Joshua Michael Fowler of LaFayette has now been formally charged with beating his grandmother to death over the weekend.

Investigators say Fowler, who served a prison term for drugs, admitted doing meth and coke before allegedly murdering 75-year-old Joyce Ann Fowler on Saturday. They also say the interior of his vehicle was covered with blood. The truck, and a recovered likely murder weapon, are being analyzed by the GBI crime lab.

Addtional reports say the murdered woman, who lived in Chickamauga, had expressed fear that her SON would kill her, and was hinting to neighbors that family members were trying to steal her money.       

Be careful and watch for new traffic signals today in Rock Spring at Kay Conley Rd.

WQCH Radio, 04/01/14: “ROCK SPRING MAY NOT BE AN INCORPORATED TOWN, BUT THEY NOW HAVE A SECOND TRAFFIC LIGHT.

“THE NEW SIGNAL ON HIGHWAY 27 AT KAY CONLEY ROAD WILL BECOME A REGULAR ‘STOP LIGHT’ THIS WEDNESDAY.

“THE NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT IS ONE OF SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS AT THE KAY CONLEY INTERSECTION, INSTALLED BY THE STATE D.O.T. DUE TO A HIGH NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AT THE LOCATION.”

Rock Spring actually has TWO other traffic signals – at GNTC and the Hwy. 95/27 intersection. It still needs a fourth, in front of Saddle Ridge school.   

Two years ago last week, Covenant Bank (a/k/a Bank of Billy Teems) was declared insolvent and taken over, by government order, by Stearns Bank of Minnesota. Now Stearns announces both branches in Rock Spring and Dalton will close in June.

It was only a matter of time. Stupid location for a poorly-run bank, and a poor fit with the Stearns company which has no other local branches.

So what will we see moved into the Covenant Bank building after it closes? Flea market? Antique store? Someone suggested two years ago it’d make a classy spot for a Little Caesar’s in Rock Spring.   

A state judge has ruled that Gov. Deal will not have to testify in a lawsuit against the state ethics commission, which charges Deal with getting a staffer fired because he refused to destroy evidence about the governor’s 2010 campaign.

Judge said it’s “unclear” if Deal’s testimony would help the plaintiff’s case, so there’s no point in ever finding out.   

A year ago this week LaFayette City Manager Frank Etheridge was shown the door. His role is currently being filled by former councilman Max Morrison, with a permanent replacement being sought from dozens of applicants.

Specifics for his forced resignation have never been made clear but most sources point to financial management issues.

FOUR years ago this week, Walker County pulled the plug on garbage service for Villanow residents. Trash collection in the area was planned to fail from the beginning, set up to be as inconvenient as possible so there would be an excuse to end it.

There’s still no public dumpster in that part of the county, but Villanow residents are encouraged to honk and wave when they drive by the locked, dark community center on their way to drop garbage off somewhere in the woods or the side of a road.     

News Publishing Co, owner of the Walker Messenger and Catoosa County News, is merging two of its papers in Polk County.

Have been waiting about five years for them to officially do that with the papers here, considering they share almost everything – just like the two Polk papers did.   

Georgia’s DFCS-administrated food stamp system is seriously broken. Families that need benefits can’t get through on the phone to reapply for stamps, and some who don’t need help are given double payments due to paperwork errors.

The situation has deteriorated so much the fed. is threatening to withdraw up to $76 million in administrative support if the state can’t fix what’s broken by May.   

GA Secretary of State introduces online voter registration and a new mobile voter app.   

Here are your latest local arrests.

It’s like a family reunion every week!   

“Georgia Right to Life” has been replaced as the state’s official pro-life group after an ugly battle last year over a bill that would have restricted abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. GRTL campaigned against the bill (along with pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood) because it didn’t go far enough to limit abortion.

From a “Georgia Life Alliance” board member: “I have been calling for a new pro-life organization in Georgia since GRTL sided with Planned Parenthood and other abortion rights groups to oppose the 20 week abortion ban in the U.S. House of Representatives. GRTL has held its head up and said it took a hard line position and suggested other pro-life groups were going soft.

“In fact, as I said then and repeat now, life is too precious and important for political gamesmanship. And I believe GRTL took that position for other political purposes instead of joining every other pro-life group in America to advance the life agenda down the field.”   

You like BBQ, right?

Barbecue festival planned for this Friday and Saturday in Summerville.   

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