LAFAYETTE WATER DEPARTMENT CREWS WORKED TO REPAIR TWO WATER MAIN BREAKS LAST NIGHT. CITY OFFICIALS SAY ONE BREAK WAS AT DIXON AND CHAMBERLAIN ROAD IN LAFAYETTE, WHILE A SECOND WAS ON HONEYSUCKLE IN ROCK SPRING. NO WORD YET ON HOW MANY CUSTOMERS WERE AFFECTED.
THE WALKER COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE SAYS 891 PEOPLE HAD VOTED BY THE CLOSE OF POLLS YESTERDAY. EARLY VOTING CONTINUES THROUGH OCTOBER 30TH, AT THE WALKER COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE AT 311 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN LAFAYETTE. REGULAR HOURS ARE NINE A-M TO FIVE P-M, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. VOTERS CAN ALSO VOTE EARLY THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH. ON OCTOBER 24TH, ADDITIONAL VOTING WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE CHICKAMAUGA CIVIC CENTER, THE ROSSVILLE CIVIC CENTER, AND THE FAIRYLAND COMMUNITY CENTER. ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER THIRD. POLLS WILL BE OPEN FROM SEVEN A-M UNTIL SEVEN P-M.
WALKER COUNTY WATER CUSTOMERS WILL NOT SEE A RATE INCREASE UNDER THE UTILITY’S NEWLY APPROVED BUDGET. WATER AND SEWERAGE GENERAL MANAGER BRANDON WHITLEY TOLD WRCB-TV THAT RATES HAVE NOT INCREASED IN THREE YEARS. MEANWHILE, THE AUTHORITY IS MOVING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO REPLACE MORE THAN A MILE OF TROUBLESOME WATERLINE AND INSTALL ADDITIONAL PRESSURE-REDUCING VALVES TO HELP PREVENT BREAKS AND SERVICE OUTAGES. MATERIALS ARE BEING ORDERED, BUT MUCH OF THE WORK WILL LIKELY BE SCHEDULED AROUND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. NO START DATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.
THE WALKER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TUESDAY EVENING, WITH A PRESENTATION ON A FORENSIC AUDIT AS THE MAIN ITEM OF BUSINESS. THE MEETING COMES AFTER STATE REPRESENTATIVES MIKE CAMERON AND STEVE TARVIN ANNOUNCED PLANS IN AUGUST TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION REQUIRING A FORENSIC AUDIT OF WALKER COUNTY GOVERNMENT. THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD ALSO REQUIRE THE COUNTY TO DISCLOSE NEGATIVE QUARTERLY BUDGET VARIANCES AND DEVELOP PLANS TO ADDRESS THEM. THE MEETING AGENDA DOES NOT SPECIFY THE SCOPE OF TUESDAY’S PRESENTATION. THE MEETING IS SET FOR SIX P-M AT THE WALKER COUNTY CIVIC CENTER IN ROCK SPRING, FOLLOWED BY AN OPEN DISCUSSION.
MOTORISTS TRAVELING U-S 41 IN WHITFIELD COUNTY SHOULD EXPECT POSSIBLE DELAYS TODAY. G-DOT CREWS WILL REPAIR THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN NORTH THORNTON AVENUE AND WILLOWDALE ROAD. THE LEFT NORTHBOUND LANE WILL BE CLOSED FROM 8:30 A-M UNTIL 5 P-M TODAY. DRIVERS SHOULD SLOW DOWN, WATCH FOR CREWS AND EQUIPMENT, AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME.