The Latest from WQCH...                                                    

BART HUSKEY IS ASKING AN APPELLATE COURT TO "RECONFIGURE" HIS 70 YEAR PRISON SENTENCE ON CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD PORN CONVICTIONS.
THE FORMER LAFAYETTE TENNIS COACH WAS SENTENCED FOR CREATING VIDEOS OF HIMSELF MOLESTING A MINOR CHILD... AND TRANSMITTING THE PORN WORLD-WIDE VIA THE INTERNET.  HUSKEY PLEADED GUILTY TO THE CHARGES, BUT NOW CLAIMS THE SENTENCE WAS "UNREASONABLY HARSH". THE APPEAL ASKS THAT HUSKEY'S SENTENCES BE ALLOWED TO RUN CONCURRENTLY... DROPPING THE TIME-SERVED TO 30 YEARS.

A TRIAL DATE IS SET FOR SAM PARKER... THE FORMER CITY OF LAFAYETTE POLICEMAN, CHARGED IN THE DEATH OF HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, THERESA, TWO YEARS AGO.  PARKER WILL BE TRIED FOR MURDER IN WALKER COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, BEGINNING ON AUGUST 17th. THE TRIAL JURY WILL BE BROUGHT TO LAFAYETTE FROM BARTOW COUNTY, DUE TO PRE-TRIAL PUBLICITY IN THE CASE. JURY SELECTION IN BARTOW IS SET TO BEGIN ON AUGUST 10th.  THERE IS ALSO A PRE-TRIAL HEARING FOR MOTIONS, THIS MONTH... SET FOR JULY 13th. NO ONE HAS SEEN OR HEARD FROM THERESA PARKER SINCE MARCH OF 2007... HER BODY WAS NEVER FOUND.

WALKER COUNTY'S "VETERANS OF ALL WARS MUSEUM" HAS MOVED FROM ROSSVILLE TO CHICKAMAUGA... AND SATURDAY IS GRAND OPENING DAY. PREVIOUSLY LOCATED IN THE OLD ROSSVILLE MILL BUILDING... THE MUSEUM WILL NOW HAVE A HOME AT "LEE AND GORDON MILLS" ON RED BELT ROAD.
SATURDAY, THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN ALL DAY. REGULAR HOURS WILL BE TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 10 AM UNTIL 4 PM... AND SUNDAYS FROM 1-4.

A CASE OF BACTERIAL MENINGITIS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN A WALKER STATE PRISON INMATE.  THE MAN WAS HOSPITALIZED TUESDAY WITH SYMPTOMS INCLUDING ALTERED MENTAL STATUS.  BACTERIAL MENINGITIS IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, ACCORDING TO HEALTH SPOKESMAN LOGAN BOSS.  ALL INDIVIDUALS IN THE PRISON POPULATION WHO WERE EXPOSED ARE NOW BEING TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS.  SO FAR, THE ILLNESS APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE ONE CASE.

A WRECK ON HIGHWAY 27 SOUTH OF SUMMERVILLE PROVED FATAL FOR A MARIETTA MAN TUESDAY MORNING.  56 YEAR OLD LARRY EDWARD BARNETTE WAS EJECTED FROM HIS VEHICLE IN THE EARLY MORNING ACCIDENT ON TAYLOR'S RIDGE IN CHATTOOGA COUNTY.  A SUMMERVILLE WOMAN INVOLVED... BONNIE MONTGOMERY, WAS AIR LIFTED TO ERLANGER IN CRITICAL CONDITION.  SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR AND HIT BARNETTE'S VEHICLE HEAD-ON, ACCORDING TO STATE PATROL REPORTS.

FORMER LAFAYETTE CITY MANAGER GRADY MCCALMON HAS PASSED AWAY. HE DIED MONDAY NIGHT IN A ROME HOSPITAL, FOLLOWING AN EXTENDED ILLNESS.  HE WAS 76.  MCCALMON HAD BEEN WORKING AS CITY MANAGER IN SUMMERVILLE.  FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE THURSDAY AT 11 AM AT CLOUDLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG THIEVES HAVE HIT YET ANOTHER AREA PHARMACY... THIS TIME, WITH AN ARMED HOLD-UP.  THE WALGREEN'S IN RINGGOLD WAS HIT BY A GUN-WIELDING ROBBER AROUND 7:40 MONDAY NIGHT. THE GUNMAN JUMPED OVER THE PHARMACY COUNTER AND DEMANDED OXYCONTIN.  HE LEFT IN A SMALL RED OR MAROON S.U.V... LAST SEEN HEADING SOUTH ON ALABAMA HIGHWAY. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS A WHITE MALE IN HIS 20'S. 
POLICE SAY THIS MIGHT BE THE SAME MAN THAT PULLED A SIMILAR DRUG STORE ROBBERY EARLIER THIS YEAR.  TWO PHARMACIES IN LAFAYETTE HAVE BEEN HIT FOR POPULAR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN RECENT MONTHS... BUT BOTH WERE NIGHT-TIME BREAK-INS WHILE THE STORES WERE CLOSED.

ANOTHER "TEA PARTY" IS COMING TO LAFAYETTE THIS SATURDAY, JULY 4th.
THE "TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY" CITIZENS HAVE ORGANIZED OVER 1,100 "TEA PARTIES" ACROSS THE NATION. THE FIRST WAS HELD ON TAX DAY, APRIL 15th.  LOCAL ORGANIZERS SAY THE GROUP IS NOT ABOUT BEING REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT... IT'S ABOUT "WE THE PEOPLE". IT'S A BI-PARTISAN CIVIL PROTEST THAT AIMS TO CURB WHAT THEY TERM "THE OUTRAGEOUS GOVERNMENT SPENDING OF THE PAST 9 MONTHS... AND TO INSTITUTE A RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL PATTERN FOR GOVERNMENT.  THE GROUP IS ALSO CALLING FOR ABOLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FAIR TAX ACT.  THIS SATURDAY'S "TEA PARTY" WILL BE HELD AT JOE STOCK MEMORIAL PARK IN LAFAYETTE FROM 11 AM UNTIL NOON.

A REMINDER FROM THE WALKER COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE... THEY ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING ON-SITE PROPERTY REVIEWS OF MANUFACTURED HOMES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. APPRAISERS WILL BE ON PROPERTIES REVIEWING PROPERTY RECORD INFORMATION. THE PROCESS WILL CONTINUE IN WALKER COUNTY THROUGH DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, WALKER COUNTY GOVERNMENT SOUNDED THE ALARM THAT JOB FURLOUGHS MIGHT BE NECESSARY DUE TO A SHORTFALL IN BUDGETED INCOME THIS FISCAL YEAR. BUT NOW, THINGS ARE LOOKING UP... AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL SAYS IT LOOKS AS THOUGH NO FURLOUGHS WILL BE NEEDED FOR NOW.  AFTER MEETING WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS, A NUMBER OF CUTBACKS WERE MADE. AND IN THE MEAN TIME, MORE INCOME HAS ARRIVED IN THE COUNTY COFFERS. THE SHORTFALL HAS SHRUNK FROM 1.7 MILLION TO ABOUT A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS AS OF LAST WEEK.  SEVERAL COUNTY OFFICES ARE WORKING LONGER HOURS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND CLOSING ON FRIDAYS TO CONSERVE ENERGY COSTS. THE COUNTY'S FISCAL YEAR ENDS SEPTEMBER 30th.

WALKER COUNTY'S LATEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE JUMPED BY A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT OVER A MONTH'S TIME... CURRENTLY AT 10.6 PERCENT IN THE LATEST FIGURES FOR MAY.  CATOOSA COUNTY'S RATE WAS UP SLIGHTLY TO 8.5 PERCENT.  CHATTOOGA COUNTY'S UNEMPLOYMENT WAS DOWN BY 2-10th OF A PERCENT... BUT IT STILL LEADS THE REGION AT 13.2. WHITFIELD COUNTY'S RATE WAS ALSO DOWN BY 2-10ths... AT 12.4 PERCENT FOR MAY.  UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE 10 COUNTY COOSA VALLEY REGION WAS UP BY HALF-A-PERCENTAGE POINT TO 10.6 PERCENT FOR MAY... ACCORDING TO THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.

THERE'S A "TURF WAR" GOING ON... THE STATE OF GEORGIA WANTS TO RE-ORGANIZE IT'S REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.  IN OUR AREA, THAT CALLS FOR MERGING THE COOSA VALLEY RDC IN ROME, WITH THE NORTH GEORGIA RDC IN DALTON.  WALKER COUNTY AND 9 OTHERS ARE SERVED BY COOSA VALLEY... WHITFIELD AND 4 OTHERS ARE SERVED BY NORTH GEORGIA.  PROBLEM IS, THE NORTH GEORGIA RDC DOESN'T LIKE THE MERGER IDEA. THE GOVERNOR, THROUGH THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, HAS MADE IT PLAIN THAT FUNDING WILL BE CUT TO ANY RDC THAT DOESN'T COOPERATE WITH THE MERGER PLAN. THE RDC'S WRITE GRANTS AND DISTRIBUTE FUNDING FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN THEIR AREAS.  A MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED FOR JULY 16th IN CALHOUN... SEEKING TO BRING THE TWO BOARDS TOGETHER TO LOOK AT MERGER PLANS. THE NEW MERGED BODY WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE NORTHWEST GEORGIA REGIONAL COMMISSION.

A FUND HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO HELP PAY THE MEDICAL EXPENSES OF A WALKER COUNTY CHILD... MAULED LAST WEEK IN A SAVAGE PIT BULL ATTACK.  FAITH GUELDE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAS HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES ON HER ARMS AND SHOULDER. SHE IS RECOVERING AT T.C. THOMPSON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. THE ATTACK OCCURED ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN WHEN FAITH TRIED TO BREAK-UP A FIGHT BETWEEN HER DOG AND THE PIT BULL.  DONATIONS MAY BE MADE AT ANY SUNTRUST BANK TO THE "FAITH GUELDE BENEFIT FUND."

PLANS ARE IN-PLACE FOR THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL "FREEDOM FESTIVAL" CELEBRATION IN LAFAYETTE... SET FOR FRIDAY, JULY 3rd.  THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL PARK ON SOUTH MAIN STREET FROM 5 - 11 PM... SPONSORED BY THE CITY AND THE LAFAYETTE WOMAN'S CLUB.  THERE WILL BE LIVE MUSIC FROM "THE BEL-AIRES" AND "THE ROCKERZ" FROM THE MAIN STAGE... ALONG WITH FOOD VENDORS AND LOTS OF ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES. AN OLD-TIMER'S BASEBALL GAME STARTS AND 7 PM... AND THERE'S FREE SWIMMING AT THE POOL FROM 7 - 9. HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING COMES JUST AFTER DARK, WITH A PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS DISPLAY.  NO ANIMALS WILL BE PERMITTED IN THE PARK AREA... EXCEPT FOR SERVICE ANIMALS. BRING A CHAIR AND ENJOY THE LAFAYETTE FREEDOM FESTIVAL, ON JULY 3rd.

SOUTH WALKER HEAD START IN LAFAYETTE IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2009 AND 10 SCHOOL YEAR. HEAD START SERVES CHILDREN AGES 3 AND 4... AND EARLY HEAD START SERVES PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN UP TO AGE 3.  PARENTS SHOULD BRING THE FOLLOWING TO APPLY - THE CHILD'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, IMMUNIZATION FORM, COPY OF 2008 INCOME TAX RETURN OR W-2, DOCUMENTATION OF TANF OR SSI, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FOR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS, AND MEDICAID OR INSURANCE INFORMATION.  THE HEAD START CENTER IS AT # 3 PROBASCO STREET IN LAFAYETTE... CALL 706 638 0576. HOURS ARE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8 AM UNTIL 4 PM.

THE DRIVERS LICENSE OFFICE IN ROCK SPRING IS EXPANDING HOURS TO BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC.  BEGINNING RIGHT AWAY, THE CENTER ON PINOAK DRIVE WILL BE OPEN TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8 AM UNTIL 6 PM DAILY.

                                                                         
WALKER COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES IS INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS, ABSOLUTELY FREE. THE OFFER IS GOOD FOR HOMES IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF WALKER COUNTY. SOME HEARING-IMPAIRED ALARMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE. FUNDING FOR THE FREE SMOKE DETECTOR PROGRAM COMES FROM FEMA, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. CALL 706 764 1900 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FREE SMOKE DETECTOR PROGRAM.

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