Over the weekend LaFayette had “Christmas on the Square,” an event promoting local businesses. Several other communities held their annual Christmas parades. The Summerville parade will be tonight, and LaFayette’s will be on Friday.

For other upcoming Holiday activities (most of which will be this weekend), check LU Local Calendar. E-mail LU Calendar Team to have your own event added to the calendar.

Update on the Thursday fight at Chattooga Co Courthouse: the fight was between a father and step-son, the dad was sent to the hospital and step son to jail. Here are more bloody photos of the aftermath.

Another report on child molestation charges filed against a LaFayette teen. The accused was arrested in May, indicted in June. The nature of what he’s charged with mean it’s mandatory he be charged as an adult. If he doesn’t accept a plea deal the victims may have to testify in order to convict; conviction could mean 25 years or more in prison.

LPD contradicts an earlier report from CatWalkChatt; the paper said there’s a likely third victim whose statements didn’t come together, this says they think there are no other victims.

That housing complex and the neighborhood around it is full of kids, boys and girls, of all ages… They wander around in herds. If there aren’t more victims to some degree it would be surprising.

This case highlights the need for parents to keep an eye on their children, and also reminds us there’s a lack of decent after-school care in the area to give kids a place to go and stay out of trouble.

The after school programs in some of the local schools charge like $5 a day per kid to show videos and eat a snack. There is to our knowledge only one free program in the whole county: Kids 4 Christ as noted in the article.

So you have literally thousands of kids whose parents can’t afford day care, baby sitters, or the school paid programs who go home and get watched by siblings, or neighbors, or nobody – or maybe the neighborhood molester.

Serious car accident last night on Chamberlain Rd. Three teen boys involved, orange Camaro lost control near Bronco Rd. at a high rate of speed. No casualties, some serious injuries and broken bones. Possible vehicle fire after the accident. Specifics are still trickling out, follow LU Facebook throughout the day for updates.

More detail on the accused Reading Circle child molester. LPD has found at least two victims, 7 and 8 year old boys. They say the 16-year-old accused molester admitted his crime and said he was also molested as a child. Arrest was made back in May but not announced until this week when authorities decided to prosecute him as an adult.

Montana Jones, who was badly injured in a car accident on the bypass in August, is scheduled for skull replacement surgery this morning around 8:30. Family and friends request prayer.

After the accident, doctors had to remove a portion of Montana’s skull because his brain swelled. He was on ICU for quite a while and his family was concerned he wouldn’t pull through. The surgery will replace the portion of his skull that was taken out three months ago. He’s come a long way but this is still serious surgery.

WQCH Radio, 11/27/12: “A LAFAYETTE TEENAGER WILL BE TRIED AS AN ADULT ON FELONY CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGES. POLICE IDENTIFY THE SUSPECT AS 16 YEAR OLD SCOTT KENNETH WINEBRINNER, A RESIDENT OF LAFAYETTE’S READING CIRCLE PUBLIC HOUSING COMPLEX.”

Apparently all the alleged victims are juveniles. Families that have lived in or around the Reading Circle/Hale’s Hill neighborhood in the last couple years might want to talk to their kid(s). It seems there are possible victims from both genders.

Bottom line, you can’t always trust neighbors.. Be aware of where your kids are and who they’re with. Especially in big neighborhoods where lots of little ones tend to hang out at the same house with older kids watching them.

There’s a big push all over the county for Stocking Full of Love fundraisers. Before you give time or money, check into where funding actually ends up.

Do kids get gifts? Certainly. But how much of the money collected actually goes for that purpose? They waste a good bit of what comes in, intentionally spend it on things donors did not intend – and aren’t transparent with finances. They also lie in telling people it’s a tax exempt charity. Don’t be fooled.

There are plenty of legitimate charities in Walker County that ARE tax-exempt and actually do spend all their funds on what they claim to. Empty Stocking Fund is the major one doing Christmas for kids and families in need.

The Steve Wilson Gun Fund does still have a few open slots for families that need Christmas gifts. No problem with anyone getting help from SFOL or even giving them support as long as you give a toy and NOT cash.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving. Now back to business..

(Photo above is one of 33 Thanksgiving baskets provided to needy families through the Department of Juvenile Justice, local businesses, and individual donors.)

WQCH Radio, 11/23/12: “GREAT NEWS ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY: IT’S BEEN EXACTLY FOUR YEARS SINCE WALKER COUNTY’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS THIS LOW. THE LATEST FIGURES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PLACE THE OCTOBER RATE AT 6.8 PERCENT. THAT’S DOWN 7-10ths OF A PERCENT FROM SEPTEMBER, THE BEST SHOWING SINCE OCTOBER, 2008. THE PERCENTAGE DECLINE MEANS THAT THERE WERE 275 FEWER PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED IN WALKER COUNTY, OVER THE MONTH.

“OTHER AREA COUNTIES HAD SLIGHT DROPS IN UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE PERIOD: CATOOSA AT 6.2 PERCENT FOR OCTOBER, DADE AT 7 PERCENT, AND CHATTOOGA COUNTY AT 10.2 PERCENT. WHITFIELD COUNTY, HOWEVER, SPOILED THE TREND WITH UNEMPLOYMENT RISING THERE FROM 10.9 TO 11.1 PERCENT. THE DALTON METRO REMAINS THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT AREA OF THE STATE.”

This is the official measurement which only tracks people getting unemployment benefits, so it doesn’t mean much. The best measurement of unemployment going up or down is to look at how many people you know who didn’t have jobs a month ago, and check if they have one today.