Yesterday residents of House District 2, stretching over parts of Walker, Whitfield, and Catoosa, finally settled who will represent them in Atlanta: Chickamauga businessman Steve Tarvin.

Tarvin defeated former LaFayette mayor Neal Florence by a margin of only 277 votes out of the 3,500 or so cast.

Even though both candidates live in Walker County, Neal Florence received nearly twice as many Walker votes as Tarvin, winning every precinct except Tarvin’s Chickamauga. But Tarvin more than made up for his defeat in Walker by dominating in Whitfield and Catoosa.

The reasons for Tarvin’s dominance outside Walker County aren’t clear. It could be connections from the textile industry or just simply a better job of building name recognition in outlying areas. Either way, sometime this week Steve Tarvin will be sworn in as Representative Tarvin (R-Chickamauga) and serve in that role for at least the next three weeks.

This all starts over again once the legislative session ends in March.                 

Tuesday morning fire claimed another unoccupied, unpowered house. This one burned around 7 AM on Wheeler Rd. north of town.   

A planned holiday for Walker County Schools – February 17, President’s Day – will now be used as a make-up day for last week’s snow cancellations.   

Per WQCH, Susie’s Sunset Cafe is no more. The business is being remodeled and renamed by the Shell family, which now owns a majority of property in downtown LaFayette. The eatery will eventually reopen as “Charlie’s Cafe” in honor of Charles “CC” Shell.

(The demise of Susie’s likely leaves Bi-Lo with a surplus of frozen Tyson chicken tenders and canned green beans.)

In other local restaurant news, The Chow House in Catlett is back open under new owners.     

Info from a federal DNA database has finally solved a 16-year-cold Lookout Mountain rape case. Monday the accused, Donald Norred (now age 41), pled guilty to rape, kidnapping, and aggravated sodomy. He was given a life sentence.

Normally in a plea deal the accused takes a lesser sentence than he would have received if convicted. Per court witnesses, Mr. Norred was offered a standard life sentence and insisted on the stiffer punishment of life without parole. Guilty conscience?   

“Mystery” drop boxes are popping up next to legitimate donation bins in the region, stealing items (and profits) meant for legitimate charities.

Seems like it’d be an easy crime to solve – somebody eventually has to come empty the bins. (Donation boxes depicted belong to legitimate charity Teen Challenge.)   

Gov. Deal announces changes to state plans for future winter storm warnings, including an “Amber Alert” type system for storms and creating an advisory committee of weather forecasters and state agency heads.   

Speaking of winter weather..

How much snow does it take to close schools in various parts of the country?   

Last Tuesday GA “Ethics” Commission voted to fire its attorney, who was suspended three weeks earlier for showing up at work drunk.

That’s how we do ethics in Georgia.   

Latest local arrests – misspellings and all – from The Chattanoogan.   

A scary little song about SPLOST:

“Same old song, vote yourself a tax and things will turn around..”   

State legislators are considering two bills that would regulate drones and law enforcement surveillance using the unmanned aircraft.

This puts a big crimp on plans to obtain a drone for LU…   

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