Arrest Report - Monday - September 28, 2026
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Monday, September 28, 2026:
Summerlike Heat Returns Before Wetter Weekend
A dry start to the week will give way to summerlike temperatures across Chattooga County before rain and thunderstorms return for the weekend.
Monday will be sunny with a high near 82 degrees and a light north wind. Monday night will be mostly clear and cool, with a low around 54.
The warming trend begins Tuesday with sunshine and a high near 86. Wednesday climbs to around 89 before temperatures reach near 90 degrees Thursday. The National Weather Service says temperatures across the region will run above normal for this time of year.
Despite the warmer afternoons, very dry air will remain in place during the first part of the week. Afternoon relative humidity could briefly fall to around 25 percent in some areas, increasing concerns about how quickly outdoor fires could spread.
The weather pattern begins changing later Thursday as high pressure weakens and winds become more southerly, allowing moisture to return to northwest Georgia.
There is a 20 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Thursday night, increasing to 40 percent Friday. Friday’s high should reach around 87.
Rain chances increase further over the weekend. Saturday brings a 50 percent chance of showers with a cooler high around 80. Saturday night also carries a 50 percent chance of rain.
Forecasters are paying particular attention to Sunday, when showers are likely along with the possibility of thunderstorms. The chance of precipitation is currently 60 percent, with a high near 77.
The National Weather Service says some forecast guidance indicates the atmosphere could become more favorable for stronger thunderstorms Sunday, although there remains disagreement among forecast models concerning how favorable the wind environment will be. It is still several days away, and the details will become clearer as the weekend approaches.
School Leaders Explain What E-SPLOST Renewal Means For Chattooga County Voters
When Chattooga County voters go to the polls in November, one of the local questions they will encounter concerns the continuation of a one-percent sales tax that has helped finance school construction, renovations, technology, security and other capital needs for nearly three decades.
Trion City Schools Superintendent Howard Hughes and Chattooga County Schools Superintendent Michelle Helie spoke with WZQZ News about the upcoming E-SPLOST referendum and said their goal is to make sure voters understand what the tax is, what it pays for and what would happen if the revenue were no longer available.
The referendum will appear during Georgia’s November 3 General Election. Georgia Secretary of State
A Tax That Dates Back To 1998
E-SPLOST stands for Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It is a voter-approved one-percent sales and use tax dedicated to eligible educational capital projects. It is not unrestricted money that the school systems can spend for any purpose. eSPLOST FAQs
One point both superintendents want voters to understand is that the November referendum does not create an additional one-percent tax. According to the joint information prepared by the school systems, Chattooga County voters first approved an education SPLOST referendum on September 15, 1998. Successive E-SPLOSTs have been approved since then, but each is for a limited period and must be renewed by voters. eSPLOST FAQs
Hughes said that history is important because an increasing number of today’s voters were either children or not yet born when the tax was first approved.
“Things over time, they lose their history if you don’t keep reminding people about the history,” Hughes told WZQZ. He said voters can encounter complicated legal language on a referendum without necessarily knowing the history behind it. Pasted text
Helie said seeing the word “tax” can lead some voters to assume they are being asked to pay a new tax. The superintendents said that is one reason they prepared a joint list of frequently asked questions explaining the referendum. Pasted text
What E-SPLOST Can — And Cannot — Pay For
E-SPLOST money benefits both Chattooga County Schools and Trion City Schools, but it cannot be used to pay teacher salaries or simply supplement normal day-to-day school operating expenses.
The money is restricted to eligible capital purposes. Those can include construction and renovation of schools, classrooms and athletic facilities; technology; safety and security improvements; buses and other vehicles; equipment; land and site work; and debt associated with approved capital projects. eSPLOST FAQs eSPLOST FAQs
During the interview, the superintendents also discussed QBE — Quality Basic Education, the state funding mechanism for Georgia public schools. Helie described QBE funding as providing for the basic educational needs of students, while Hughes said E-SPLOST gives the systems a separate source for major capital needs that ordinary operating revenue may not cover. Pasted text
“We Have New Schools. Why Do We Still Need It?”
The superintendents also addressed a question they say they hear from residents: with newer school campuses and substantial improvements already completed, what remains to be funded?
Helie pointed to Menlo School, now in its third year in the new building, as a recent example. She said bonds supported by E-SPLOST revenue made construction possible without waiting years to accumulate enough capital money to pay for the entire project upfront. Pasted text
She also noted that not every building in the Chattooga County School System is new. Helie said Summerville Middle School will face major facility needs over the coming decade, while much of Lyerly School is considerably older. Pasted text
Hughes said even newer facilities require continuing investment. School buildings experience heavy daily use by students, employees and the public, meaning roofs, heating and cooling systems, technology, security systems, transportation equipment and other assets eventually require repair or replacement. Pasted text
Technology has become another major expense. Hughes noted that technology has a much shorter replacement cycle than traditional school infrastructure, while modern security needs have also added expenses that schools did not face to the same degree decades ago. Pasted text
E-SPLOST And School Construction Debt
Another important part of E-SPLOST is the ability to finance major projects through bonds rather than waiting until the entire construction cost has been accumulated.
Helie said Chattooga County Schools still has bond debt associated with Menlo School that is scheduled to be paid with future E-SPLOST collections. She said previous projects, including Chattooga High School and Leroy Massey Elementary School, were also financed using this type of structure. Pasted text
If the E-SPLOST is not renewed, the existing authorization would eventually end and the school systems would stop receiving revenue from it. Capital needs that otherwise would have been paid with those proceeds would have to be reconsidered or financed through other available sources. eSPLOST FAQs
Sales Tax Versus Property Tax
The superintendents also emphasized the distinction between E-SPLOST and property taxes.
Because E-SPLOST is collected on taxable purchases made within Chattooga County, people who live outside the county also contribute when they make taxable purchases here. That spreads part of the cost of school capital projects beyond local property owners. eSPLOST FAQs
During the interview, Hughes and Helie were careful not to claim that renewing E-SPLOST would reduce anyone’s property-tax bill. Hughes specifically said there is “no guarantee” that E-SPLOST will decrease property taxes. Their point was that without the sales-tax revenue, school systems would have to consider other available revenue sources to meet capital needs and existing obligations, potentially including property-tax revenue. Pasted text
Superintendents Say Their Goal Is Voter Education
Both Hughes and Helie stressed that their discussion with WZQZ was intended to explain the referendum rather than tell residents how to vote.
“This is definitely not any kind of a campaign or lobbying deal that we’re talking about,” Hughes said. “We’re talking about making sure that people understand” the funding and the needs it addresses. Pasted text
The superintendents also encouraged voters to read the complete referendum before casting their ballots. Hughes noted that the ballot language will not simply describe the proposal with the word “renewal,” which could make it less obvious to someone unfamiliar with E-SPLOST that the county has had the educational sales tax for decades. Pasted text
Georgia voters will decide the referendum along with other races and questions on the Tuesday, November 3 General Election ballot. The Georgia Secretary of State also provides voters access to sample ballots through the state’s My Voter Page.
Chattooga County CERT Adds 16 New Members Following Training
The Chattooga County Community Emergency Response Team has added 16 new members following a training class held recently in Summerville.
The class was held at the Chattooga County Community Resource Center on Eleanor Avenue and provided residents with training designed to help them assist their families, neighbors and professional emergency responders when disasters or other emergencies occur.
The Community Emergency Response Team, commonly known as CERT, is a FEMA-supported program that provides ordinary citizens with basic emergency-response skills.
Training includes disaster preparedness, fire safety and suppression, basic medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization.
The addition of 16 members significantly expands the number of locally trained volunteers who can potentially assist when emergency-response resources are stretched thin.
CERT volunteers are not intended to replace firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs or other professional responders. Instead, they are trained to work within the limits of their training and provide assistance until additional professional resources are available.
The program can be particularly valuable during widespread emergencies such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flooding, when emergency personnel may be responding to numerous incidents simultaneously.
Chattooga County’s CERT volunteers have already been called upon locally. During flooding in Summerville in April 2025, CERT members assisted emergency personnel when three people became stranded by floodwaters.
The local program is coordinated through Chattooga County Emergency Management, headed by Emergency Management Director Pamela Vaughn. The county says its emergency-management operation works with public-safety agencies, elected officials, nonprofits and government agencies in preparing for and responding to disasters. Chattooga County
Residents interested in future CERT training or learning more about the program can contact Chattooga County Emergency Management at 706-857-3400, option 2.
Chattooga County Millage Rate Drops As Tax Digest Climbs Above $912 Million
Chattooga County’s tax digest has grown by more than $133 million over the past year, but county government is expected to levy nearly $933,000 less in maintenance and operations property taxes for 2026.
Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen set the county’s 2026 maintenance and operations millage rate at 7.959 mills during a meeting held Friday afternoon at the Hurley Community Development Center in Summerville.
The new rate is down from 10.281 mills in 2025, a reduction of 2.322 mills.
The reduction comes as the value of Chattooga County’s total net property tax digest continues to grow. According to figures presented by the county, the total net digest increased from approximately $778.6 million in 2025 to $912.3 million in 2026. That’s an increase of approximately $133.6 million, or about 17 percent.
Despite the larger tax digest, the lower millage rate means county government is projected to collect less in maintenance and operations property taxes.
The county’s five-year levy history shows approximately $5.53 million in M&O property taxes will be levied for 2026, compared with approximately $6.46 million last year. That’s a decrease of approximately $932,735, or 14.43 percent.
For property in the unincorporated portions of Chattooga County, the county’s gross rate of 7.959 mills is reduced by a 2.572-mill rollback associated with Local Option Sales Tax and insurance premium tax revenues. That results in a net M&O millage rate of 5.387 mills for the unincorporated area.
The county projects approximately $3.62 million in M&O property taxes from the unincorporated area.
For incorporated areas, the county’s M&O millage rate is 7.959 mills, with approximately $1.91 million projected to be levied.
The figures presented Friday also illustrate how dramatically Chattooga County’s tax digest has changed in recent years.
In 2021, the county’s total net digest was approximately $438.2 million. Five years later, the 2026 digest stands at more than $912.2 million — more than double its 2021 level.
During the same period, the county’s gross M&O millage rate has fallen from 18.356 mills in 2021 to 7.959 mills this year.
The reduction in the county’s overall tax levy does not necessarily mean every property owner will see a lower tax bill. Individual bills can vary based on changes in assessed property values, applicable homestead or other exemptions, school taxes and other levies.
The Chattooga County Board of Education has already established its 2026 millage rate, while Friday afternoon’s meeting established the county government’s portion of the property tax levy.
Man Arrested On DUI-Drugs Charge After Medical Call On Silver Hill Road
A 49-year-old man was arrested on a DUI-drugs charge after a Chattooga County deputy responded to a report of a possible vehicle fire in the Silver Hill Road and Jenkins Gap Road area.
According to a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Jason Andrew Powers, 49, was arrested shortly after 1 a.m. on September 18.
A Chattooga County deputy was dispatched to the area around 12:32 a.m. and met EMS personnel and Wesley Inform, who told the deputy a vehicle had been observed smoking heavily from its vents.
The deputy reported finding Powers asleep in the driver’s seat. Powers reportedly woke up when the deputy opened the door and asked if he needed medical attention. The report says Powers then got out of the vehicle and waited while EMS personnel conducted their investigation.
After speaking with Powers, the deputy reported detecting what appeared to be a faint odor of alcohol and asked him to perform field sobriety tests.
According to the report, Powers showed several indicators of impairment during the testing. The deputy also reported that Powers’ pupils appeared constricted and that his eyes reacted poorly to light.
The report says Powers acknowledged taking prescription narcotic medication, but denied using anything else.
The deputy subsequently arrested Powers on a charge of driving under the influence of drugs.
The report says Powers’ wife later arrived and collected several containers and blister packs of medication recovered at the scene. Powers reportedly agreed to a blood draw, which was conducted at Redmond Regional Medical Center.
Powers was then transported to the Chattooga County Jail without further incident.
The incident report does not state the results of the blood test.
Chattooga Schools Gain National Attention For Dramatic Drop In Chronic Absenteeism
Chattooga County Schools are receiving national attention for dramatically reducing chronic absenteeism, bringing the district’s rate below where it stood before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attendance Works, a national nonprofit organization focused on improving school attendance, recently published Chattooga County as a “Success Story,” highlighting how the rural school district reduced its chronic absenteeism rate from 42.2 percent during the pandemic to 18.2 percent during the 2025-2026 school year. Before the pandemic, the district’s rate stood at 18.8 percent.
The organization says Chattooga accomplished the turnaround without a large influx of new resources, instead changing how the school system identifies and responds to students who are missing school.
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Helie told Attendance Works that problems became particularly apparent during the fall of 2020, when families could choose between virtual and in-person instruction. At one point, approximately 17 percent of students were neither attending classes in person nor logging on for virtual instruction.
The district hired a truancy officer for the 2021-2022 school year and strengthened attendance procedures, but over time the approach expanded beyond simply enforcing attendance rules.
By the 2023-2024 school year, social workers, counselors and office staff were contacting families when students were absent and asking what was preventing them from coming to school.
Those conversations uncovered problems ranging from families who could not afford gasoline to take a child to school after missing the bus to homes without running water for washing clothes. School officials worked with counselors, social workers, churches, Helping Hands, food programs and other community organizations to address some of those barriers.
Teachers also identified students dealing with anxiety following the isolation associated with the pandemic. The district established a small learning center where high school students struggling with anxiety could attend in person while using a digital learning platform, providing a transition back into the regular high school setting.
In February 2024, Helie established a districtwide attendance committee. Individual schools have since developed their own attendance incentives, including jump-park trips, ice cream socials, bicycle giveaways, outdoor game days and movie celebrations.
Beginning in fall 2025, school-level teams also began monitoring students who had missed 10 percent or more of their school days, allowing staff to identify students developing a pattern of chronic absenteeism rather than those who were simply out several days because of an illness.
The national recognition comes as Chattooga County Schools have also continued to make headlines for another unusual aspect of the district — the four-day school week.
Chattooga students attend school Tuesday through Friday and are out each Monday. The schedule was originally adopted as a cost-saving measure more than a decade ago and has repeatedly attracted media attention from outside Chattooga County.
Just this summer, Atlanta television stations again featured Chattooga’s four-day schedule. Superintendent Helie told CBS Atlanta that the district has received inquiries from other school systems in Georgia as well as districts in Tennessee and Alabama interested in Chattooga’s experience with the shortened week.
The four-day week also figures directly into the new Attendance Works report. The organization notes that Chattooga operates Tuesday through Friday and that the district serves 2,534 students in five schools.
While the four-day calendar is only one part of a much broader attendance strategy, the latest numbers show a substantial change from the height of the pandemic.
A chronic absenteeism rate that once affected more than four out of every ten Chattooga County students has now fallen to fewer than two out of ten — and slightly below the district’s pre-pandemic level.
When The Railroad Redrew The Map Of Chattooga County
The communities we know today as Summerville, Lyerly and Menlo might look very different had railroad tracks been laid just a few miles in another direction.
When railroads finally arrived in Chattooga County during the late 1800s, they did much more than provide transportation. They determined where businesses opened, where people settled, which communities grew and, in some cases, which communities disappeared.
And at one point, the railroad nearly bypassed Summerville altogether.
The Railroad Almost Missed Summerville
Efforts to bring a railroad into Chattooga County began years before the first tracks were laid. Several proposed railroad companies came and went without ever laying rail.
That finally changed in 1888, when the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad began coming through the county.
According to research preserved by the Chattooga County Historical Society, the original route was surveyed south from Chattanooga through Trion. From there, however, it was supposed to turn east through a gap in Taylor Ridge, enter the Dirttown Valley and continue through Armuchee toward Rome.
That route would have left Summerville without direct railroad service.
Two prominent local businessmen, John D. Taylor and C.C. Cleghorn, learned of the plans and successfully used their influence to have the route changed.
Instead of turning east after Trion, the railroad continued south through Summerville, Raccoon, Lyerly and Holland before heading toward Rome.
The decision would have a lasting effect on Summerville.
The Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus reached Chattooga County in the late 1880s, and Summerville’s first railroad depot was constructed in 1889. The railroad later became part of the Central of Georgia system.
Summerville had been the county seat since 1839, but historical accounts note that the town’s significant growth came only after the long-awaited railroad arrived.
A Railroad Creates Lyerly
Farther south, the arrival of the railroad resulted in something even more dramatic — the creation of a new town.
Before Lyerly, one of the established communities in that portion of Chattooga County was Melville, located west of the Chattooga River south of present-day Lyerly.
When the railroad came through in 1888, Angus McLeod donated land for a railroad depot. Town lots were laid out around the new station, and the community that developed there became Lyerly.
The town was named for Captain Charles A. Lyerly, an influential Chattanooga banker.
As businesses and residents gravitated toward the railroad, Melville declined. Its post office closed in 1889 after approximately 40 years of existence, and Lyerly ultimately absorbed and replaced the older community.
Lyerly was incorporated in 1891.
It is a striking example of how quickly the railroad could change the fortunes of a community. A place that had existed for decades faded while a new town grew around a railroad depot less than a mile away.
Menlo And Alpine Experience A Similar Change
Only a few years later, essentially the same thing happened on the western side of Chattooga County.
The Chattanooga Southern Railroad arrived in 1891. Its 93-mile route between Chattanooga and Gadsden passed through the area that became Menlo.
The railroad had been constructed largely to transport iron ore, timber and coal from Lookout Mountain, although it also carried passengers.
Before the railroad, Alpine had been the more established community.
But the railroad bypassed Alpine.
Instead, the tracks passed near property belonging to Captain Andrew J. Lawrence, who became instrumental in developing Menlo. Lawrence is considered the father of the town, which eventually replaced Alpine as the area’s principal community.
Menlo was named in honor of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory and home, reflecting Lawrence’s admiration for the inventor.
The Chattanooga Southern was reorganized in 1911 as the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railroad — better remembered locally as the TAG Railroad.
Communities Along The Tracks
The railroad also connected communities whose names are much less familiar today.
Raccoon Mills, now known as Berryton, became an important mill community along the railroad. A Georgia reference published in the early 1900s reported a population of 441 in 1900, with a cotton mill operating 104 looms and 3,400 spindles. The community had stores and a post office, while railroad express and telegraph offices were located at Raccoon Station.
South of Lyerly were railroad stops and communities including Taliaferro, Holland and Sprite.
Sprite, near Holland, was once a recognized stop on the Central of Georgia line. Taliaferro had previously been known as Strange, while Sprite and nearby Tulip were sometimes used interchangeably in describing the area.
Old railroad records still preserve names such as Sprite, Holland and Taliaferro, reminders of a time when the railroad defined the county’s transportation network.
Peaches, Strawberries And Chattooga Chert
The trains weren’t important only for passengers.
Rail service suddenly gave Chattooga County farmers access to distant markets.
During the county’s peach-growing boom, enormous quantities of fruit left by rail. In 1906 alone, Menlo shipped between 500 and 700 railroad cars of peaches, while Summerville shipped approximately 350 cars. Refrigerated railroad cars were necessary to get the fruit to northern markets.
Strawberries became another important crop.
At one point there were approximately 1,250 acres of strawberries around Menlo alone.
The railroad operated a special train known as the “Berry Special.”
It picked up strawberries at Lyerly in the afternoon, stopped at Raccoon for additional berries and carried them to Chattanooga. There they were transferred to a northbound train.
Chattooga County strawberries picked one day could arrive in Cincinnati by the following morning.
The railroad also carried Chattooga County’s natural resources.
Hundreds of railroad cars loaded with chert left the county for Chattanooga, Rome, Atlanta and Savannah, where the material was used for street paving. Much of it came from a pit along what is now Menlo Highway because of its proximity to the railroad.
A Third Chattooga Railroad
Chattooga County even had another railroad that is largely forgotten today.
The Rome and Northern Railroad arrived in 1910 and was constructed primarily to haul iron ore from mines east of Taylor Ridge to furnaces around Rome and Silver Creek.
Plans called for the railroad eventually to reach Farley, Subligna and Tunnel Hill, where it would connect with the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
It never made it that far.
Tracks reached only Shackelton, a short-lived mining community near Gore. The railroad struggled financially and was abandoned after being sold in 1923.
The Tracks Changed Chattooga County
Today it is easy to look at a map and assume Chattooga County’s towns simply developed where they are because that was the natural place for them to be.
History tells a different story.
Summerville nearly lost the railroad and could have developed very differently without it. Lyerly grew beside the tracks while Melville disappeared. Menlo prospered after the railroad bypassed Alpine. Raccoon Mills grew around industry and rail transportation, while small places such as Sprite and Taliaferro once appeared along an important transportation corridor.
The railroad carried passengers, peaches, strawberries, cotton products, timber, iron ore, coal and even loads of Chattooga County chert to distant markets.
But perhaps its greatest effect wasn’t what the trains carried.
It was where the tracks were laid.
More than 135 years later, the route chosen by railroad surveyors in the late 1800s can still be seen in the towns and communities that make up Chattooga County today.
Sources: Chattooga County Historical Society; Georgia Archives; Digital Library of Georgia; New Georgia Encyclopedia; Georgia Department of Transportation historical railroad records. Historical research includes the work of longtime Chattooga County historian Bob Baker.
Driver Charged With DUI And Child Endangerment On Highway 27
A 44-year-old man was arrested on DUI and child endangerment charges after a Chattooga County deputy stopped a vehicle that had reportedly been the subject of a lookout for a reckless driver.
According to a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Chris Nathan Wooten, 44, was arrested late September 18 after a deputy spotted a gray Jeep Gladiator on Highway 27 that matched the description of the vehicle.
The deputy stopped the Jeep at Highway 27 and Rossville Boulevard in Trion shortly before 11 p.m.
Wooten reportedly told the deputy that he had been driving recklessly because he was crying and holding his phone while talking on it. The report says a juvenile was inside the vehicle.
After Wooten got out of the Jeep, the deputy reported smelling alcohol and observing watery eyes. Wooten reportedly acknowledged drinking alcohol before driving.
The deputy then administered field sobriety testing. According to the report, Wooten displayed six of six clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test and two of four clues during the one-leg stand. The report says Wooten was physically unable to perform the walk-and-turn test.
Wooten declined a preliminary breath test and, after being arrested, refused the state’s implied-consent testing, according to the report.
He was charged with DUI-alcohol and DUI-endangering the life of a child and transported to the Chattooga County Jail without further incident.
The report says Wooten was cooperative during transport.
Two USDA Deadlines Approaching For Chattooga County Farmers And Landowners
Chattooga County farmers, cattle producers and landowners have two important USDA deadlines approaching, including a September 30 deadline for disaster assistance and an October 9 deadline for several conservation programs.
The first deadline is Wednesday, September 30, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, or SDRP.
The program provides assistance to agricultural producers who suffered eligible revenue, production or quality losses involving crops, trees, bushes or vines because of qualifying natural disasters during 2023 or 2024.
USDA says the deadline for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 applications has been extended to September 30.
Who In Chattooga County Could Qualify?
For local producers, the program could potentially apply to those who experienced qualifying losses involving hay and forage crops, corn and other row crops, fruits, vegetables or other eligible crops during 2023 or 2024.
Cattle ownership by itself does not qualify a producer for this particular disaster program, because SDRP covers losses involving eligible crops, trees, bushes and vines. However, a cattle producer who also grows hay, forage or other eligible crops could potentially qualify based on losses to those crops.
Qualifying disasters can include drought, excessive heat, excessive moisture, flooding, tornadoes, freezes, winter storms and other eligible weather events, although specific eligibility requirements apply. For drought losses, USDA uses U.S. Drought Monitor thresholds to determine whether a county and loss qualify.
Stage 1 primarily covers producers whose losses were already associated with Federal Crop Insurance or USDA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, commonly known as NAP.
Stage 2 covers certain losses that weren’t compensated under Stage 1, including some uninsured losses, insured losses that weren’t large enough to trigger an insurance or NAP payment, and qualifying losses involving reduced crop quality.
USDA says producers applying under Stage 2 may be required to provide documentation supporting production or quality losses. Stage 2 applications also contain information prefilled by FSA, so producers should work directly with their county FSA office rather than attempting to complete the process on their own.
Conservation Money Available For Farms, Pastures And Forestland
A second USDA deadline arrives Friday, October 9.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, has established October 9 as Georgia’s first-round funding deadline for several major conservation programs.
They include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP; Conservation Stewardship Program, or CSP; Regional Conservation Partnership Program, or RCPP; and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, or ACEP.
Unlike the disaster program, these programs can potentially benefit a much broader range of Chattooga County agricultural operations.
Cattle and livestock producers can work with NRCS to determine whether conservation
New Modular Housing Units Added At Hays State Prison
New modular housing units are now in place at Hays State Prison in Chattooga County, part of a Georgia Department of Corrections project designed to provide additional prison beds while maintenance and infrastructure improvements are carried out at state facilities.
The Georgia Department of Corrections announced July 22 that installation of the new ModCorr MaxMod modular housing units had been successfully completed. Hays is one of four state prisons now equipped with the units, along with Dodge, Lee and Montgomery state prisons.
Records associated with the project indicate the Hays expansion called for two 63-bed modular housing units, providing 126 additional beds, with a base contract amount of $20,173,811. Those contract details have been published by Georgia Prisoners’ Speak based on state procurement records.
Additional confirmation that the Hays work has been completed comes from a contractor involved in the project, who described the work as a completed expansion and referenced a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hays following completion of the new housing.
Statewide, GDC says the modular-housing project added a combined 524 beds at Hays, Dodge, Lee and Montgomery state prisons.
The MaxMod units are designed specifically for correctional facilities and provide secure housing that can be installed more quickly than conventional prison construction.
According to GDC, the additional housing gives the department flexibility to relocate inmates while maintenance and critical infrastructure improvements are completed at existing facilities.
The work at Hays also required supporting infrastructure. Georgia Board of Corrections records show the ModCorr addition required dedicated natural-gas service, including a 400-kilowatt generator, new gas piping connections and a separate gas meter serving the new facility. The City of Summerville requested an easement on state property to provide the service.
Hays, located on Underwood Drive north of Summerville, is a close-security prison constructed in 1989 and opened in 1990. GDC currently lists the prison’s capacity at 1,101 inmates.
When Gabriel Illa was named the new warden at Hays in August, GDC said he would oversee approximately 1,086 male inmates, placing the prison near its listed capacity.
Hays houses general-population inmates along with Tier I and Tier II offenders. GDC also says approximately 750 Level II mental-health inmates are housed throughout the institution.
Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said the modular housing gives GDC additional options while allowing maintenance and infrastructure projects to continue without disrupting prison operations.
With Hays already operating near its listed capacity, the two new modular units provide more than 100 additional beds while maintenance and infrastructure work continues at the Chattooga County prison.
Two Arrested After Domestic Dispute On Mountain View Road
Two people were arrested on disorderly house charges after a Chattooga County deputy responded to a reported physical domestic dispute on Mountain View Road.
According to a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Melissa Susan Milam, 59, and Robert Gene Milam Jr., 59, were arrested September 18 following the incident at a residence on Mountain View Road.
The report says a Chattooga County deputy was dispatched to the residence shortly after 9:20 p.m. in reference to a physical domestic dispute.
The complainant told the deputy that her former husband had struck her and provided a photograph of an injury to her back.
The man reportedly told deputies that the woman had arrived at the residence angry and had thrown water on him. Deputies also observed an empty cup on a sofa.
According to the report, deputies were unable to determine a predominant aggressor because neither party was taking responsibility or providing a clear account of what occurred. Both were subsequently arrested for disorderly house.
The deputy noted that law enforcement had responded to the residence multiple times previously, including calls on March 2, May 3 and May 27, as well as the September 18 incident.
The report states that the parties had committed the offense of disorderly house by causing a common disturbance at the Mountain View neighborhood.
Both were transported to the Chattooga County Jail without incident.
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Reported Gunfire On Tate Road
The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of shots being fired from a vehicle Friday night on Tate Road in the Trion area.
The incident was reported around 9 p.m. Friday, September 25. Sheriff Mark Schrader told WZQZ News that deputies responded to the area and gathered evidence from the scene as part of the investigation.
According to Schrader, there is no indication at this time that anyone was struck by the gunfire, and no victim has been reported.
Investigators have received reports that a vehicle traveled past several residences on Tate Road while shots were being fired.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking residents in the area to check doorbell cameras, home security systems and dashcam footage from around the time of the incident. Investigators are particularly interested in anything that may show a suspicious vehicle or other unusual activity.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.
Arrest Report - Sunday - September 27, 2026
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Sunday, September 27, 2026:
Cool Start To The Week Gives Way To Near-90 Degree Heat
A stretch of pleasant, dry weather will continue across Chattooga County through the first part of the week, but temperatures are expected to climb back toward summerlike levels by midweek.
The National Weather Service says north and central Georgia will remain under a dry and seasonable air mass through Monday, bringing another brief taste of what forecasters have been calling “false fall.”
Sunday will be sunny across the area with a high near 82 degrees. North winds will remain light, generally around 5 mph, although a few gusts could reach 15 mph during the day. Sunday night will be mostly clear and noticeably cool, with temperatures falling to around 54 degrees.
Monday will bring another day of mostly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures, with a high near 82. Monday night will be mostly clear with a low around 52, making it one of the cooler nights in the extended forecast.
The weather pattern begins to change Tuesday as temperatures start climbing. Tuesday is expected to be sunny with a high near 86 degrees. The National Weather Service also says humidity values could fall low enough Tuesday afternoon to approach critical levels for hazardous fire-weather conditions. With several dry days in a row, residents should use extra caution with any outdoor burning or other activities that could create sparks or flames.
By Wednesday, the warming trend will become more noticeable. Sunshine is expected with a high near 89 degrees. Wednesday night will remain much milder, with a low around 64.
Thursday, which marks the first day of October, is also expected to feel more like late summer than fall. Mostly sunny skies are forecast with another high near 89 degrees. Overnight temperatures will remain mild, with a low around 66.
Forecasters say a strong ridge of high pressure over the Southeast will keep the area dry through most of Thursday. That pattern will begin to weaken late in the week, allowing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to move back into Georgia.
A slight chance of showers develops after 2 a.m. Thursday night. Friday brings a 30 percent chance of showers with a high near 89, followed by another 30 percent chance Friday night.
Rain chances increase further on Saturday, with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. More clouds and scattered rainfall could help bring temperatures down somewhat, with Saturday’s high expected to be around 85.
At this point, the National Weather Service says the late-week pattern does not show a strong signal for severe weather. The main changes will be increasing humidity, more clouds and the return of scattered showers and thunderstorms after several days of dry conditions.
Chattooga Family Connection Sets Holiday Event Dates And Donation Deadlines
Chattooga Family Connection has announced details for its upcoming Thanksgiving event while also setting a deadline for its already active Christmas Stuff a Stocking Donation Drive.
The organization’s Home for the Holidays Thanksgiving event will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at the Community Resource Center of Chattooga County.
The event will once again be held as a drive-through distribution from 1 PM until 3 PM.
Coordinator Maisha Ludy will be contacting local schools to determine when their food drives will take place and to gather additional information that can be shared with the Family Connection collaborative.
Meanwhile, Chattooga Family Connection is continuing its Stuff a Stocking Christmas Donation Drive, which was launched earlier this month to collect small gifts and everyday items for local children, teenagers and families.
Organizers say all donated items for the Christmas project should be collected no later than Friday, December 4. That deadline will allow enough time for stockings to be prepared and returned to local schools before students leave for Christmas break.
Suggested donations include lip gloss and ChapStick, personal hygiene items, socks, hair products and brushes, toys, dolls and action figures, hats and gloves, journals, cups and water bottles, perfume and cologne, and gift cards. Other appropriate stocking-stuffer items are also welcome.
Monetary donations are also being accepted.
Anyone interested in donating or learning more about the Christmas project can contact Maisha Ludy at 706-388-9849 or maisha.ludy@gmail.com.
Chattooga Family Connection says the goal of both holiday efforts is to help make the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons a little brighter for local families.
Mosteller Creek Bridge Reopens With Restrictions After Three-Month Closure
A bridge that serves as an important route for residents in the Lyerly and Menlo areas, and commuters from Alabama, is back open, but motorists will face significant restrictions when crossing.
The Mosteller Creek Bridge on Oak Hill Road west of Lyerly has reopened to traffic, according to the Chattooga County Commissioner’s Office. The bridge currently carries a 10-ton weight limit, and traffic is restricted to a single lane.
Barricades and safety barrels have been placed to direct vehicles through the designated travel lane. Stop signs and stop lines have also been installed on both approaches, and motorists traveling in either direction are required to come to a complete stop before proceeding across the bridge.
The reopening comes more than three months after the bridge was closed on June 16 following a Georgia Department of Transportation inspection that identified structural concerns requiring immediate attention. The bridge is located about a half-mile west of Lyerly and is also near Lyerly Elementary School.
The closure created an inconvenience for residents who regularly use Oak Hill Road to travel between the Lyerly and Menlo areas and neighboring Alabama communities. During the closure, traffic was detoured using Smallen Road and Dovers Cut Road.
Rather than simply waiting for a replacement bridge, Chattooga County hired Spicer Group, Inc. to conduct an independent structural inspection and determine whether the existing bridge could safely be reopened to lighter vehicles.
The engineering study included an evaluation of the bridge’s remaining load-carrying capacity and possible ways traffic could safely use the structure. Among the configurations considered were reduced lane widths and single-lane operation — similar to the traffic arrangement now being used.
The bridge itself is one of Chattooga County’s older structures. Current federal National Bridge Inventory data lists the steel bridge as having been built in 1930 and rates it in poor condition. The structure is approximately 48 feet long and carries around 1,000 vehicles per day.
Reopening the bridge does not eliminate plans for its eventual replacement.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has already added the Oak Hill Road at Mosteller Creek bridge replacement to its construction work program as Project 0021538. GDOT currently lists preliminary engineering for 2027, right-of-way acquisition for 2029, utilities in 2031 and construction in 2031. Current estimates include approximately $1.52 million for construction, although project schedules and costs can change as planning progresses.
Sole Commissioner Andy Allen has previously said the county is working with GDOT in an effort to move the replacement forward sooner than the currently programmed construction date.
For now, the reopening restores an important local connection, but drivers should not expect traffic conditions to return to normal.
The 10-ton weight restriction remains in effect until further notice, and county officials are urging motorists to slow down, obey the new stop signs and other traffic controls, and use caution when crossing the single-lane bridge.
Man Arrested After Disturbance At Lucky’s In Menlo
A 63-year-old man was arrested after Chattooga County deputies responded to a disturbance at Lucky’s in Menlo, where employees reported an intoxicated man yelling at customers and causing problems inside the store.
According to a Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office incident report, deputies were called to Lucky’s at 7880 Highway 48 on September 16 in reference to an intoxicated male.
When deputies arrived, they encountered Lloyd Christopher Crabb, 63, outside the store. The report states Crabb appeared to be intoxicated and was having difficulty maintaining his balance.
Employees told deputies they had called 911 because of Crabb’s behavior inside Lucky’s. They reported that he appeared intoxicated and was yelling at customers and using vulgar language.
The store manager told deputies that Crabb had also allegedly been offering pills to customers. The report states that a female employee working at the cash register had run from Crabb during the incident.
While deputies were speaking with Crabb, the report says he continued talking loudly and at one point raised his voice inside the store as customers were entering and leaving.
Crabb was taken into custody, and a deputy reported smelling a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from him.
Crabb was charged with public drunkenness and transported to the Chattooga County Jail without further incident.
Georgia DNR Reaches Deal To Restore Pine Log Wildlife Management Area
A popular Northwest Georgia wildlife management area that has been closed to the public for more than three years is set to return to public ownership and eventually reopen for hunting and other outdoor recreation.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that an agreement has been reached to acquire 14,640 acres in Bartow and Cherokee counties and re-establish the former Pine Log Wildlife Management Area.
The property will be known as The Neel Family – Pine Log Wildlife Management Area and is expected to reopen to the public in time for turkey season in the spring of 2027.
Pine Log was operated by Georgia DNR as a wildlife management area under a lease agreement from 1977 until 2023. Public access ended after the lease expired, creating uncertainty about the future of the sprawling property as development plans were considered for portions of the land.
DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon said acquiring Pine Log had remained one of the department’s top conservation priorities. The property represents the largest contiguous tract of privately owned forestland in North Georgia.
The agreement involves the state, the Neel family’s Aubrey Corporation, and governments in Bartow and Cherokee counties.
Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly appropriated $15 million toward the purchase, while Bartow and Cherokee counties are providing matching funds. DNR has not announced the total purchase price. Approximately 12,000 acres of the property are in Bartow County.
For hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts across Northwest Georgia, the agreement means the return of access to an area traditionally used for deer, turkey, small-game and dove hunting, along with fishing, hiking, birding and wildlife viewing. DNR also previously stocked trout in Stamp Creek when Pine Log was operated as a WMA.
The property also has significant environmental importance.
DNR says Pine Log supports four federally listed species, including the Cherokee darter, Etowah darter, white fringeless orchid and Tennessee yellow-eyed grass. The property contains more than 30 species and habitats considered conservation priorities under Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan.
The acquisition will also protect approximately 31 miles of headwater streams across four priority watersheds. Those watersheds ultimately contribute to drinking-water supplies serving Bartow County and metro Atlanta.
Pine Log also contains historical resources, including a Native American rock wall dating to the Woodland period and remnants of iron and manganese mining operations from the 1800s. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation placed Pine Log Mountain on its list of Places in Peril in 2024.
The future of the property had generated considerable public interest after the WMA closed in 2023. Development proposals had been considered for portions of the larger Neel family holdings, while conservation advocates pushed for the former WMA acreage to be preserved. A petition calling for preservation of the property collected more than 14,000 signatures.
DNR says it will now develop a long-term management plan for the property aimed at protecting wildlife habitat and water quality while providing compatible public recreation.
If the acquisition proceeds as planned, The Neel Family – Pine Log Wildlife Management Area will welcome hunters and other visitors back in spring 2027, restoring public access to more than 14,000 acres of North Georgia forestland.
Sheriff’s Office Fundraiser Raises $1,515 For Senior Christmas Baskets And Deputy Support
The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office says its recent fundraiser raised $1,515 to support two local programs.
Sheriff Mark A. Schrader thanked the individuals and businesses that came out to support the event, along with the employees and community members who worked throughout the day.
Part of the money raised will go toward providing Christmas baskets for senior citizens enrolled in the Sheriff’s Office Well-Check Program.
Funds will also help provide healthy snacks for deputies to keep in their patrol vehicles for times when they are tied up on extended calls and unable to stop for a meal.
Sheriff Schrader gave special thanks to the women in the Sheriff’s Office who helped work the fundraiser and assist with the event.
“I want to personally thank each person and each business that came out and supported our fundraiser,” Schrader said, adding that the support will help the department continue serving both senior citizens and deputies.
The fundraiser was held Friday at the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office and included a hot dog lunch and bake sale.