Walker County is among several Northwest Georgia counties under a Flood Watch this weekend as a hurricane brings the threat of heavy rain and strong winds to the region. The Flood Watch begins at 2 Saturday morning and continues through 8 Sunday morning. Forecasters are calling for one to three inches of rain, with isolated totals of up to five inches possible. Repeated heavy rain could cause flash flooding along creeks and streams and in low-lying areas. A High Wind Watch will also be in effect Saturday morning through Sunday morning, with east winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour and gusts up to 50 miles per hour. Residents should secure outdoor items and prepare for possible power outages. Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency for all 159 Georgia counties ahead of the storm. The order allows emergency crews to position resources and prepare for the storm. The state Emergency Operations Center will activate this afternoon.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has begun a preliminary review of allegations involving Dade County Commissioner Melissa Bradford. The GBI says the review will determine whether a crime may have occurred. The Dade County Sheriff’s Office requested the review last month amid questions about county spending. Meanwhile, a recall effort targeting Bradford and County Executive Don Townsend is continuing. Organizers say they’ve collected enough signatures to move the process forward, pending review by the Dade County Elections Office.
The Walker County Development Authority will meet next Tuesday with several financial matters and a property transfer on the agenda. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. October 13 at the Walker County Civic Center in Rock Spring. The authority is expected to consider a quitclaim deed tied to the property exchange with Walker County for the relocation of Fire Rescue headquarters and Fire Station One. The board will also consider a 2026 budget amendment and review the proposed 2027 budget.
Nurses at CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga are taking steps toward unionizing. The National Labor Relations Board received a formal union election petition Wednesday, covering about 700 full- and part-time registered nurses. The nurses are being represented by National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses in the country. CommonSpirit says it respects nurses’ right to choose whether to unionize, but says it would prefer to maintain a direct relationship with its nurses.
High School football tonight…Heritage is at home to face Adairsville. Ridgeland is at home to welcome Calhoun. Gordon Lee visits Fannin County. LFO goes to Dade County. Ringgold is at Rockmart. It’s homecoming for the LaFayette Ramblers as Union County visits. You can hear that game tonight on Georgia 93-7 – Stream it online at DiscoverWalker.com or listen on our app – Download the Georgia93.7WQCH App in the app store.