GOOD MORNING GORDON COUNTY, HERE IS YOUR LOCAL NEWS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 11TH.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE
The Calhoun City Council covered a packed agenda during Monday night’s meeting, touching on major recreation updates, road projects, and city growth:
* Rec Center Progress: Construction on the new recreation center is set to accelerate as wall steel arrives next week. Meanwhile, repairs to the community pool are officially on deck, with the city preparing a request for proposals to secure a contractor.
* Liberty Road Annexation Concerns: Council members Jackie Palazollo and Ed Moyer voiced strong concerns regarding a proposed annexation on Liberty Road—moving property from county agricultural to city multi-family residential. Both raised red flags about overextending city services and sewer capacity. With Phase Two of the Spring Valley expansion on hold due to rising costs, any high-density development kept in Gordon County could face long-term utility delays.
* Police Chief Search Underway: The city has narrowed down a field of 20 applicants for Calhoun’s next Police Chief. A screening committee—comprising local officials and three outside experts—will begin vetting candidates and leading interviews.
* Curtis Parkway Roundabout: A contractor for the planned roundabout at Curtis Parkway and Dews Pond Road will likely be awarded at the September 14th council meeting.
* Highway 41 & Downtown Crosswalks: City officials are partnering with the Georgia DOT to address road deterioration on Highway 41 near CVS, where heavy commercial traffic is taking a toll. In lighter infrastructure news, new pedestrian crosswalk designs are in the works for downtown.
* Data Center Public Input & Upcoming On-Air Discussions: Residents will have ongoing opportunities to learn about potential data center developments and voice their concerns at upcoming city council meetings leading up to the end of the city’s moratorium in January. Gordon County has also enacted a temporary moratorium on data centers. We will be diving deeper into these potential developments right here on air this week—speaking with County Administrator Jim Ledbetter on Thursday, followed by County Commissioners Bud Owens and Chad Steward on Friday.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORT
Gordon County Sheriff Mitch Ralston announced two major weekend arrests involving severe felony charges:
* Dews Pond Road Incident: On Saturday afternoon, August 8th, deputies responded to a home off Dews Pond Road in the Cash community after a complainant caught an assault in progress. Deputies arrested 31-year-old Ray Sum of Calhoun at the scene. Sum faces charges of Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, and Child Molestation involving a pre-school aged victim, and is held pending bond.
* Fairmount Assault: Also on Saturday afternoon, deputies and Fairmount Police responded to a 911 call on Scott Brown Road. Officers entered the home and arrested 48-year-old Torie Nujuan McClain of Fairmount, who was found nude and injured after a family member intervened. Both McClain and the victim received medical treatment. McClain is charged with Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Sodomy, and False Imprisonment.
NATIONAL FINANCIAL MARKET UPDATE
* Wall Street CAPE Score Sparks Bubble Warnings: On the national financial front, market analysts report that the S&P 500’s CAPE ratio currently sits near 41—more than double its historical average of 17. Economists warn this reading places market valuations at levels seen only twice before in history: right before the 1929 stock market crash and the 1999 dot-com collapse. While proponents argue that artificial intelligence growth justifies high stock prices, a growing number of market analysts caution the market is treading in bubble territory, raising concerns that a major price correction could follow if corporate earnings fail to live up to high expectations.
REGIONAL UTILITIES & ENERGY
* Major Expansion Underway at Plant Bowen: Just down the road in Bartow County, Georgia Power has officially broken ground on a massive expansion at Plant Bowen. The project will add two new combined-cycle natural gas units delivering roughly 1,500 megawatts of power, alongside a 500-megawatt battery storage system. Designed to handle surging regional electricity demand driven by data centers and industrial expansion, the buildout is expected to bring roughly 1,000 regional construction jobs, with the new units slated to come online between 2029 and 2031.
SPORTS
The Atlanta Braves dropped their series opener to the New York Mets last night, falling 8 to 5 at Truist Park.
New York struck early with a five-run first inning, forcing Atlanta to play catch-up. Catcher Drake Baldwin sparked an early response with an RBI double in the bottom of the first, but the Braves’ rally fell short.
Atlanta looks to bounce back against the Mets tonight at Truist Park. First pitch is set for 7:15 PM, with veteran left-hander Martín Pérez taking the mound for the Braves.
