A Rossville man has been reported missing, and investigators are asking for the public’s help. Forty-one-year-old James Randal Ladd was last seen August fifteenth leaving his home on Cochran Drive in Rossville. Family members say he was headed to work but never arrived and has not been heard from since. On August twentieth, Ladd’s vehicle — a two-thousand-one Chevrolet Blazer — was found at a convenience store on Rossville Boulevard in Chattanooga. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brandon Barkley. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the sheriff’s office website.
Walker Transit is now hiring drivers and offering flexible hours. The job features local routes only — no long hauls and no late nights — giving drivers the chance to help neighbors get where they need to go while staying close to home. Pay starts at fifteen dollars an hour. Anyone interested can apply online. You can find more details in our free job listings on DiscoverWalker.com.
Chattooga County property owners are being reminded about delinquent tax payments. Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton says nearly nineteen hundred parcels still have unpaid twenty-twenty-five property taxes, which were due December tenth. Delinquent notices will be mailed out this week. Taxpayers have until March twenty-seventh to pay before larger penalties are applied. Hampton says payment plans are available, but interest and penalties will still accrue. Residents are encouraged to check their tax status online at chattoogacountytax dot com. Vehicle owners are also reminded to cancel their tag if a vehicle is no longer insured or being driven to avoid insurance fines.
A bill aimed at giving Georgia teachers more flexibility with sick leave has advanced in the state Senate. Senate Bill four-twelve, a priority for Senate Republicans, passed out of the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The measure would allow teachers and other school employees to use up to five accumulated sick leave days each year for personal or professional reasons, up from the current three. The bill requires prior approval but does not require employees to disclose the reason. Senate Bill four-twelve now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
Governor Brian Kemp has announced a new partnership aimed at strengthening Georgia’s workforce pipeline. The Technical College System of Georgia and Mercer University have signed new transfer agreements that create smoother pathways for students to earn bachelor’s degrees. The agreements allow graduates from any of Georgia’s twenty-two technical colleges to transfer into Mercer’s Bachelor of Business Administration programs, including accounting, management, and human resources. The partnership also opens a clear path for nursing graduates to move from an associate degree into Mercer’s RN-to-BSN program, helping reduce barriers to degree completion statewide.