Walker County students return to school today. Be on the lookout for busses and students today and drive carefully.
Due to the weather today, the City of Summerville Christmas Parade has been rescheduled for Monday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners meets Thursday at 6 p.m. for its final regular session of 2025. The meeting will be held at the Walker County Courthouse and includes a full agenda of zoning matters, contract awards, and administrative resolutions. After opening formalities, commissioners are expected to approve the agenda and minutes from their November 6th meeting, followed by remarks from Chairwoman Angie Teems and reports from county departments. A public hearing will be held on two Planning and Zoning cases: a variance request from Ronnie Martin to build a second home on Townsend Road, and a rezoning request from Clarence Lowell Poteet for property on Poteet Drive. Both items come with recommendations for approval from the Planning Commission. The Consent Agenda includes acceptance of a $75,000 grant for the District Hill Historic Cemetery Project, several board appointments, and agreements with the University of Georgia Extension, GDOT, and the Department of Human Services. Commissioners will also consider more than $700,000 in proposed purchases, including a new excavator, a resurfacing project at Walker Rocks Park, a digital message board for the Elections Office, and a replacement traffic signal at McFarland Avenue and North Jenkins Road. You can view the full agenda for Thursday’s meeting on our website at DiscoverWalker.com.
Lawmakers in Georgia have approved several new laws set to take effect January 1. One of the changes is Senate Bill 69 — officially known as the Georgia Courts Access and Consumer Protection Act. The measure puts new regulations on third-party litigation financing. Another new law, House Bill 567, will allow licensed dentists to provide certain services remotely from their homes. And a tax provision in House Bill 266 means most, if not all, military retirement income will no longer be taxed by the State of Georgia. That change will apply beginning next tax season. We will bring you more updates on these and other new laws as we head towards the new year.
Starting tomorrow, the Walker County Animal Shelter is waiving many of its adoption fees through a partnership with the BISSELL Pet Foundation. The shelter is one of 300 locations nationwide taking part in the “Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope” reduced-fee adoption event, runs through the 15th. During the promotion, adoption fees are waived for adult dogs and cats over four months old. Puppies and kittens under four months can be adopted for just 25 dollars. This is the shelter’s fourth Empty the Shelters event this year, and the program has already helped place 149 animals into new homes. The Walker County Animal Shelter on North Marble Top Road is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.