In a week that saw near-record rainfalls, the Toccoa City Commission is updating the city’s flood ordinance. City Planner Kay Morgan says the new ordinance is based on a model provided by the state and includes changes to standards for structures. "In particular, the things that are different with this ordinance is previously there were fewer guidelines or standards for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles," says Morgan. "Now, they have given many more standards and information that will help someone who will be wanting to place a manufactured home or a recreational vehicle in a floodway."

Morgan says anyone with property in a potential flood zone would be affected and citizens who want to find out if they are in a flood zone can look at the maps in the Planning Office at City Hall.  "This will affect anyone who has property located in a flood zone and they would like to build a structure that would have folks living in it, something that could cause a problem for their safety and this gives them the information they need if they want to be able to build there and do it safely," adds Morgan.

The move by the city commissioners follows a similar vote to update such an ordinance for the county. Stephens County Commissioners voted unanimously to update the county’s flood ordinance last month. Both the city and the county must have an updated flood ordinance to continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. For more information on the Toccoa flood ordinance, contact the Toccoa Planning Department at 706-282-3232.

In light of a sewer overflow during the remnants of Fay, the top water official in Toccoa says the city continues to work on minimizing rainwater working its way into the system. Water/Wastewater Director Don Dye says inflow and infiltration, including rainwater leaking into the sewer system, has remained a city priority for years.

Dye says they started a major effort to fix those issues in the mid 90s, testing sewer lines and fixing the inflow issues. He goes on to say those efforts continue today. "We have got about $500,000 budgeted this fiscal year to do slip lining, which is when we find a piece of sewer main that is cracked and potentially an inflow source, to actually put a new piece of pipe in there and it blows up and it can conform to the inside of the pipe and it just re-seals the pipe and increases the integrity of the pipe," says Dye.

Dye says the effort will take many years, comparing inflow and infiltration to "1000 little cuts" in the sewer system. In the meantime, the possibility always remains that during heavy rains like this week’s downpour, too much rainwater will get in the system, just like it did Tuesday.

According to Dye, a city employee discovered the overflow just outside of the Ward Creek Liftstation on Malik Drive around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday. The overflow lasted through approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday and the overflow amount may have totaled about 5,000 gallons. The overflow entered Ward Creek. Dye says there are no known water intake points within twenty miles of the spill and Dye calls the environmental impact "small," cautioning there are no good spills.

Dye says everything worked though, as it was supposed to during Fay. "The chief water plant operator called me several times, telling me a progress report that it is three feet from the manhole, two feet from the manhole, it just kept coming up," adds Dye. "Pumps are running and doing everything they should have done. It was just more water than they could catch up to." According to Dye, the Eastanollee Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant received seven inches of rain during Fay. Toccoa Creek received 9.5 inches of rain. Downtown, the WNEG studios received 9.19 inches of rain as of Wednesday morning.

Stephens County property owners will pay more in taxes this year. County commissioners approved a tax increase Friday night after a third public hearing by a vote of 2-1. Commissioners Kenneth Peeples and Harold Andrews voted for the increase, while Rex Anderson voted against it. The increase will take the millage rate from the suggested rollback rate of 9.579 to 11.32. Before voting on the increase, commissioners heard from a crowd of about 30 people during a public hearing lasting a little more than an hour.

Many people questioned why better planning did not take place to prepare for the costs of the new Stephens County Jail. The jail, and the 20 new jailers needed to operate the new facility, represents one of the main reasons supporters give for the tax hike. One of those criticizing was Ken Fewell. He said the commissioners should have known and should have spent more time worrying about it. "If you were on the county commission, you had an obligation to make certain there are no surprises for the taxpayers," said Fewell. "While I truly hate to be the one to say this, unfortunately, you have all failed miserably in this matter."

Many in attendance said they are on fixed incomes and cannot afford higher taxes and, in some cases with lakefront properties, rising home values to boot. They said times are tough, jobs are scarce, and the public can not handle a tax hike. However, some empathized with commissioners.

Steve Penny said the board sits in an unenviable position. "When you voted in SPLOST," said Penny, addressing the audience, "they took the money, they built the buildings, and they did the improvements, that we the taxpayer have to pay the operational costs. That is where we put the commissioners on the spot."

Commissioner Harold Andrews then spoke, calling the situation a "tough nut to crack." He said he has to choose whether to let the county live month-by-month, or commit to what he called "sound fiscal planning." The tax increase approved by commissioners, will amount to approximately $70 on the tax bill of a $100,000, fair-market value home with no exemptions, according to Stephens County Finance Director Phyllis Ayers. However, she said every tax bill is different due to a number of factors.

Law enforcement and school officials find the first day of school traffic a little bit confusing, but manageable. School officials flipped the drop off points at Stephens County Middle School so now parents come to the back of the building to drop students off and buses go to the front.

Stephens County Sheriff Gene Sorrells says he expects the confusion on the new traffic routes to the Middle School will ease up within the week. Middle School Principal Tony Crunkleton says the change in traffic patterns made for a somewhat slower pickup process at the end of the day, but pointed out that everyone will have to make the adjustment. "It is just going to take a lot of adjustment for all of us," says Crunkleton. "It is new to everybody, the school’s employees, the students, bus drivers, and cars."

The Toccoa Police Department reports its day went smoothly, monitoring traffic on Big A Road and Rose Lane. Over at the high school, one parent says he noticed it was actually easier to do to access the school because the traffic was lighter on Rose Lane. High School Principal David Friend reports the same. "We had a great start this morning, much smoother than we anticipated due to traffic concerns," says Friend. Overall, all officials report they expect traffic issues to dissipate in the coming days.

It is only Day One of school in Stephens County and high school officials are already focused on the graduation ceremony in May. Stephens County High School Principal David Friend says he is already encouraging students to look ahead and set personal goals. "Once again, from Day One, we are preaching that message to kids about making sure that they graduate, make the best of coming to school, and making sure they set their own personal goal of graduating and moving onto technical school or college," says Friend.

Last year, 71 percent of the class graduated, which is a 5 percent rise in previous graduation rates. This school year, the state of Georgia will require a graduation rate of 75 percent to make Adequate Yearly Progress. Previously, Friend said he felt this was achievable.

Meanwhile, at Stephens County Middle School, Principal Tony Crunkleton says his students and teachers are also focused on academics. "We just continue to work hard and our students know that when they come here, they have high expectations for them, we do, and their parents do as well," says Crunkleton.

Crunkleton points out that statewide test scores show Stephens County Middle School near the top and says he wants that trend to continue. He goes on to say the 2008-2009 school year has started out on a positive note. "For the first day, I think this is the best first day we have had in a long time, everything considered," says Crunkleton. Crunkleton says the school is planning to celebrate its academic success from last year and will announce the plans soon.

Funeral arrangements are in place for a Toccoa man killed in Hart County earlier this week. Services for Gabriel Brown will take place Saturday afternoon at Crossroads Baptist Church in Toccoa.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Brandon Gaines of Hartwell had bond denied, according to officials in Hart County, and remains in Hart County Jail. He is accused of murdering the 32-year-old Brown. Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland says Brown was found shot twice in the chest with a shotgun early Monday morning in the Nancy Hart community of Hart County.

After an investigation by both Hart County authorities and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Gaines was arrested and now faces charges of murder and aggravated assault. Authorities are continuing the investigation into the case. An official at the Hart County District Attorney’s Office tells WNEG it would be at least two to three weeks before the case was turned over.

A Seneca, South Carolina attorney representing that town’s police chief, Stanley Sheriff, says all charges against Sheriff have been dropped. Julian Stoudemire made that statement in a press release. In the announcement, Stoudemire says this has been a trying time, but they are glad the incident is over and Sheriff has had it resolved favorably. The attorney goes on to say that Sheriff, who says he had a stroke the day he was charged with shoplifting from the Toccoa Super Wal-Mart, is now 100 percent healthy and will hopefully return to running the Seneca Police Department.