Thirty years ago this week, much of the Eastern US was crippled by a record-breaking snow storm. Here’s a look back at some Walker County photos and memories from the March 1993 “Storm of the Century” a third of a century later.

In mid-March 1993 the entire eastern US was hammered by a crippling, late-season winter storm. Communities in 26 states were impacted by the freak weather, and some 310 people were killed nationwide. Travel by highway and air was disrupted for nearly a week, with property damage and economic losses estimated (in 1993 dollars) at $5.5 billion.

Hardest hit were southern states like ours that rarely get more than a few inches of snow a year – much less two-plus feet in a day.

Forecasters became aware of the storm and its potential nearly a week before it hit; Chattanooga TV weathermen warned of a “significant snow” heading into the area five days before it finally struck. But snow in March is rare for this area; March 1993 had until that point been typically warm. Many in the region dismissed weather warnings as being so much hot air.

Forecasts proved true, and in most cases the storm was worse than predicted.

The megastorm sank boats in the Gulf of Mexico, spawned storm surges and tornadoes in Florida, and began dumping snow across Georgia and Alabama from one end to the other. Despite exhibiting hurricane-force winds, the blizzard was never defined as such or named; residents in Florida (where 47 people died) still refer to it as “No Name Storm.”

Around dinner time on Friday March 12th, “No Name Storm” reached North Georgia, where all too many people still weren’t prepared for a snow or the disruptions that would follow.

“My dad dismissed the forecasts and didn’t believe we would get snow, much less the major snow that came. We had firewood but it was nowhere near the house. Mama listened to weather forecasts and decided it would be a good idea to stack some wood on the back porch, an idea that saved us a lot of work later on. We didn’t think to store any water in buckets or the tub like some did, so water turned into more of a problem than heat after our power went off during the night.” -Anon

During the night of March 12th the storm dumped at least 20 inches of snow in the area, officially measuring 23 inches in Chattanooga, 14 in LaFayette, and 22 in Dalton – but howling winds whipping up to 50 or 60 MPH caused huge drifts that in some cases reached six feet deep.

Mid-March temperatures normally in the 50’s or 60’s fell into the teens or in a few places single-digits, with windchill well below zero. But the thing that stands out most in some memories are the thunder and blue or green lightning that preceded and accompanied the storm, a phenomenon weathermen later described as “thundersnow.”

“I was a senior in high school. We did not have power at my parents for two weeks. I remember when they would call for snow I would stay with my cousins so we could play football and ride four wheelers. Got more than we bargained for. Still have great memories of the blue lightning and spending time with family. It was the most beautiful natural phenomenon I have witnessed.” -Rodney

A group of eight from Linwood driving two Jeeps attempted to camp on Pigeon Mountain on the evening of March 12th but were forced to leave by officials; instead of going home they drove out to the top of Taylor’s Ridge on Smith Gap Road where they continued to party and got stuck after snow began to fall. Two of the trapped men attempted to walk down the ridge seeking help for the other six.

That journey would have been difficult even in good conditions, and only one of the two survived. 28-year-old Travis Asher froze to death halfway down the East side of Taylor’s Ridge.

“They were two jeeps with 8 guys drinking and four wheeling. They got stuck and two walked off, one froze to death half way down the mountain and the other showed up at my grandparents farm on the back porch black from soot. He had burnt pieces of tire for warmth in the night walking off the Mtn. They landed the helicopters in our field. I was 5 when that happened.” -Zach

Asher was Walker County’s only official storm fatality, but a number of expectant women had miscarriages during the storm due to stress and delayed medical care. Lack of care was certainly not, however, from lack of effort.

2012 Walker Commissioner candidate and onetime political activist Ales Campbell has been arrested on charges of embezzling funds from a local charity.

A series of Chattanooga Times reports confirm rumors circulating town for months: Campbell is suspected of taking nearly $8,000 from the LaFayette Womans Club, where she’s served for years in various capacities – including president and treasurer.

Campbell is accused of using the nonprofit club’s credit card to pay her own bills, of writing checks to herself, and of withdrawing cash via ATM – misappropriating a sum of $7,902.52.

Personal expenses Ales allegedly put on the club’s account include Netflix and DirecTV bills, charges at Walmart, and payments at a Chattanooga liquor store.

Suspicious transactions turned up in October when Campbell was replaced as Womans Club treasurer by Stephanie Wardlaw. Wardlaw, club president Rachel Willeford, and a number of others presented the issue to LaFayette PD in November and requested an investigation, but no charges were filed at the time.

According to club members speaking off the record, Campbell admitted to the thefts during a confrontational meeting late last year. The club took her to civil court in January and she was ordered -or agreed- to repay the entire $7,900 debt at a rate of $50 per month. (That works out to more than fourteen years of payments.)

Conflict seems to have developed between Womans Club members who preferred to keep the fraud, and Campbell’s name, out of the news, and members who wanted her prosecuted for theft. The camp pushing for charges won out; LPD issued a warrant for Campbell’s arrest on January 31st. She turned herself in for one count of theft by taking and was released on $7,000 bond.

Monday afternoon officers from the US Marshal Service, assisted by deputies from the Chattooga and Walker sheriff offices, descended on a home on Halls Valley Rd. near the Walker/Chattooga line.

They were seeking to capture a fugitive wanted in Catoosa: Thomas Zane Campbell, age 31.

Mr. Campbell was wanted in Catoosa for “possession of a firearm by a convicted felon” – and firearm he apparently did possess. He allegedly produced himself in front of the house with a gun in hand and was shot by one or more officers on the scene.

He was LifeForced to Chattanooga “in critical condition” with no updates on his status released as yet. No officers were harmed in the shooting.

Initial reports said Campbell was shot by an unidentified Chattooga deputy, but those reports were retracted; currently there’s no official word of what officer fired shots or what department the shooter represented. One report said multiple officers on the scene fired.

As required by protocol in an officer-involved shooting, the GBI is investigating.         

Commissioner Whitfield’s planning commission gets one step closer to permanent rules cracking down on “tiny homes.”

WQCH Radio, 04/01/17: “THE WALKER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION HAS FINISHED A DRAFT ORDINANCE TO ALLOW ‘TINY HOUSES’ TO BE BUILT HERE.

“THE MICRO-HOMES WERE DISALLOWED RECENTLY BY COUNTY COMMISSIONER SHANNON WHITFIELD, UNTIL NEW REGULATIONS COULD BE WRITTEN.

“THE PLANNING COMMISSION STATES THAT ‘TINY HOUSES’ SHOULD BE NO BIGGER THAN 500 SQUARE FEET, HAVE A PERMANENT FOUNDATION WITH AN ELECTRIC METER AND SEWER OR SEPTIC SYSTEM, AND THAT THEY WILL BE ‘GROUPED TOGETHER’ IN SPECIFIC ZONES WITHIN WALKER COUNTY.

“THE NEW ORDINANCE REQUIRES A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER WILL ACCEPT OR REJECT THE NEW RULES.”

The really concerning part here is “THAT THEY WILL BE ‘GROUPED TOGETHER’ IN SPECIFIC ZONES WITHIN WALKER COUNTY”

That means most of us will be prohibited from building or bringing in a house this size. If you live anywhere near the Commissioner or anyone on the planning board, you can give up on your dream of having a tiny house.

Sounds like they plan to segregate them all into parts of the county where few people want to live anyway.   

Battlefield murder case comes to an end.

Robert Martin Brooks and Jennifer Allison DeMott, both of NY State, have taken plea deals in their pending murder trial.

Brooks and DeMott will spend 20 and 10 years in prison, respectively, for the killing of Duane Hollenbeck.

59-year-old Hollenbeck’s remains were found near Chickamauga Battlefield in December 2015. Prosecutors say all three went on a trip to the south to buy drugs for resale, and the younger two got tired along the way of dealing with Mr. Hollenbeck and his disabilities.   

Zaris Neal of LaFayette has been indicted for an alleged shooting in Lyerly.

WQCH Radio, 04/04/17: “A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS INDICTED BY THE CHATTOOGA COUNTY GRAND JURY MONDAY, FOR A SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE IN LYERLY.

“22 YEAR OLD ZARIS KANTRAIL NEAL AND ANOTHER SUSPECT ARE CHARGED WITH THE SHOOTING OF JUSTIN CLAY CARROLL IN JANUARY. CARROLL WAS TREATED FOR A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE SHOULDER.

“NEAL IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND GANG-RELATED OFFENSES. AFTER ELUDING POLICE FOR WEEKS, HE WAS PICKED UP BY THE WALKER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT.

“INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SHOOTING INVOLVED ACTIVITY BETWEEN RIVAL GANGS.”

Mr. Neal famously insulted various news outlets (including LU) on social media while hiding from the cops in January, and then snagged a selfie of himself in the back of a patrol car thanks to sloppy Walker County deputies.

(Who’s “F&##”ed NOW, buddy?)   

The ridiculous 55MPH school zone speed limit in front of Saddle Ridge school will soon be a thing of the past.

After some fourteen? wrecks in three years, GDOT, Walker County Schools, and the Commissioner’s Office have finally moved to lower the speed on that stretch of Highway 27 to 45 during school rush hours.

Not the red light many have asked for, and 45 is still pretty fast – but it’s something. (When the change is made later this year will the Sheriff’s Office actually enforce it?)   

Jeff Long, who left his position as Walker County roads supervisor Wednesday, won’t publicly comment about his decision to leave.

Commissioner Whitfield says he didn’t push Long out and had no issue with the man; meanwhile a Fort O. councilor suggests Long is coming back to be that community’s recreation and roads supervisor, a job he held for two decades before Bebe Heiskell hired him in 2015.

Long remains a Catoosa County Commissioner.

The county has posted his former job.   

Two vehicles were involved in a “head on collision” on Hwy 151 at Jones Road in the Wood Station area, around 4 PM Saturday.

LifeForce was called in for occupants of one vehicle involved. Facebook commenters said children were inside at least one of the vehicles, and the accident may have been caused by someone standing in the road.   

After years of neglect and dodging questions about the property, Walker County School Board announces future plans for the old high school campus in the heart of LaFayette.

The facility, most of which dates back to the 60’s, will become office space for the schools’ central office. The Board will eventually relocate there from its current long-time home on Duke Street.

WQCH Radio, 03/31/17: “THE WALKER COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ADVANCING WITH A PLAN TO RELOCATE THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND BUS BARN, ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT TO THE BOARD BY SUPERINTENDENT DAMON RAINES.

“PRELIMINARY WORK AND PLANNING HAVE STARTED TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM’S CENTRAL OFFICE TO THE OLD LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL ON NORTH CHEROKEE STREET, WHILE THE BUS BARN WILL BE LOCATED AT THE ADVANCING EDUCATION CENTER – THE OLD ORBURN SCHOOL AT CHICKAMAUGA.

“ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN ON-SITE TO GATHER INFORMATION AND ANALYZE THE BUILDINGS, ACCORDING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

“NO WORD YET ON WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS PLANNED FOR THE CURRENT CENTRAL OFFICE BUILDING, LOCATED NEXT TO THE COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE.”

LaFayette High opened on that hill in the 20’s and was over the years expanded multiple times. All of the original buildings were torn down after expansion in the 60’s, but some of what’s there is older than the front buildings built in that era.

LHS moved to a new campus on Round Pond during Christmas 1997 where it is today. Since the high school moved, the former high school has been used as a temporary building for North LaFayette (around 2000) while that school was being rebuilt and then served for years as the “6th grade academy” for overcrowded LaFayette Middle. After LMS was expanded and Saddle Ridge opened, the school was closed again and has mostly sat empty.

Portions of the campus not used for those schools have been allowed to deteriorate considerably, and one of the buildings was badly damaged by fire. The long building next to Food City was used a few years ago for police training and was damaged quite a bit inside by those activities.

Some of what still stands will likely be torn down due to damage/decay and because the board doesn’t need that much space. They’re probably looking to use the main front building visible from Cherokee Street.

The school system maintenance/purchasing office has used the old vocational building since LHS closed and probably will remain there.   

Mike Culberson is the only Walker Schools principal who wasn’t rehired for next fall, but that doesn’t mean all the other schools will avoid leadership changes over the summer.

Someone, likely a principal from a lower school, will have to step up and fill the empty principal’s office at LaFayette High. The school system is taking applications internally, and will probably end up with a current elementary or middle school leader taking over LHS. (That person’s job will then also have to be filled.)

Ridgeland’s Assistant Principal is retiring, so that job is also open – meaning the system has to find a head principal for one high school and an assistant for another by the beginning of July.

The only candidate LU has heard about potentially going to LHS is current Gilbert principal Matt Harris [photo, left], but there will certainly be others interested and applying for the job.

Who would you like to see (or maybe NOT see) promoted to head Rambler? Or should the school system give preference to an outsider?   

Long-time Walker County CERT director Mary Perry has lost her battle with cancer.

Ms. Perry passed away Saturday, age 55.

Her services will be held Tuesday evening at Wilson’s in Chickamauga.

CERT is the “Community Emergency Response Team” – volunteers trained to assist county officials in emergency situations. The director of that group has always been a volunteer; Mary Perry’s replacement (likely a firefighter or emergency management employee) will be chosen by Fire Chief and EMA director Blake Hodge.     

Chattooga’s Jay Shropshire recently participated in The “2017 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championship.” The competition was filmed some time back but aired Sunday (recorded) on CBS/Channel 12.

Shropshire reportedly scored a 32 in both rounds, but did not come out on top.

Here’s his “monster dunk” from the contest.