WGAA 1340AM Cedartown

        A four car accident occurred on Hwy. 278 at Moore’s Transmission on Thursday at around 10:10 in the morning.

        A wrecker belonging to Moore’s Transmission was in the left turning lane when the vehicle was struck in the back. A Redmond EMS employee then stopped to provide assistance to the people involved in the wreck.

        However, upon stopping, the EMS employee’s vehicle was also struck in the rear. Two people were transported to the hospital, but no serious injuries have been reported.

         The Polk County Police Department’s K-9 Unit made a big bust on Highway 278 at Substation Road Thursday evening, stopping two apparent drug couriers in possession of 1 pound of marijuana.

        According to police reports, Damon Terrell,31, and 33 year old James Aaron III, both of Gadsden, were stopped returning from DeKalb County where they had picked up the marijuana and were apparently returning to Gadsden to make sales.

        This is the first big stop for this particular K-9 unit, as they have only been certified for 2 months. Also recovered in the search was around $1000 dollars in cash.

Superintendent Marvin Williams discusses Re-Districting options with Board Member Crystal Sproull

       The Polk School District Board of Education met in special session on Tuesday Night to discuss and consider Redistricting. State Senator Bill Heath was in attendance to provide expertise on the legislative requirements that Redistricting would bring.

        Recent census data, and the threat of a lawsuit, has required the Board to take a look at how the county map is divided among board members.

        The current board seats 9 members and the vote will be to stay at 9 members with new districts that provide equal representation or to go to a 7 member board with equal representation.

        The public will have several opportunities to provide input on this subject. A town hall meeting will be held to discuss the options votes on October 25 at 10am and 6pm. The board will then vote at the regularly scheduled board meeting on November 8. However, there will be a public input meeting from 5:30 until the meeting begins.

        On November 15, there will be a second town hall meeting with Senator Bill Heath to discuss the final decision that will go before legislation.

The annual Homecoming parade will be held on Friday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m. on Main Street. Community league football teams, cheerleaders, and other community entries are encouraged to participate.

The homecoming football game will follow at Cedartown Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Halftime events will include the presentation of class representatives and the crowning of the homecoming queen.

       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.

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 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.

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.

Polk County Fire crews had to deal with hot tempartures as they battled a house fire Saturday afternoon on Wimberly Hill Road. Firefighters from Fish Creek, Lake Creek, Young’s Station, Antioch and Aragon Fire Departments were called to the blaze around 1:00 p.m. Saturday. Upon arrival of the first fire crews the house was fully involved. Firefighters received assistance from the Georgia Forestry Commission, as well as Redmond EMS. No one was believed to be living in the home at the time and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.