The City of LaFayette is preparing for a festive weekend with two major holiday events set for tonight and tomorrow, along with several temporary road closures. The annual LaFayette Christmas Parade will take place today beginning at 6 p.m. To accommodate the event, Main Street will close at 4:30 p.m. from Margaret Street to South Duke Street. The south end of Cherokee Street will also be closed during the parade. Tomorrow, the city will hold its Annual Reindeer Run. Road closures for the run include Main Street from Margaret Street to Grant Street, and Duke Street from South Main Street to Warthen Street. These closures will remain in place until approximately 10 a.m. For more on what’s happening in downtown LaFayette tonight and tomorrow, join me just after noon today when Wendy Ingram of the Downtown Development Authority and LaFayette Mayor Andy Arnold stop by for our Friday conversation.
All southbound lanes of I-75 near Dalton were shut down for a time on Thursday after a wrong-way crash in Whitfield County left three people dead. Authorities say all three were inside the suspect’s vehicle, and investigators believe the driver was impaired. Deputies say the driver sped away from a traffic stop, made a U-turn on the interstate, and began driving north in the southbound lanes before hitting a semi head-on. The semi driver suffered minor injuries. A third vehicle was also hit, but that driver wasn’t hurt. Traffic backed up nearly ten miles before the interstate reopened. The Georgia State Patrol is continuing the investigation.
Blood Assurance says it sent emergency O-positive blood units to Erlanger Medical Center after the I-75 crash in Dalton that killed three people. While the immediate need was met, officials say it placed a major strain on their O-positive supply. Blood Assurance is now urging O-positive donors to give as soon as possible to help rebuild inventory. For donation information, visit the Blood Assurance website.
Construction on the Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail is moving steadily forward, with visible progress made in just three months. Crews have cleared the trail route of grass and brush, completed light grading, and hauled in and compacted fill dirt. Concrete work also began in October, marking another major step toward completion. Workers have started applying seed and straw mulch along finished sections as the project advances. When completed next spring, the new trail will offer a scenic route connecting history, nature, and local community spaces. In addition to trail work, crews are replacing a box culvert on Osburn Road. As a result, Osburn Road is closed to through traffic between Myers Street and Highway 27 for several weeks. Motorists can detour around the work zone via Myers Street and Wilder Road to reach Highway 27.