Local News
Varnell police: Don’t let Halloween turn into a nightmare
Submitted by the Varnell Police Department
With more than half of the nation’s traffic fatalities over Halloween weekend related to alcohol, Chief Lyle Grant of the Varnell Police Department announced the launch of a strong push this Halloween season to remind all party goers to always remember to designate a sober driver.
“Halloween is most often thought of as a time for family fun, full of costumes, trick-or-treating with the kids and the annual haunted houses,” Grant said. “But unfortunately, Halloween has also become very dangerous and a deadly time of the year due to a jump in drunk driving.”
That’s why the Varnell Police Department is joining with other national, state and local highway safety officials this season to aggressively promote the designated driver message before Halloween parties begin.
“Our message is simple this Halloween -- 'You drink and drive, you lose,” Grant said. “We want anyone planning on using alcohol this Halloween to play it smart and designate a sober driver before the parties begin. We will be out in full force to catch, stop and arrest impaired drivers.”
Grant offered these simple reminders for a safer Halloween weekend:
• Be responsible and never drive impaired.
• If you plan to drink, choose your sober driver before going out.
• Once impaired, call a cab or ask a sober friend to get you home.
• If all else fails, just stay where you are and sleep it off.
• Always buckle up -- it’s still your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are hosting a Halloween party, make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.
Impaired driving is no accident nor is it a victimless crime, Grant said. Statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that nearly 13,000 people die in highway crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with an illegal blood alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher.
“Driving a vehicle or motorcycle while impaired is simply a dumb thing to do,” Grant said. “Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial cost of a crash or an arrest for drunk driving are significant.”
Don’t let your Halloween turn into a nightmare. Please plan ahead, be responsible and always designate a sober driver before all Halloween festivities.
- Local News
-
-
Bowen shares his 70 years of living in Dalton
Charlie Bowen wasn’t “impressed” with Dalton the first time he visited. He didn’t have plans to make Dalton his permanent home.
But he’s called Dalton home for 70 years now — with the exception of a three-year stint in the Navy during World War II. - Dalton City Council to vote on cemetery policies tonight
-
Harlem Globetrotters in Dalton tonight
Five years ago, Nate “Big Easy” Lofton, like many other residents of New Orleans, had fled the Crescent City to Houston after Hurricane Katrina came roaring through.
-
Democrats say Georgia is ready for a change
Northwest Georgia may be one of the most reliably Republican areas of the state, but several Democratic Party candidates said Sunday they aren’t going to write it off.
-
Area arrests for March 15
Recent arrests from the Whitfield and Murray County jail reports.
-
60-plus people arrested at cockfighting raid
CHATSWORTH — More than 60 people have been arrested after a raid on a cockfighting site on Berry Bennett Road Saturday morning, Murray County Sheriff Howard Ensley said.
-
Coahulla Creek High work continues
When construction on Whitfield County’s newest high school is complete, the campus will feature more prominent outdoor classrooms than any school in the district and will be designed for the project-based learning students are moving toward.
-
New wing at Dalton High almost ready
Dalton High School will soon open the doors to its first addition to the main building since the school was built in 1976.
-
Georgia’s budget mess could hurt local health care
Some plans to deal with the state’s growing budget deficit could take a big bite out of Georgia’s health care system, say local doctors and hospital officials.
-
North Murray High Schools set to open this fall
North Murray High School will likely offer at least three programs students in the school district have never had before: cosmetology, culinary arts and graphic arts.
- More Local News Headlines
-
