WGAA 1340AM Cedartown

A large SUV collided with the side of a grocery store building in Rockmart Tuesday. According to reports, Rockmart Fire and Emergency Services were dispatched to the scene at the Ingle’s Grocery Store at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Highway 278 after a full size older model GMC SUV hit the side of the building causing some damage. The vehicle struck a column and also damaged a newspaper machine. Apparently, fluids from the SUV leaked and ignited and firefighters had to put out the flames. The name of the motorist or whether he or she will be charged with anything is not known at this time.

A Rockmart woman was arrested by Floyd County Police over the weekend for drug charges. According to arrest reports, 47 year old Melinda Taylor Clark of 24 Hillside Dr. in Rockmart, was arrested Sunday evening by the Floyd County Police Department and charged with one felony count each of possession of methamphetamine and possession of dangerous drugs, along with one misdemeanor count each of drugs to be dept in original container and possession of drug related objects. Reports state that Clark had in her possession one bag of methamphetamine, five pink pills, 10 green pills, three white pills and a glass pipe with residue. The three types of pills were not in original containers. She remained in jail Monday morning.

The Nov. 3 elections are fast approaching, and state officials are reminding citizens that the deadline to register to vote is coming up next week. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, the deadline to register to vote in Polk County is Monday, Oct. 5. To register in Georgia, citizens must be a legal resident of Georgia and the county in which they wish to vote, and must be at least 17 and a half years old, according to the Secretary of State. Those registering to vote for the first time must provide some form of identification. Valid ID accepted in Georgia includes a Georgia driver’s license, a photo ID card issued by any state entity, a U.S. passport, a government employee photo ID, a U.S. military photo ID, a tribal photo ID, a current utility bill showing your name and address, a valid government check showing your name and address, a valid government document showing your name and address, or a current bank statement. For more information, call the Polk County Board of Elections at (770) 749-2103.

The identity of the man arrested by Rockmart authorities for having a rolling meth lab last week has been released. During a routine traffic stop on Thursday of last week, police wound up arresting 50 year old James Van Dover of an Old Cedartown Road address for having a rolling meth lab. According to Rockmart Police officials, Dover was pulled over in the Rockmart Ingle’s Parking Lot for not having a license plate on his car. Police say that after the older model Pontiac Bonneville was pulled over, police arrested Dover on a license violation and transported him to Polk County Jail. During the investigation of the vehicle after the initial arrest, Police found the components of an active rolling methamphetamine lab. The Polk County Drug Task Force was called in to secure the scene and collect evidence, while emergency personnel were on site as a precaution. Police also taped off the area just to be safe. An additional HAZMAT team was called to help with the cleanup. Dover faces additional drug charges in addition to the license violation following the discovery of the mobile rolling meth lab.

There is good news for some East Central Alabama residents, as lower power bills are expected as Tennessee Valley Authority begins its new fiscal year. The utility’s board raised rates when it met last month, but reduced the fuel adjustment charge. Although that fee can now be altered monthly, the combined result for most electricity users will be at least an initial reduction in what they pay. TVA will raise base rates by 8% effective Thursday, but an 11% decline in fuel adjustment charges should offset that at least initially. The decision will impact about 9 million people receiving electricity from TVA in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. For a household using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, the rate increase will add $5.52 cents to the power bill, but fuel surcharge reduction will equal $7.36. Many electric membership cooperatives and municipal power companies purchase power from TVA and are expected to pass the rate changes along to their customers.

The Polk County Chamber of Commerce will host the 11th Annual Small Business Expo Thursday, Oct. 1. The event will take place at the Historic Purks Building, 330 West Avenue, in Cedartown. The Small Business Expo is designed to allow small businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the Polk County business community, the public and surrounding areas. Last year more than 250 people attended. The Expo is also a networking opportunity offered by the Polk County Chamber. This year’s Expo sponsors are: Coosa Electric, Family Savings Credit Union, Georgia Power and The HON Company. The Small Business Expo is open to the public from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at no charge. For more information, call the Chamber office at 770-684-8760 or 770-748-1652.

Despite the fact that most of the region was rain free yesterday, the flooding continues to wreak havoc around swollen creeks, swift rivers, and rising lakes. Reports from the metro Atlanta area say that major interstate highways and byways are completely shut down due to standing water on those routes. Also, scattered reports of mudslides and bridges being swept away have also added to the problems. Paulding County authorities will be working extensively to repair the many roads that have been destroyed or heavily damaged from the torrential rains. Along with Paulding, Cobb, Douglas, and Carroll County school systems have been forced to call off school for the third day in a row today. Eastern Polk County also received some moderate flooding. Several streets in the Goodyear Village in Rockmart were covered with water as well as the Seaborn Jones Park receiving flooding from the cresting Euharlee Creek. Georgia Forestry officials are warning citizens that the saturated ground may seriously weaken tree root structures and cause some older trees to topple. The severe flooding in Georgia has claimed the lives of nine people. Governor Sonny Perdue has requested Federal aid after naming 17 counties as state disaster areas.

An Esom Hill home was completely destroyed by flames early Tuesday morning, according to Polk County Fire Department officials. The home, located at 485 Brewster Field Road, was a total loss and an investigation is currently underway to discover the cause of the blaze. A volunteer fire unit responded at 3:30 a.m. to the residence to douse the flames. However, at approximately 9:30 Tuesday morning, hot spots apparently reignited the fire and crews had to put out the flames a second time. No one was injured in the blaze. The family is currently staying at a local hotel while the investigation continues.

Wyatt Pilgrim

Funeral services for 12 year old Wyatt Pilgrim who died from injuries sustained after being hit by a school bus will be Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church of Cedartown according to the Gammage Funeral Home. The seventh grade Cedartown Middle School student died sometime Sunday afternoon at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. Polk School Superintendent Marvin Williams told WGAA News that his deepest sympathies go out to the Pilgrim family during this tragic time. Williams dispatched several counselors to the middle school to help students cope with the death. Wyatt was struck by a school bus on Wednesday, September 9 at around 7:26 in the morning and had been in critical condition ever since arriving at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta.

The 30th annual GED Graduation and Awards Ceremony for Polk County will be held on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the Polk County Campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical College.  GED Graduates from school year 2008-2009 are invited to participate in this traditional cap and gown ceremony, followed by a reception for graduates, their families, and guests.  Letters with graduation information have been sent to graduates. GNTC President Craig McDaniel will address the graduates and preside over the ceremony.  The theme of this year’s event is “The Tradition Continues.”