The City of LaFayette has announced that offices will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in observance of the Christmas Holiday. Next Tuesday’s garbage pickup will be on Monday of next week along with the regular Monday service. Next Wednesday’s garbage will be picked up on Thursday of next week, along with regular Thursday service.
It’s a special time at Ridgeland High School. Justin Carruth, Coordinator of CTAE and Secondary Curriculum for Walker County Schools, has announced the completion of the new Ridgeland High School Ag Pavilion. There will be an official ribbon cutting for the new facility tomorrow (Wednesday), December 18th at 2:00 PM. The facility’s construction has been a result of multiple government entities along with local and state representatives working together, bringing this to fruition for the students of Walker County.
Around the area, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports they are investigating an incident where a man who backed into a deputy while trying to escape a Ringgold home was shot to death. The GBI states that 32-year-old Dameion Coonrod was shot and killed in the incident. A deputy was also injured. Authorities including the Catoosa County deputies and a GSP patrol officer responded to a 911 call about someone shooting a gun outside a Karen Road home around 10:25pm Sunday. They confronted Coonrod while he attempted to flee the scene in an SUV. A deputy apparently deployed his stun gun to stop Coonrod, but the GBI report indicates Coonrod continued to drive away. The deputy then fired his gun while another deputy and the trooper fired into the SUV. The SUV hit a tree then the house. Coonrod was taken to the hospital where he died. Another person in the SUV was uninjured. Once an autopsy on Coonrod is complete, the GBI says case files will be turned over to the District Attorney’s office for review.
The use of portable heaters increases at this time of year, as does the risk of fire. According to Walker County fire officials, studies show working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. That’s why Walker County Fire and Rescue has committed themselves to ensuring every household in Walker County has this essential life-saving device. WCFR has installed 1,140 smoke alarms in homes since the start of 2020. Now, if you need smoke alarms, call 706-539-1255 and chose extension 1. They will schedule a time for a firefighter to come to your home and install the alarms for free. The American Red Cross of Northwest Georgia provides this as a community service through Walker County Fire and Rescue.