Tuesday's updates

Please click www.bartowheadlines.com

Also, please join us at 7:50 this morning for Bartow Headlines live on WBHF 1450 AM.

What's ahead in Bartow County:

-Dec. 17: Cartersville City Council, 7 p.m. Hear it live on WBHF 1450 AM or Web cast here on Bartow Headlines (click)

Flu shot clinic set for Tuesday evening: (Media release) The Bartow County Health Department will conduct an evening flu-shot clinic, offering both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine, at the health department, 100 Zena Drive, Cartersville, from 7 to 9 p.m. According to Bartow County Health Department Nurse Manager Cathy Green, "we know there are many people who want to get vaccinated against H1N1 and seasonal flu but whose schedules are such that only evening hours are possible for them to do so, and this special flu-shot clinic is to accommodate them and their families." Green says "we're now able to offer the H1N1 vaccine to anyone who wants to receive it." Swine flu shots are free; seasonal flu, $20.

SBDC to offer free business consulting at chamber: (Media release) The University of Georgia's Small Business Development Center will now be offering one-on-one business consulting at the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce. Our consulting services are absolutely free and confidential!The University of Georgia's Small Business Development Center is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is a business outreach service of the University of Georgia. For more: Evelyn Carrillo, (706) 272-2700 or ecarrillo@georgiasbdc.org

Business updates

-A real bank holiday: Check with your local banks this week on operating hours over the Christmas break. Many banks will close early Christmas Eve (Thursday) and all day Christmas (Friday). Some branches won't reopen until Monday.

NAIA championship game headlines:

-Signs popping up around the community: Barron Stadium is now highlighted with signage for Saturday's championship game, including a billboard-like sign above the press box. Across Second Avenue, crews prepared to stencil the NAIA emblem into the grass on Monday. The flashing sign at River Ctiy Bank asks motorists, "Are you ready for some football?"

-FANatic Friday features teams, RHS band, Ga. Blues Brothers> Latest

-Latest updates from each team> Football Report.

Tuesday's Buzz:

corrected/Tellus planetarium records 100,000th visitor since opening last January; museum visitor count approaching 190,000: Tellus, Northwest Georgia's Science Museum, on Monday greeted its 100,000th planetarium visitor since opening 11 months ago. The lucky visitor: Bret Jones, 7, who came to the museum with his mom and grandparents. Tellus -- so far -- has seen more than 188,000 visitors in its first year of operation Details

-Master plan on the way for Ga. Northwestern Technical College> click

-Floyd, Polk, Chattooga counties honored by Farm Bureau> Click

This week's Buzz of Northwest Georgia (click)

-NAIA football championship game: What is means to Northwest Georgia.
-Continuing game/event coverage all week on Hometown.
-TV, radio, Web, Facebook, Twitter links and updates.
-Special breakfast Thursday, banquet followed by free pep rally Friday.
-Watching the Richardson Effect and local legislative politics.
-As the Armuchee Connector gets started, what's expected next. Tennis center? Hotels? -Peaks & Valleys: Rome, Calhoun high schools, Father Jim Miceli.

Your latest forecast:

-Tuesday: 30% chance of rain, high of 57. PM: Mostly cloudy, low of 33.
-Wednesday: Sunny with a high of 54, low of 26.
-Saturday: NAIA football championship game: sunny, 45 degrees.

-Extended forecast> Click / Local radar / regional radar

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable> Arey

-Tebow says if he can't play quarterback in the NFL, he'll try his best at another position.

Sports/Rome Braves/State Mutual Stadium> Sports

-Atlanta Braves' ace Tommy Hanson to appear at Rome Braves' Hot Stove Gathering at The Forum Jan. 25.

-Ingle, Moore, Czajkowski, Chase return to Rome Braves in '10

-Rome Braves offer new 12-pack flex ticket plans.

Flood watch for late Saturday, Sunday

Weather updates all weekend at www.hometownheadlines.com

 

Flood watch up for Saturday afternoon-Sunday as 1-3 inches of rain due: Here we go again. Another strong weather system could dump between one and three inches of rain on parts of Northwest Georgia on Saturday and Sunday.

 

-Saturday: 90% chance of rain. Highs in the lower 40s. Winds 10-15 mph.
-Saturday night: 100% chance of rain, lows in the upper 30s. Winds to 15 mph.

-Sunday: 40%t chance of rain. Highs in the lower 50s. Winds to 15 mph.
-Sunday night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s.

Friday's headlines

Please click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

Cartersville's NewsTalk AM 1270 WYXC off the air, maybe for good:

NewsTalk AM 1270 WYXC, serving much of Bartow County, has gone dark, citing equipment failure. A statement from the owners reads as follows: "In light of these radio industry changes and the impact we've experienced from the severe economic downturn, we cannot justify the expense in equipment and labor to put WYXC back on the air at this time." Click for full release

-Morning show host David Paul's comments to fans> Paul

-Messages of support left on station's Facebook page> Facebook

Shorter-Midtown Crossing deal finalized: Look for Shorter College's business school to move to the former Goody's spot in Midtown Crossing in coming months. A deal between the college and R.H. Ledbetter Properties has been struck. (Click Midtown) Shorter has been exploring off-campus options for the school for more than a year and recently centered on the 30,2500-square-foot option just blocks from the main campus. Goody's, based in Knoxville, closed its stores earlier this year, leaving vacancies in Rome, Calhoun and Cartersville. The Calhoun spot has reopened under the Goody's name but new ownership. The Cartersville slot will soon be home to TJ Maxx. Shorter officials say an announcement on the new venue will come after the first of the year.

-Background: This is the second union between the college and shopping center developers. Shorter's College of Nursing is part of Ledbetter's Riverbend Center off Turner McCall, home to Kroger, Barnes & Noble and other retailers.

Friday's Buzz:

-A MegaMillions Christmas? Tonight's jackpot is $100 million> Click

-Calhoun High honored by US News & World Report> CHS

-Rome High wins Bronze medal in US News survey.

What's ahead in Bartow County:

-Dec. 11-13 Pumphouse Players to stage 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' > Details

-Dec. 11: Candlelight shopping returns to downtown Cartersville Friday evening: From 4 until 8 p.m., hundreds of lLumminaries will light the sidewalks while carolers on duty as well.

-Dec. 14: Bartow County Board of Education, 6 p.m.> Agenda

-Dec. 17: Cartersville City Council, 7 p.m. Hear it live on WBHF 1450 AM or Web cast here on Bartow Headlines (click) 

Dining Guide (click)
-Latest health department restaurant inspection scores.

-Also, updates on the local restaurant scene.

Wine News Vine (click)

-Winter Wine Highway Weekend is here. Visit nine North Georgia wineries just by paying a $20 'passport' fee. It's a great way to go Christmas shopping as well. You'll find wines, accessories and other gift ideas 

Your latest forecast:

-Flood warnings end for local waterways.
-Friday: Sunny, high of 48, low of 28.
-Saturday: 70% rain chance, high of 44, low of 37. 40% rain chance overnight.
-Sunday: High of 54, low of 43. Rain chance: 30%, then 20%

-Extended forecast> Click  /  Local radar  / regional radar

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable> Arey

- Texas gets stupider (is that a word?); Congress needs to create a playoff insurance plan

John McClellan's state championship picks> Football Report

-Buford by 4 over Calhoun. Plus: John's picks on all high school divisions>

-Watch the game live on GPB at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday's updates

Please click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

FINALLY: First-time unemployment insurance claims down

	Nov. 2009	Oct. 2009	Nov. 2008	12-month %
Bartow	996	1,064	1,178	-15.4%
Chattooga	93	115	121	-23.1%
Floyd	1,350	1,044	1,405	-3.9%
Gordon	770	712	1,255	-38.6%
Polk	774	561	794	-2.5%
Georgia	72,298	70,597	74,480	-2.9%

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

 

There's finally some good news on the employment front: First-time jobless claims in five area counties and statewide dropped last month when compared to November 2008 stats. All but Floyd saw decreases when compared to October reports, too.

-The year-over-year decreases were significant, especially in Gordon County where claims dipped from 1,255 in November 2008 to 770 last month, Georgia Department of Labor reports show. Also:

-Statewide, 72,298 laid-off workers filed initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits in November, a decrease of 2,182 from November 2008.

-Most of the initial claims were filed by laid-off workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and administrative and support services.
-What it means : "Georgia's job market is mired in a prolonged downturn," says State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond ."This is an improvement of less than three percent in the number of layoffs from the same months last year, when we were in the midst of a severe economic meltdown. America's big financial institutions and Wall Street appear to have stabilized; unfortunately, Georgia's job market is showing little improvement."   
-The average length of time jobless Georgia workers drew unemployment benefits increased from 11.8 weeks in November 2008 to 14.8 weeks in November 2009.

Politics

-Smith predicts state revenue free fall will level out in January:

Revenue collections for the month of November were $1,188,879,000 compared to $1,419,543,000 for November 2008, a decrease of $230,664,000 or 16.2 percent. The percentage decrease year-to-date: 15.4 percent, says Gov. Sonny Perdue. Click Report. Will the plunge slow down soon? State Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, says yes. The Rome Republican predicted "state revenue will flatten out by January," adding that the real drop started in January 2009. Smith made his comments at Wednesday's pre-legislative forum at The Palladium.

-Loudermilk 'humbled' by speaker talk: Rep. Barry Loudermilk says the support he's getting to be considered as Georgia's next speaker of the House is humbling. Two Facebook groups boosting a Loudermilk bid have 200 members. Click

Winter Wine Highway Weekend is here. Visit nine North Georgia wineries just by paying a $20 'passport' fee. It's a great way to go Christmas shopping as well. You'll find wines, accessories and other gift ideas > Wine News Vine

What's ahead in Bartow County:

-Dec. 10: The Bartow Business Connection meets from 7 until 9 a.m. at the Bartow History Museum under the bridge in downtown Cartersville. This is a drop in meeting. Stay the full two hours or just five minutes. Usual refreshments, coffee, juices and danish.   Director Trey Gaines and his staff will be our host. In addition to providing tours of the renovated 1869 Courthouse, they will provide information on the history of the courthouse. http://www.bartowhistorycenter.org/

-Dec. 10: Ribbon cutting, business after hours at Chattahoochee Technical College's Health Education Center: The center is at the North Metro Campus. Ribbon cutting is set for 4:30 p.m. followed by the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Details: Chattahoochee Tech or the chamber

-Dec. 10-13 Pumphouse Players to stage 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' > Details

-Dec. 11: Candlelight shopping returns to downtown Cartersville Friday evening: From 4 until 8 p.m., hundreds of lLumminaries will light the sidewalks while carolers on duty as well.

-Dec. 14: Bartow County Board of Education, 6 p.m.> Agenda

-Dec. 17: Cartersville City Council, 7 p.m. Hear it live on WBHF 1450 AM or Web cast here on Bartow Headlines (click)

Weather

Flood warnings continue for three local waterways:

-Armuchee Creek: 22.7. feet this morning and rising; flood stage is 19 feet.

-Oostanaula River near Calhoun: 20.3 feet and rising; flood stage is 20 feet.

-Chattooga River near Summerville: 16.5 feet and falling. Flood stage is 14 feet.

Your latest forecast:

-Thursday: Sunny and cooler, high of 47. Low of 21.

-Friday: Mostly sunny, high of 47, low of 25.

-Extended forecast> Click  /  Local radar  / regional radar

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable> Arey

-What! Are you telling me that Alabama has no class?

John McClellan's state championship picks> Football Report

-Buford by 4 over Calhoun. Plus: John's picks on all high school divisions>

-Can't get to the Dome? Watch the game live on GPB at 4:30 p.m.

NAIA National Championship Game

-As final preparations begin for 2009 NAIA game, negotiations are about to start on extending Rome's contract to host the showdown each year> Click

-Day-by-day scheduled for the NAIA National Championship events in Rome: The game is Dec. 19 but events start days earlier> Details

Sports/Rome Braves/State Mutual Stadium> Sports

-Ingle, Moore, Czajkowski, Chase return to Rome Braves in '10

-Rome Braves offer new 12-pack flex ticket plans.

-Registration, training begin for 3rd Berry Half Marathon March 6.

Storm aftermath

Please click www.bartowheadlines.com

 

Picking up the pieces after stormy night; wind advisory today

 

-A wind advisory is in effect until 6 tonight for North Georgia. Winds of 15-30 mph possible with higher gusts. Highest gust overnight: 26 mph.> Details

 

-A flash flood warning is in effect until 7:30 a.m. for southern Walker County, Chattooga county and northeastern Floyd County.

 

-Chattooga and Trion schools will open two hours late because of post-storm issues, The Summerville News reports.

 

-At Rome's airport: 2.40 inches of rain between 6 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday. Cartersville airport's total: 0.90 of an inch.

 

-Oostanaula River at 15.09 feet and rising this morning> Click
-Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high of 56. Winds to 20 mph, gusts to 30 mph.

 

-Wednesday night: Low of 29 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

 

-Thursday: Sunny and cooler, high of 48.

 

-Extended forecast> Click / Local radar / regional

Tornado watch until 7 a.m. Wednesday

The weather service has placed Northwest Geogia under a tornado watch until 7 a.m. Please see www.hometowheadlines.com for details.

Weather update

Please see www.bartowheadlines.com

 

Keep an eye on the evening weather: Rain, isolated tornadoes?

The National Weather Service's Hazardous Weather Outlook says gusts to 45 mph, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes are possible tonight through Wednesday morning as a massive storm system moves in. Updates all day, evening.

-Today: 100% rain chance. High near 52.
-Tonight: 100% rain chance, 1 to 2 inches of rain. Low, 48. Gusts: 20 mph.
-Wednesday: 30% chance of rain before 1 p.m. High near 59. Gusts to 25 mph.

-Extended forecast> Click  /  Local radar  / regional radar