Rome News-Tribune
These fair food vendors have been serving up the goods for 40 years
If you’ve ever had pizza or a funnel cake at the Coosa Valley Fair in the last 40 years, there’s a good chance you bought it from a member of the Chafin family. Friday morning, the fairgrounds were buzzing with activity as Exchange Club of Rome...
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Rome stands against breast cancer
Slightly cooler temperatures this past weekend provided an ideal backdrop for thousands of Rome and Floyd County residents, some wearing pink dresses and running shoes, who showed up to support breast cancer awareness with the annual Paper Doll Parade...
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Baking inspires learning
Who knew that in addition to being delicious and not very nutritious, cupcakes can actually help students learn reading and arithmetic? Third graders at Alto Park Elementary School put the idea to the test Thursday, as they hosted husband-andwife...
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Panel tours Rome-floyd Recycling Center
The Rome-floyd Solid Waste Commission got a firsthand look at the jointly owned recycling center as officials weigh its future ahead of the expiration of its lease next year. City and county commissioners and staff walked through the Lavender Drive...
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Cave Spring Pigout a whole hog success
Cave Spring’s Rolater Park was packed this weekend as barbeque fanatics came to dip their feet in the cool spring water while wowing their tastebuds with barbecue bliss. Hundreds of people enjoyed the live music and barbecue competition as well as the...
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RCS celebrates literacy with Georgia Reads
Studies show that reading well by the end of the third grade is an indicator of future success, and in Georgia, 66% of third-grade students are not reading proficiently, according to the Nation’s Report Card. The statistics around early literacy in...
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GSD: Serving the community for 180 years
In bucolic Cave Spring sits the Georgia School for the Deaf, the oldest continually operated school in the state of Georgia, which continues to serve the deaf and hearingimpaired community from across the region. Established in 1846 on the grounds of...
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Largest crowd yet comes out for Miura event to honor region first responders
A Miura America representative shakes hands with a man wearing a Polk County Fire Rescue shirt during the company’s fourth annual First Responders Appreciation Day in Rockmart. Miura America’s annual celebration of first responders drew its largest...
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Firefighters practice hazardous rescues
Imagine climbing up a two-story ladder on the side of a burning building in the middle of the night to enter a smoke-filled bedroom and crawl around with zero visibility, looking for a child who might not even be there. A firefighter can never...
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Homeschool students learn importance of trees at library
Keep Rome-floyd Beautiful gave local homeschool students a hands-on lesson in trees, combining science, art and environmental education to show how trees function and why they matter to the community. The program took place Tuesday at the Rome-floyd...
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Severe storms wreak havoc in Rome area
Three days of downpours in Floyd County delighted some but brought devastating damage to others as weeks without any rain to speak of gave way to a wet weekend and a windy start to the work week. Significant storm systems arrived Saturday and again...
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Record-setting Vikings have more in store
In 2025, Berry College volleyball teammates Madie Whitehead and Ava Brovet set two single season records in the Viking program. Then a junior, Whitehead recorded 482 kills, bettering the previous record by 60. Brovet, a freshman setter, broke a...
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Weekend festival: Runningman is here
Runningman has brought three days of running, fitness, wellness activities and camping to Kingston Downs this weekend, with as many as 2,000 people expected to take part. The festival is built around a choose-your-own-distance race today, but the...
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Children’s Museum of Rome opens
Children from across Rome and Floyd County rejoiced as the long-awaited Children’s Museum of Rome officially opened with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Rome Floyd Chamber. The only people cheering louder than the children were their parents, who...
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Concrete is poured at Garrard Park Pedal Track
Crews were hard at work Wednesday at Garrard Park, which also contains the GE Trails mountain bike system. A new pedal track is being installed as a part of a joint project between the city of Rome and the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority. A pedal...
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Team brings home medals
Several members of the Floyd County Special Olympics Golf Team medaled at a tournament held at the Canton Golf Club, bringing home a total of three golds and two silvers on a fine day on the links. This is only the second season for the team, and they...
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Alto Park Elementary celebrates 90 years
A lot of things have changed in Rome and Floyd County since Alto Park Elementary School was founded in 1936, but children’s love of cupcakes isn’t one of them. So if you heard cheering on Burnett Ferry Road on Friday, it was most likely hundreds of...
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Fiestas Patrias
Ridge Ferry Park was filled with vibrant music, colorful clothes and the aroma of fresh pupusas on the grill Sunday during the annual Fiestas Patrias — Latin Independence Festival — hosted by St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Hundreds of attendees, many...
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‘We will never forget them’
Many people’s memories of Sept. 11, 2001, start with the same observation: It was a beautiful and sunny day — before everything changed. Twenty-five years later, the same sunny skies greeted attendees at Rome-floyd Fire Department’s annual...
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25 YEARS LATER, ROME REMEMBERS
For 25 years now, two words have expressed the all-encompassing legacy of September 11: Never forget. Your fellow Rome residents, your friends and neighbors, including myself, have not. Personally, I was 21 and in college and had turned on the...
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Building independence and community
Since welcoming its first residents in May, Amber Grace has offered programs aimed at helping the adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities build independence and connect with the wider Rome community. Seven residents, called neighbors,...
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Norfolk-southern starts repairs on Glenn Milner Blvd. railroad tracks
Workers replaced rotted railroad ties on the tracks that split Glenn Milner Boulevard Tuesday, with more work planned through the week. The inside traffic lanes will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Crews will close intersections Thursday at...
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Cooking for a cause
While many celebrated the holiday weekend with their families, volunteers braved the smokehouse heat for the Knights of Columbus of St. Mary’s Catholic Church’s 58th annual Labor Day Barbecue. This year’s barbecue saw hundreds of pounds of meat cooked...
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HELPING HANDS
Open Path Center clients recently made a difference by packing bags for local nonprofits Bloom and the Angel Express, exemplifying how their mission meshes with serving the community around them. The nonprofit Open Path Center provides “community and...
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Honoree: Serving children comes first
After nearly 50 years of helping shape the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Georgia, longtime board member Russ Gates has been inducted into the Georgia Boys & Girls Clubs Hall of Fame. Gates was recognized during the 2026 induction ceremony Aug. 20 at...
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Rome Chess Club brings players of all ages, skill levels together
The clatter of chess pieces amid quiet concentration has become a tradition for a group of Rome residents who gather weekly to test their skills, learn from one another and share an interest in one of the world’s oldest games. The Rome Chess Club...
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GHC helps teens face adult scenarios
Your best friend asks you to go to a party an hour away with kids you don’t know. Do you agree to go? Do you try to convince them not to go? Do you go because you don’t want them to go alone? Teenagers are told that life is about choices, and parents...
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The death of Heehaw: ‘IT’S JUST A TRAGEDY’
It was nearly 1 a.m. when the phone rang at Hannah Israel’s Cedartown farm Sunday — it was the police. In short order, Israel learned authorities had been looking for a missing child, came onto her property as part of the search and somehow, one of...
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Family event brings magic to the Forum
Beloved princesses, superheroes and a swarm of adoring fans filled the Forum River Center for a day of magic and family-friendly fun at Meet the Magic. The Saturday event brought about 600 people to the Forum for a series of performances by children’s...
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NW Ga. feeling healthcare cuts, but GOP unfazed
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District is the most conservative in the state. It’s the district Marjorie Taylor Greene, who rose to prominence as one of Trump’s most vocal and loyal supporters, represented from 2021 to January 2026. Greene made a...
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Fun in the sun at Town Green
As the summer heat lingers in Rome, children have been enjoying the sunny days in the cool waters of the Town Green fountains Friday afternoon. Above: A child splashes in the fountain, enjoying a warm afternoon at Rome’s Town Green Friday. Friends...
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Scouts take part in baseball tradition
There’s nothing more American than baseball and Scouting, two institutions with a long history here, and they recently met for a special night at a Rome Emperors game. The Northwest Georgia Council of Scouting America took part in the opening ceremony...
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Memorial honors GHC security officer
On the campus of Georgia Highlands College sits Paris Lake, its serene waters home to a gaggle of ducks who unabashedly snatch food from fascinated people looking for a way to connect to nature. Clayton “Bubba” Collier had a particular interest in the...
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$19 million affordable housing redevelopment breaks ground
Northwest Georgia Housing Authority has broken ground on the more than $19 million redevelopment of The Village in Cave Spring, a project that will renovate and preserve 52 existing affordable homes while adding six new units. The groundbreaking...
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Shorter students return
Life has returned to the Shorter University campus, with students returning to class Monday, ready to start the fall semester. New students moved in Friday, Aug. 21, but before caravans of parents and eager students drove onto campus, faculty, staff...
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Floyd Democrats host Georgia Giants Dinner
The Floyd County Democratic Party’s annual Georgia Giants Dinner brought candidates, supporters and community leaders together for a fundraiser aimed at boosting campaigns and voter outreach efforts ahead of the November election. Marquita Davis, vice...
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Darlington welcomes new year
Just days after students returned to Darlington School’s halls, hundreds of community members gathered at the Huffman Athletic Center for the school’s 122nd opening convocation, which many at the school see as the official start to the new school...
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New beginnings: Berry College freshmen move in
Berry College was abuzz Wednesday as first-year students moved into their dorms, ready to kick off the 2026-27 school year. Despite the heat, new students were joined by their families, fellow students and even President Sandeep Mazumder to move into...
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GDA conference continues today
Hundreds of downtown development professionals from across Georgia are getting an up-close look at Rome this week as the city hosts the Georgia Downtown Association’s annual conference. The conference, which runs through Thursday, has brought between...
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Drone show lights up downtown Rome
A first-of-its-kind drone light show for the Georgia Downtown Association conference drew hundreds of spectators to downtown Rome for a eye-catching display that organizers said had a high turnout and positive community response. Hundreds of...
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‘It was a fantastic day for everyone’
While many spent their morning avoiding the heat, more than 400 runners and walkers laced up their shoes and took on one of Rome’s notorious seven hills for the 41st annual Tillman Clocktower 5K Road Race. Whether participating in the 2-mile health...
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‘More than just volleyball’
They are a group of volleyball players Taylor Fisher has had during her entire tenure as the head coach at Unity Christian School. There are five in all, four of whom were active Thursday for a home match against Christian Heritage. These players took...
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Sunbelt Rentals donates supplies for students at Boys & Girls Clubs
There’s nothing like seeing a kid receive a new backpack and set of markers as they prepare to start the school year, possibly for the first time, and a group from Sunbelt Rentals in Rome witnessed that joy firsthand. The Rome business donated more...
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A Blister for My Sister kicks off fundraising campaign
It is a warm, humid morning for the thatch of people clad in all shades of pink outside a local coffee shop. Their heads bowed in prayer, the words lifted up in affirmation Saturday set the tone for a fundraising campaign that is a combination of a...
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Students are all smiles as they return to Floyd County Schools
The school bells were ringing and the hallways were full as almost 9,000 students across Floyd County Schools returned to their classrooms this week. The first day of the 20262027 school year began at FCS Tuesday morning, and the restart was apparent...
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Area artists join forces for patriotic exhibit
Shades of red, white and blue dot the gallery space at the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center in a patriotic exhibition of area artists that is on display through Aug. 27. Titled “Happy Birthday, America!”, the gallery show celebrates the nation’s 250th...
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Students learn the ‘love of the game’ at FCS Summer Camp
Floyd County Schools Summer Camp fostered community and connections across grade levels and schools as students honed their athletic skills and discovered a love for the game. Several coaches and their athletic teams across the FCS system planned...
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Children’s Museum set to open this fall
A local couple’s dream of opening a children’s museum is inching closer to reality as contractors work feverishly to finish the facilities inside a 7,000-square-foot space in the Mount Berry Mall. After three years of planning, fundraising and...
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Coosa’s band prepares for fall
The halls of Coosa High School were dark, but music came from almost a dozen rooms as band members tuned instruments and greeted one another after summer vacation and prepared for a busy fall season. This year, the CHS Marching Eagle Band has 87...
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Before school returns: It’s time to pray
They gathered at The Well Wednesday with one sole purpose — to pray. From higher education institutes to public, private and home schools in Floyd County, the community came together to bless the students, administrators and staffers who will soon...
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Floyd native takes command of 48th IBCT
A Pepperell High School graduate assumed command of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a change of command ceremony Sunday at its headquarters in Macon. Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, commanding general of the Georgia...
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Patriot marker unveiled at Myrtle Hill Cemetery
A bronze marker honoring the men and women who helped secure American independence now stands at Veterans Plaza in Myrtle Hill Cemetery as Rome joins communities across the country in commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. Members of the Xavier...
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Friend Friday a celebration of love and community
It’s early morning, the sun has just crested the horizon, and energy is high as people line the road at Georgia Highlands College’s Floyd County Campus, cheering and singing, celebrating the arrival of ESP Summer Camp attendees. The morning...
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A Ga. company is destroying PFAS
For more than a decade, “forever chemicals” have been part of an ongoing conversation in Rome, where concerns over PFAS contamination have prompted changes in the city’s water treatment, multimilliondollar investments and litigation against chemical...
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Adventhealth, community celebrate opening Rome’s new Cancer Pavilion
The opening of Adventhealth’s new Cancer Pavilion Wednesday marked more than the completion of a construction project. Hospital leaders, physicians, caregivers and a cancer survivor described it as the beginning of expanded access to comprehensive...
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He’s still sharp at 93 years old
LINDALE — A chance encounter at a local hardware store developed a cutting edge when a man standing at the counter unzipped a leather pouch to display three knives to a pair of employees. The encounter unfolded at Lindale Ace Hardware after what had...
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Critters at the Cave is a big draw
Cold-blooded critters descended on Cave Spring recently, giving families a fun lesson on all things reptile. The Rome-floyd ECO Center made a road trip to Rolater Park July 10 for Critters at the Cave, and a curious crowd came through to get an...
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SEAL OF APPROVAL
What’s the easiest hack to thwart ambitious graffiti artists? Apply a protective coating, of course. That’s what Keep Rome-floyd Beautiful and a team of volunteers did Friday morning to preserve the artwork that decorates the walls and structures at...
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Volunteers add final touch to Unity Point park
Volunteers make the difference in shared community spaces and Keep Rome Floyd Beautiful’s program coordinator, Hannah Bagley, can testify to that. The latest? Anti-graffiti coating at the newly restored Unity Point park in downtown Rome, where the...
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Through Cherokee Eyes
“I want you to think about this,” Cultural Ambassador for the East Band of Cherokee Sonny Ledford said to a full ballroom at Coosa Country Club. “Imagine someone coming up to you saying you can’t live here no more. If you have gardens or you have crops...
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Summer program keeps hundreds of local children learning, active
While summer break gives students time away from the classroom, it can also leave parents searching for affordable childcare and educators worrying about summer learning loss. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Georgia has spent the summer helping...
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New field house and field taking shape
Construction of a new Pepperell High School field house and the addition of a synthetic surface to the baseball field are continuing as scheduled, and both facilities should be ready this fall. The field house was 40 years old and in need of...
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Georgia Power teaches kids at library about energy saving
Parents are always looking for new ways to keep children entertained in the summer, and this week families got the unique opportu nity to occupy their kids with a fun and informative lesson at the Rome-floyd County Library’s STEAM with Georgia Power...
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