2016 will be a huge year in downtown Rome, Cartersville. Series premiere: The Things They Carry, inside stories of Berry Vikings athletes. A video look at the Guadalupe celebration. Stormy start to Monday. Sports updates.

Today's first headlines from www.hometownheadlines.com:

 

Ware Mechanical Weather

• Storms possible, rain and gusts now through midday; high of 67.
• Wind advisory through 10 a.m.

Headlines

• Call 2016 'The Year of the Downtown' thanks to new opportunities to live, work and play in Rome and Cartersville. Downtowns
• First of a series -- The Things They Carry, the storylines behind some of Berry's student athletes. Today: Berry Vikings linebacker Matt Farinella's relentless training goes beyond football. His goal: To serve his country as a Navy SEAL. Farinella
• Rome's growing celebration of the Festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe captured by videographer George Lataif. Guadalupe
• Agenda: Busy week of meetings; Toys for Tots distribution and Shop With a Cop. Agenda
• Gas prices continue their Christmas slide; $1.69 in Rome, $1.66 in Calhoun (cash only). Gas
• Obituaries: Remembering Mr. R. B. Bolinger, Mr. Robert Lee "Bubba" Swint. Services
• Public Health restaurant inspections scores returns Tuesday.  Dining
  
• Area arrest reports brought to you by Dr. Miniyar's Pediatrics. CrimeWatch

Holiday Happenings

• Hometown Headlines has teamed with Harbin Clinic to present Holiday Happenings, a digital magazine with details on parades, concerts, performances and live Nativity scenes across Northwest Georgia. You can view it in two formats: Desktop or Mobile
  

Regular features:

• Northwest Georgia traffic conditions via Google Maps or Waze.
• Today's business headlines from  Georgia Trend
• Northwest Georgia's best source for job leads. Click Career Builder

Chick-fil-A Dwarf House Sports Report

• The Falcons hammered 38-0 by Carolina / Next: At Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Sunday / The latest on the NFL
• Georgia High School Football Daily: Reviewing the state championships.
• Cartersville Purple Hurricanes celebrating a record four years for its seniors, including capping 2015 with the state AAAA football title.
• All the bowl matchups from ESPN. Georgia vs. Penn State on Jan. 2. Click

Hometown Headlines Radio Edition on WRGA 98.7 FM.
Please join our guests including:

• At 7:40 a.m.: Rome City Commissioner Evie McNiece on the latest with the Department of Revenue.
• At 8:40 a.m.: Dr. Brian Carroll, chair of Berry's Communication Department, on special sports series you'll soon be reading.