Five candidates are vying for the county commission post one seat and none of them are the incumbent.

Qualifying ended at noon today but incumbent County Commission chair Steve Chitwood did not qualify. So far, four Democrats and one Republican have qualified for the County Commission Post One seat.

They are Anthony Thomason, Steve Tilley, Michelle Jamieson, and Jim Ledford all qualified to run on the Democratic ticket. The lone Republican candidate is local businessperson Harold Andrews.

There are four seats open on the Board of Education. For the District 1, Post 2 seat, Incumbent Jerry Steele will run against challenger Inger Neal – both are Democrats.

Republican incumbent James Thomas is running unopposed for District 2 Post 1 seat. Republican David Fricks is also running unopposed for the District Three Post One seat, held by Elaine DeFoor who has chosen not to run for re-election.

For the District 2 Post 2 seat, Republican Debra Juhan and Democrat Haley Knight have qualified to run for the seat currently held by Debbie Horton. Horton has also chosen not to run for re-election.

More moves by the Toccoa City Commission to find new sources of revenue for FY2007. In budget meetings this month, Commissioners found a couple of ways to help keep City government running – mainly by instituting new fees. One new fee involves people cited for traffic violations. Commissioners voted to impose a technology add-on fee to traffic tickets, according to City Manager Billy Morse.

"There will be a fee add on that will help the Toccoa Police their aging computer equipment," Morse explained.

Another source of revenue is a water tap fee for large commercial industrial customers. Morse says a fee of $1,000 per one-inch of pipe diameter will be charged – something he says is common in other communities. "So if an industry needs an 8-inch tap, that will now cost $8,000 and that is still very competitive with other communities and certainly within the state," Morse said.

Commissioners have also decided to have employees pay for part of their medical coverage, which is expected to save the City about $100,000 a year in insurance premium costs.

The Stephens County Grand jury has ruled there is enough evidence to indict local businessperson Edward Seay on multiple counts of child molestation and cruelty to children. The indictments returned last week involve several incidents that occurred between September and October 2004.

According to District Attorney Michael Crawford, Seay allegedly sexually molested his two children. Seay is charged with two counts of aggravated sodomy, two counts of aggravated child molestation, three counts of child molestation, two counts of cruelty to children and one count of furnishing harmful material to a minor.

Seay was to have been tried last October, but his attorney, Timothy Healy, argued the original indictment against his client was too broad and Judge Ernest Woods III agreed. Judge Woods then ordered Assistant District Attorney Rick Bridgeman to go back and provide specific dates.

This latest indictment outlines 11 specific instances of alleged child molestation between September 22, 2004 and October 2, 2004. Seay is scheduled to be arraigned in Stephens County Superior Court next Wednesday.

Another accused child predator has had his trial date postponed. Toccoa firefighter, Stacy Palmer was to have gone on trial in June. However, Assistant District Attorney Rick Bridgeman tells WNEG Palmer’s attorney has appealed Judge Earnest Wood’s decision to deny a motion to dismiss the 24-count indictment against his client.

GBI prosecutors told the Grand Jury that in January 2004, Palmer had in his possession nine digital images of children engaged in various sex acts. Prosecutors also claim that in April and July 2005, GBI investigators further discovered palmer had in his possession 15 computer videos of child pornography.

Details of the GBI investigation and what lead to the discovery of the photos and videos in Palmer’s possession have not been released.

A local program to encourage children to read more is holding a fundraiser this weekend in front of the Bi-Lo. Volunteers with "Read at Home" will be operating the Coke Wagon today and tomorrow, selling hot dogs and drinks. The money raised will go towards purchasing more books for the children of Stephens County, according to spokeswoman Lisa Prickett.

Through Read at Home, children receive an age-appropriate book each month in the mail from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The program is designed to encourage children to learn and dream through reading. It also helps eliminate the main reason why parents do not read to their children – the lack of books in the home. Pricket said since it began last year, the program has become very popular.

"We have had a lot of success and I’d like to say that since the program began we now have over 500 children in Stephens County who receive a free book each month," Prickett noted. And comments from parents as well as children has also been encouraging, according to Prickett, who says kids usually can’t wait to get their book each month.

The hot dog and Coke sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow. Larger box lunch orders for offices can be called in to the store at 706-886-0453

If you plan to travel to Atlanta next week, you will find yourself slowing down around the SR316 interchange. The Georgia Department of Transportation announced plans to lower the speed limit to 55MPH on I-85 from Sugar Loaf Parkway while the interchange is being reconstructed.

DOT spokeswoman Teri Pope says fines are doubled for speeders in a work zone, which can be up to $2,000 per offense. The slower speed limit is expected to remain in effect during the entire construction project, which should be completed by the end of 2008.

Stephens County’s unemployment rate dropped more than a percentage point in March, according to the State Department of Labor. The unemployment rate last month was 4.5% - down from 5.6% in February and down almost two full percentage points from the same time last year when it was 6.3%.

In addition, more people found work in March than in previous months in Stephens County. The labor force in the County last month was 12,907. Of that, 12,324 people were employed, while 583 were without jobs

Toccoa City employees will soon have to pay for part of their health insurance coverage. During discussions the past month on the FY2007 budget, City Commissioners voted to require employees contribute to their medical plans beginning in the new fiscal year. City Manager Billy Morse says with ever-increasing healthcare costs, it was just time to make the change.

"I suppose for some it’s a little and for others it’s a lot, but it’s a significant first step for us and the Commission felt like this was a good first step for our health insurance coverage," Morse said. "Health insurance coverage for the City and everyone is spiraling out of control and this is one way we felt would keep those costs in check," he said.

In the past, the City has paid the entire premium for its employees. Last year, Commissioners argued it was a necessary benefit to compensate for the lower wages Toccoa pays compared to surrounding municipalities. However, Morse said employees are now starting to see their salaries rise.

"We’ve been working on that for the last two years and this year we’ll be doing a cost of living increase. However there will be some job categories that we are going to have to look at, no doubt about it. We know for a fact that other communities have a better compensation package for some of the jobs than we do and we’re going to have to correct that or else we’re going to be faced with losing some good employees," Morse explained.

The exact amount employees will contribute has not been determined, but the move is expected to save the City about 7% or $100,000 a year in premium costs.

A Toccoa man is facing child molestation charges after authorities say he was caught in the act. Stephens County Sheriff’s investigators arrested 35-year old Timothy Lee Marcus of Yearwood Street for allegedly exposing himself to children, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tim Jarrell. "The arrest is the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Stephens County Sheriff’s office after receiving complaints of a white male exposing himself to children as they passed by his residence," Jarrell said.

The investigation took several weeks according to Jarrell but authorities got a break when a concerned citizen brought photographs of Marcus to the Sheriff’s Office. "They contacted the Sheriff’s Office and brought a photograph in that shows Marcus actually exposing himself to children as they went by the house," he alleged.

Marcus is charged with one count of child molestation and is being held in the Stephens County Jail on $20,100 security bond.

The Stephens County Courthouse Restoration Authority is planning the next phase of renovations now that work was completed on the Courthouse dome, clocks, and tower. You may have noticed the new paint color atop the dome of the 100-year old courthouse. Authority spokeswoman Dale Mosely says it is not the original color, which was a pewter white. "Different people had suggested a green, called Charleston green and we started looking at that. We also looked at other courthouses in our area that had been redone and we went from there. I think it’s a good choice," Mosely said.

In March, the authority awarded a $50,000 painting and roof repair contract to Melton Painting Company of Statham, GA. Mosely said they are now ready to look at the next phase of restoration work and will be putting out a call for bids. "Our next step is to come down and redo the windows and also do some more painting. We will announce for bids so that local companies will have a chance to bid on the project and we’ll go from there," she said.

In January, the County Commission awarded $300,000 in SPLOST IV money to the Stephens County Restoration Authority to begin immediate structural repairs.

Less than 24 hours to go for anyone wanting to run for local office. Qualifying ends at noon on Friday and so far, only three candidates have qualified in the race for the four available seats on the Stephens County School Board.

Those seats include District Two Post One currently held by James Thomas, District One Post Two held by Jerry Steele, District Two Post Two now held by Debbie Horton, and District Three Post One held by Elaine DeFoor.

On Wednesday, David Fricks qualified for on the Republican ticket for the District Three Post One seat.

Elaine DeFoor has indicated she does not plan to run again. Both Thomas and Steele qualified for their seats on Monday.

In the County Commission race, two Democrats and one Republican have qualified so far for the seat now held by Commission Chair Steve Chitwood.

Michelle Jamieson and Jim Ledford on running on the Democratic ticket and Harold Andrews has qualified on the Republican ticket.

It was a packed house Tuesday night for the Northeast Georgia Community Concert Association’s season finale concert. Southern Gospel group, The Hoppers appeared at Garrison Auditorium and according to Concert Association president Terry Carter, it was the most-attended performance of the entire concert season.

"We had 926 people in attendance at the Hopper concert this week," Carter noted. "That’s more than we’ve ever had at any of our concerts. We completed our 10^th season and we will be announcing our next season line up soon. Over the whole concert series this past year, we had over 4,000 people attend," he said.

Now in its tenth year, the Northeast Georgia Community Concert Association works to bring quality entertainment of all varieties to our part of the state. In addition, with the success of this past season, carter says the Association is planning another star-studded line up for next year.

"We’re trying to stick with some standards – ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet and the Atlanta Symphony and add more nationally recognized names just to grow it in popularity and quality each year. We are hoping to be able to after some additional grants. We have numerous people from the Seneca, Lake Keowee, and Lake Rabun areas attending our concerts so we’ve become a little nucleus for the arts and concerts," Carter said.

The Stephens County Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy met yesterday on the Courthouse lawn to honor those Confederate soldiers from here who fought for the South during the Civil War. Wednesday was also Confederate Memorial Day.

Daughters of the Confederacy president Frances Ray says they meet every year to place a wreath at the foot of the Confederate Soldier monument. Recently, Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed April 2006 as Confederate History month in Georgia. After placing the wreath, Ray read the Governor’s proclamation and then the group said a prayer for the South and for Georgia.

The Georgia Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was formed in 1895 and currently has 68 chapters across the State.

There are now two democratic candidates for Stephens County Commissioner. This morning, local businessman Jim Ledford qualified on the Democratic ticket for the seat now held by Steve Chitwood.

Ledford has served as a County Commissioner in the past. He joins Democratic candidate Michelle Jamieson who qualified on Monday.

Yesterday, Harold Andrews qualified for the County Commission race on the Republican ticket. Andrews has been the Republican representative for the Stephens County Board of Elections and has served on the Consolidation Study Committee. He resigned from the Board of Elections Tuesday, according to County Registrar Theresa Kelly. Andrews so far is the only Republican to qualify for the County Commission post.

Meantime, still no word on whether Chitwood plans to run for re-election.. Chitwood tells WNEG he has not decided yet what he will do. Qualifying continues through Friday.

About 120 workers at the Propex, Inc. plant in Seneca, SC will soon be without jobs. Yesterday, the Company announced it is closing the plant on Shiloh Road beginning in mid-July. Human Resources Director Al Westmoreland says the Company plans to move the Seneca operation to Ringgold, GA. "After our buyout this year, we decided it was best to consolidate our operation into one plant," Westmoreland said. "So we are moving the Seneca operation down to our Ringgold plant, so that everything is in one facility" he said

Based in Chattanooga, TN, Propex Fabrics, Inc. is a leading producer of polypropylene carpet backing and geotextile fabrics for furniture, bedding, and other industrial products. Westmoreland says the Company plans to help displaced workers find new jobs. "We’ll be back down there in three weeks to work with the South Carolina Department of Labor to help our teammates find new employment. Of course, we will also offer anyone who wishes an opportunity to move to Ringgold if they interested," he said.

Propex plans to shut the Seneca facility down completely by early November. This is the third area textile manufacturer to announce closings in recent weeks.

Last month, Fruit of the Loom announced it is closing its Rabun apparel plant throwing over 900 employees out of work, and South Carolina-based Springs Global told 340 workers in Hartwell they will lose their jobs when the company closes a yarn plant and a weaving plant there.

Coats Federal Credit Union is opening a satellite office and changing their name. Recently Coats Credit Union president David Miller requested and received approval for a sign variance for the new location from the City Planning Commission.

Coats will change its name to Traditions Federal Credit Union and is planning to open a new office in the Currahee Corners Shopping Center – the location of the Super Wal-mart store on Highway 17 and the 17 Bypass. The new location will not have a drive-through service, but will have a night depository.

The City of Toccoa is attempting to help the Recovery Academy find enough funding to keep the doors open.

Director John Gailor came before the commission asking for help in emergency funding so that the nationally recognized program could survive through the summer.

City Commissioner Andy Pavliscsak said that the city is very much in favor of the program and supports it, but financially, there isn’t much they can do…

"The City Commission loves the program and supports it, but our budget is pretty tight and cannot give John the kind of financing that he needs to keep the place going," Pavliscsak explained. "I had a chance to talk to Senator Nancy Schaefer over the week-end about the situation and asked her if it would be possible to get some money from the Governor’s Emergency Fund."

Senator Schaefer had announced earlier that she had obtained a $20,000 grant for the academy. But Pavliscsak said that the money may be too little too late and that the Senator has agreed to seek additional funding immediately….

"She did manage to get about $20,000 from the ’07 budget for the academy, but that money will not be available until July. John is afraid that he will not be able to keep the doors open that long. So we are hoping that we can step in and help speed up and the process."

Gailer told WNEG News earlier that he has already told the academy’s four employees, who are now working without pay, to start looking for new jobs.

Legacy Link, Georgia’s older worker network is seeking nominations for its 2006 Older Worker of the Year and Older Employer of the Year awards. Given annually to an older worker in the Georgia Mountains area by Legacy Link, the older worker award recognizes the skill, dependability and positive work ethic associated with workers 60 years of age and older.

It also honors those persons in the workforce who have made significant contributions to their companies or organizations through their creativity, loyalty, hard work, knowledge, and productivity. Business owners have until May 23 to submit their nominations. Winners in the Georgia Mountains division will go on to compete for the state title at the state conference August 18^th in St. Simon’s Island.

The Division of Aging, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Rehabilitation sponsor this year’s statewide conference and recognition luncheon. To nominate an older worker, contact Sue Pelfry with Legacy Link at 770-538-2660.

Most of the news regarding Hurricane Katrina has centered around the City of New Orleans.

But the entire Gulf Coast was battered by last year’s storm and is just now starting to come back to life. But it is life that defined by hardship, desperation and need.

A group from the Toccoa First Baptist Church went to Mississippi recently on a mission trip to try and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Henry Fields was one of those who made the journey He said that what he saw was a coastline completely demolished. A 25-foot wall of water washed inland for 13 miles, stayed for 36 hours and then when it went back, it literally sucked everything out of most of the houses in it’s path. Those homes are now somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Fields said the people of the area are still in desperate need of the bare necessities. It’s a place where we forget there are people after a passing of time, "Dr Fields told WNEG News, "There are just other things happening in our lives. But there are folks down there who have nothing. They are just existing. We would served between 250 and 300 people a day in the distribution center everyday. They didn’t have water, they had just enough food for a day because they had no place to store it. And they had very little clothes and nowhere to take care of them."

He indicated that there are groups all over the country who are trying to help pitch in and build homes and provide relief for these victims, many of whom cannot leave, but who have nowhere to stay." I told Commissioner Morgan that the trip was very rewarding, but very depressing. You think about how much you have that you throw away and don’t use. These people don’t have anything to use. If we can help them in just any little way, it is greatly appreciated and they let you know just much they appreciate what you do for them.

There are organizations that are going down there to help and there are agencies that will direct you to certain areas where you can best help them."

He echoed the feelings of many experts who said it will probably be at least 20 years before these communities will be rebuilt.

Senior citizens in Stephens County got some good news from Governor Sonny Perdue yesterday – along with seniors across the state. The Governor signed HB848 into law, which provides a property tax exemption for Georgians 65 years of age and older.

HB848 exempts senior citizens from the state portion of the property tax. The tax exemption will appear on the November 7 ballot. If approved by the voters it will become effective January 1, 2007.

The estimated revenue impact on Georgia if it becomes effective is $6.8 million in FY2008 and $7.3 million in FY2009. Perdue says signing the legislation is his way of saying "thank you" to a generation that helped build Georgia and the nation.

An Atlanta developer has big plans for the Craven ranch in Banks County. At a recent Maysville City Council meeting, Neal Hughes of Clear Creek Communities outlined his idea to build upscale homes, a golf course, golf club, hotels, health club, tennis courts, an equestrian center, and spa.

The home would range from estate homes to family homes, villas, and golf cottages. Home prices would range from $300,000 to $800.000. The Diamond C Ranch, owned by Joe Craven, owner of "The Pottery" in Commerce consists of 1,400 acres and borders Banks, Jackson and Hall counties.

Earlier this month, Craven announced his plans to sell The Pottery, along with the adjoining land and his ranch. Craven said after 35 years in business, he wants to do other things, but still plans to run the Pottery in some fashion in a different location.

Maybe he wanted to put some shrimp on his "barby." Whatever the reason, a Toccoa man is now charged with shoplifting after taking approximately $135 worth of shrimp from the Toccoa Ingles. It happened last Thursday night.

Timothy Taylor of South Pond Street in Toccoa was arrested and charged with shoplifting and criminal trespass.

A Good Samaritan is rethinking his offer of a ride after finding his gun stolen. Jerry Robinson of Mountain City told Toccoa Police he gave a woman, whom he knows only as "Iris," a ride Saturday night to a liquor store on Currahee Street.

He discovered the .38 Special missing from his car. Robinson told police he is not certain the woman took the weapon however, because he always leaves his car unlocked.

Police are investigating a case of criminal damage to property at the Ace Hardware on Big A Road. It happened sometime overnight last Thursday. Store workers called police when they discovered approximately a ton of fertilizer dumped out onto the ground behind the store. The bags of fertilizer had a retail value of approximately $500.

This week is National Infant Immunization Week – an annual observance to promote the benefits of vaccinating infants against preventable diseases by age two. This year, National Infant Immunization Week is being held in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization’s vaccination week in the Americas. The U.S. will join together with 35 countries in the western hemisphere to concurrently promote the need for routine vaccinations for infants and children. North Health District Director Dr. David Westfall stresses parents and guardians should get required vaccinations for their children on schedule.

Recommended immunizations for infants and children include:

• Hepatitis B

• Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and a-cellular pertussis vaccine

• Type B influenza

• Measles, mumps, and chicken pox

• Hepatitis A

• Influenza

• Meningococcal vaccine

• And pneumonococcal vaccine

Parents with questions about any of these vaccines should contact the Stephens County Health Department or their local pediatrician.

Voters in Stephens County will be electing new County Commissioners and Board of Education members when they go to the polls in November. The primary is coming up July 18^th this year and if you’ve been considering running for either of those offices, qualifying begins today and runs through Friday.

All local Democratic candidates must qualify with the Democratic Party Treasurer, Jay Green. His office is located at 125 W. Doyle Street next to the WNEG studios.

Republican candidates must qualify with Republican Party President, Kelli Austin.

You can call Austin to set up a time to qualify by calling 706-599-7159.

All state offices are also up for grabs this year and so far, State Representative Jeanette Jamieson has announced her intention to run for re-election. Also, former 50^th District State Senator Carol Jackson announced in February her intention to run against incumbent Republican Nancy Schaefer.

Anyone interested in qualifying for state offices, must qualify in Atlanta at the Secretary of State’s Office.

The only candidate to qualify so far this morning is Michelle Jamieson. Ms. Jamieson, running on the democratic ticket, qualified for post 1 on the Stephens County Commission.

Coming up this week is Toccoa’s annual celebration of all things food. "Taste of Toccoa" is scheduled for Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the downtown mall.

Food offered this year will come from some of the area’s finest and most popular eating establishments, according to Main Street Director Connie Tabor.

All food must be purchased with tokens, which may be gotten ahead of time at downtown banks and businesses. Not only will there be great food to sample and enjoy, tabor says they expect another great line up entertainment this year and exciting activities for kids, such as a rock wall, giant slide, a moon bounce, pony rides and train rides to name a few.

Taste of Toccoa is sponsored this year by AM630-WNEG, Toccoa Main Street, First Franklin Financial, the Toccoa Record, Northland Cable, News Channel 32, D.A. Little, and Coca-Cola.

The Georgia Department of Labor reported the state’s unemployment rate declined to 4.5% in March, that’s down six-tenths of a percent from 5.1% in February.

The lower rate, according to State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond resulted from a substantial number of Georgians finding work. The number of people employed in Georgia last month increased by 30,452, according to Thurmond.

Georgia added 20,800 non-farm jobs from February to March and gained 102,700 new jobs over the past 12 months.

It’s a very nice place to be. Today, AM630 WNEG is celebrating our 50^th Anniversary in Toccoa-Stephens County with a host of interesting guests, music and some old jingles that will take you back in time. But the memories and fun don’t end today. Station manager Phil Hobbs says events are planned throughout the rest of the year in honor of AM630’s Golden Anniversary.

"We didn’t want this to be just a one-day celebration. What we want to do is celebrate with the listeners throughout the year. In late summer, we plan to have a free public concert. We also are planning some trips, and there will be an anniversary WNEG keepsake. We could even have some bigger surprises down the road so my advice is to keep listening," exhorted Hobbs.

Some of the folks you’ll be hearing from today include former employees such as, Steve Dillon, Billy Dilworth, and Charles Head. Of course the founders of WNEG radio and television – the Gaines family: Roy, Chuck, Evelyn, Stuart, Ron and Roger, will be on hand in the 9:30 hour to share their memories of AM630.

So, you’ll want to leave the radio on all day today and take a trip down memory lane with us as we look back on 50 years of WNEG radio in Toccoa.

It’s been just over a week since a little lab puppy was rescued from a 50-foot deep well. Today, Joan Allen with the Stephens County Humane Society says the pup is ready for a new home.

"The puppy is now ready to be adopted. She’s been spayed, she’s had Drontal to get rid of all her worms, and she’s been bathed and groomed and had all her shots," Allen noted. "She’s a very personable, friendly puppy who hammed it up for the reporter when he came to do a story about her. And she just wants a loving family. She’s a very, very nice gentle dog," she concluded.

According to Allen, the puppy does not appear to have been traumatized by spending a night and most of a day at the bottom of the old well behind Easy Street. After being rescued, the pup, whose legs had been duct taped, was taken to Dr. Hitchcock in Lavonia for a full evaluation.

The puppy did not suffer any serious injuries from her ordeal and Allen says she will likely grow to be a happy, medium-sized housedog.

"She’s definitely a yellow lab mix. She’s about three-quarters grown and will not be a big dog. She will likely be a medium sized dog. She won’t be as big as a lab because she’s already six months old now and she’s not anywhere near the size of a lab," Allen said.

This week, 18-year old Jonathon Butler of Easy Street, the man who first called 9-1-1 to report the puppy was in the well, admitted to deputies that he was the one who had tied the puppy with duct tape and dumped her there. He’s charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty and faces a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

Anyone interested in adopting the puppy or one of the other two puppies that had been abandoned with her, should call Joan Allen at 706-779-5917 or 706-419-5151.

'Tis the season for the creepy crawlies to come out. No, we’re not talking about bugs. We’re talking about another kind of vermin – the kind that prey on the elderly to take their money. Yesterday, State Representative Jeanette Jamieson received a call from a senior citizen to report yet another scam.

"We got a call at my Toccoa office from an elderly Stephens County citizen that said they had gotten a call from a man who said he was with the Governor’s office and he wanted to come by her home on Monday and help her with her bills," Jamieson explained. "He said he was with a newly created government office that helped the elderly with their expenses. To begin with that sounded too good to be true. So we contacted the Governor’s office and John Bozeman in the Governor’s office said there is NO such program," she said.

Legitimate help from the government would come through a state or federal agency. "I think most people are familiar enough with government to know that government doesn’t go door-to-door to try to assist you. These kind of programs are operated through agencies. You apply for the assistance and of course if you qualify you receive it," Jamieson said.

The spring and summer months are typically when con artists emerge offering all kinds of services that are really designed to rob their elderly victim, according to Stephens County Sheriff’s office spokesman major Tim Jarrell. "In the past we’ve had people go to residences and claim they were there to check the meters, or check the right of way or that sort of thing," Jarrell noted. "They will typically ask for a glass of water and once they gain the trust of the homeowner who would allow them in the house for the water, they would take the victim’s pocketbook or wallet or anything of value," he said.

Jamieson says she worries about her senior constituents this time of year and asks anyone who thinks someone is trying to con them, to get their phone number and call 9-1-1 immediately. "I’m very concerned that this is another scam or a con artist who has created this to try to get money out of our elderly which their money is so limited to begin with," she said.

Sheriff Gene Sorrells and Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire advise everyone to never give out personal information over the phone to anyone and don’t accept services from strangers going door to door – no matter how legitimate they may appear to be. They also suggest you try to get the caller’s phone number and turn it over to authorities.

The Habersham County Sheriff’s office has confirmed that the Public Defender for Habersham and Stephens County was arrested for DUI and driving on the wrong side of the road Wednesday night.

Leslie Jean Cardin was charged with DUI after she was stopped by a Habersham County Deputy driving south in the northbound lane of the 365 Connector.

Reports to WNEG indicate that Ms. Cardin was released on bond Wednesday night.

Toccoa police are keeping an eye out for anyone purposely damaging vehicles. On Tuesday, police received several calls within minutes of each other from motorists reporting damage to their cars. All of the damage reports happened in the parking lot of fast food restaurants, according to Police Chief Jackie Whitmire.

One of the incidents happened at the Taco Bell Tuesday night. The vehicle’s owner told police someone busted out the rear passenger window of his 2003 Dodge Stratus. And a 1990 Pontiac Grand AM was damaged in the parking lot of the Dairy Queen. In that instance, the driver side window was completely shattered and the rear side window was also shattered. The officer reported finding a hole in that window about the size of a BB pellet in the center of the window.

Most of us don’t like taking tests and next week, Stephens County School students have a big one. It’s called the "Criterion Referenced Competency Test." A weeklong test begins Monday. "All it is a yard stick to measure student progress in their learning," School Superintendent Gary Steppe explained. "The state has standards at each grade level and we use the results of those tests to evaluate how effectively we’re teaching students and isolate any areas that we may need to improve on," he said.

The stress of test taking can many students nervous, but Steppe says there are a number of things students can do to ensure they will do well. "First of all, the most important thing students can do is relax and know that they’ve been preparing for this all year long," Steppe said. Other tips for doing well next week include:

I cannot believe they voted "Ace" off American Idol. And if you do not register by today for this year’s "Currahee Idol" competition, you might be out of luck as well. Today is the very last day to enter the second annual singing contest, which is slated for Saturday evening, April 29 at the Schaefer Center.

Just like last year, there are four categories of contestants:

A winner will be chosen in each category. Winners will receive $50 in cash; a trophy and an interview and opportunity to sing live on AM630 WNEG. The entry fee is $10 and entry forms are available here at wneg radio or at your local school. If you need more information, contact the producer, Bob Snead at 706-886-5549.

A major bottled water company is partnering with the Georgia labor department to hire workers displaced by hurricane Katrina. Nestle’ Waters North America, Inc. Needs workers to fill numerous vacancies around the country.

They will be conducting a career opportunities expo tomorrow (Saturday) at the North Metro Career Center on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nestle Waters’ objective is to hire qualified applicants who are interested in relocating outside of Georgia.

Some of the positions they hope to fill include route sales reps, customer service reps, telesales reps, fleet technicians, production operators, and maintenance mechanics.

Some of the locations they are recruiting for include California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

If you’re interested in getting more information, contact the department of labor offices today at 404-298-3970.

Few people attended yesterday’s first public presentation of the consolidation study results. Members of the Consolidation Study Committee – now the Consolidation Education Committee – were on hand at the senior center on rose lane to go over what the committee discovered, but only about eight people showed up to hear it.

It was disappointing to consolidation education committee members, but Committee spokeswoman Daphne Paxton said they are undaunted. Paxton says they are working to come up with different ways to get the information out to citizens. "One of the things we’re going to do is have some kind of brochure with the information printed up and available," Paxton explained. "The other thing I want citizens to realize is that this presentation only takes about 15-20 minutes. So, it is not something that is going to be over a two-hour block of time. So when we get the civic groups and the churches and the other areas that we’re looking at bringing this to, we’re hoping that we’ll have a better turnout and we’re hoping to get the word out to more people through that venue," she said.

Right now, there is no plan to consolidate services in Stephens County. However, if such a plan were to move forward it would first have to be approved by the Georgia Legislature and voted on by the citizens of Stephens County.

Toccoa City Commissioners will meet this afternoon with County Commissioners and members of the Stephens County Development Authority to continue their discussions on a countywide sewer system.

Members of the Development Authority’s Infrastructure Committee are expected to go over the recommendations made by the engineering firm of Carter and Sloop – the company that conducted the sewer system feasibility study.

The Committee will then make a number of recommendations, including continuing the move towards applying for larger wastewater capacity at the Eastanollee treatment plant. Another recommendation according to director Mitch Griggs has to do with actually building the county sewer system.

"One of the directives of this particular committee was to evaluate where would be good places for the local governments to extend service lines to facilitate future growth," Griggs explained. "So we have come up with a map that will outline sewer expansion for about a 20-year horizon," he said.

While the primary purpose for installing a countywide sewer system is to attract new business, Griggs said they are also planning for the residential growth they hope will come with an expanding economy. "By all means, the plan is for residential, commercial, and industrial," he said. Tonight’s joint meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the commission meeting room at City Hall.

The Stephens County School Board is realizing some extra sales tax revenue it was not expecting. At this week’s school board meeting, School Superintendent Gary Steppe reported the school system took in over $296,000 in sales tax last month.

That money comes from the 1-cent sales tax allocated to the school system through SPLOST. Steppe told board members he was encouraged by the windfall of extra tax revenue and thinks the school system’s finances might be turning a corner.

"Our first thought was, ‘Well Wal-mart is open and that’s the reason it’s up. Then when we analyzed it, we realized we get the tax revenue two months after it is collected. So, this was collected in January and the Super Wal-mart did not open until February 1. We feel very good and very upbeat about the possibilities in the future," Steppe concluded.

Steppe said the extra tax money also takes some of the burden off the property owners. The extra money will be used for a number of things, according to steppe, including the purchase of new school buses and will go towards future building projects.

Auditions will be held next week for the Toccoa-Stephens County Community Theatre’s summer production of "Once Upon a Mattress." Directed by Greg and dale Austin, it’s a play based on the fairytale, "The Princess, and the Pea." "It was a musical made popular in the early 60s by Carol Burnett, noted director Greg Austin. " It is actually the most performed musical in the country today, which is funny because most people have never heard of it. We need people of all ages. We’re hoping to have cast members as young as six and we’ll go up to as old as we can get ‘em," he said.

The Austin’s are looking for people who can sing, as well as those who can dance. However, it is not necessary to be great at either, according to Austin, you just need a desire to be a part of the show.

Austin says anyone who comes to the audition should be prepared to sing.

Auditions will be held next Tuesday and Thursday, the 25^th and 27^th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and again on Saturday, the 29^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are interested in auditioning for "Once Upon a Mattress," contact Greg or Dale Austin at 706-886-3929.

Another resurfacing project has started in northeast Georgia. Resurfacing of nine miles of state route 106 in Madison County to state route 59 in Franklin County got underway yesterday. The work will be done each weekday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weather permitting. This week, crews are removing the top layer of asphalt on state route 106. The resurfacing work is expected to begin next week and a pilot car will lead motorists through the work areas.

The annual Spring Edition of Special Olympics will be held Friday morning at the Stephens County High School track.

Connie Keeling from the high school invites the public to come out and support these athletes. "We’ll be having our Special Olympics events at the high school Friday morning at 9am for elementary, middle and high school students." Ms. Keeling said. " We’ll be giving our students ribbons for their efforts, but in our eyes, they are all winners."

Ms. Keeling said that winners of the respective events will go on to state competition at Emory University in May. "We will be having the 50 meter dash, the 100 meter dash, a softball throw, the standing long jump and the running long jump. And then we’ll have the wheelchair races where the students in wheel chairs will race each other."

Volunteers are always needed for Special Olympics. If you would like to volunteer to help these athletes, show up at the high school track about 8;30, go to the volunteer desk and sign in and see Connie Keeling who will assign you to one of the athletes.

Barrow County is planning for more growth by considering a gateway overlay district for the area between Highways 124 and 211. The area leads into Barrow County from its exit on I-85 and a consulting firm has been working with Barrow County to study and make recommendations on a corridor overlay, according to a report in the Norton Native Intelligence Market Watch.

County leaders believe an overlay in the area from Highway 124 to Highway 211 on the Gwinnett/Jackson County line would provide a means of addressing traffic control and would keep the character and quality of growth cohesive. They also believe it would encourage citizens from surrounding counties to shop in the area more heavily in the future.

Caterpillar cranes and other special railroad equipment are on the scene of yesterday’s train derailment on East Currahee Street. The heavy-duty machinery will move the damaged freight cars off and repair the track today, according to workers at the site.

Several cars from a freight train hauling seed corn slipped off the tracks in front of the Toccoa Casket Company and American Heritage Furniture about 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters and police on scene say it appeared part of the track simply gave way and slid down into a ravine. Workers at the American Heritage Furniture Company tell WNEG they heard what sounded like an explosion just before the cars derailed.

Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire says anytime there is a derailment such as this, the first concern is whether there is hazardous material involved.

"That's an extreme danger to first responders and the people in the surrounding neighborhoods," Whitmire explained. "So the police and the fire department personnel know to look for hazardous material sites before they can get close. Luckily it looks like these cars full of whole kernel corn for feed and there's a lot of it spilled so it will be awhile before the railroad gets this cleaned up and straightened out," he said.

Meantime, Norfolk Southern representative Robin Chapman inspectors will investigate the accident.

"Once everyone on the site is satisfied that everything that needs to be inspected has been, then the rest of the freight train will decouple and continue on, Chapman said. " Then investigators from Norfolk Southern will come to the site and look over the accident to determine how it happened. After that, the damaged cars will be moved to a side track to be salvaged later or picked up by a towing service and taken away," he said.

At this point, it is not clear who owns that stretch of track, whether it is Norfolk Southern or Hartwell Railroad, which is owned by Great Walton Railroad in Social Circle. Great Walton manager Dave Bishop tells WNEG he believes Norfolk Southern owns the track, but said he is researching his contracts to find out where responsibility for fixing the track lays.

Construction of the new county jail is a go. This week, County Commissioners approved the contract with Peter Brown Construction, the company who will build the facility, after hearing from County attorney Brian Ranck.

"All the changes that you put in were agreed to by Peter Brown Construction," noted Ranck. "We got the changes which change the HR procedure from being a mandatory procedure to being a discretionary procedure, should you all choose to do that. We also are placing venue and jurisdiction in Stephens County should any dispute arise. The one or two paragraphs that you wanted to be taken out have been removed to eliminate any confusion. Based on that, I would recommend that you go ahead and adopt the contract as it is drafted," he concluded.

At this month’s regular meeting, Commissioners discussed several concerns regarding the contract with Peter Brown construction. Those concerns included how the company was to be paid and how differences would be mediated.

At the time, County Administrator Darrell Hampton had warned Commissioners that the longer they delay, the longer it will be before a site can be selected and construction begins. Now that the contract has been approved and signed, the next step is to choose a site for the new facility.

Originally budgeted at 7.2 million dollars in SPLOST IV funds back in 2002, inflation has increased the cost of the new jail to just over $8 million.

The County has agreed to renew its contract with the Piedmont Northern MANS Unit. At their called meeting Monday, Commissioners heard from County Administrator Darrell Hampton who said the amount the County pays for their service is minimal.

"This is the agreement for the grant that used annually in helping fund the operation of the Piedmont Northern MANS Unit. You have a modest amount of funding that's in the general fund, and this is a grant that has to be signed and turned in by April 28th which is prior to your next meeting," Hampton told Commissioners.

Stephens County will pay just under $14,000 as their part of the funding for the agency, which works with local law enforcement in 10 Northeast Georgia counties. According to Sheriff Gene Sorrells, his department has worked closely with the Piedmont Northern MANS Unit since 1997.

A Toccoa man charged with two counts of statutory rape and one count of theft of a motor vehicle will soon be on his way back to Stephens County from Washington, DC. This week, the Stephens County Sheriff’s office received a call from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington notifying them that 22-year old Dominic Cash had been arrested there.

Stephens County Sheriff spokesman Major Tim Jarrell says cash was arrested in Washington after being pulled over on a routine traffic violation.

"The private warrant was taken for him for theft by taking of a motor vehicle. He was actually found in Washington, DC in the motor vehicle," Jarrell said. "And when they ran a warrant check on him through the National Crime Database, it came back that he had an outstanding bench warrant in Stephens County for failure to appear," he said.

Cash has waived extradition and will be brought back to Stephens County by two Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies. "We had a deputy leave Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. He will spend the night in Washington, DC and pick him up in the morning at 9 a.m. and drive back with him," explained Jarrell. "We had a transport company lined up but the feds only gave us three days to pick him up or he would be released, it was going to cost the County anywhere between $2,800 - $2,900," he said.

Jarrell said the Mountain Judicial Circuit will reimburse the County for the cost of transporting cash back to Georgia.

Georgia DOT District Engineer Russell McMurray announces Norfolk Southern railroad will be reworking two railroad crossings in Lula in Hall County.

Weather permitting, the railroad crossing on State Route 52 will be closed beginning Tuesday morning April 25^th and remain closed overnight until Wednesday, April 26.

If weather allows, the railroad crossing on State Route 51 in downtown Lula will be closed Tuesday morning May 2^nd and remain closed overnight, reopening Wednesday morning, May 3^rd.

Murray explained "Norfolk Southern is reworking their crossings to make them smoother for vehicles crossing the tracks. Similar work is being done at railroad crossings all over Northeast Georgia. Although the Department of Transportation is not doing the work, we wanted to let you know because you will be impacted by these closures. Please avoid these areas and plan to use an alternate route while work occurs."

Cingular, Verizon and Sprint PCS customers may dial DOT (368) and AT&T customers can dial #DOT (#368) for current traffic information.

A traffic stop on the Big A Road has led to multiple charges against a Toccoa man.

Thirty-three year old Charles Phillip Hunter of Abbey Lane has been charged with Driving Under the Influence, Failure to Maintain Lane, Fleeing and

Attempting to Elude and Headlight and Tail Light violations.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s office investigated a burglary on Oak Valley Road. Harold Ledbetter told deputies that a trailer and camper on the property had been entered, .but he didn’t know if anything was missing. Several vehicles on that property had also been entered, but again, nothing was determined to be missing. An extra watch has been placed on the area.

Last week, he called authorities to report a puppy had been thrown down a well. Today, he is charged with cruelty to animals.

18-year old Jonathon Stacey Butler of 9039c Easy Street in Toccoa admitted to Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies yesterday that he was the one who threw the puppy into the well. According to Stephens County Sheriff’s office spokesperson Major Tim Jarrell, Butler became a suspect when he kept changing his story.

"What he told authorities who arrived on the scene was different from what he told deputies during a follow up investigation and follow up interview," Jarrell noted. "When we spoke to her and got statements from neighbors and got statements from them, there was a lot of discrepancies in his stories all the way around," he said

The puppy was one of three strays that neighbors say had been dumped on their street. Originally, Butler told deputies the puppy, which he had been feeding, had not shown up for its food last Monday morning.

He said he heard its cries in the covered well while looking for it. But Jarrell says Butler’s story did not fit with the story he told dispatchers.

"Mr. Butler told the dispatcher and deputies when they first arrived on the scene that he could see that the animal was taped up, his paws and his mouth and other things were taped up. When deputies arrived, they could not see in the well to determine if in fact there was any tape on the animal. And it was not until the rescuer went into the well that he was able to determine there actually was. We even used our high-powered flashlights in an attempt to see into the well and were not even able to see," Jarrell explained.

Butler is charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty which carries a $1000 find and up to a year in jail. The female lab mix puppy is now recovering from its ordeal in the care of the Stephens County Humane Society and will eventually be put up for adoption.

Meantime, an anonymous donor had offered a $100 reward to find the person who committed the act of cruelty. That money will likely be returned, according to Sheriff Gene Sorrells.

Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire is praising the officers responsible for capturing a Florida man suspected in at least two bank robberies in North and Middle Georgia. On Saturday, Toccoa police arrested 44-year old Michael Collier of Middleburg, Florida after spotting his van coming out of Emory Johnson Park.

After a brief car and foot chase, Collier was captured. Collier is accused of robbing the Bank of America in Gainesville last Thursday, as well as a CVS Pharmacy, and is also wanted in Macon for robbing a bank there.

"This guy has a very lengthy criminal record," noted Chief Whitmire. "I don’t think he’s been out of prison more than six months in the last ten years. He’s a violent fellow and I’m extremely proud of our guys and the FBI is too for being alert and getting this guy off the streets of Toccoa," he said.

The FBI was delighted with the news of his capture, according to Whitmire. In addition to the bank robbery charges in Hall and Bibb counties, Collier now faces additional drug possession charges in Toccoa.

"As a result of our investigation, they found some crack cocaine in his vehicle so the FBI is going to charge him with federal drug charges too and wrap all these cases into one. He’s being investigated for some other open cases as well so our police officers did a real good job on this one," Whitmire said.

After last week’s bank robbery in Hall County, Gainesville Police put lookout on Collier for all of North Georgia. Whitmire said Collier might have been in Toccoa Saturday to see relatives.

"The information that I got from the Gainesville Police Department said that he had relatives here, but I think he was riding around trying to buy drugs. That’s how our guys spotted him," noted Whitmire.

Collier is now in the Bibb County jail facing bank robbery charges there. The FBI believes Collier may be linked to even more bank robberies and other crimes across Georgia.

Warm weather is upon us and that means the threat of rabies will be on the increase. On Saturday, May 6, the Stephens County Humane Society will be conducting its annual rabies clinic in Stephens County.

Three local veterinarians will be participating in the afternoon event at a number of locations around the county. Drs. McDougal and Hanson will be at the following locations:

1 p.m. – Senior Center

2 p.m. - Rock Creek Baptist Church

3 p.m. - Eastanollee Elementary

4 p.m. - Martin Baptist Church

Dr. Lila Windus will spend a half hour at each of the following locations beginning at 1 p.m.:

1 p.m. – Tony’s Store on Highway 123

1:30 p.m. - The old foundry on Highway 123

2 p.m. - Toccoa Creek Baptist Church

2:30 p.m. - Reflections Restaurant

3 p.m. - Carter’s Store on Dicks Hill

3:30 p.m. - Currahee Vet Clinic

4 p.m. - Tates Creek Baptist Church

And Dr. Laura Steele will be at the following locations beginning at 1 p.m.

1 p.m. Shiloh Volunteer Fire Department

2 p.m. Whitman Street Center

3 p.m. Carnes Creek School

4 p.m. New Hope Baptist Church

For exact times or more information, contact Joan Allen with the Humane Society at 706-779-5917.

Lavonia Police have arrested five suspects in connection with gambling. It happened in the 3^rd Street area of Lavonia – a section of town Chief Randy Shirley said is known for its illegal activity.

"Our officers were able to apprehend five individuals that were shooting dice," Shirley said. "They recovered the dice, recovered the money, and got admissions from all five. They face misdemeanor gambling charges in municipal court," he said.

Arrested were 39-year old Alonzo White, 18-year old Terry Williams, 26-year old Terrence Burtch, and 18-year old Brandon Beasely – all of Lavonia. Also arrested was 18-year old Shawn Smith of Lithonia, GA. All five were released on bond and are expected to appear in court in Franklin County in May.

In March, Lavonia Police and agents with the Piedmont Northern MANS Unit arrested four people and charged them with operating illegal video poker machines out of a house on Textile Avenue.

After a month of mishaps and a lot of rehearsal, the Toccoa-Stephens County Community Theatre’s production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" is set to debut later this week. The play was supposed to be presented last month, but during rehearsals, the lead actor, who asked not to be identified, somehow fell down a flight of stairs at the theatre – breaking both wrists. The actor was rushed to Stephens County Hospital where she was treated for her injuries. Now, six weeks later, she is still healing and undergoing therapy.

The play’s director, Jennifer Wood, said she had to make a decision about whether to go on. "We had over five weeks and we were holding onto the possibility that she might be able to come back," Wood explained. "But due to her injuries we did not want her to re-injure herself, so we decided to go ahead and recast her with her permission. We waited for her to tell us what she wanted to do and we recast her," she said.

Also, one of the lead male actors also fell ill last month and is also not able to go on with the show. It was a production that seemed to be doomed, but Wood said the challenges only brought the cast closer together.

"The cast is great, we’ve become a big family at the Schaefer Center. We get a lot of work done and I get a lot of help from the people who have been involved. They want to see a good production. They want to be able to give something to the community. The community will enjoy it and that has made it all worthwhile," Wood concluded.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond has announced the Georgia Department of Labor’s 2006 Summer Internship Program. Thurmond says they will be looking to fill 65 internships this summer.

"The Department of Labor summer internship program is open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors who are attending both four-year and two-year universities and colleges, as well as students attending our technical colleges," explained Thurmond. "We believe it’s a great way to build your resume and gain skills that can be carried into your future careers and make important contacts in the government and business world," he said.

Toccoa Police are on the lookout for three suspects who stole over $800 in merchandise from the new Super Wal-Mart and did about $400 worth of damage in the process.

Loss Prevention Officer Tanya Griggs told police that he store had a video tape of forced entry into a display case in the electronics department in which a Compaq lap top was taken and the case was also damaged. The computer was valued at $830 and approximately $400 worth of damage was sustained by the case. In addition, one of the suspects wore a red Georgia jacket out of the store that he didn’t pay for.

All three suspects are white males. The first suspect is about 21 years, approximately 6 foot and weighing about 165 pounds. The second suspect is about 60 years old 6-2 ,180 lbs and the third suspect is approximately 30 years old, 5-8 and 190 pounds.

Once again, the Georgia Department of Transportation will be out and about on Northeast Georgia roadways – this time not to close a road, but to get motorists’ opinions. The GDOT will conduct roadside surveys on SR 365 and Georgia 400 this month, according to spokeswoman Teri Pope.

"We want to know how the people who use the road, USE the road," Pope said. "How often they travel the road, where they go or how long they travel - all the way into Gainesville or Atlanta or do they just use it for a short trip. When we understand how people are using the roads, it will help us understand how we need to improve the roadways," she said.

Weather permitting, the roadside surveys will be held April 26 in Habersham County for 365 and on May 3 for Georgia 400. According to Pope, survey personnel will be wearing safety vests and will ask motorists to pull into a median opening along the roadway to answer a few questions.

"We will be pulling random cars over asking you a few simple questions, no personal questions, just questions like, "what is the purpose of your trip," and "how many times a day or week do you use this road?'," Pope said.

Pope says they are trying to warn people who use both highways ahead of time so they are not caught off guard. In addition, motorists should expect some traffic slowdowns near the area where the surveys are conducted.

The Georgia Office of Homeland Security honored Hart County’s school superintendent this week.

Nancy Clark and her staff were recognized in a special ceremony Monday for her work in adopting an approved safety plan for Hart County schools.

In 1999, legislation was passed that requires every public school in Georgia to develop and implement a wide-ranging safety plan that addresses acts of violence or terrorism, natural disasters, hazardous materials, and radiological incidents.

GEMA Acting Director Charley English praised Clark for creating a plan for all six Hart County schools.

Need more time to file? This year, federal and state income taxes are due at midnight on Monday, April 17. In addition, even though taxpayers are getting an extra two days to work on their returns this year, it still might be enough time for many.

Taxpayers needing more time to complete their 2005 returns are urged to e-file their extensions. E-filing an extension, according to IRS spokesman Eric Erickson, is a convenient safe; secure way to apply for extra time.

You can e-file your extension at no cost from your home computer or through a professional tax preparer.

Last year, 9.4 million extensions were filed with the IRS. Just a reminder, an extension of time to file does not give you extra time to pay. If you owe taxes, you must pay them by midnight Monday or request a payment plan from the IRS.

A new group in Stephens County is trying to help those who have loved ones serving in the military.

It’s called, MOST or Military Outreach Support Team. Group member Liz Necita says the group came together last fall.

"We tried to form a group to support each other during the time our sons and daughters are in the military. We are trying to do fundraisers to buy items for care packages. Right now, we're sending them to relatives of our members in Stephens county because that's where most of our members are from," Necita explained.

Right now, there are about 10 members who meet once a month, according to Necita. However, they are encouraging anyone with family who is or who has served in the military to join.

"It doesn't matter if it's a son or daughter, parent, sister or brother. If you used to be in the military or are currently in the military or have a family member serving, then you are welcome to become a member," she said.

Necita says they hope to one day have support groups formed in surrounding counties. This month MOST will be holding two days of fundraising on April 28 and April 30 at the Super Wal-mart in order to raise money to put together care packages for family members serving overseas.

"We sent out letters and we're trying to get businesses in the community either to donate an item we can raffle or to donate just a monetary fund either towards purchasing items to send or to use towards the postage we need to send the care packages," Necita explained.

So far, the group has had three servicemen in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and two who recently returned home from Iraq.

They’re known as repeat offenders in Lavonia – now a Lavonia woman and her friend are facing multiple drug, weapons, and theft charges. 38-year old Debbie Cornell brown of Lavonia was charged with shoplifting, drug possession, and other charges after police pulled her over for a routine traffic stop, according to Police Chief Randy Shirley.

"One of my officers observed the young lady driving. She was not able to maintain her lane and as a result he executed a stop. During the course of the interview with her, he determined that she was under the influence of alcohol. He also found items in the vehicle that were stolen from the Chevron station and also there was some other items in there - a weapon and some trace methamphetamine from a pipe," Shirley said.

Brown was charged with two counts of theft by shoplifting, possession of marijuana, DUI, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug related objects, open container, no tag, and no insurance.

Her passenger, 35 year old Teresa Ann Dickens of Anderson, South Carolina is also charged with two counts of theft by shoplifting, possession of marijuana and drug related objects and open container. Shirley says both are career offenders in Franklin County and have lengthy criminal histories. Brown is being charged as a third-time repeat offender and faces a court hearing on May 15.

Georgia’s initial unemployment claims rose in March. Last month 31,383 laid-off workers filed first time claims for unemployment insurance benefits. That’s up 5.1% from February. Initial claims were up from 30,477 filed a year ago for an overall yearly increase of 3%.

In Stephens County, 135 workers filed for first-time benefits last month. That’s down from 183 in February and almost half from March 2005 when 242 workers filed for unemployment benefits in Stephens County.

Another Stephens County family is without a home after fire destroyed their house this morning. The blaze broke out about 9:30 this morning on West Silver Shoals Road in Eastanollee. Four volunteer fire departments, Eastanollee, Shiloh, Tates Creek, and Carnes Creek responded within in minutes, according to incident commander Jamie Gaddis. "When we arrived fire was showing through the roof and we started our attack on it. It took approximately 30 minutes to get control of the fire," Gaddis said.

Firefighters are still on the scene putting out hot spots. Homeowner Richard Burton said he was outside mowing the lawn and his teenage daughter was upstairs on her computer when he saw smoke coming from the carport area.

"I just saw smoke over there where the carport is. I don't know where it started. I just looked back over there and that's the area where I saw smoke," Burton said.

Burton praised fire fighters for their quick response and for helping to save as many of the family’s photographs and personal effects as they could.

This is the third major fire in Stephens County in two weeks. Last week, two homes in Shorewood were totally destroyed by fire and yesterday fire burned down part of the Toccoa Casket Company.

The old Wal-mart property will soon be occupied with at least two new retailers. In January, Vanguard Properties, a commercial real estate developer closed on the old Big A Road store and gave Wal-mart 90 days to get the remainder of their equipment and stock out of the building.

Vanguard owner Tim O’Neil says they’ll take possession of the building at the end of April and have leased half of the space already.

"We have signed leases with Tractor Supply Company, which is roughly 26,000 square feet and with Bell's Clothing Outlet for 14,000 square feet. We are talking with two other users that would essentially split the remaining 30,000 square feet and if we get those two deals, we will be full," O’Neill explained.

Starting out serving the needs of farmers and ranchers near Minot, North Dakota, Tractor Supply now has over 600 stores in rural communities all across America. Tractor Supply is a one-of-a-kind niche retailer with virtually no competition and is doing very well on the NASDAQ, according to O’Neil.

"Their stock has been a very good performer. They're an extremely profitable company with no competition at this point," he said.

O’Neil says Bell’s clothing outlet is a family-owned business that should also do very well in Toccoa. "They're very, very capable merchandisers. We've done many deals with them over the years. They're a private company and have several