A vice principal and coach at LaFayette High School has been arrested on serious child pornography charges. Ronnie Brent Massey, 49, of Ringgold, was taken into custody Monday after a search of his home by law enforcement. The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office says Massey faces 10 counts related to possession of child sexual abuse material. Officers executed a search warrant at his residence around 5:45 Monday evening, where they recovered multiple phones, computers, and storage devices. Investigators say Massey admitted to downloading approximately a dozen videos containing illegal material through a mobile app. After the arrest, Massey was interviewed voluntarily and then booked into detention. In a statement, Walker County Schools confirmed they’re cooperating fully with law enforcement and taking personnel actions, but declined to provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.
The Walker County Animal Shelter is facing overcrowding. The shelter has 48 proper kennels and more than 100 dogs currently. The shelter will be open on Saturday this week and will be waiving adoption fees. The shelter hopes to see 40-to-50 dogs get adopted before Monday. The shelter is open today from 10am to 4pm.
Three felony arrests in Walker County on Tuesday. Among those arrested 47-year-old Tony Lynn Bell was booked on charges of eluding, possession of meth and multiple traffic violations. The complete arrest report is online at DiscoverWalker.com.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College is offering a Free Application Week to help prospective students enroll for the fall semester. All next week GNTC will waive the usual $25 application fee for all new students. The deadline to apply for the fall semester is August 4th, with classes starting August 18th. You can learn more at gntc.edu.
The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in Chattooga County May 25th. The National Weather Service conducted a detailed survey following the storms. Meteorologist have confirmed an EF0 tornado with peak winds of around 75 miles per hour touched down at about 6:40 p.m., tracking nearly four miles before lifting. Damage included uprooted and snapped trees along Mountain View Road, Spring Creek Road, Narrows Road, and Taylor’s Ridge. A carport was torn from its foundation, and a large tree fell onto a vehicle. The tornado caused power outages affecting roughly 1,400 North Georgia EMC customers and 166 Georgia Power customers. Chattooga County officials have praised emergency crews and utility workers for their quick response in clearing debris and restoring power.