The Fort Oglethorpe City Council on Monday honored first responders who put time and hard work into rescuing a man trapped in a storm drain last week. Catoosa County officials say that man crawled into the drain last Monday, where he spent more than 24 hours. It wasn’t until Tuesday, a passing motorist heard that man calling for help. The woman called 911. It took the collaborative effort of responders more than 9 hours to free the man. At the council meeting yesterday, Catoosa County Fire Chief Daniel Walston said this rescue operation was out of the ordinary for his department. Walston said the collaboration of all the agencies working together, the community, the city, the county are blessed to have these resources. After his comments, he asked the crown on hand for round of applause for the responders.
A man from Chickamauga who sold drugs to a 13-year-old gave that teen advice for a quicker high that almost led to a deadly overdose. Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Clayton Fuller says 36-year-old David Broadrick pleaded guilty in March to several crimes, including cruelty to children in the second degree. In a release, Fuller says Broadrick started selling methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana to the teen back in 2022. The teen overdosed in January 2023, and was on life support for days before his eventual recovery, according to reports. Broadrick pleaded guilty to distribution of meth, second degree cruelty to children, illegal use of a communication facility, 2 counts of receiving stolen property and 2 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 30 years, and he will have to serve the first 14 of those without a chance of parole.
Law enforcement is now investigating the apparent dumping of medical records in the Old Dixie Landfill in Dalton. NewsChannel 9 states a viewer reported it to them, noticing it as he was dumping his own trash. The documents included X rays, CAT scans, date of births, and addresses. HIPAA laws clearly state that doctor’s offices are not permitted to abandon such information. It was found that the documents belonged to Med Now on Airport Road in Dalton. Stephen Foster is listed as the CEO of the now closed facility. He had been stopped for DUI in Dalton in 2017…at the same time was running for Congress. He lost that bid and got six months in jail. Foster’s medical license was also suspended in 2002. State medical board records indicate his license was suspended because of a psychiatric disorder. Bruce Frazier with the City of Dalton said whoever dumped the material did not communicate with anyone at the landfill. Now, the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Georgia Cities Week is underway and locally, there’s some recognition to acknowledge. The Downtown Commons, the Splash Pad, and the Greenway Trail have come together through close communication and partnership between multiple departments and background support from office teams to move some projects ahead. According to City of LaFayette officials, big changes citizens are seeing across the city have been made possible through teamwork. During the celebration of the 25th annual Georgia Cities Week, city officials ask that if you know someone who works for the city in any capacity, help celebrate them. Officials say the City of LaFayette has made some impressive changes over the last past several years, and they are the reason why.
