Some Toccoa Water customers will be without service Saturday. Toccoa Water/Wastewater Director Don Dye released an announcement Thursday, stating a scheduled interruption of service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in an area just south and east of the intersection of Big A Road and Currahee Street. Dye says they must turn the water off in order to replace a leaking fire hydrant.  "It is just an old fire hydrant and it has been leaking for quite a while and we have got to take down the system to be able to repair the fire hydrant," says Dye. "The problem is nowadays, we put a hydrant isolation valve, a valve that when you want, you can just turn off the hydrant. In the old days, they did not do that. They put line valves throughout the system, so you have to go back and cut the lines off, which of course, puts our customers out of water."

Dye says a number of streets in the area known as Harris Street Subdivision will be affected. "Well, basically from the intersection of Big A Road and Currahee Street, east and south, down to Harris Street," adds Dye. "Now, not all of the streets in there will be affected and the businesses that face Big A Road will not be affected because they are off of a different line."

According to Dye, Norwood Avenue and Glendale Street also will not be affected. He says affected streets include Cherokee Boulevard, Ola Street, Louise Street, Jones Street, Seminole Drive, and a portion of Harris Street. Dye says the town apologizes for the inconvenience this causes. He assures residents affected by the interruption that the water will certainly be back on by 5 p.m. Anyone with questions should contact Toccoa City Hall at 706-886-8451.

Stephens County EMS will replace their old crash/extraction truck QRV with a new one in the near future. Stephens County Commissioners approved a bid Tuesday to purchase the truck from Custom Truck and Body Works. Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says there were two bids to provide the truck. "A bid from Custom Truck and Body Works for $130,807 and a bid from Freedom Fire Equipment for $138,595," says Ayers.

Ayers says staff recommends the low bid from Custom Truck and Body Works. "This is SPLOST IV money and they only have enough money left to cover the Custom Truck and Body Works bid at $130,807," adds Ayers. Aaron Wilkinson with Stephens County EMS says both bids met the requirements they had for the truck.

According to Wilkinson, this is the truck they take out on calls with entrapment, rollover accidents, and accidents at major intersections. The new one will replace their current truck, which is 30 years old. He adds the new truck is expected to meet their needs for the next twenty years.

A Toccoa man is facing a shoplifting charge with some meat to it. Toccoa Police state in a report they responded to Ingles’ on Wednesday afternoon. In the report, an Ingles’ employee states they saw the suspect allegedly stuff about $26 worth of steaks down the back of his pants. As the suspect attempted to leave the store, officers say they stopped him and asked him if he had anything. After a search, police say they found the meat down the back of his pants and removed it. Cary Brooks Culbertson of Toccoa was then arrested for one count of theft by shoplifting. He was released from Stephens County Jail on bond.

Meanwhile, police in Toccoa also continue to investigate an alleged theft over this past weekend. In a filed report, police say they responded to a home on Argo Street this past Saturday in reference to the alleged theft. The victim says he was out of town and when he returned, he noticed his 70cc dirt bike was missing from his bedroom. The dirt bike is valued at approximately $500.

A federal agency promoting water conservation is putting a new twist on an old tradition in order to save water. The Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource, Conservation, and Development Council, which serves 13 Northeast Georgia counties including Stephens County, is selling rain barrels to individuals in order to collect and recycle rainfall.

The council’s special projects coordinator is Nianne Mullis. She says the concept is really quite simple. "Generally speaking, we have a 55-gallon, food grade, plastic drum that we cut a hole in at the top, so that it can be a receptacle for the water," says Mullis. "Then, we have an overflow that we have in the back to let out any extra, additional water and then there is a spicket at the bottom, so people can access it with their garden hose."

Mullis goes on to say it is a very practical way of re-using rain water, adding you can collect quite a bit from a rainstorm. "A lot of people do not realize that for every inch of rain that falls from your roof, and it is just like 1000 feet for example, you can expect to collect 600 gallons of rainwater," adds Mullis. "That is a huge amount." The 55-gallon rain barrel can be purchased from the RC&D Council’s office in Demorest for $65, already assembled. Their offices are located at 170 Scoggins Drive in Demorest. For more information, people can call 706-894-1591.

A local business is open at a new location. Toccoa Computers held a ribbon cutting with the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce Thursday. WNEG’s Tracy Burt was there and spoke with owners Ken and Rada Riggle.

Ken Riggle says the new location is a great opportunity. "Rada and I are really excited to be here at our new location out here on Mize Road," says Ken. "We have got a bigger facility, a better facility. There is good parking. Come on out and see us or call us and we will come out and see you on your site and get your problems fixed. We do a wide variety of services, networking, remote access, remote controls, security, anything to do with troubleshooting your network and your computer problems or even individual PC problems."

Rada Riggle says they appreciate their old customers and look forward to meeting new ones. "We go on site," says Rada. "We serve companies mostly. We also serve individuals. We have a good following of customers. They are happy with us. We love them. Come and see us." Again, Toccoa Computers is open at their new location on Mize Road in Toccoa. Their phone number is 706-886-8282.

STEPHENS CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARRESTS TWO FOR DRUGS, OTHER CHARGES
February 28, 2008

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office has two people under arrest on multiple charges, including some that are drug-related. On Sunday, 28-year-old Donald Paul Thomas of Westminster, South Carolina was arrested after a traffic stop. According to the report, deputies stopped Thomas on Highway 123 for what started as a possible improper tag case. During the course of the stop, Thomas was arrested and charged with one count each of possession of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm during a felony, and possession of drug-related objects. There is no word on exactly how much methamphetamine Thomas allegedly had on him at the time of his arrest, but authorities say it was a small amount. Thomas was released on bond, according to the Stephens County Jail.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident on Tuesday, Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 37-year-old Patricia Michelle Dodd of Toccoa. According to authorities, Dodd is accused of stealing a vehicle and attempting to sell it to a scrap yard. The vehicle was listed as a 1982 Buick Primer. Dodd was charged with one count each of theft by conversion and theft by deception. Deputies also allegedly found Dodd in possession of an small amount of cocaine. That led to a charge of possession of cocaine. As of last report from the jail, Dodd remains in custody.

STEPHENS CO. COURTHOUSE RENOVATION AUTHORITY MEETS
February 28, 2008

The Stephens County Courthouse Renovation Authority says work inside the old courthouse is moving very quickly. Wednesday, the Authority held their monthly meeting and discussed progress on the ongoing renovations. Authority Member Henry Fields says the ceiling is complete in the courtroom, the elevator is almost finished, and work is underway on lighting and vent covers, among other things.

Fields says if the current pace keeps up, they could be finished inside by the middle to end of April. "If you go over there, you will see that it has moved very fast since we started the ceiling and wall work and everything else is just waiting to be put in," says Fields.

Fields adds the longest remaining task inside may be the laying of the tile on the floor, which will not start until the county seal is chosen through a contest that is still accepting entries. As the interior renovations begin to move towards completion, the authority is beginning to turn their attention to the outside of the historic courthouse. Tuesday, Stephens County Commissioners gave the authority permission to take on the landscaping responsibilities. Regarding the landscaping, Fields says he wants to make it nice and blend it in with the ongoing downtown Toccoa streetscape project.

Authority Member and County Commissioner Rex Anderson says the landscaping is very important to the overall project. "I know we are going to have a beautiful facility over there and I hope I live to see it because I expect it to be very nice but the thing is, it is just like putting on a brand new suit and a dirty pair of shoes," says Anderson. "If you do not get the landscaping right, then it is going to take away from it so much."

The Authority decided Wednesday to bring in a landscape architect to assist on this issue. Whatever the authority decides to do, there seems to be plenty of money. Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says there is over a million dollars left still at the Authority’s disposal. Architect Gene Barrington says they are in good shape financially. "You are less than 45 percent into your money and you are probably 80 percent into the project or better," says Barrington. There is no word on a completion date for the whole project at this time. The Courthouse Renovation Authority next meets on March 26.

TOCCOA CITY COMMISSIONERS PURCHASE "BRUSH TRUCK"
February 28, 2008

The City of Toccoa is buying a new truck, but it will not get to actually smell that new truck smell until summer. After receiving nine bids for a new knuckle grapple boom loader truck, city commissioners voted Monday to buy a 2008 F-350 from Peachstate Ford Trucks in Norcross. The bid price is $94,350. City Manager Billy Morse says the truck will not be delivered until July.

In addition, commissioners voted to finance the truck through the Georgia Municipal Association lease pool, which offers an interest rate of 2.5 percent. Morse explains using this financing mechanism gives commissioners a range of options. "The first payment would not be due until November 1," says Morse. "That gives the city commission lots of options as far as the next budget year. They can opt to budget for the entire purchase price and pay it off without actually leasing it or they can make the lease payments over a five-year period." In the discussion about financing the truck, commissioners seemed to unanimously agree that paying cash for the truck in this fiscal year would not be the best choice.

Earlier, City Finance Director Emory Stephens told commissioners that they did have the cash to buy the truck outright, but explained such an expense would be over the budget. In Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Bob Troup said it is the commission’s responsibility is "to stay within the budget." A $20,000 payment has been included in the current budget. A knuckle boom grapple loader truck is the brush truck that collects yard debris from city residents.

LEADERSHIP TOCCOA-STEPHENS COUNTY HOLDS GRADUATION
February 28, 2008

Stephens County leaders gather to honor some of their own, along with some potential up-and-coming leaders. Tuesday, Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County held its annual graduation ceremony for the class of 2007 and 2008 at the Currahee Campus of North Georgia Technical College.

Leadership Board Chairman Roger Guimond says the goal of Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County is to introduce people in the community to this area in more depth in the hopes that they will assume leadership roles and take on volunteer opportunities in Toccoa and Stephens County. Guimond says it is an involved process for those who go through it. "Basically, they are nominated to be in the class and then once voted on and accepted, we set up five sessions a year and the board members go through and take them through the various sessions to learn more about the community," says Guimond.

Guimond says this year’s graduates are a special class. "We started back last September with the sessions," adds Guimond. "We have got a great class this year. We also have a youth class out of the high school and we are excited about that." The graduates also announced a class project they would participate in for the benefit of the county. The graduates will perform landscaping work in a number of areas. Guimond says anyone who wants to nominate someone to get involved in next year’s Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County should contact him through the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce.

CITY OF BALDWIN FIRE DEPT. RECEIVES GRANT FROM FEMA
February 28, 2008

A Northeast Georgia community is receiving nearly $50,000 from the federal government to help purchase equipment and fund programs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced recently the City of Baldwin Fire Department has received about $46,500 through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant. Such grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to fund health and safety programs, as well as buy equipment and response vehicles. Nationally, these grants, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide over $490 million to fire departments and emergency medical service organizations throughout the country.

Stephens County Commissioners have two finalists to choose from to fill the Post of County Administrator. Tuesday, Commissioners announced the names of the two finalists for the position. Those names are Jack A. Butler of Orlando, Florida and John Rutan of Baldwin, Georgia.

Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says both men have experience in County Government. "Jack has extensive administrative experience," says Ayers. "John has a lot of experience working with counties, but he has not particularly been an Administrator. John is currently with Southern Engineering as a Project Manager, and Jack Butler is currently with Butler and Butler, self-employed."

According to their respective resumes, provided to WNEG by Stephens County, Butler has worked as a Department Director in the Chattanooga area, as well as with Department of Transportations in both Georgia and Florida, along with the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Centers, including some work with Stephens County through that department. Currently, his work involves planning, development, and consulting services to Governments and the private sector. Rutan, meanwhile, has been a department head in Henry County for 13 years and is currently working with a number of different projects in his role as a project manager for a private firm. There is no word on when a decision will be made on who will replace Darrell Hampton, who resigned last year.

Lavonia Police are still waiting on DNA evidence to make an arrest in a burglary case last week. Police Chief Randy Shirley says someone broke into the Lavonia Clinic last week, but left behind evidence that may point the way. "There was DNA left at the scene," says Shirley. "I spoke directly to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director this morning and they are going to test and type the DNA evidence. Once it is received at the crime lab, we feel very confident that not only will we solve this burglary, but some previous burglaries as well."

That evidence came after the burglar broke a glass window and unlocked the door to the Highway 17 building. Some money from the manager’s office and a snack machine was taken. Shirley says a man became a suspect after a nearby business owner noticed him walking in the rain from the clinic to his car, which was parked a distance away. "A business owner stated that a black male with a hood on was parked in her driveway," adds Shirley. "After she had closed, she saw him walking up Crawford Street, away from the Lavonia Clinic, and she thought it was odd because it was raining and with the car being parked down at her business, way away from the Lavonia Clinic."

When officers interviewed him, they noticed fresh cuts on his hands. Shirley says the man consented to releasing the DNA, which is now being analyzed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Cable television is on the minds of the Toccoa City Commissioners. At the meeting Monday, commissioners voted to send a letter to American Broadband Cable encouraging them to add WXIA Channel 11, the NBC affiliate out of Atlanta.

WXIA was removed from the channel layout in November 2005 after it could not reach an agreement with Northland Cable about use fees. Mayor Andy Pavilskack says he has had complaints from citizens about not getting that channel. "We have had complaints from the public," says Pavliscack. "People who would like to receive Channel 11. Unfortunately, the FCC has broken the market into the Greenville market and the Atlanta market and we fell into the Greenville market. What goes on in Greenville does not affect our lives as much as what goes on in Atlanta." He points out that ABB is under no obligation to follow the suggestion of the city commission.

Commissioner David Austin abstained from the vote since he works for a different television station. In a separate discussion about cable TV, commissioners voted to establish a franchise fee which would apply to companies that hold franchises issued by the state.

City Manager Billy Morse says the move comes after a change in state law that allows cable companies to get a franchise agreement from either the local government or the state. "Tonight, we approved a resolution that allows the city commission to charge up to five percent for any cable franchise fees for folks that want to sue our city rights of way in the future," says Morse. He says last night’s resolution does not affect the current agreement between ABB and the City of Toccoa. Once that agreement is up, ABB can get a franchise from the state or it can continue to use the city rights of way for a fee of up to five percent. Morse says that fee pays the cost of the city having to maintain the rights of way.

State Forestry experts say now is the time of check hemlock trees for the hemlock woolly adelgid. The hemlock woolly adelgid is an insect that wipes out hemlock trees if not treated. The Georgia Forestry Commission’s Scott Griffin says they have seen the hemlock woolly adelgid in ten counties throughout North Georgia.

Stephens County Extension Agent Forrest Connelly says it is more prevalent in certain area, but it is definitely a threat. "We do have some sightings of it, but not as much as they have it up in Habersham and Rabun counties, but that is not to say it will not come here," says Connelly. "I am sure eventually it will."

Where the woolly adelgid is present, it poses a severe threat to hemlock trees. Griffin says tree death can occur in as few as three years of infestation. Connelly says they feed on the hemlocks to kill them. "They are on the leaves, you know, the needles, and you can see there is really, tiny white spots on it and what they will do is they will suck on that plant and suck all the juices out of it and that will kill those leaves because if you do not have the leaves, you cannot produce food for the tree," adds Connelly.

Despite the threat, there are treatments, according to Connelly, who says the necessary insecticides can be purchased at most home and garden stores. "Well, the best thing is a imidacloprid and you can get it anywhere," says Connelly. "You can use it as a root drench and what it does, it gets in the tree and that way when the insects pierce on it, suck on it, that is when it kills them," says Connelly. "The best time to treat them, of course, would probably be in about the next month, when everything really starts growing." Griffin, meanwhile, says one application is good for two years. He says it requires a special tool, which is available through the Georgia Forestry Commission. For more information, either call the Stephens County Extension office at 706-779-5501 or go to www.gatrees.org.

A Toccoa man is missing his open-wheel trailer after an alleged theft over this past weekend. The Stephens County Sheriff’s Department met with the victim on Sunday regarding the alleged incident.  The man on Lake Louise Road says someone allegedly cut the fence around the building and took a 16-foot black open wheel trailer. The trailer is valued at about $1,000. The investigation continues into the case.

Meanwhile, Toccoa Police are investigating an alleged theft on Grove Street over the weekend. The man filing the report with authorities claims a Chevrolet engine was stolen from the barn in his back yard. The value of the engine is listed at about $2,000.

A Toccoa man is dead after an accident in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park Rangers, with assistance from Tennessee officials, recovered the body of 24-year-old Matthew Johnson from Toccoa from a submerged vehicle found in the Little River in Blount County.

Park Spokeswoman Nancy Gray says Johnson was traveling east on the Little River Road and failed to negotiate a right-hand curve when he left the pavement on the north side of the road. She adds Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier fell about 25 feet into the Little River, flipping and landing on its roof, almost fully submerging it. A passing motorist discovered the vehicle about 8 a.m. Monday and reported it to Park Rangers. It is believed that the accident occurred in the middle of the night, but the exact time of the accident is unknown.

A wreck in Toccoa sends a van onto its side and cuts a telephone pole in half. Police in Toccoa responded to Currahee Street, just past the intersection with Big A Road headed towards South Carolina, just after 10 a.m. Monday.

A white van driven by Steven Pearce of Gainesville, Georgia had overturned onto its driver’s side, heavily damaging that side of the car and smashing the windshield. In addition, a telephone pole was sliced through by the van, according to witnesses. A witness says the van was traveling on Currahee Street, headed towards South Carolina.

The pole was sliced in half but remained standing. One lane of traffic was blocked. However, police were shepherding traffic through the other lane, keeping the cars moving. Toccoa Police, Toccoa Fire, and EMS officials were all on scene working the wreck.  Pearce was transported to Stephens County Hospital, complaining of pain and possible minor injuries.

For a local tax preparer and legislator, it looks like the tax man cometh. State Representative Jeannette Jamieson owes the state of Georgia over $45,000 in unpaid taxes, according to information from the Georgia Department of Revenue. According to a list of delinquent tax payers updated Friday by the Department of Revenue on their web site, Jamieson, listed as Mary J. Jamieson, owes $45,734. We called Representative Jamieson’s office here in Toccoa, but she was not in at the time and she has not returned our call as of yet. According to other published reports, Jamieson says she takes responsibility for her actions and has agreed to make payment by March 15.

Two children are back home in Virginia after Lavonia Police found them in a local motel with their mother who did not have custody of them. Police Chief Randy Shirley says a tip from the Commerce Police led Lavonia Police to the Sleep Inn near I-85 and Highway 17 last week. "My officers arrived and she was there and knew why my officer was there and indicated that she had taken her two children from Virginia without permission," says Shirley.

Shirley says Rhonda Laughlin, age 39 of Ila, had a protective order against her in Virginia forbidding her from taking the children out of the state. The kids, a boy and a girl, were released to their uncle. "We contacted DFCS (Department of Family and Children’s Services) and DFCS out of Madison County worked with us to release the two children, a nine and a 10-year-old, to their uncle," adds Shirley.

Laughlin faces possession of marijuana charges in Lavonia, plus other charges in Jackson County and Dawson County, Georgia. These are in addition to the kidnapping charges filed in Virginia.

Progress continues on finalizing Stephens County’s E-911 addressing system. Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says they have now finished finalizing the Martin addresses with the system and Postal Service, as they had finished with Toccoa and Eastanollee earlier this year. "The Martin E-911 addresses went into effect on February 9, 2008, but no postcards have gone out at this time for the Martin addresses as we are still working on the Toccoa routes at that time," says Ayers.

Stephens County officials decided upon finalizing all of the E-911 addresses to send postcards providing the new addresses to residents as a way of making sure everyone was on the same page. That process started weeks ago, but county officials say they are sending the postcards in small waves and not at once, so not all of the postcards have gone out at this time. County officials say they will notify the public when all postcards have been sent.

After getting the new addresses online, Stephens County Commissioners decided to give residents one year to officially get their new addresses posted at their home or business for emergency response purposes. The U.S. Postal Service also says residents have one year from the switch to get their mail moved to the E-911 addresses. That one-year deadline is set at January 5, 2009.

County Extension Offices in Stephens County are settling in to their new home. They recently moved from the Stephens County Courthouse Annex out to Eastanollee. County Extension Agent Forrest Connelly says they are now located in the old Eastanollee Elementary School. "It is at Wolf Pit and Eastanollee School Road," says Connelly. "If you are going towards Lavonia on Highway 17 from Toccoa, you make a right at the Eastanollee Post Office and just go to the end of the road and we are right there on the right."

Connelly goes on to say that the new facility is working out well. "They did really good," adds Connelly. "Here, we have so much more room. It is going to be a lot easier to do our programming and I am sure we will get some good things done down here." The office hours for the Stephens County Extension Office remain the same. They are open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 706-779-5501.

A Toccoa man is missing a piece of welding equipment after a possible theft last week. According to a report filed with Toccoa Police, officers arrived at the Toccoa Motel in response to a reported theft between February 20 and February 21. The complainant says that sometime between 6 p.m. on February 20 and 7 a.m. on February 21, a piece of welding equipment was allegedly stolen from the back of his truck. The welding equipment is valued in the report at $1500.

Meanwhile, a broken down car somehow got away from the parking lot of a Toccoa business in a second possible theft. Toccoa Police report that a woman says she was operating her 1990 Geo Prizm on February 7 when it broke down on Big A Road. The car was parked in the parking lot of the City Buffet and Grill with the permission of the business. The Toccoa woman says when she went to check on the car on February 16, it was gone and the restaurant says they did not move it.

Finally, someone may be cleaning up with someone else’s property. A man living on Terrell Drive reported an alleged theft to Toccoa Police. The man states that sometime between February 9 and February 15, a red and black push mower and yellow Eureka vacuum cleaner had gone missing from the residence. The missing items are valued at $125. Police continue to investigate all three cases.

Stephens County is getting over $200,000 for a pair of area road projects. Friday, State Representative Jeannette Jamieson announced the awarding of around $239,000 to Stephens County through the Department of Transportation’s Local Area Road Program, also known as LARP. Jamieson says the money from the LARP program will fund 100 percent of work planned for Scott Road and High View Road.

She says it is good to know money is coming for area transportation projects. "It is re-assuring at a time when all of the publicity that you hear about D-O-T funding is that there is no money, to see that indeed the money that is available, continues to flow down to locations such as ours and makes this kind of work available," says Jamieson.

Jamieson says she also appreciates the efforts of Stephens County in obtaining the grant. "It is their responsibility each year to prepare a LARP list," adds Jamieson. "Then, the Department of Transportation puts a needs number to each of the roads listed and then as a result of that, they apply the dollars." Representative Jamieson goes on to say she looks forward to more money for similar projects coming down the line in the future.

A long-time Stephens County law enforcement officer wants to move up to the top spot. Captain Jimmy Mize has announced that he is running for the office of sheriff in Stephens County. He says the decision came after talking to friends and family, as well as a lot of thought.

Mize says he wants to continue moving law enforcement in Stephens County forward. "We have got some issues, talking with people in the community and county, that they want addressed and need to be addressed," says Mize. "I just want to be a progressive sheriff and continue to lead the county in an upward motion."

Mize was born in Stephens County and graduated from Stephens County High School. He began his law enforcement career in 1993 with former Sheriff Don Shirley and has continued under current Sheriff Gene Sorrells, working in a number of different departments.

For the last few years, Mize says he has gained valuable experience as a member of the command staff. "During the last few years, I have been in the command staff position with Sheriff Sorrells and gotten more into completely the daily operations and stuff of the Sheriff’s Office," adds Mize. "I am very familiar with the workings of the jail and the courthouse and actually all aspects of the department." The Stephens County Sheriff will be elected later this year.

Toccoa City Commissioners will consider two zoning variance recommendations from the city planning commission next month. Last week, the Toccoa Planning Commission heard from developers Cap Toccoa, LLC on their variance requests. City Planner Kay Morgan says the requests are in order to move forward towards bringing a Walgreen’s to the corner of Collins Road and Big A Road.

Morgan says they are making two requests for parking-related variances. The first, according to Morgan, is requesting a change in the number of required parking spaces for the property and proposed size of the store. "Based on the square footage of the floor area, our ordinance called for 73 parking spaces," says Morgan. "The developers requested to supply 56 parking spaces."

Morgan says the second request involved the size of the parking spaces in the lot. "Our ordinance called for the spaces to be 9.5 feet by 19 feet from white line to white line and the developers were asking that the spaces be reduced to 9 feet by 18 feet," says Morgan. Both requests, according to Morgan, fall in line with normal standards at Walgreen’s locations.

The Toccoa Planning Commission recommended both requests for approval by the city council. Morgan says those requests will go to Toccoa Town Commissioners at their meeting on March 24. Nothing has been finalized though regarding Walgreen’s coming for sure. However, these requests are part of the process, according to officials.

There is still no word on what caused a Friday fire in Toccoa. Two Toccoa Fire Department engines responded to a rolling fire at 112 Persimmon Street around 10:30 Friday morning. A neighbor, Jerry Sparks, called 9-1-1. "My brother and I were coming from the thrift store and I happened to hear something go ‘Boom,’ and I did call in and tell them that there is a fire down here, come on down here," says Sparks.

At the scene, smoke poured from the small home, while flames licked at the eves. The house is a total loss, according to Toccoa Fire Chief Tommy Ayers. As firefighters put out the hotspots, the home’s resident arrived on the scene, dropping to his knees at the sight. The investigation continues.

A Pine Street woman is wondering where, oh where did her little dog go. The woman told Toccoa Police that her one-year-old male dog had been chained up behind her home and was now missing. Police reports say the tan and brown dog, with clipped ears and a white front paw, went missing between Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Animal control has been notified.

Copper thefts continue. A Toccoa man told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies that his father’s trailer was broken into last week while it sat behind Seminole Civil on Big A Road. The thieves took three 200-foot sections of 10-gauge copper, and one 100-foot section. Authorities continue to investigate.

Finally, a Buena Vista man reported that his wood splitter was stolen from his yard. He told the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office that the theft occurred on February 14. The 20-ton hydraulic splitter is valued at $1200. There are no suspects at this time.

After much discussion, the Stephens County Board of Education voted Tuesday to change the daily schedule for high school students next year. Principal David Friend suggested changing the current schedule of four 90-minute classes to seven 50-minute classes each day.

He says the change will allow for more flexibility. "The schedule will allow us to be more creative with the schedule," says Friend. "It will allow more flexibility in the schedule, so kids and classes that might be better that are double-blocked, that need longer periods, will be able to be put in place."

In addition, he says, the new schedule will make sure students are studying core classes each year – an issue that becomes a factor when students take standardized tests. "I think the biggest advantage to the seven-period day is that kids every year will have the core subjects for the full year," says Friend. "Right now they might have a core subject for 4 ½ months and then not take math for a year and it is hard to defend that when you are trying to build skills with kids on the academic side." The change will not come without a cost -- over $350,000 to be precise, which includes two portable units for four additional classrooms, four additional teachers and 40 additional lunchroom tables.

With spring just around the corner, kindergarten registration is coming up and 2008 will see a slight change to local tradition. Previously, parents could choose which elementary school they wanted their kids to attend. Now, that will continue to be true, except for one school.

Tuesday, the Stephens County Board of Education voted that only rising kindergarteners living in the Big A district can register for school at Big A Elementary. The only exceptions would be students who already have siblings in the school, or for employees of the school system. In their earlier work session, Systems Director Brenda Kelly expressed concerns about classroom space if a large kindergarten class enrolled.

Out of four elementary schools in the system, Big A Elementary School has the least amount of square footage, and already has two portable units. For the other three elementary schools, students living in any district will be able to register at whichever school they want to attend.

Stephens County takes time to honor academic excellence. Thursday night, the Toccoa/Stephens County Chamber of Commerce and its Education Committee, "Stephens Works," along with a number of corporate sponsors, held the first annual Certificate of Achievement Awards for top students in the county.

The event at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center honored the students with the top 15 SAT scores and top five ACT scores. Stephens Works Chairperson David Cronic says it was an exciting evening. "We have reached a point where the community is ready to celebrate a lot of outstanding accomplishments," says Cronic. "We put a lot of focus and a lot of interest in education and to be able to honor 19 students tonight, those 15 highest SAT scores and the five highest ACT scores is a wonderful night for us."

One of the 19 students honored was Jared Smith. Smith says it was awesome to be honored for his achievement in high school. Now, he says it is off to college. "I am going to UGA next year to major in biology and drama and I will be doing that for probably about four years and then I am planning to go to Emory Medical School," says Smith.

Smith says he is still looking at a number of fields of medicine.  All of the honorees received a certificate, a Silver Eagle Commemorative Coin, the largest and heaviest coin ever minted by the U.S. Government, and a resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, submitted by Representative Jeannette Jamieson.

Elderly residents in Martin will continue to get their daily check-up call. At Monday’s city council meeting, council members voted to continue funding the service, offered by the Standards Foundation, which calls shut-ins daily to make sure they are okay. The City of Martin pays $2,140 for it, a cost that Mayor Don Foster calls well worth it. "This is a call system for the shut-ins, the old people in the area that get a call once a day to make sure they are okay, especially ones that do not have somebody to stay with them and it is well worth the money," says Foster. Over 100 people in Martin are called through the program.

Northeast Georgia residents needing cardiac surgery will have an innovative new option next year for treatment right here in the region. Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville says they have received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to purchase a Da Vinci Surgical System.

Medical Center Foundation Chairman Woody Stewart says it can be used not only for heart surgery, but elsewhere as well. "The physician actually sits in a different location and operates through a screen, a robot, that can actually enter the chest cavity or the abdominal area, depending on whether they are doing an abdominal area or doing a heart," says Stewart. "By two or three small holes about the size of a half-dollar, they can go in and do detailed surgical procedures."

Stewart says even though it is a small incision, the surgeon can actually see as well or better than if the chest were opened. He says there are a number of other benefits as well. "For people whose surgery would fit the criteria for robotic surgery, it means first, they can do it here at home for north Georgians," adds Stewart. "Number two, if they work for manual labor for a living, it means they can get back to work several weeks earlier."

Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Dan Winston says the addition of the Da Vinci system allows surgeons the opportunity to offer patients the finest surgical techniques available.  According to the website, www.davincisurgery.com, the next closest systems of this kind are located in Canton, Georgia, Atlanta, and Spartanburg. The system will be available at Northeast Georgia Medical Center when the North Patient Tower is finished in 2009.

A national drivers watch dog group says Georgia gets a green light for efforts on highway safety. The group, called Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, recently released a report that gave Georgia an overall high rating for its driver safety laws. The state received high marks for having several key impaired driving laws. Those include an Open Container Law, Repeat Offender Law, Sobriety Checkpoint Law, High Blood Alcohol Content Law, and Mandatory Blood Alcohol Test Law. Georgia was also recognized in the report for its successful teen driving laws and motorcycle helmet law.

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Spokesperson Jim Shuler says the report is an accomplishment to be proud of. "It shows that Georgia’s legislators and its policymakers and its thinkers are ahead of the curve and are trying to keep up with what are the best rules of the road for keeping us alive on our highways," says Shuler.

While Georgia’s score in the report was among the top three states in the country and compared favorably to a majority of states, Shuler says there is still always a ways to go. "In spite of the laws we have in place, Georgia, still in the latest county, which was in 2006, had lost 1,693 people killed in crashes here that year and the annual economic cost due to motor vehicle crashes in Georgia was at $7.85 billion lost," adds Shuler.

WNEG was unable to get crash statistics for Stephens County from the Department of Transportation.  However, in the last week, there has been one fatal crash in the county. That occurred last Saturday afternoon on Brookhaven Circle and remains under investigation. To complete the entire report, visit www.saferoads.org.

More details have become available concerning the fatal traffic accident Wednesday afternoon in Rabun County.  Stephanie Gross with our sister station in Clayton is reporting that Georgia State Patrol Troopers say 24 year-old Michael Darren Greer of Clayton was killed while driving his motorcycle.  

It happened just after 1pm Wednesday on Highway 441 in the northbound lane about 500 feet from Radio Station Lane.  Sandra Hart, 58, of Lakemont was driving her 2004 Mitsubishi southbound at the time, when she attempted a left turn at a private drive. According to Trooper Jason Hendrix’s report, Greer’s motorcycle was traveling northbound on GA 15, and Hart’s Outlander was crossing the northbound lanes of GA 15 attempting to turn left into a private drive.  Hendrix reports the motorcycle struck Hart’s car in the passenger side.

Traffic was shifted to one lane for several hours as crews worked to clear the wreckage.  Rabun Sheriff Deputies, Clayton Police, and EMS assisted.

Troopers say the accident remains under investigation by the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Unit.

It is now going to cost a bit more to live in the City of Martin. In their monthly meeting Monday, the Martin City Council voted to raise water and garbage rates, as well as the water tap fees. Mayor Don Foster says rising costs and stronger state regulations forced the council’s hand. "Basically, because everything is going up and of course, as we are now under EPD’s hand, we have to report all our water systems and we had to get everything in line," says Foster. "So, once we got everything in line, we had to raise our water rates."

Starting April 1, Martin residents will pay an additional $2 more for the base rate, plus 35 cents extra per 1000 gallons. Residents outside of Martin and in Avalon will pay an additional $2.50 for the minimum, plus 35 cents per extra 1000 gallons. Foster points out that despite the increase, Martin still has the lowest rates by over a dollar. The garbage rates will increase from $5 to $7 for the first trash can, and $14 for any additional cans.

In addition to basic rates, anyone wanting to tap into the Martin water system will have to pay more as well. Foster says it costs the city from $527 to $1001, depending on which side of the road a resident lives on. Currently, the tap fee is $550. Council members voted to raise it to $900 to cover the costs of installation. Once again, the rising cost of materials, especially copper, is to blame for the increase.

Stephens County students will have to make up the school days that were cancelled for icy winter weather during the warm springtime. The Stephens County Board of Education voted Tuesday to assign May 22 and May 23 as make-up days for the January days that were cancelled due to ice. School was originally scheduled to end on Wednesday, May 21.

Now, Friday, May 23 will be the last day. It will be a half-day. The schedule change will not affect graduation, which was already scheduled for May 23.  Teachers will have to report May 27 and May 28 for post planning.

Changes to the medical staff guidelines at Stephens County Hospital are taking effect. The changes were discussed first by the medical staff and then approved at Monday’s Hospital Authority meeting. Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell says there were four proposed guideline changes. The changes are based on recommendations from the Joint Commission, which recently granted accreditation to Stephens County Hospital.

One of the proposed changes discussed involved a change to the nuclear medicine guidelines. The change eliminates the Nuclear Medicine Committee as an oversight tool. Stephens County Hospital Authority Member Dr. Robert Slate says he finds this change odd. "It is puzzling to me why the Nuclear Medicine Committee would no longer exist when radon can still be used and anesthesia uses nuclear medical and X-ray certainly does," says Slate.

Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell says there is no change in the process for handling nuclear medicine, but the committee really did not need exist as oversight when, as Gambrell says, the meat in making sure the hospital complies with guidelines lies in the records the hospital keeps. "You have to scan the room every morning and every evening to make sure there is no radiation present and no nuclear materials in the air," says Gambrell. "All of this stuff we still do as always and we are legally required to do it so what we do has not changed."

The other changes approved by the Hospital Authority include new effective dates for appointments made to medical staff, patient restraint when necessary, and making the on-call physician the attending physician when the attending physician is unavailable, something Gambrell says the hospital already does.

One thousand dollars worth of items remain missing after a theft in Toccoa Tuesday. A report was filed Tuesday afternoon with Toccoa Police in reference to the alleged theft. According to the report, the incident location was 422 South Big A Road, which is listed as Ace Hardware. According to authorities, a man hole cover, air compressor, and several fans were stolen. The investigation continues.

Meanwhile, an alleged thief is still on the loose after making sure his new boots were made for running. This past Sunday, Toccoa Police responded to Tractor Supply in reference to a shoplifting incident. In the report, it states a black male came in and took his shoes off and put on a new pair of brown boots and walked out. When employees at the store confronted the man outside the store, he took off running. The suspect was able to escape by running towards Stephens Drive. The description of the suspect is a black male, about six feet tall, weighing approximately 170 pounds, and partially bald. The investigation also continues in this case.

A bill in the Georgia Senate Judicial Committee, introduced by State Senator Nancy Schaefer, would make changes in the state’s Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS). Senate Bill 415 would do a number of things. It would seek to ensure that before a child is placed in the custody of the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and DFCS, every effort would be made to find other family members with which to place the child.

It also limits the amount of time DHR and DFCS has to provide emergency care to 72 hours, requiring a response to emergencies within that time. In addition, a court order would be required for DHR workers to enter the residence of a child’s parent or guardian in order to seize a child under certain circumstances.

Senator Schaefer says she has looked at a number of DFCS cases and in a report she wrote previously, criticized the agency. Schaefer says the agency does not do enough to re-unite families and does not take into account what is in the best interest of the whole family.

For those reasons, Schaefer says she felt a need to address the problems she perceives. "It all just desperately cries for many changes to be made for the sake of children and families, so I am real interested in it," says Schaefer. "I think it is an important piece of legislation."

Department of Family and Children’s Services Public Information Officer Beverly Jones says in an e-mail, "We really don't have a comment on the bill other than to say it is a bill that involves all aspects of Georgia's child welfare system...those who work with DFCS every day in keeping children safe, more specifically the courts. So...time will tell if this bill is good legislation and sound public policy. We're content to let it work its way through the legislative process."

A Stephens County man spends time in an Atlanta hospital after a one-vehicle accident Monday night. The Georgia State Patrol says the accident occurred around 11 p.m. Monday on Highway 17 at Ogg’s Branch. Authorities say 21-year-old James Hollifield of Martin was traveling south on Highway 17 in that area when he lost control of his vehicle, striking a bridge rail. Hollifield then went off the east shoulder of the road and overturned.

Hollifield was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital with what the Georgia State Patrol termed as serious injuries. He is currently listed in stable condition, according to a Grady Memorial Hospital spokesperson. Authorities add there was damage done to the bridge rail on Highway 17 because of the accident. Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Teri Pope says no inspection team was sent out, so the damage was non-consequential. Troopers responding to the accident filed no charges.

A Toccoa man is facing a drug charge after his arrest last Friday. According to a report filed with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department, 47-year-old David Vincent Evans of Toccoa was arrested on a traffic stop Friday just before midnight.

In the report, it says the stop was conducted n Defoor Road after a deputy observed a vehicle weaving over the centerline. Evans was driving that vehicle, according to authorities. During the course of the stop, the report states cocaine was allegedly found. At that point, Evans was arrested was arrested for possession of cocaine and weaving. Captain Jimmy Mize with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department says Evans allegedly was found in possession of dose amounts of cocaine after leaving what authorities termed a high drug-trafficking area. Authorities at the Stephens County Jail say Evans was released on bond.

The new Stephens County High School is growing up. Plans for the design and makeup of the proposed school have gone from crude, penciled drawings to professional renderings to now, a 3-D scale model. Greg Smith, an architect with the firm James Buckley and Associates, presented the model to the school board Tuesday night. It includes a new gymnasium, new classrooms, and a 900-seat auditorium. The front of the building would now be on the current back side. Smith says the next step will be to create engineered drawings.

In addition, he told the board they would have to continue to investigate the cost and funding for a new road planned to run from the Highway 17 By-pass, past Big A Elementary School to the front of the new building. It is not clear whether the school system, the county, or the state Department of Transportation would pay for the cost for such a road. High School Principal David Friend told the board the model was "impressive." "That is going to be a fantastic school building and I think the best location is where the current high school is located and I think when you take a look at that model, you can just tell that it is going to be a tremendous asset to this county, to the kids, to the teachers, and to the school system," says Friend. The model of the proposed school will be at the board of education building and may go on tour around the county so citizens can see it.

The second phase of a three-phase construction project at Stephens County Hospital should wrap up in the near future. Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell tells WNEG that if all goes as planned, they should move to the next phase in early March. First, Gambrell says, there will be some touch-up work on the second phase for hospital staff. "We expect to be able to get in to that area sometime next week to begin cleaning and then we are responsible for finishing the floors, and of course, we will have to hang our needle boxes and glove holders and things like that," says Gambrell.

Once the entire project is complete, which Gambrell said previously is hoped to be by the end of this summer, a number of older patient rooms built when the hospital first opened will be completely renovated. The total construction project is slated to cost $4.6 million dollars. That is not the only work going on at Stephens County Hospital though. Gambrell says there is some cosmetic work going on at both the Wilkinson and Clary centers.

According to Gambrell, both facilities are need of the work.  "The Wilkinson Center is approximately 20 years old and the Clary Care Center is 16 years old, so both facilities have been around for a while and they need some upgrading and some upkeep and that is what we are doing right now," adds Gambrell. There is no word on the complete scope of that work or for how long that work will be going on at this time.

What would make perfectly sane people jump into 40-degree water? A really good cause. The Stephens Education Literacy Foundation held their second annual "Leap for Literacy" on Saturday. Over 20 brave souls actually paid money to jump into the not so warm waters of Lake Louise at Georgia Baptist Assembly in a fundraising effort that raised over $10,000 for literacy programs and the Stephens County "Read at Home" program.

SELF Director Lisa Prickett says the funds raised will help local readers and ultimately, the community itself.  "Well, literacy is probably your best economic development tool that you can have because an educated workforce is what we need to go forward in our community," says Prickett. Jumpers paid $100 as individuals or $250 as a 3-person sponsored business team. They dressed in costume and went into the water dancing and laughing.

Rhonda Wheeler, along with her daughter and a friend, represented Camp Mikell.  Dressed in colorful clown outfits, the three did not seem to mind losing their red noses as they jumped. Wheeler says for her, the issue of literacy hits home. "I have a son who is dyslexic and because of that, literacy means a big deal to us so my daughter and a friend of ours are here to do it," says Wheeler.

You can find out more about what the Stephens Education Literacy Foundation does at 886-6909.

Award Winners were:

Best Costume for a Business: Camp Mikell

Best Costume for Individual: Johnny Prickett

Youngest Leaper – Knox Whiten, 6 years old

Oldest Leaper – Johnny Prickett, age unknown

Best Leap by a Business: Toccoa Clinic

Best Leap by an Individual: Whitney Hutchinson

Most Money Raised by Business: First Franklin

Most Money Raised by Individual: Anna Dean

There is no word yet on a cause on a deadly structure fire in Toccoa last Friday. 38-year-old Ray King of Toccoa passed away at the Augusta Burn Center over the weekend because of injuries suffered in the structure fire. The fire was reported after 8:30 p.m. last Friday at 222 Yearwood Street in Toccoa. The Stephens County Sheriff’s Department arrived on scene, along with multiple fire departments, including Carnes Creek and Toccoa. When deputies arrived, they noted flames coming out of the roof of the residence, with King inside the residence. King was removed from the structure, taken to Stephens County Hospital, then airlifted to Augusta Burn Center, where he passed away. The investigation into the fire continues.

A Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate pays a visit to northeast Georgia. Rand Knight is one of a number of Democrats vying for the nomination to take on incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss in the fall. Knight visited Lavonia Monday to meet with the Franklin County Democratic Party. Knight covered a number of topics in his speech. He spoke of the need for energy independence, an improved health care system, better jobs, and better education.

According to Knight, it is important to keep American dollars here, not sending them overseas. "When we start pumping those billions that we are sending overseas every day into our own infrastructure right here, those tax receipts go into these counties," says Knight. "They are allowing us to build our hospitals, bridges, and schools. They allow us to create good, living wage jobs here in Georgia."

Knight goes on to say that it is vital that the winner of the election fight hard for working-class families. "What we want to do is get a clear person, a person who understands complex issues, who is knowledgeable, presentable, articulate, hard-working, who has the confidence to sell this vision, who has the energy and the enthusiasm and the passion and the fire in the belly to go up there and take care of things and fight for us in Georgia," adds Knight.

Franklin County Democratic Party Chair Tom McDonald says he feels Knight’s appearance went very well. "We are very pleased for him to come out here," says McDonald. "Sometimes, it is a little hard in this part of the country to get people to come out and pay attention to us, but we are very pleased for him to come our here and it is nice to hear his message."

Knight, who lives in Atlanta and works for QL2, which is involved in the field of national security, is one of five challengers on the Democratic looking to square off with incumbent Chambliss in the fall. The other challengers are Dale Cardwell, Vernon Jones, Josh Lanier, and Maggie Martinez. The primary election is on July 15.

Officials at Stephens County Hospital say they are working to train staff members to handle situations with patients not necessarily dealing with medicine. Monday at the monthly Hospital Authority meeting, Director of Nursing Faye Taylor told the authority board plans are in the works to train many departments at the hospital how to handle situations where patients may be causing a potential threat to others at the hospital.

Taylor says they have begun the training process for nurses and others. "This is a two-day class," says Taylor. "We sent three of our ER nurses to a week-long training and now they are instructors and it just teaches staff how to recognize when someone may be getting to that point where they are about to go over the edge and lose control."

Hospital officials asked Taylor what exactly they are learning in the training. Taylor says it is mostly for defensive purposes, as well as preventative measure. "The training we are doing with staff is for when they get in those situations where they are being attacked, where they have to do something to get away from the patient, but most of it is things they can do to avoid the situation getting to that point," adds Taylor.

Both Taylor and Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell indicated during the meeting there has been an increase in incidents at the hospital of this nature. They did not provide any specific figures on the number of incidents during the meeting.

While people may enjoy getting those extra checks from the Federal Government later this year, the local representative in Congress says he does not think the checks will stimulate the economy like they are designed to do. U.S. Representative Paul Broun says he joined with other Republican congressional Representatives from Georgia to vote against the economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress authorizing the rebates.

Broun says this is a "feel-good" bill, adding he feels it will not have long-term effects on the economy. "I would like to see us create jobs and that is how we stimulate the economy," says Broun. "The bill that we voted on recently, the economic stimulus package, does not create jobs. It puts a little bit of money by giving checks to people. That is not going to stimulate the economy." Broun says he feels a bill he co-sponsored will do more. That bill, the Economic Growth Act of 2008, is currently in committee in the House of Representatives.

Representative Broun says the Economic Growth Act of 2008 would do a number of things, including give a full and immediate expensing on capital outlays. "For instance, if a business buys a piece of equipment, if they buy a computer system, it would let them to do a full and immediate expensing on their taxes so that they are not going to be penalized by the tax structure for investing in their business and creating more jobs through those investments," adds Broun.

Meanwhile, a Democratic challenger for Broun’s seat, Bobby Saxon, disagrees with Broun’s position. Saxon’s Campaign Manager, George Birchby, says Saxon feels Representative Broun is off base in his stance on the tax rebates. "Bobby feels very strongly that Dr. Broun is completely out of touch with our district," says Birchby. "His votes continue to show that." Birchby says Saxon supports the plan passed by Congress and signed by President Bush.

Two thefts remain under investigation by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department. According to a report filed with authorities last week, an out building located at a Suttles Road residence was allegedly burglarized. The report states that the side door of the building was pried open and a nail gun was taken, after which the door was allegedly locked back up.

The missing nail gun is valued at $275 in the report. Meanwhile, a theft was also reported last Thursday to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Toccoa. According to the report, someone allegedly removed approximately $200 of copper wire from the panel box of a residence in the mobile home park.

Stephens County Sheriff Gene Sorrells recently issued a statement warning people of copper theft and advising people to be on the lookout for suspicious activity in order to help combat the problem.

State officials want corporations in Georgia to be aware of a mailing going out in some parts of the state.

The Secretary of State’s office recently issued an alert to corporations in Georgia. An entity known as Georgia Corporate Compliance mailed solicitations to corporations that offered to complete corporate meeting minutes for a fee.

A report from the Secretary of State’s office says these documents looked very official, although they did have disclaimers attached. Georgia corporations are not required by law to file corporate meeting minutes with the Secretary of State, so these solicitations confused some corporations, say officials.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office goes on to say companies are not required to do business with Georgia Corporate Compliance. Furthermore, officials say Georgia Corporate Compliance operates without a certificate of authority, which is a code violation.

Officials say any documentation from the Secretary of State’s office will be clearly marked as such with the state seal and the name of the Secretary of State, Karen Handel.

One person is dead after an accident in Toccoa over the weekend that remains under investigation. Reports indicate the victim as 74-year-old Ruth Anne Eichler of Martin. The three-car accident occurred around 12:35 p.m. Saturday on Brookhaven Circle when a car crossed the centerline and struck another vehicle. A third vehicle then also became involved in the accident. Georgia State Patrol officials say the accident remains under investigation by the Specialized Collision Re-Creation Unit.

The Internal Revenue Service says those economic stimulus checks the government is sending will come starting this spring. The payments will begin going out in May, according to IRS officials, who say they will start on that as soon as the current tax season ends. A payment schedule will come out in the near future. IRS Spokesman Mark Green says all most taxpayers have to do is file their 2007 tax return and let the IRS do the rest. "Most Georgians, there is nothing that you need to do," says Green. "We will actually tell you exactly how much you can anticipate on receiving. We will process all of the information. By early May, you should start seeing tax rebate checks."

Green says the exception is those getting rebates that are select taxpayers. Those include people with Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits, and earned income taxpayers that normally do not file a return. Green says they do need to file a return to get that rebate payment. "The only thing that they need to do is file a return and indicate how much Social Security benefits, Railroad retirement benefits, veterans’ benefits, or low income that they have received and we will process it and send the check out to them as soon as possible," adds Green.

People getting rebates will get two letters, according to Green. The first letter will tell people they are getting a check. The second letter will inform people of the amount of the rebate check. The checks are going out after Congress and the President approved an economic stimulus package to provide tax rebates to individuals with incomes of $75,000 or less or joint filers making less than $150,000, along with certain other groups.

Area churches may be hearing from the new Director of Church Relations at Toccoa Falls College. The college recently announced Keith McElroy to that position. McElroy says his job responsibilities include being a liaison between the college and the community. "It interfaces the college and represents the college to churches of various denominations," says McElroy. "As far as representing the teams, the singing groups, the drama team, the choir, that go out from the college. I ensure that our message of the college is getting out for recruitment purposes."

McElroy says he wants to get out, talk to churches, and find out what the college can do for them. He says he is excited about this professional opportunity. "I enjoy working with people," says McElroy. "Based on my previous employment experience and history, working with people, making programs happen, seeing that success, that has always brought me a great measure of enjoyment and fulfillment."

Previously, McElroy was a fire chief for the National Park Service and a Director of Fire and Emergency Services for U.S. military bases overseas. He moved to the Toccoa area in January 2006.

North Georgia Tech hears the state of their College. President Dr. Ruth Nichols delivered the address at the Clarkesville campus Friday. Nichols talked about meeting the needs of the customers, in this case, the students, and delivering an education that will prove useful to people entering the workforce. She says the College is continuing to grow with new programs and new construction. She goes on to say they must be adaptable in what they teach. The President pointed to programs in green industry, agri-tourism, health care, and other fields as examples of where the College is headed in the future.

Lavonia police detectives are still investigating a case of credit card theft that could result in multi-state charges. Police Chief Randy Shirley says on Wednesday afternoon the owner of the Baby Village in the Silo Shopping Center on Highway 17 reported some credit cards stolen. "The owner said that two black females had come into her store the day before," says Shirley. "While one got her attention away from the front desk, the other one apparently went through her purse. She did not realize it at the time that the credit cards were taken."

The thieves worked fast because by that evening, the victim’s credit card company had called her to report unusual charges on her account. Shirley says by the time the illegal shopping spree was finished, close to $5000 of charges was racked up. Some of the charges were from stores in Anderson, and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Shirley says officials are reviewing surveillance tapes from several of the stores and hope to have an arrest soon. It is likely this is not the first crime committed by the pair. "This is going on pretty rampant and we may very well solve some other crimes with these two females," adds Shirley. Shirley says he expects South Carolina authorities would also file charges against the women.

A group of students from Liberty Elementary School joined Toccoa Elementary School students to recognize Arbor Day by ceremonially planting a red maple tree on the Toccoa Elementary playground Friday morning. Sharon Crosby, Event Planner for the Main Street Program says Friday’s planting is part of the celebration associated with the city of Toccoa’s designation as a "Tree City USA." "Toccoa is only one of about 116 cities or so in Georgia who have the designation of "Tree City USA," so we are real thrilled about that," says Crosby.

The Georgia Forestry Commission is state sponsor for the Arbor Day Foundation. Ken Masten, a forester with the commission, told the children that trees provide oxygen, habitat, shade, wood products and erosion control. He says the day was a great educational opportunity. "It is just an excellent, wonderful opportunity to talk about the importance of trees," says Masten. "As the Georgia Forestry Commission, we are the state sponsor for the National Arbor Day Foundation." City Commissioner Bob Troup also read the children a proclamation by the city proclaiming February 15 as Arbor Day in the city of Toccoa.

Foul play may be a possibility in a Wednesday fire in Toccoa. Firefighters were called to 165 Foster Street just after 1 a.m. Wednesday in response to a structure fire. The property that was up in flames belonged to Charles Kenneth Sellers of Toccoa, according to a report filed with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department.

In the report, authorities state there was a threat made against Sellers’ travel trailer that if it were not moved, it would be burned. That threat was reportedly made on Tuesday. The shop and trailer next to the shop on Foster Street belonging to Sellers were both damaged in the fire. Sellers told WNEG that the damage was estimated at $50,000. He had no other comment at this time. Nobody was hurt in the fire, which remains under investigation.

One person. One garden hose. 25 minutes. That is the new definition of allowable outdoor watering. Starting immediately, Toccoa and Stephens County residents can now water on an odd-even schedule from midnight to 10 a.m. using a hose with a nozzle that automatically shuts off. Water/Wastewater Director Don Dye explains. "But it still prohibits sprinklers," says Dye. "I think that is really what the state is trying to get away from is just sprinklers running. It also prohibits outdoor car wash. You still cannot pressure-wash your house. Outdoor water use is allowed during those certain times and for 25 minutes on those three days of the week."

Dye says this change comes from the state Environmental Protection Division Director and is a relaxing of the total outdoor watering ban that was put in place in October because of the ongoing drought. In addition, swimming pools can also be filled now. While your shrubs and plants may enjoy the additional moisture, do not look for any leniency on using a sprinkler or washing your car. Dye says violators are subject to penalties ranging from a written warning to having your water shut off.

He continues to encourage people to find ways to conserve water and reminds people that the city will help you. "We still have those shower flow restrictors that we are still giving away," adds Dye. "We have given away a lot of them, but I am certain there are a lot of people out there that still do not have them. They are free if you come by City Hall. I cannot mail them, because the stamp costs more than the little flow restrictor, but if you come by City Hall, we will give those and those reduce your shower flow down to about 2.5 gallons per minute." For more information on the new outdoor water regulations, call City Hall at 886-8451.

Traffic was frozen Thursday after a wreck involving a truck carrying some frozen foods. It all started around 5:15 a.m. Thursday when Georgia State Patrol troopers report that a tractor trailer driven by 36-year-old Alphonso Harris of Fort Valley, Georgia was traveling north on Highway 17 through Martin, carrying a load of frozen meats and canned goods.

The report states Harris lost control of his tractor-trailer and overturned on the driver’s side, taking out a railroad crossing post in the process. The trailer ended on its’ driver’s side in the southbound lane of Highway 17. Harris was uninjured. Officers say he was charged with driving too fast for conditions and failure to maintain lane. Highway 17 was reportedly blocked from the time of the accident through about noon Thursday.

One person was injured in a three-car accident on Brookhaven Circle yesterday afternoon. Reports say the accident, involving a Windstream van, an Isuzu, and a Camry occurred around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Brookhaven Circle and Acre Estates. One person was taken to Stephens County Hospital. No more information was available at this time.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Department wants your help to combat copper theft. Sheriff Gene Sorrells says copper theft has cost the people of Stephens County a great deal of money. He says while his deputies do their best to patrol the county as much as possible, copper theft continually frustrates.

Copper is in high demand internationally, therefore fetches a high price on local black markets. It is usually stolen from empty homes, air conditioning units, or unattended warehouses. Sorrells is urging citizens to pay attention to what is going on in their neighborhoods and to report suspicious activity. "We need your eyes and your testimony to do our best to put these criminals behind bars," he says.

He specifically encourages people to get descriptions of any unusual people and vehicles one might see, including writing down the tag number, make, model and color of the car. "Get the best description of the person you get," he says. "The person’s height, hair color, gender and race are good starters." Sorrells reminds people to call 911 if they think any kind of crime is being committed.

Bob Evans may be a part-time consultant, but his new work with the Stephens County Development Authority is keeping him full-time busy. He says his role is still being defined. "My role here, as I understand it, and it is still being defined, but my role is to act as a consultant with the Development Authority and keeping the program that Mitch Griggs did so outstandingly, keeping the ball rolling until they can find a new, full-time executive director," says Evans.

Evans says he will be working with prospects, the companies the development authority is working to get to relocate or expand into the county. A Toccoa resident since 1968, Evans steered the Chamber of Commerce and the Stephens County Development Authority until 1996.  Since retiring, he has consulted with several communities on economic development.

Toccoa will take time later today to celebrate Arbor Day. A special ceremony at 10 a.m. today will be held at the lower playground at Toccoa Elementary School.  A special proclamation will be read and a tree will be planted at the school during the program. There will also be special presentations by students from both Liberty Elementary and Toccoa Elementary Schools. The Georgia Forestry Commission is using today’s celebration of Arbor Day to point out the benefits of planting trees. They add that now is the best time to plant a tree.

Georgia Forestry Commission Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator Susan Reisch says trees planted now will stand the best chance of flourishing later on. "The trees are in a rest period right now," says Reisch. "They are just collecting all of their strength and storing it in their root systems and then when the springtime comes and the leaves come out, that is when they release all of that energy and they put it all into new growth."

Reisch goes on to say that trees planted now will be ready to bloom when springtime comes. She adds that people who plant trees should take care of them in a water-conscious way. "The best thing that people can do is to use mulch around the base of the tree and actually you spread the mulch out in about a one-inch layer or so of mulch," adds Reisch. "Do not put it right up against the tree trunk, but spread it out all over the root system."

Officials say it is important to ensure new trees are planted annually in order for communities to receive the many social, environmental, economic, and health benefits that they provide. For more tips on planting and maintaining trees, visit www.GaTrees.org.

All of the votes in this month’s Presidential Preference Primary have now officially been counted and certified. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel says all of the results have been reported to her office.

Locally, Stephens County Registrar Theresa Kelley says they had a few extra votes to count from provisional ballots cast on February 5. "We had about ten of them (provisional ballots) and we ended up counting about four, maybe five of them so the total numbers of votes changed just a little bit, but not much," says Kelley. "We ended up with a 41.03 percent turnout for the Presidential Preference Primary last Tuesday."

Locally, out of five additional votes cast, one went for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, two went for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and two went for New York Senator Hillary Clinton. In the race in Stephens County, Huckabee won the Republican side, with Arizona Senator John McCain second and Mitt Romney third. Clinton took the Democratic side with Illinois Senator Barack Obama coming in second.

Statewide in Georgia, Huckabee won the Republican primary, with McCain second and Romney third. Obama defeated Clinton in the statewide Democratic primary. Nationwide, McCain is leading the delegate count for the Republican presidential nomination, while Obama and Clinton are neck and neck in Democratic delegates, with Obama possessing a slight lead.

If you did not make it out to Tuesday night’s hearing on the proposed extension of the Toccoa By-pass, you can still look at the information and make comment on it. Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Teri Pope says they will post everything from last night’s open house on the World Wide Web. "You can go to www.dot.state.ga.us/ " says Pope. "In the bottom right corner, choose ‘Public Outreach,’ then pull down and choose ‘Stephens County,’ and you will actually see this project come up and you can click on that and view the aerial displays and read the handouts."

Pope says the website will also direct people on how to add comments on the proposals they view. All of the information is also available at the D-O-T offices in Clarkesville to view there. Pope suggests calling beforehand if viewing the documents in Clarkesville at the D-O-T offices. The number there is 706-754-9559.

Toccoa Police say two women are facing charges after they allegedly stealing some items to stay warm both on the inside and the outside. According to the report, police responded to Wal-Mart Tuesday afternoon after a complaint about shoplifting. A Wal-Mart employee told authorities that two women had allegedly taken a gas heater and a case of beer to the service to try and get a refund. The employee says the refund was refused. At that time, the two women allegedly tried to leave the store with the items, which were not paid for.

Police say they arrested Dana Moore of Toccoa and Tanya Stockton of Toccoa, each for two counts of theft by shoplifting. The two also reportedly have active warrants out of Habersham County and at last report, were being held at Stephens County Jail for Habersham County authorities.

More students are calling Toccoa home as they study at Toccoa Falls College. According to a recent announcement from the college, official statistics show that there are 550 students in the residence halls this year. That is nearly a two percent increase from this time last year. Overall, 863 students from around the nation and world are registered this semester at Toccoa Falls College.

To help meet the increasing student population, a groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for a new terrace dormitory. Toccoa Falls College Director of Public Relations Michael Shelley says the new addition will complete the terrace dormitory expansion project. "It is going to be a two-story dormitory," says Shelley. "It is going to replace two of the mobile units that we are using right now and add more beds for the expanding student population that we are expecting. It will house about 24 students."

Shelley says the completion of the dormitory expansion marks the realization of efforts first brought up by current Vice President of Student Affairs Ken Sanders in the 1980s. "We had a number of steel buildings and non-permanent housing and he thought, ‘Well, if we can just get rid of all those houses and start putting terrace buildings or apartment-style homes, with that type of feel to it,’" adds Shelley. According to Shelley, construction on the $1.5 million dormitory, funded through alumni donations, will begin shortly. Completion is slated for this August, in time for next fall and the expected increase in the student population.

Authorities are looking into what may have caused an early morning fire Wednesday. According to the Toccoa Fire Department, the fire started shortly after 1:00am and burned a small trailer on Foster Street, behind Zebulon Baptist Church. The small trailer was located next to a shop and the roof of the shop was damaged in the blaze. Nobody was hurt in the fire, which remains under investigation.

Georgia Veterans who qualified under federal law benefited in over $2.25 billion that the VA spent in Georgia during 2007. That is according to fiscal year figures recently obtained from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The Georgia Department of Veterans Affairs says that represents an increase of almost $100 million in VA funds over fiscal year 2006.

The total spent includes some $1.22 billion in pension and compensation payments made to disabled veterans and/or their dependents. Georgia Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Pete Wheeler says this is good news for those veterans and dependents living on fixed incomes because these payments are tax-exempt. The VA also spent, according to reports, about $750 million in support of health care for Georgia veterans and some $174 million in education assistance to Georgia veterans and/or dependents.

Currently, state officials say there are more than 160,00 veterans, surviving spouses, and dependents receiving tax-free monetary benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. There are reportedly over 750,000 veterans in the state of Georgia. Commissioner Wheeler reminds Georgia veterans that no VA benefit is paid automatically. Wheeler says all must be applied for and the Georgia Department of Veterans’ Service is available to assist with that application process through local offices throughout Georgia.

Department of Transportation officials hold their first meeting with local residents on the proposed Toccoa By-pass. Last night, at the Big A Elementary School, over 100 people attended a three-hour open house where officials described the proposed project and explained exactly what may happen over the next few years.

D-O-T Spokesperson Teri Pope says the project is a 5.3-mile road that would start at the current end of the by-pass, near Wal-Mart where Highway 17 connects with Alternate Highway 17 and would continue ahead to a location on Highway 123 near the South Carolina border.

The project would displace 15 homes, according to Pope, who says they tried to alleviate concerns by explaining the property purchasing process. Pope says they work as much as they can with homeowners. "It is actually very protective of the homeowners," says Pope. You are actually paid on a fair market value of the highest and best use of your property, not what you purchased your property at. So if you bought your home twenty years ago for $25,000, but to buy an equivalent three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Stephens County would cost you $125,000, you are going to get $125,000 from DOT."

Pope says they have obtained half of the $15 million needed for right-of-way purchase for a four-lane road in the next fiscal year. She does say the initial work will build only a two-lane road, not a four-lane road, at least not right away. "It is really trying to make the best use of the taxpayer’s money because right now there is not a need for that third and fourth lane," says Pope. "But, we need to get that connection, we need to build the initial two lanes, so we are going to go ahead and buy the right-of-way that we need because that takes the longest. That is a negotiating process. Land values are not going down anywhere, so land is only going to continue to get more expensive."

Louis Fernandez lives near Highway 123 around the proposed by-pass route. He says he had some questions for officials. "Concerns we have discussed around our area include how this is going to merge back into traffic, how this is going to change the access to how we get home in the evenings, and what this means for the kids in our community and our neighborhood and how is the safety going to be handled with the volume of traffic that could be coming out right near where we live," says Fernandez. No other monies have been allocated for the project, which will cost $65 million to construct. Therefore, Pope says no date can be given for the beginning or end of work.

WRECK KILLS MAN IN HABERSHAM
February 13, 2008 by Stephanie Gross

Funeral services are today for a dispatcher with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office killed in a traffic accident earlier this week.  Stephanie Gross from our sister station in Clayton reports Jake Roberts, 22, of Clarkesville was off-duty Monday morning, traveling in a 1996 Honda Accord south on highway 197 in Habersham County.  

Georgia State Patrol Troopers of Post 7 report the accident occurred about 10 a.m. Monday when Roberts crossed the centerline and stuck LaTosha Bellotte of Lula head-on.  She was traveling north in a Chevy Blazer at the time.  Roberts was killed from injuries sustained in the accident. Bellotte was transferred to Habersham Medical Center with serious injuries.  Her condition is unknown at this time. McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia is in charge of the arrangements.

A group of local girls is tearing up gymnastics mats around the region. The Toccoa Twisters is a local team of 15 girls ranging in age from 7 to 11 years old that practices here in town and travels to competitions throughout the region. Leanne Masten is the Gymnastics Director and the Executive Director of the Toccoa/Stephens County YMCA. Masten says the girls have been doing very well in recent competitions. "For the past year, our competitive team, they are Level Four AAU, they have been training vigorously, three times a week, four times a week, just getting ready for competition," says Masten. "We recently went to the Sterling Classic at the Gymnastics Training Center in Buford, Georgia and brought home over 20 medals."

Masten adds they also went to Douglasville and brought home approximately 30 medals from a recent competition. She says the coaches and 15 girls on the team put in many hours of practice. "They train anywhere from seven to ten hours a week in the gym and they all work very hard," adds Masten. The team is gearing up for another competition on March 8 and 9 in Marietta and then a number of additional competitions after that this season.

The team includes Head Coach Jenny Arrington, Assistant Coaches Tamesha Rohrig, Courtney Vickers, and Emily Masten, and gymnasts Bristol Carter, Kaitlyn Cobbler, Tori Coker, Kaile Copelan, Savannah Day, Emily Dill, Tiffany Haddock, Lauren Jameson, Megan Jameson, Valerie Manus, Alyssa Rohrig, Jessie Smith, Taryn Thomas, Hannah Watkins, and Alexis Yearwood.

Taxpayers in the state of Georgia have another fund they can donate to on their tax returns this year. The Division of Aging Services is once again asking Georgians to contribute to the Georgia Fund for Children and Elderly. Director of the Division of Aging Services Maria Green says the money goes to help a number of programs for both the young and the elderly. "The money for the Georgia Fund for Children and the Elderly income tax check-off is divided between programs and services for children and for the aged and the funds for the elderly is primarily distributed for the Meals on Wheels program and for transportation needs," says Green.

Green says it is easy for taxpayers to donate. "Anyone can donate by looking," adds Green. "When they look at their tax returns, if they are using Georgia Form 500, it would be checked off on Line 27 and if they are using the Georgia Tax Form 500EZ, it would be Line 11 and they just indicate how much money they would like to give to the fund." Last year, a total was collected of over $222,000. Green stresses the importance of the fund, saying it goes to help a number of Georgians who need it through the Area Agencies on Aging.

Toccoa City Commissioners are making a down payment of sorts on restoring the "brown field" area known as the Trogden Mill District. At the city commission meeting Monday, commissioners agreed to hire the firm, Robert and Company to create a redevelopment plan and engineering report for the Trogdon Mill Heritage District.

City Manager Billy Morse explains that the information is needed for a grant proposal. "Both of those items are required before we can apply for a Community Development Block Grant, a CDBG, and the grant writer has to have the engineering reports so you can back up what you are asking for," says Morse. "So, if you are asking for drainage improvements here or a sewer line there, then the engineer’s report will show that it is needed and how much it is going to cost."

The reports will cost almost $25,000. Morse says the information Robert and Company provides will be detailed. "The engineer’s report will note all existing site features and facilities including utility needs, street and drainage design, and environmental impacts," adds Morse. "The redevelopment plan will include existing conditions analysis, like building conditions, transportation conditions, blight and "brown fields," and then they will produce that digitally on a GIS map." The city is applying for grants of over $1 million; through a community development block grant and community home investment program grant to redevelop the area. The area includes the residential areas on Avon and Spring streets, as well as the old industrial area surrounding the former Trogdon Furniture Company.

The topic of alcohol and spirits is raising spirited discussion in the city of Toccoa. Toccoa City Commissioners met with the city’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board to work through changes in the city’s alcohol ordinance Monday afternoon.

Mayor Andy Pavliscsak says the commission wants to bring the ordinance up to date. "Our old ordinance has gotten out of kilter over the years," says Pavliscsak. "Well, we are bringing it up to the latest court rulings and adding language to make sure that all businesses are treated fairly." Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse reminded the group that before the commission could pass a change to the ordinance, a public hearing outlining the changes would have to be held.

The group worked through details, which ranged from the definition of beer to when to allow an applicant to reapply for an alcohol license after it is denied. The most spirited discussion centered on penalties if a business violates the ordinance.  The group agreed that the ordinance should strongly penalize repeat offenders, but added language that gave commissioners flexibility in penalties for first offenders.

Commissioners only were able to address about a third of the 30-page document. Pavliscsak says commissioners will meet again with the ABC board to finish the process. Once finished, the ordinance will be brought before a public hearing before commissioners will decide to enact it or not.

Toccoa city staff will start grappling with eight bids for a new knuckle boom grapple loader truck. At the city’s commission meeting Monday, City Attorney John Dickerson opened bids from 4 truck companies bidding on replacing what is commonly know as the brush truck. "The truck that we have is 17 years old and has about 300,000 miles on it, so it is just time to replace it and it will have a knuckle boom on it that actually reaches out to the side and picks up whatever brush the citizens put out in front of their house," says Dickerson.

Prices ranged from $91,000 to $98,000 for new vehicles with all the extra equipment. City Manager Billy Morse told commissioners he expected the prices to be around $100,000, and therefore, he budgeted only a $20,000 payment in the 2007 budget. Commissioners turned the bids over to the city staff to evaluate and make a recommendation. Mayor Andy Pavliscsak said commissioners would decide whether to pay for the new truck outright or to finance it after the city staff makes its recommendation.