The City of LaFayette will be closed this Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th, in observance of Thanksgiving. City officials say Thursday’s garbage route will run a day early, with crews collecting both Wednesday and Thursday pickups on Wednesday. Regular service resumes next week.
We’ve got potentially strong storms and heavy rain in the forecast for today. Expect two possible rounds—the first happening this morning, and a second round of rain and storms from 3 to 7 p.m. The main threat will be gusty winds, and while the tornado risk remains low at around two percent, it’s not zero. We could also see one-to-two inches of rain today. Storms are expected to taper off tonight, with only isolated showers overnight. Patrick Core has your forecast all day today on Georgia 93-7, you can check DiscoverWalker.com for an in depth video forecast.
After nine years of waiting, the family of Donald “DJ” Fickey Jr. is finally seeing justice. Fickey was shot and killed in Walker County back in October of 2016. For nearly a decade, his sister, Amanda Shirley, pushed to prove he was murdered—hiring private investigator Eric Echols to help keep the case alive. This week, District Attorney Clay Fuller announced that Marshall Payne has been convicted of shooting and killing Fickey. A jury found Payne guilty last week of both malice murder and felony murder after just 45 minutes of deliberation. At a press conference yesterday Shirley and Echols thanked the DA for reopening the case and say they’re hopeful others involved will also be held accountable.
Walker County is mourning the loss of two longtime public servants. Francis Elizabeth Farr, 91, of Rock Spring, passed away Thursday. A native of Atlanta, she spent most of her life in Walker County and served more than 20 years as a bailiff in Superior Court. Colleagues remember her for her compassion, dedication, and service to the community. The county also lost Robert “Bill” Bowman, 74, of Fort Oglethorpe, who died Sunday. Bowman was a U.S. Army veteran and spent 56 years in law enforcement—working with multiple agencies, including 26 years as a Georgia State Trooper before retiring in 2012. He later continued serving with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office. Both are being remembered for their lifelong commitment to public service.
Health care premiums in Georgia are expected to spike sharply in the coming weeks, and state leaders say there’s still no clear plan to prevent it. Georgia has one of the highest numbers of residents relying on the Affordable Care Act, and although the recent government shutdown ended, lawmakers did not address the looming subsidy deadline. A new study from the Georgia Health Initiative shows premiums could more than double once those subsidies expire on December 31st. However, there may be some movement: on Friday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation that would extend the ACA subsidies for another two years.