Northwest Georgia - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Walker County landfill gives away 39 tons of material as part of Mulch Madness

It may be August, but it's Mulch Madness in Walker County.

By Ignacio Perez August 18, 2026

Walker County Facebook / Residents stand next to their freshly loaded mulch.

Georgia Supreme Court to stop hearing most murder cases by 2028

Starting next summer, Georgia's highest court will no longer routinely hear appeals in murder cases.

By Maya Homan / Georgia Recorder August 17, 2026

The Nathan Deal Judicial Center is home to the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. John McCosh/Georgia Recorder

Cost of child welfare services has jumped in Georgia. A new panel is about to dig into why

Taking care of vulnerable children in Georgia has gotten a lot more expensive, and lawmakers are hoping to figure out why.

By Ross Williams August 14, 2026

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, a Marietta, Ga., Republican, is coleading a legislative effort to investigate what is driving up the cost of child welfare services in Georgia. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

Harris works to rebuild Democrats’ momentum in Northwest Georgia at Ringgold town hall

At the height of the special election fervor to replace U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, Ga., Shawn Harris said he spoke to 200…

By Times Free Press Staff August 13, 2026

Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter / Shawn Harris, a Democrat running to unseat U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, R-Lookout Mountain, Ga., campaigns at a town hall in Ringgold on Aug. 12, 2026.

Senate candidate tells pardoned Jan. 6 defendant that government should pay wronged Americans

A Savannah, Georgia, man who received a pardon for his actions on Jan. 6 and who is a self-described provocateur is at the heart…

By Ross Williams August 13, 2026

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins speaks at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce event in Athens, Ga., on Aug. 5, 2026. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder/File

Cohutta swears in appointed mayor, vows for transparency

Cohutta's Town Council has appointed Brian Johnson as mayor after a month of prospective candidate interviews.

By Times Free Press Staff August 12, 2026

Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Cohutta Mayor Brian Johnson speaks with a constituent following a Cohutta Town Council meeting in Cohutta, Ga. in which he was sworn in on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. The Cohutta Town Council appointed Johnson as the town's new mayor following a storm of controversy surrounding then-Mayor Ron Shinnick that began in early May.

In Dalton, Fuller talks affordability, midterm elections and work since being elected

DALTON — At a panel in Dalton, U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, R-Lookout Mountain, spoke to constituents Monday about his work in Congress since taking…

By Times Free Press Staff August 11, 2026

Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Clay Fuller speaks at a GOP forum for Georgia's 14th Congressional District on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Fuller was running to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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‘No gondola’ campaign floods the zone with questions for Rock City

Residents opposed to a gondola Rock City wants to build are planning to ask questions at upcoming public meetings hosted by the tourist attraction.

By Times Free Press Staff August 10, 2026

Staff File Photo / People stand outside of the old Food City location on Tennessee Avenue protesting Rock City's proposed gondola. Rock City will soon host public listening sessions for the project.

Candidates for Georgia governor offer competing visions on data centers, Medicaid expansion at business luncheon

ATHENS, Ga. – Data centers and Medicaid expansion were on the menu as Georgia's candidates for governor made their pitches to the state's business…

By Ross Williams August 7, 2026

Gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lane Bottoms is pictured at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce event in Athens, Ga. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder