hired, first as interim city manager, and then as city manager, by the Summerville City Council.

Surratt came to Sandy Springs from a job as city manager in Bozeman, Montana where she worked for two years from 2017-2019.  She was then employed by Sandy Springs from 2019 until earlier this month, when she resigned for “personal reasons”.

According to a letter presented at Monday night’s council meeting, Surratt is citing “personal reasons” as her reasons for resigning from the Summerville City Council

Arrest Report - Tuesday - May 14, 2024

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

Summerville Man Killed In Florida Crash

A thirty-one-year-old Chattooga County man was killed in a crash at a Florida bike rally days before his wedding, according to his fiancé. Rodney Grizzle of Summerville, was at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City Beach on May 4 when he and his fiancé, Mai Smith, were involved in an accident.

Grizzle and Smith were set to be married on May 11. According to his obituary, Grizzle was a “devoted father” to one son. He was buried on Friday, the day before he was supposed to get married.

WSB in Atlanta reports that Florida authorities said it’s unclear if the crash involved just Griffith’s motorcycle or if another vehicle was involved and left the scene. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward.

Thunder Beach is a four-day event for motorcyclists and fans. This year, two people, including Grizzle, were killed at the event.

The crash is still under investigation.

WSB contributed to this report

Governor Allows Google Tax Break Despite General Assembly's Wishes

Last week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp vetoed a two-year pause in a sales tax exemption the state gives for building and equipping computer data centers, after an intensive lobbying effort to preserve the tax break.

Kemp’s veto shows how hard it is to root out established tax breaks, said lawmakers and national experts.

“Any time you create a carve-out in your tax code, you then create a self-interested lobby around it,” said Greg LeRoy, the executive director of Good Jobs First, a liberal-leaning group long skeptical of economic development incentives.

The Republican governor wrote that he was vetoing House Bill 1192 because businesses had already made plans for data centers using the exemption and that the “abrupt” July 1 freeze would undermine “the investments made by high-technology data center operators, customers, and other stakeholders in reliance on the recent extension, and inhibiting important infrastructure and job development.”

GNN/AP Contributed to this report

Former Floyd Sheriff's Sgt. Pleads Guilty To Theft

A former Floyd County Sheriff’s Sergeant pleaded guilty to theft charges yesterday in superior court.

The Rome News Tribune reported that Cody James Waters, who had been in charge of Floyd County’s anti-drug CHAMP program in local schools, had stolen nearly $7,000 in funds for the program.  The thefts reportedly began during the pandemic.

Waters was arrested on the theft charges in March of 2022 after an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.  The GBI stepped in to take over the investigation at the request of Floyd County Sheriff Dave Roberson.

Yesterday, the twenty-six-year-old Waters, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by taking and making false statements and violation of the oath of office.

Waters was sentenced to serve three years in prison and seventeen years on probation.  He must all repay the stolen funds and perform 400 hours of community service upon his release from prison.

Rome News Tribune

State Tax Revenues Down In April

The Georgia Department of Revenue reported late last week that Georgia’s net tax collections for April were down 1.2% compared to the year before.  Tax collections were down in most sectors including individual income tax, sales and use tax and corporate income tax.  Notable exceptions were motor fuel taxes and motor vehicle tag and title fees.  Fuel taxes increased by just over $3 million and tags and titles also showed an increase of just over $3 million – up almost 8% over the previous year.   Net tax collections for April totaled $3.96 billion.

See the complete report from the Georgia Department of Revenue below:

The State of Georgia’s net tax collections in April totaled $3.96 billion, for a decrease of $225.7 million or 5.4 percent compared to FY 2023, when net tax collections approached $4.19 billion for the month.

Year-to-date, net tax revenue totaled $27.45 billion, for a decrease of $341.3 million or 1.2 percent compared to the same ten-month period in FY 2023, a period during which the state’s motor fuel excise tax was suspended until January 10, 2023. Net of motor fuel tax changes, collection revenues for the ten months ended April 30 were down 4.6 percent from fiscal year 2023.

The changes within the following tax categories help to further explain April’s overall net tax revenue decrease:

Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections totaled roughly $1.97 billion, for a decrease of $171.3 million or 8 percent compared to last year when Individual Tax collections totaled nearly $2.14 billion.

The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net decrease:

• Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) were up $195.3 million or 31.4 percent
• Individual Withholding payments were up $60.1 million or 4.8 percent over the previous fiscal year
• Individual Income Tax Return payments declined by $142.1 million or 11.5 percent from last year
• All other Individual Tax categories, including Estimated payments, were up a combined $106 million

Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections totaled almost $1.58 billion in April, for a decrease of $6.2 million or 0.4 percent compared to April 2023. Net Sales and Use Tax decreased by $24.6 million or 3 percent, compared to last year, when net sales tax totaled $823.4 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $765 million, for an increase of $8.6 million or 1.1 percent, while Sales Tax refunds increased by roughly $9.8 million or 179.6 percent compared to FY 2023.

Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for the month totaled $748.1 million, which was an increase of roughly $3.7 million or 0.5 percent compared to FY 2023.

The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net increase:

• Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) were down $18.5 million or 32.9 percent from FY 2023
• Corporate Income Tax Return payments decreased by $17.4 million or 5.7 percent from last fiscal year
• All other Corporate Tax types, including Corporate Estimated payments, were up a combined $2.6 million

Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections for the month of April increased by $3.1 million or 1.6 percent compared to FY 2023.

Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fees increased by $3.2 million or 9.3 percent for the month, while Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections declined by nearly $6.2 million or 7.8 percent from last year.

Primary Election One Week From Today

The 2024 General Primary Election will be held one week from today on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.  Early voting continues through Friday of this week at the Chattooga County Registrars Office on Commerce Street in Summerville.  Next week, voters will need to go to their local precincts to vote.  Chattooga County Probate Judge and Election Superintendent Gary Woods said on Monday, “Voters who are uncertain which location is their assigned polling location are encouraged to visit the My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov) or call the Registrars Office (706-857-0739) prior to going to vote on May 21st”.  Voters can find a list of the polling places, by precinct, in Chattooga County below:

Gas Prices Fall Over The Past Week In Georgia

Gas prices decreased at the pump compared to a week ago. Georgians are paying an average price of $3.41 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline (subject to change overnight). Monday’s state average was 5 cents less than a week ago, 1 cent less than a month ago, and 15 cents more than this time last year. It costs drivers an average price of $51.15 to fill a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline. Georgians are now paying over $2.00 more to fill up at the pump compared to a year ago.

“Crude oil continues to trend under $80 a barrel, and demand appears to have slowed down, contributing to lower pump prices,” said Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman. “AAA is set to reveal, on May 14^th, how busy the roads in Georgia will be during the Memorial Day weekend. So stay tuned!”

The most expensive Georgia metro markets – are Hinesville-Fort Stewart ($3.51), Savannah ($3.50), and Brunswick ($3.43).

The least expensive Georgia metro markets – are Dalton ($3.29), Rome ($3.28), and Catoosa-Dade-Walker ($3.27).

Area gas price averages – Chattooga ($3.31), Walker ($3.27), Floyd ($3.27), Gordon ($3.38), DeKalb, AL ($3.13), Cherokee, AL ($3.15).

Alledged Gang Member Arrested

A teen arrested in late March in connection with the thefts of firearms and other items from vehicles, primarily in the Lindale area of Floyd County, is facing additional charges including participation in a criminal street gang.

According to Floyd County Jail records:

17-year-old Eric Christian Byars Jr. of Silver Creek is a member of the Brothers 4 Life gang and was in possession of three stolen firearms that were taken from vehicles back on March 5.

Possessing stolen property and firearms is a characteristic of B4L, according to the report.

Byars is also charged with possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18.

A second purported B4L member, 17-year-old Gregory Geemar Charles North Jr., was also recently arrested on similar charges.

WRGA

Senator Ossoff Continues To Pressure U.S.P.S. To Fix Mail Problems In Georgia

Senator Jon Ossoff is continuing to pressure the Postal Service to fix mail processing delays.

Ossoff is going after  the United States Postal Service over delays in mail delivery from a new distribution center in Palmetto, Georgia. Ossoff has asked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address on-time mail delivery in metro Atlanta within a week.

The delays are attributed to a Postal Service restructuring plan that aims to improve financial self-sufficiency and competitiveness with private shippers. Plans to expand the new system nationwide have been paused while issues at the Palmetto and Richmond distribution centers are resolved.

Ossoff emphasized the need for immediate improvement in USPS delivery performance in Georgia.

GNN

Arrest Report - Monday - May 13, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Monday, May 13, 2024:

Trion Splash Pad Now Open

The Trion Recreation Department announced last week that the Trion Splash Pad is now open.  The splash pad is free of charge and is open seven days a week from 10:30 AM until 9 PM. The Trion Recreation Department reminds users to be careful and avoid running in the area.  Also, the splash pad operates on a timer; if it turns off, be sure to hit one of the activator switches located at each corner of the splash pad.

LaFayette's Honeybee Festival Returns June 1st

LaFayette’s Honeybee Festival is returning for 2024.  The event will be held on June 1st from 9 AM until 11 PM in downtown LaFayette and will feature arts and crafts vendors as well as food and entertainment.  The festival’s theme is the honeybee and there will be plenty of educational exhibits about the inspiration for the festival. Other activities will be a Kids Zone, a BBQ Competition, a Baking Contest, a Pageant, and a Cruise In including antique tractors, along with other activities. An education area will be filled with lots of learning opportunities.  Country Music superstar and Grand Ole’ Opry member Chris Janson will be the headliner for this year’s event.   The event is FREE and the whole family is encouraged to attend. For festival information or applications please visit the web page HERE.

Last Week Of Advanced Voting For May Primary

There have been 115 absentee by mail ballots issued and 70 of those have been accepted back by the registrars office.  In addition, 2 ballots were cancelled and there was 1 spoiled ballot.  No ballots have been rejected and there have not been any provisional ballots.  Voters may vote each day this week, until Friday, from 8:30 AM until 5 PM.  All advanced voting takes place at the Chattooga County Registrars Office located on Commerce Street in Summerville, just south of the Chattooga County Courthouse.

Election Day will be next Tuesday, May 21st and polls will be open from 7 AM until 7 PM.  All voting on Election Day will take place at local precincts.  Below, you will see a daily report on early voting so far in Chattooga County:

Summerville City Council Meeting This Evening

The Summerville City Council will hold their regular monthly meeting this evening at Summerville City Hall.  Mayor Harry Harvey and the Summerville City Council will present Chattooga High School Valedictorian Pippa Key with a proclamation for her academic accomplishments.  Also, Summerville resident Felicia Foster will be providing information about her after school tutoring program “Felisha’s Kids”.  The program meets at Summerville’s Fairway Recreation Center.  Also, Republican candidate for State Senate Angela Pence will addressing the meeting.  Pence will  be introducing herself and sharing her vision for the 53rd District.  Pence is challenging incumbent State Senator Colton Moore.  The city council meeting gets underway at 5 PM and the public is invited to attend.  You can see a complete agenda for this evening’s meeting below:

Good Outlook For Georgia's Peach Crop This Year

After a devastating year in 2023, Georgia’s peach farmers are hopeful about the 2024 peach season.  Most of Georgia’s commercial peach orchards are located in the middle part of the state and growers say that weather conditions have been optimal this year, which bodes well for Georgia peach lovers.

Many farmers last year lost almost their entire crop due to two March deep-freezes. The weather this year was favorably warm for the crop, and will be providing a bountiful harvest in a few weeks.  After a relatively cool winter and a warmer spring than average, peaches will be in abundance this season.

That’s good news for Chattooga County’s 4-H program’s Georgia Peach Fundraiser.  Each year, the local 4-H program sells peaches from Dickey’s Farms in Musella, Georgia.  The peach sale is one of the largest fundraisers for the 4-H program, and last year there were no peaches available.

Peach lovers should start seeing Georgia’s state fruit hit the shelves within the next few weeks.

GNN contributed to this story

Chattooga County Low-Cost Rabies Clinic This Saturday

A low-cost rabies vaccination clinic will be held coming up this Saturday, May 18th at Chattooga High School.  It’s the law in Georgia that all dogs and cats have their annual rabies vaccine. Dogs, cats, and ferrets must get rabies vaccination when they are twelve weeks of age or older. Rabies vaccinations are only recognized in Georgia when performed by a licensed veterinarian.  Cominut up on Saturday, the Summerville Veterinary Clinic, the Chattooga County Health Department and the Chattooga County Extension Office will host a rabies clinic from 9 AM until 5 PM.  The cost for each shot is $10.  Those bringing their pets to the vaccination clinic should access Chattooga High School by the Highway 100 school entrance.

Georgia Senator Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Bill To Protect Children

A bipartisan bill to protect children from online exploitation has been signed into law. The bill law, which was sponsored by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), will toughen penalties on websites and social media companies that fail to report crimes against children.

The REPORT Act will, for the first time, require websites and social media platforms to report crimes involving federal trafficking and enticement of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The law will increase fines for companies that knowingly and willfully fail to report child sex abuse material on their site.

It also requires that evidence is preserved for a longer period of time, giving law enforcement more time to investigate and prosecute crimes.

“My bipartisan law with Senator Blackburn will ensure tech companies are held accountable to report and remove child sex abuse material and to strengthen protection for kids online,” said Sen. Ossoff. “At a time of such division in Congress, we successfully brought Republicans and Democrats together to protect kids on the internet, and now our bill is law.”