AL, GA Authorities Looking for Sex Offender

By: David Crowder (WEISS News) 

Duck Dynasty Star Headed to Rome in the Fall

A famous, bearded celebrity is headed to Northwest Georgia in the fall. 

SPLOST Committee Discusses 40-plus Projects

Cedartown Man Charged in Texas Homicides Found Dead in Jail

Dalton Woman Killed in Chattooga County Crash

By: David Crowder (WEIS News) & Laura-Jane Hatcher (WRGA News) 

A local woman was killed in a perplexing single-vehicle accident in Chattooga County.

According to Weis News Radio, investigators are unsure why 51-year-old Elizabeth Venita Stephens of Dalton lost control of her car on Gore-Subligna Friday afternoon. Her 1999 GMC Sierra drove off the roadway and struck a culvert in a ditch.

Officials say she was not wearing her seatbelt, and likely died on impact with her steering wheel.

The roadway was shut down for over two hours as fireman worked to extricate the woman from her crumpled vehicle.     

Fatal motorcycle wreck Thursday on I-75

By: Andrew Carter (WRGA News)

A motorcyclist has died as a result of a single vehicle accident on Interstate 75 in Bartow County.

According to WBHF Radio, the wreck occurred just south of Exit 288 near the Etowah River bridge. The motorcycle was pulling a small trailer when wind shear caused by a passing 18-wheeler sent the motorcycle out of control.

Bartow County Coroner Joel Guyton has identified the victim as 59-year-old Jeff Eberhart of Dallas. He died after being transported via Life Flight helicopter to Grady Hospital. The interstate had to be shut down for a time Thursday afternoon in order for the Life Flight to land, causing significant delays on both the interstate and surrounding surface roads.

No charges are expected to be filed in the accident.
 

Unemployment Rate Drops in NWGA, Metro Rome in April

By: Kevin Karel (WRGA News)

The Georgia Department of Labor released another round of mostly positive unemployment data for the month of April, this one a breakdown of each county and major metropolitan area in the state.

Here at home in Northwest Georgia the region had an 8.1% unemployment rate in April, down from 8.3% in March and down from 9% in April of last year. The drop was more dramatic in Metro Rome where the rate fell from 8.9% in March to 8.5% in April. Rome had an unemployment rate of nearly 10% in the Spring of 2012, however, the number of jobs in the metro area has not changed in the last year, reflecting a smaller local workforce.

There are some striking differences in the unemployment rates among Northwest Georgia counties, with some such as Bartow, Polk and Paulding significantly lower than many of their neighbors. Paulding leads the way with an unemployment rate of 7.2%, followed by Polk at 7.6% and Bartow at 7.7%. Other parts of the region are much higher such as the still-recovering Metro Dalton-Whitfield County area with an unemployment rate of 10.3%. Gordon has 8.8% unemployment this month while Chattooga is at 9.5%.
 

Cartersville Woman Jailed on 8 Drug Charges

By: Kevin Karel (WRGA News)

A Bartow County woman is facing a number of felony drug charges stemming from an investigation on Tuesday night.

Cartersville police responded to a fight shortly before 10 pm in a local neighborhood and were given permission to search a home where they thought one suspect was hiding. Officers found Susan Elizabeth Hammond in her bedroom and claim she was being kept company by a variety of drugs. Police found meth, marijuana and Xanax, as well as a pipe and a baggy containing meth residue. Hammond was arrested and agreed to a urine test at the police station, which allegedly came back positive for five different drugs including cocaine, meth, and opiates.

Hammond is charged with eight drug-related crimes.
 

Police: Man Beats Mother with Phone, Fists, Plastic Wand

By: Kevin Karel (WRGA News)

Cartersville police officers jailed a local man early Wednesday morning after they say he beat his mother when she refused to give him money for drugs.

Police reports show Joshua Wilbur Powell, age 25 was taken into custody about 12:30 am Wednesday and charged with Battery. The suspect’s mother and grandmother were found in a back bedroom by officers who said one victim had bruising and swelling all over her face. She told police her son had been drinking heavily and huffing butane and assaulted her when she refused to give him money to buy more butane. The victim said she called 9-1-1 and her son grabbed the phone before punching her in the face multiple times and beating her with the same phone. Powell also allegedly struck his mother with the plastic wand used to adjust the window blinds, which police found bent lying on the floor.

Powell is charged with felony Battery and Hindering a 9-1-1 Call and due to his severe intoxication was taken directly to the Bartow County Jail for processing.
 

Potential for Severe Weather on Wednesday

By: Laura-Jane Hatcher (WRGA News)