Today is known as Black Friday. If you’re doing some Christmas shopping today, Georgia 93-7 encourages you to shop local. A few places will still be closed today including the Walker County Animal Shelter who will be closed today and tomorrow. Also if your traveling this weekend make sure you buckle up, watch your speed and don’t drive distracted or impaired. Local enforcement will have a heavy presence throughout the weekend.
A water main burst yesterday in Chickamauga and left some without water for a short period of time on Thanksgiving. The burst happened on Lee Clarkson Road. It also impacted water service on Lee Street while Chickamauga Utilities worked to fix it. It took crews around two hours to restore service.
The race to replace Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is officially underway… less than a week after she announced she’ll resign her seat on January 5th — a full year early.
More than a dozen candidates have already stepped forward to run in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Governor Brian Kemp will have ten days after Greene’s resignation becomes official to call a special election… which likely won’t be held until mid-February.
Greene, who won re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points, says she will not endorse anyone in the race.
Among the declared candidates:
Republican Star Black, a retired FEMA employee…
Firefighter and paramedic Marty Brown…
Republican actor Elvis Casely…
Former teacher and businessman Jeff Criswell…
Democrat Shawn Harris, who challenged Greene last cycle…
Republican Marine veteran Christian Hurd…
Independent Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski…
Republican Jim Tully, chairman of the 14th District GOP…
And Republican Jenna Turnipseed, a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner.
Republican Star Black, a retired FEMA employee…
Firefighter and paramedic Marty Brown…
Republican actor Elvis Casely…
Former teacher and businessman Jeff Criswell…
Democrat Shawn Harris, who challenged Greene last cycle…
Republican Marine veteran Christian Hurd…
Independent Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski…
Republican Jim Tully, chairman of the 14th District GOP…
And Republican Jenna Turnipseed, a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner.
Several others are considering a run, including teacher Joseph Bergeman… Dalton city councilmember Nicky Lama… and State Senator Colton Moore.
A Rossville couple has been extradited to Hamilton County after police say they stole a dirt bike from a young rider in East Ridge back in June.
Just before 8 p.m. on June 24th, East Ridge officers responded to Prigmore Road, where a juvenile told police a couple in a red Kia Soul had followed him. Nineteen-year-old Blake Thomas reportedly got out, asked questions about the bike, and then struck the boy with a handgun after the child tried to leave. Twenty-two-year-old Liza Butler is accused of hitting the back of the bike with the car, causing the victim to crash.
Police say Thomas then stole the dirt bike and fled toward Georgia. A family tip helped officers locate the pair the next day at their home in Rossville, where the bike was recovered.
Thomas and Butler were arrested on Georgia charges and extradited this week to Hamilton County. Their next court date is December 16th.
The Catoosa County Coroner’s Office has received a twenty-five hundred dollar grant to support local suicide prevention efforts. County officials say the funding will be used for the QPR program—short for Question, Persuade, Refer—a nationally recognized suicide prevention training. The grant was awarded through the Catoosa County Family Collaborative’s “Building a Region of Resilience” initiative and will help Coroner Jimmy Spurling continue offering the 45-minute course to churches, civic groups and schools across the community. According to the QPR Institute, the program teaches three key steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide.