Walker County commissioners have approved a major change to emergency medical services. At last night’s meeting, commissioners voted in favor of a five-year contract with AdventHealth to take over ambulance service in the county. Under the agreement, AdventHealth will begin operating emergency medical transport services in February of next year.
A Trion High School senior is now in federal immigration custody following a traffic stop in Walker County. Sheriff Steve Wilson told WTVC-TV that 19-year-old Elder Yuvini Aguilar-Macario was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol for driving without a license and making an improper lane change. During booking at the Walker County Jail, deputies checked his immigration status through the county’s partnership with ICE and confirmed he was in the country illegally. ICE later transferred Aguilar-Macario to the Floyd County Jail for further processing. An online fundraiser says the Trion High senior was weeks away from graduation and had recently enrolled in a welding program at G-N-T-C.
A Walker County school bus overturned Thursday morning after running off North Long Hollow Road. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the bus came to rest on its passenger side after leaving the roadway. Officials say the driver was not injured, and there were no students on board at the time of the crash. Walker County Schools says a soft shoulder along the edge of the newly paved road may have contributed to the accident. No other vehicles were involved. The crash remains under investigation.
Early voting continues in Walker County. Polls are open today from 9am to 5pm and tomorrow also. You can vote at the Walker County Elections office on South Main Street in LaFayette and at the Rossville Municipal Civic Center. Early voting continues next week, Monday-through-Saturday. Election Day is May 19th.
Northwest Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped to 3-point-3 percent in March, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. The region’s labor force and employment numbers both reached record highs during the month. The labor force climbed to more than 459-thousand people, while employment increased to more than 444-thousand. Initial unemployment claims were also up in March compared to both February and the same time last year.