City of LaFayette will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day. All Monday trash pick-ups will be picked up on Tuesday. Tonight is Graduation at LaFayette High School. Congratulations to the class of 2026.
The Walker County Animal Shelter will remain closed for at least 30 days after a litter of surrendered puppies tested positive for canine distemper virus, or CDV. Shelter officials say all eight puppies died from the highly contagious airborne virus. Officials say the shelter’s open-concept design makes it difficult to isolate exposed animals, making a full shutdown necessary. During the closure, staff will deep clean the facility and continue assisting the public when possible. The case has also been reported to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
The Georgia Department of Labor says the state reached record highs in both employment and workforce numbers in April. Georgia’s labor force climbed to more than 5-point-4 million people, while total employment topped 5-point-2 million. The state’s unemployment rate held steady at 3-point-5 percent, remaining well below the national average. Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes says Georgia added nearly 45-thousand workers over the past year as job growth continued across several industries, including health care, wholesale trade, and real estate.
Voter turnout in Walker County topped 20 percent during Tuesday’s General Primary Election. According to the Walker County Elections Office, more than 9-thousand ballots were cast out of over 44-thousand registered voters, for a turnout rate of just over 20-and-a-half percent. Most voters cast ballots in person on Election Day, while more than 3,600 voted early and 255 absentee ballots were returned by mail. Several statewide races are now headed to a June 16th runoff election.