September jobs updates for Bartow County. Cowboy Festival opens; busy weekend in Northwest Georgia. Perfect weather -- at least through Saturday. Later today: Bartow County Jail reports, Cartersville Police arrest reports.

Your news day starts here at 5 a.m. each weekday, 6 a.m. on weekends. Click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

Ware Mechanical forecast

• Upper 70s to 80 through Saturday; cooler Sunday with 20% rain chance.

Headlines

• A 'soft opening' for Cupcakes Around the Corner; a drive-through for The Sweet Bar; and some national attention for Sweet Frog's. Business
• 'A Bit Sassy Boutique' is offering exactly that -- a little sass -- with a mix of clothing and other essentials. Sassy
• September's jobless rate down across Northwest Georgia; Bartow the lowest at 5.5%. Employment
• Huge weekend starts today with Cowboy Festival, Harbin Clinic Zombie-thon and Apocalypic Block Party, Chiaha, Peach State, Boofest. Weekend
• Region: Candidates' forum, Hitchcock week and more set for Floyd, Gordon, Polk and Gordon counties. Briefly
• Smile Report: Armuchee Middle School team takes home Cardboard Challenge 'hardware.' Smile
• Obituaries: Remembering Lucinda "Cindy" Jolley Kiser Murphine, Frances Amberson Freeman, Virginia Shepard Grant (Ginger). Funerals
• Public Health restaurant inspections scores. No reports from Wednesday.  Dining
• Area arrest reports brought to you by Dr. Miniyar's Pediatrics. CrimeWatch

Regular features:

• Your guide to the 2015 election season: Candidates, where/when to vote, additional updates. Politics
• Halloween Happenings: Your guide to area pumpkin patches, fall festivals and "spooky" events. October
• Northwest Georgia traffic conditions via Google Maps or Waze.
• Today's business headlines from  Georgia Trend
  
• Northwest Georgia's best source for job leads. Click Career Builder

Chick-fil-A Dwarf House Sports Report

HOMETOWN

• Shorter vs. Valdosta State tonight at 7:30 at Barron.
• Noon deadline for Zombie-thon 5K, Health Walk.
• Guest coach, 7, for 'Colorful and Courageous' Berry volleyball on Sunday.
• Big honors for former Darlington, Berry College start Bob Bohannon.

HIGH SCHOOLS

• John McClellan's high school picks: Model by 1 over Chattooga. Rome by 4 over Sequoyah. Darlington, Cartersville, Calhoun should win easily.
• Georgia High School Football Daily.

COLLEGES

• Shorter University Hawks vs. Valdosta State, tonight at 7:30 at Barron Stadium. Hawks
• Berry College Vikings off this week. Return to action Oct. 31 at Millsaps, 2 p.m. Vikings 
• Georgia off this week. Next: Oct. 31 vs. Florida in Jacksonville. UGA.
• Georgia Tech hosts Florida State, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tech
• Norman Arey's Norman's No-Nos return Friday: 15 locks to lose in college football.

PROS

• The Falcons at Titans, 1 p.m. Sunday / The latest on the NFL
• Atlanta Braves open the 2016 season at home vs. Washington on April 4.
  

Hometown Headlines Radio Edition on WRGA 98.7 FM.
Please join our guests including:

• At 7:40 a.m.: Chris Giddens, our resident geek (and youth pastor at Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church), on the explosion of interest in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
• At 8:10 a.m.: Elaine Armstrong of Goodwill of North Georgia on the new store coming to Calhoun on Dec. 3 and the hiring of 50 new employees.