WGAA 1340AM Cedartown

       It is almost time for the annual Fall Festival here in Downtown Cedartown, and it is a jam packed event that you and your family do not want to miss.

        The festivities will take place on Saturday, October 1^st beginning at 9am and going until midnight.

        Live entertainment will be provided all day, including local groups such as: Young’s Grove drama team, Northside and Young’s Grove Elementary schools, Second Steps Dance Studio, a Children’s Gospel Choir, local country music artist Cindy Smith, and much more.

        According to Main Street Director Ramona Ruark, there will be a Fashion Show at 2pm. This show will be put on by the local retailers of Cedartown.

        There will be a block party from 7-11pm. The featured band will be “Scratch Off John.” This is certainly a day you don’t want to miss.

        All citizens are reminded that there will be no thru traffic from Ware St. to Sterling Holloway Place on the day of the event.

Authorities continue the search for Steven Thornberry and at least one accomplice, in connection with the robbery of First Southern State Bank in Leesburg on Monday afternoon.

Thornberry was identified from video surveillance footage taken during the robbery. He managed to flee with an undisclosed amount of cash and left in a late model, dark gray, Mitsubishi Eclipse.

The suspect was last seen on Cherokee County Road 44, heading toward the Yellow Creek area.

 Thornberry apparently abandoned the Eclipse, and was picked up by an unidentified accomplice, in what was described as a reddish color Nissan Maxima. Authorities have recovered the original getaway vehicle.

        After serving the country for 17 years, one of the most important ministries is no more.

        Angel Food Ministries announced this week that it will cease operations due to a lack of funds and rising food prices. This will have a direct impact on many families here in Polk County that utilize the ministry on a monthly basis.

       According to the ministry website, volunteers are trying to find a way to continue to serve the families, but as of now it doesn’t look good.

        LaDonna Aring, a ministry coordinator at Second Baptist Church Cedartown, says that she took a menu of a box of food from Angel Food Ministries that costs $45 and compared it to grocery store prices and it was significantly cheaper with the store prices adding up to $67, over $25 dollars more.

        Anne Mason, also of Second Baptist, stated “they must pray over the boxes because the food lasts. The food is great. It is not second rate. I’m sorry to see it go.”

       It is estimated that around 50 families in Cedartown depend on Angel Food Ministries each month. The impact will be felt nationally, but maybe no more anywhere than right here in Cedartown.

An overturned tractor trailer tied up traffic on Monday morning. According to Cedartown Fire Chief Sammy Stephens, the accident occured around 8:50 a.m. Monday morning off Prior Station Road on to the Canal Street bypass. The driver who escaped with no injuries, was transporting lime when the trailer tipped over and landed on its side. Traffic was redirected for about two and a half hours while the scene was cleaned-up and the truck removed. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

An Aragon man has been arrested on felony murder charges after allegedly shooting and killing his wife. Shay Merritt, age 31 called 911 Saturday night around 11:40 p.m. and reported an attempted suicide. Upon arrival of Aragon Police and EMS crews, Rite Merritt, age 27, was found dead. After investigating the incident Shay Merritt admitted to police to shooting his wife. Merritt’s body has been sent to the Georgia Crime Lab for further investigation. Merritt remains in the Polk County jail without bond.

The Cedartown Bulldogs are back at home this week after suffering their first lose of the season at the hands of Ridgeland. The Bulldogs will face off against Southeast Whitfield at 7:30 p.m. at Cedartown Memorial Stadium, Doc Ayers Field. Cedartown is 2-1 after picking up wins in their first two games of the season against Rockmart and Lithia Springs. The Big AA will bring you live play by play coverage of tonight’s game.

An early morning fire claimed the lives of two Cedartown men on Monday morning. Fire crews were dispatched to reported explosion of a house on Young’s Farm Road around 12:30 a.m. Fire crews were told by 911, there were suppose to be at least one person inside the building and neighbors could hear screaming just after the explosion. Upon arrival of the first fire crews the shop still building was fully involved, eliminating the possibility of an immediate rescue. Firefighters from Young’s Station, Blooming Grove, Antioch, Prior Station, Lake Creek and Fish Creek Department’s battled the blaze for nearly four and a half hours. When firefighters were able to approach the remains of the building, they found two bodies just feet from the door of the building. James Thomas Sharp, age 33 and Charles Franklin Wells Jr., age 18 were killed in the explosion. The bodies have been sent to the state crime lab for an official cause of death. The Georgia State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Polk County Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Team are both investigating the accident to try and determine the cause of the explosion.

WGAA regrets to announce the long time “Voice of the Bulldogs”, Frank Burgess Sr. has passed away. Burgess was described as the “man with the golden voice” and provided play by play for the Cedartown Bulldogs for decades.  He Will Be Missed

The funeral arrangements for Mr. Frank Harold Burgess, Sr. will be conducted on Saturday, August 20, 2011, at eleven o’clock in the morning at First Baptist Church of Cedartown with Dr David Taylor, Rev. Wayne Benefield officiating and Mr. Frank Burgess, Jr. and Mr. Bill Lundy speaking.

Mr. Burgess will lie in state one hour prior to the funeral hour at First Baptist Church.

Interment will be in the Northview Cemetery with full Masonic Rites by the Caledonia Lodge #121 and West Georgia Masonic Memorial Club.

The family will receive friends on Friday, August 19, 2011, from six o’clock in the evening until nine o’clock in the evening at the Gammage Funeral Home.

The family is accepting flowers, however donations can be made to the First Baptist Church Memorial Fund, 101 North College Street, Cedartown, GA  30125; The American Cancer Society, 1825 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW, Suite 280, Kennesaw, GA  30144; or the Shriners’ Children’s Hospital, PO BOX 183, Cedartown, GA  30125.

Six Cedartown residents are behind bars after a drug bust Friday night at three Cedartown homes. Polk County Police Department’s Narcotic Enforcement Team headed up the raid that landed four people in jail on cocaine charges. The following people were arrested and charged with cocaine possession and possession of drug-related objects: James Anthony Redwine age 57, Reginald Ivan Billings age 32, Demetrius Eugene Darden age 34, and Alice Marie Messer age 49. (more…)

The Cedartown Fire Department responded to a house fire in the early morning hours of Saturday. The fire broke out at 204 Collard Valley Road around 4:45 a.m. Upon arrival of fire crews the house was 50% involved. Firefighters dis-connected power and entered the house from a North entrance. Fire in a bedroom spread to the attic space and had broken through the eves of the North side of the residents. Fire crews were able to gain control of the fire within 20 minutes. After an investigation, it was discovered the fire was caused by an electrical short in the bedroom wall where the fire originally broke out.