After 25 years of service, Toccoa Fire Chief Rodney Burdette announced his resignation yesterday. Burdette will take a job in Oconee County, SC. This morning, Oconee County administrator Tom Hendricks confirmed to WNEG that Burdette will be the new director of the Oconee County Emergency Management Agency. He replaces Henry Gordon whose last day is Friday. Hendricks said Burdette will be in Oconee County tomorrow to meet his new staff.

Burdette has served as Toccoa’s fire chief for the last seven years, which he says has been an honor and privilege. "We’ve gone through a phase where we’ve restructured and proved the capabilities that the fire department is able to provide to the citizens. The way we respond to the emergencies are more comprehensive, they’re more effective and efficient. The equipment and training that we’ve been able to put in place has placed them in a position to provide citizens with top notch response to their emergencies and needs." Burdette said.

In a statement released yesterday by the City of Toccoa, City manager Billy Morse credited Burdette with the City’s current Class IV ISO rating, which helps to keep homeowner’s insurance rates down. Morse said the search for an interim fire chief will begin before Burdette leaves. His last day is February 8.

WINTER WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT
January 31, 2007

The Northeast Georgia area is bracing itself for another round of winter weather. The area dodged a bullet a couple of weeks ago when some freezing rain brushed the area.

Chris Horne with the National Weather Service Office in Greenville, South Carolina said that the critical times for this next system will be after midnight tonight and Thursday morning. "We’re expecting a rather rapid encroachment of precipitation from the Southwest into parts of Northeast Georgia, starting in the late night hours the way it looks right now." Horne predicted. "It looks like it will begin as sleet and snow perhaps with an accumulation of about an inch of snow at the onset, through the morning drive time. Temperatures will slowly moderate during the daytime hours and the precipitation will then go to rain or freezing rain perhaps resulting in an accumulation on top of the snow and ice. Periods of rain on the lighter side will continue Thursday afternoon and hopefully the temperatures will have creped up over 32 degree mark through the afternoon and evening hours."

Stay tuned to AM 630 WNEG for the latest weather statements and a complete list of postponements and cancellations if the situation call for it.

Tomorrow’s expected winter weather has already caused one cancellation. Main Street director Connie Tabor tells WNEG tomorrow’s planned signing ceremony celebrating Toccoa’s selection as a Signature Community has been postponed.

Last fall, Toccoa-Stephens County was selected from dozens of applicants as a Signature Community by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. DCA commissioner Mike Beatty was to have been in Toccoa tomorrow for the event at City Hall.

Toccoa-Stephens County is one of seven communities to receive the designation this year. Selection as a Signature Community means the community has demonstrated a track record of success. A new date for the ceremony will be announced later.

If you have received a call from someone asking for your address and new e-911 address information, it is not a prank call. The County is working to clean up the e-911 computer dispatch database by making sure the information is correct and up to date.

County administrator Darrell Hampton tells WNEG another reason is that Windstream™ and Bell South™ require that a certain number of such calls be made as part of their quality control program.

If e-911 finds an error in an address or telephone number, a call is made to verify the information and to send a correction to Windstream™. The callers, said Hampton, will only ask for your mailing address, your e-911 address, and your phone number.

If you receive a call from someone asking for additional personal information, such as your social security number, it is not from the County and you should hang up and report it to law enforcement. The verification calling will continue for the next six weeks, according to Hampton.

OPEN ARMS CLINIC OPENS DOORS
January 31, 2007

Low income residents in Stephens County who have no insurance will now be served by a volunteer medical facility right across the street from the Toccoa Clinic.

The Open Arms Clinic held an open house Tuesday night to the delight of local businessmen and interested citizens who have long awaited this facility. Normally, that segment of the population take their non-life-threatening illnesses to the emergency room.

Michelle Jamieson is the Chairman of the Board of the Open Arms Clinic. She thanked all of those people who have volunteered their services. The clinic will officially be opened on February 6th and already, Michelle said that the first day is booked. "We’ve had quite a few people to come through and pick-up applications to become clients." Ms. Jamieson said. "I think next Thursday is already filled up and we’re working on the next Thursday. We trying to pre-qualify people on Thursdays so that we can get their medical background and see what their needs are and see how we can accommodate them. And then we’ll see them the following Tuesday. We’ll try to do that a much as we can until we’re booked out."

Ms. Jamieson indicated that 10-15 volunteer doctors and nurses as well as administrative and office personnel will be maintaining the clinic, three days a week, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

State Representative Jeanette Jamieson was thrilled that such a facility has opened here in Stephens County. "This is just an indication of what this community can do." Mrs. Jamieson stated. "When the need is there and it becomes known the community re-acts. You’ve had people who have contributed money, materials and building supplies. Right now, we’re waiting on some bandages and a big list of things from Johnson and Johnson and from some of the other hospitals in the area. This facility being here means that people with no insurance will not have to go to the emergency room for care. It is just a super addition to this community and I know of no greater cause than to serve the people here who have no insurance."

In an earlier report issued by Ed Gambrell, Administrator of Stephens County Hospital, figures indicated that a large segment of the population who go to the emergency room, are not really emergency patients and would be better served by a community clinic.

A Stephens County man could be sent to jail for voting. That’s because Mark Thomas Barbee is a convicted felon. Last week, the Stephens County Grand Jury indicted Barbee on one count of voting by unqualified elector and one count of giving false information to a poll officer.

It happened last November during the General Election. The indictment alleges Barbee attempted to vote by telling poll workers he was not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.

Barbee, in fact, was convicted of felony child molestation in Stephens County in 2001 and served a year in prison. He is still on probation. County registrar Theresa Kelley could not comment on the case, but said probation counts as serving a sentence in the eyes of the law.

"Once you become a convicted felon, you cannot vote while you’re serving a sentence. If you’re on parole or probation as a convicted felon then you cannot vote. Once those sentences are completed and you’re no longer serving a sentence, then you’re allowed to vote again," explained Theresa Kelley, County Registrar.

Barbee’s name was still listed on the voter rolls in Stephens County at the time of the General Election. Kelley tells WNEG that once she learned of the error, his name was immediately removed.

The City of Toccoa is the recipient of yet another One Georgia grant. Yesterday, Stephens County Development Authority director Mitch Griggs traveled to Atlanta to receive the award in the amount of $180,000 to make improvements to the Eastanollee Creek wastewater treatment facility.

It will also pay for re-permitting costs to expand the plant from 1.45 million gallons per day to 2-million gallons. That will allow the 320 acres in the Hayestone-Brady Industrial Park on Highway 17 to be fitted with water/sewer infrastructure. The total cost of that project is $293,732.

Toccoa’s grant is one of 20 equity awards totaling over $7.3 million. Also receiving an award yesterday was the Habersham/Banks Joint Development Authority, which received $500,000 for improvements to the City of Cornelia’s wastewater treatment plant in order to accommodate the expansion of Fieldale Farms’ poultry processing plant. 

A new safety home check program getting underway in Lavonia and other surrounding communities is garnering attention from one Toccoa City commissioner. Commissioner Andy Pavliscsak this week asked the City to consider implementing the "Community Safety Check Program." The program is free to participants and checks on the elderly and disabled several times a day who live alone.

It’s administered through the Standards Foundation, a non-profit group based in Neptune, NJ whose executive director is former Toccoa mayor Randy Murray. In his pitch to commissioners Monday night, Pavliscsak said his family could have used the service recently.

"We had to go to Las Vegas a few weeks back and her daddy had fallen and broken his ankle. We were concerned about him being able to be checked on and made sure that everything was going to be ok for him. I would have felt a lot better leaving here knowing that he was getting phone calls all during the day to check on him as opposed for us waiting for that one evening phone call. I think it’s a great program. I think it will work for the City. I think it will be a win-win for everyone all the way around," asserted commissioner Pavliscsak.

Lavonia will begin their program February 1. Other communities who are using the service include Commerce, Homer, Martin, and Carnesville. Under the agreement with the Standards Foundation, the City of Toccoa would pay an annual membership fee of $5,400, but could drop out of the program at any time.

Commissioner Ferrell Morgan expressed support for the idea saying it was a way for the City to give back to its citizens. However, mayor David Austin wasn’t convinced.

"If we get feedback that tells us that the program is of value as they say it is, then I don’t think we’ll have a problem supporting it. Until I see that evidence I recommend we do a little more research on it," Austin said.

Commissioners Bob Troup and Billy Chism agreed and the commission voted to table the matter until they had more information.

Toccoa’s City Planning Commission has come up with a proposal for an ordinance that will regulate flea market operations inside the city limits. Now it’s up to the City Commission to vote on it.

Last week, Planning Commission members met for over an hour to discuss the problem if dilapidated markets, such as the one on the corner of Rumsey and Franklin Streets. The market off Currahee Street consists of scattered wooden tables, canopies filled with old clothes and other junk items, along with some old camper trailers where people appear to be living.

Currently, there are no ordinances in Toccoa that regulate such markets, so there is very little that can be done to force them to clean it up. Planning Commission director Connie Tabor says the proposed ordinance will change that.

"The premise of this ordinance is that the flea market would have to adhere to building code requirements just like any other structure has to meet certain building codes. Also, every evening the products that are there at the flea market would have to be taken and removed and then brought back the next day," said Connie Tabor, City Planning Commission director.

Tabor says markets not in compliance will be served with a written notice giving them a certain amount of time to clean up their operation. She says if they fail to comply, then the owner’s business license will be revoked and the flea market shut down.

Just days after joining with former governor Zell Miller to celebrate the one millionth hope recipient, Governor Sonny Perdue took action yesterday to protect hope for future generations.

He introduced the "HOPE Chest" constitutional amendment. The amendment would limit the use of lottery funds to costs associated with the HOPE Scholarship and pre-k programs. 

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson, and other Democratic and Republican legislative leaders, appeared with governor Perdue yesterday to support the measure.

The process of removing the canopies from the downtown area is happening faster than the City expected.

Yesterday we told you the first phase, which is the asbestos removal would take place over the next week or two and then when that is complete, the actual canopy removal would begin sometime after that.

However, City Planning Commission director Connie tabor issued a statement yesterday announcing the removal could begin as early as this Wednesday night – depending on the weather and how fast the asbestos removal goes.

"We will begin with the canopy demolition in the West Doyle Street block. That is the area where the Toccoa Record is located across from the historic courthouse. We will see how quickly that moves. It all relies on each other as far as the asbestos removal and the canopy demolition. All the asbestos has to be out of a segment of a block before they can demolish a segment in that block," noted Toccoa Planning Commission director Connie Tabor.

Tabor said plans to celebrate the canopy removal are still set for Tuesday, February 13. That is when officials from the state Downtown Development Authority will be in town and when a special block party called, "Toccoa Rocks" will take place.

Yesterday, workers began cutting apart the cement tree planters and mall flower planters. Trees will be donated to the Paul Anderson Park Foundation for use there. As the canopies are removed, free standing framed safety panels will be located in front of affected storefronts as a precaution, according to Tabor.

The panels will be removed daily from storefronts and relocated to the next work area.

Sunday’s high winds caused some severe damage to property in Toccoa. Rosa Tice called police after winds blew a tree down onto her mobile home on Fernside Drive. Officers arriving at the scene say the tree cut the home almost in half.

The Red Cross was called in to assist Tice and her family with finding temporary housing. Tice told police she is insured and plans to rebuild.

And a man on Lovers Lane lost his car to the high winds and a falling tree on Sunday. Clarence Willis told police he heard the sound of a tree falling and went outside to look. That is when he saw the tree lying across his 1998 Buick Century. Willis was advised to contact his auto insurance provider.

The owners of a beauty shop in Toccoa have been indicted on two counts of practicing medicine without a license. Renee Kyung Bhan, Marlin Plecido, and Young Sook Lee, who operate Star Beauty supply on Collins Road, are charged with the unlawful sale of contact lenses and practicing dentistry without a license. It happened last August.

"What they were doing is selling contact lenses, which is against state law and regulations. They are not licensed to practice optometry and that is what that is. They were also making impressions of people's teeth and making decorative teeth covers, and that's practicing dentistry in this state without a license," explained Toccoa Police chief Jackie Whitmire.

The indictment alleges employees at the shop made dental impressions for undercover officers for gold tooth caps sold in the store. It also alleges under cover officers purchased contact lenses from the store and employees showed them how to use them, which is illegal in Georgia. All were released on $25,000 bond.

The Stephens County Development Authority, Rotary, and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce will hear today from Stephens County School superintendent Gary Steppe on the state of our school system.

Sponsored by Stephens works – a joint effort to improve learning and career placement in the County- Steppe will deliver his annual report at a Community Forum luncheon at North Georgia Tech’s Currahee Campus.

Steppe is expected to speak on Stephens County Schools’ academic achievements, program accomplishments, and plans for future initiatives that will make Stephens County schools the best in the state.

At the last School Board meeting, the chairman of the Chamber’s Education Committee formally invited board members to the luncheon.

However at the time, only board member Dr. Beth Pinkerton indicated she would be attending today.

Governor Sonny Perdue has introduced a bill that will eliminate state income tax on retirement income of Georgians 65 and older by the year 2013. The bill is being sponsored in the Legislature by State Representatives Rich Golick and Larry O’Neal.

Once completely phased in, the Senior Income Tax Credit will result in $142 million a year in tax relief for seniors. It is also expected to add to the over $2 billion in tax relief that the Governor has delivered since taking office in 2003.

Perdue said yesterday that the tax cut would allow seniors to better cover the costs of prescription drugs and healthcare, or spend more time with their families. He said it would also help attract retirees to Georgia and strengthen the State’s economy.

In 2003, Governor Perdue and the Georgia General Assembly began a gradual tax relief package for Georgia’s seniors. While campaigning last fall, Perdue promised to accelerate and deepen the tax cuts so that all retirement income will be tax-free for seniors.

Toccoa will celebrate the opening of its new free clinic tonight with a special open house. The Open Arms Clinic is set to open officially in February. Located in a renovated house across from the Toccoa Clinic on Big A Road, board member Dr. Kay Royal says the clinic will be open three days a week.

"The clinic night will be from 6p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, the clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for follow up and scheduling appointments and refilling prescriptions and things like that. In addition, on Thursdays, that will be our pre-registration day. We will be scheduling appointments and doing history taking and things like that. That's going to be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. also," Dr. Royal said.

The Open Arms Clinic is designed for anyone without health insurance who falls within a certain income level. That income level is determined through an eligibility questionnaire.

Volunteers are needed to help with running the office and in other areas. Applications are available at the clinic.

The third week of the Georgia General Assembly is underway in Atlanta and State Senator Nancy Schaefer tells WNEG she is focusing on supporting the Governor’s budget proposal, among other things. In her weekly newsletter, Schaefer says she supports Perdue’s call for coaches for middle school students at risk of dropping out before finishing high school.

Other education proposals include:

Schaefer said she also supports the Governor’s plan to allot some $50 million in cash towards purchasing undeveloped land for protection in FY08.

As well as a $19-million cash investment for "Go Fish Georgia," this will create new ramps on fifteen sites on major rivers and reservoirs in the state and focus on hosting large fishing tournaments.

A high-speed chase through the streets of Toccoa last Friday night has resulted in a number of charges.

Toccoa police units were in pursuit of a 1996 Buick Skylark, driven by Daniel Trey Rodriguez of N.Sage Street. The chase went on for about 15 minutes and finally ended on Currahee Street.

Rodriguez was charged with DUI/reckless driving, fleeing and attempting to elude, and two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer

Police are also investigating a burglary at a residence on Tugalo Street.

A 74-year old Toccoa woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease is back safe and warm with her family today after having gone missing Saturday night. The woman wandered away from her home on Christine Circle off West Currahee St. sometime early Saturday evening. Her family noticed her missing around 7:30 p.m. Saturday and called 9-1-1.

"At that time we were told she was last seen within an hour to two hours, which is a pretty good lead time for somebody that’s mobile. We were concerned with the cold and the rain at that time given her age. EMA Rescue did go out and set up a command center and began search. Personnel stayed in the area and on scene throughout the night. The lady was recovered in good health shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday morning," explained Emergency Management Agency Interim Director Becky Wall.

The woman was found near her home. Authorities believe she spent Saturday night wandering from place to place trying to find her way back home. Wall says she was cold and tired, but otherwise ok. Wall credits team work and cooperation between agencies for the successful outcome.

"It’s a good example of the cooperation between all the agencies. Law enforcement was on hand, e911 had a representative on hand to help coordinate communications and keep things going between the agencies. We had a lot of support. We had direct contact with the folks at GEMA if we needed more resources. It was a smooth operation and we’re so glad it was successful," Wall said.

So far, the name of the woman has not been released.

Tonight is the night.

Work to begin removing the canopies from the downtown area officially gets underway tonight with the first phase, which will be to remove the asbestos from the top of the canopies.

"We’ll start on the West Doyle street block across from the Courthouse and hope to be finished with that in a couple of days in that one area and then move on to North Sage and then South Sage and then continue along the mall with the removal of the asbestos," noted Planning Commission director Connie Tabor.

The asbestos must be removed before actual demolition can begin. Tabor expects the asbestos removal to take seven to ten days to complete. After that, crews from Martin Construction will immediately begin demolishing the canopies, but Tabor says not before the City celebrates their removal with a party they’re calling, "Toccoa Rocks."

"We will have the official event celebration of the canopy removal this week on Thursday, February 13 and we’re looking forward to that. We will have some guest speakers, including Billy Parrish from the office of Downtown Development and we will have a band and refreshments and promotional items to give away. We look forward to people coming out and supporting this project and this will be the way that they can do that," Tabor said.

Asbestos and canopy removal will take place each night beginning at 6 p.m. Crews will work through the night until 6 a.m. each morning. That could mean some sleepless nights for people who live downtown, but Tabor says crews will try to keep the noise down as much as possible.

Some work will be done during the day including the removal of mall benches and trees, as well as patching of sidewalks after the removal of the canopy posts. The canopy removal work is expected to take until the end of March to complete. During that time temporary traffic control devices are in place at either end of the mall and there will be increased police patrols in the downtown area.

The investigation into a possible counterfeiting operation continues in Toccoa. Now, investigators think there may be a link between the fake bills passed here and those discovered in Rabun County.

"In talking with investigator Lindsey Owens up there, he gave us the serial numbers on the fake bills they confiscated and they matched ours, so you would assume that it would be the same people passing them. Of course, they could have some of them and gave them to their friends, but we do have possible vehicle identification. We’re working on those leads," explained Toccoa Police captain Butch Newkirk.

Two weeks ago, five counterfeit $20 bills with the same serial numbers were passed at two different retailers and two banks. Then last week, Regions Bank received another fake $20 bill in a deposit from Belk’s Department Store. Also, someone tried to pass a fake $50 at the McDonald’s on Big A Road.

The trial for Van Allen Caffee and Raheem Shands is tentatively scheduled for March in Stephens County Superior Court, Caffee’s attorney, Brian Rickman tells WNEG.

38-year old Caffee and his nephew, 31-year old Raheem Shands are charged with the execution-style killing of 57-year old James Robert Lewis last July. Lewis’ body was found along a dirt road off Black Mountain Road the night of July 23. His hands had been tied behind his back and an autopsy later determined death was caused by at least one gunshot wound to the head.

In December, Caffee and Shands were denied bond. Caffee is currently being held in the Rabun County jail. Shands is being held in another location.

Accused murderer Roger Gary Jackson has been indicted by a Stephens County Grand Jury on murder and other charges. Last week, the Grand Jury returned a True Bill against Jackson in the shooting death of 39-year old Wayne Calvin Wilson, Jr. in December.

Jackson was also indicted on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony.

Jackson has said little to Stephens County Sheriff’s investigators about the events that lead up to the shooting and there were no other witnesses that night. After the shooting, Jackson was the one who called 9-1-1 to report the crime. After interviewing Jackson and taking two guns into evidence, Stephens County Sheriff Gene Sorrells charged Jackson with murder.

Jackson is currently being held at the state mental hospital in Milledgeville, GA where he will remain until doctors determine his mental state.

Stephens County elementary school children had a chance to show their art talent off last week at the first ever school Gallery Art Show. Each of the four elementary schools in Stephens County held the show.

At Big A Elementary School, art teacher Carla LeCroy talked about the importance of art in the schools.

"We used to do something like this at the end of every school year in the spring. Each child was able to choose an artwork, but it was not to this magnitude that the artwork was matted and framed. Also they’re able to purchase it. I think it’s good for the kids and their self-esteem to be able to come and see their artwork. They’re really proud to show their family and friends," LeCroy said.

Money from the sale of artwork will be put back in to the schools for future projects.

County commissioners will spend their morning interviewing six candidates who are in the running for the job of County Road Superintendent. Stephens County has been without a road superintendent since former superintendent Clayton Haines resigned in October. The interviews began this morning at 9 a.m.

Commissioners said they wanted to hire a new road superintendent before paving season begins.

This summer, the County plans to pave and repair at least six county roads.

Toccoa Police have charged four people with burglarizing a clothing shop twice.

Early Thursday, detectives arrested Quinton Antonio Golden and a 15-year old juvenile. The pair is charged with burglarizing A&E Solutions clothing store on West Currahee Street the night of January 18.

Officers arriving on the scene the next morning found someone had broken the front glass door and all of the merchandise inside had been taken. Total value of the clothing and shoes was over $4,000.

Toccoa Police Captain Butch Newkirk credits good police work for the arrests.

"Just some good investigative work by my CID section. They get out here and beat the bushes. Detective Currans was working this case. She did an excellent job on going out and picking up suspects and interviewing them. Of course, they'd turn in other suspects and that's how it went," explained Newkirk.

Earlier, police arrested two other suspects for the December burglary of the same shop. In that case, over $3,000 worth of merchandise was taken just before Christmas. Arrested and charged with burglary were Franklin Sims and Octavious Hargrove – both of Toccoa. Newkirk says all four suspects knew each other.

"I can't say about the first two, but I'm sure they do. I can't be sure, but there were more suspects that knew about it that didn't pan out, but they all knew each other. I'm sure they did," he said.

Golden, Sims, and Hargrove are out on bond. The juvenile was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Police, fire and rescue personnel are not having an easy time finding the new e-911 addresses and private drives. Stephens County is working to remedy that problem, however, by reviewing a template of the new e-911book maps.

"We have received some of the preliminary maps from Hart EMC and are in the process of reviewing those. One of the things we have to make sure of is that there is an appropriate index and then we'll do a quality checks on those. Once we have that done then we'll be about the business of producing additional copies of those to share those with the public safety providers and the utility providers in the County," explained County administrator Darrell Hampton.

E-911 mapping coordinator Rex Nelms has been working with Hart EMC to get the maps, which show the new private drives and renamed streets, completed. Hart EMC’s GIS division agreed to provide one sample book map and one sample wall map, which the County could then duplicate using new computer software.

Initially, about 150 book maps will be printed - one for each law enforcement vehicle, all EMS ambulances, EMA rescue trucks, fire engines and vehicles, as well each City and County utility truck.

Book maps will also be given to outside utility companies, such as Windstream, Hart EMC, and Georgia Power. New wall maps for in-house use must also be printed up. Hampton says the county is waiting for updated information from the City of Toccoa before they begin printing those.

"One of the things the City is working on is giving us an up-to-date city limits. We've had a couple of significant annexations in the last couple of months and Connie Tabor's office is working with Rex (Nelms) to make sure we have a good, current, city limit profile," Hampton said.

Earlier this month, County commissioners voted to fund the $2,500 needed to pay for new map software for e-911 and additional computer training for Nelms. The County plans to purchase the upgraded printer sometime in the future at a cost of just over $7,000.

A lack of new maps is also prompting Toccoa Fire chief Rodney Burdette to urge citizens to give both their mailing address and e-911 address when calling in an emergency.

"Just in the interim, until the e-911 system is fully functional we just want to make sure that we don't miss anyone and we just want to get some information out to help our customers and the people in the community so we can better address their needs; their emergencies or any needs they have," explained Toccoa Fire chief Rodney Burdette.

In December, the County issued a similar request to their residents. Last November, County commissioners heard from Toccoa postmaster Mike Alford and postal service representative Debbie Lombardo, manager of address management for the Atlanta district.

At that time, Alford told commissioners all of the new e-911 addresses were to have been handed over to the post office at least a year before e-911 went live. That didn’t happen and Alford said the problem originated with Flagship GIS, which never provided the post office with a list of old and new addresses.

Alford said it would take about a year for the post office to make the changeover to the new e-911 addresses.

In the meantime, Burdette encourages citizens in Toccoa to be patient.

"I know this will be some aggravation for some folks, but in the long run, in the midst of an emergency it definitely will help us to be better able to locate citizens until everything is up and going," Burdette said.

Right now, Burdette says firefighters are having a hard time finding private drives and new roads because of a lack of maps and because e-911 dispatch is not able to tell them what roads intersect with the private drives.

Burdette also reminds citizens to update their e-911 addresses with their phone companies and the post office. He said to make sure you have filled out the proper forms and turned them in. To find out if e-911 Dispatch has your new address in its computer database, you can call them at 706-779-3911 and ask them to look it up.

Post 7 of the state patrol reported a fatality in Hart County about midnight last night. The accident occurred on Georgia Highway 77 just outside the city limits of Hartwell. According to the Post 7 dispatcher, the accident involved a car that hit a women pedestrian.

The trooper in charge of the accident investigation reported that he is still not positive of the identification of the victim. No other details were available at news time.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s office is investigating the theft of a utility trailer from a residence on Riviera Drive in Martin.

James Williams said that the trailer is a home-made trailer, beige in color with a wooden box on it. A spare tire was mounted on the front of the box.

The trailer was taken apparently sometime Wednesday.

A Franklin, NC man faces multiple charges two states, including holding a woman against her will and threatening to kill officers during a high-speed chase.

It happened Thursday. Clayton police say Vernon Stanley Carver allegedly took a Franklin woman against her will and then led North Carolina, Rabun County, and Clayton law enforcement on a high-speed chase.

During that chase, police say Carver called the officers on his cell phone and told them he had a machine gun and would, " take care of the police at the state line." Clayton Police finally caught up with Carver and arrested him.

In Rabun County, Carver is charged with two felony counts of making terroristic threats and acts, felony false imprisonment, fleeing and attempting to elude and misdemeanor charges. According to police, charges are also pending against the Carver from the Northeast Georgia drug task force, after a large quantity of cash and prescription drugs were found inside his vehicle.

Stephens County’s unemployment remained unchanged in December from the month before – holding steady at 5.5%. The state unemployment rate for December was 4.3% - down slightly from 4.4% in November. In December, Stephens County labor force reached 13,464. Of those, 12,723 were employed while 741 were unemployed.

A Stephens County family is staying with relatives while agents with the State Fire Marshal’s office try to determine what caused the blaze that burned their house to ground. The first call came into to e-911 at about 11 a.m. Thursday. 

"The first arriving units found a fully involved structure. Flames were already shooting through the roof when they first arrived on the scene. We started to immediately extinguish the flames," noted Shiloh Volunteer Fire Chief Jody Marcus. 

Firefighters stretched over 1,700 feet of hose down Farmer Road to the nearest fire hydrant on Pineview Road in order to be able to put out the blaze.  A smoldering fireplace may have sparked the fire, but Marcus said Thursday that it’s really too early to tell. 

"Right now at this point in time, it's totally undetermined. We'll be speaking with the family and start our investigation," he said.  

The fire re-ignited for a short time late Thursday, but units from Carnes Creek Volunteer Fire Department were able to put it out.  No one was home Thursday at the time of the fire and there were no human injuries, however the Walters tell WNEG that their small dog and cat perished in the fire.

Architects working on the restoration of the old Stephens County courthouse will begin making the drawings of what the building will look like inside now that they’ve heard from the Restoration Authority about how the County expects to use the building once the restoration is complete.

Yesterday, Gene Barrington of Barker, Cunningham, and Barrington told members it appears that the courthouse has undergone at least three previous renovations in its 100-year history.

He said this latest project would not be a renovation, but a restoration – that will bring the building back to the way it looked originally.

Once complete, the County hopes to use the courthouse for office space and court cases, but Barrington said combining historic context with modern building codes will be a challenge.

"What they typically had 100 years ago were assumptions about what was and what was not safe," Barrington said. "We’ve learned a lot since then. So, the challenge is to maintain the historical integrity of the building; to preserve the appearance and the materials, and at the same time create a building that is safe by modern code standards. That’s a challenge," he concluded.

Another challenge will be finding some of the original materials to replace and repair areas in the courthouse. For example, patching the exterior brickwork.

Craftsmen living in Toccoa-Stephens County made the bricks and mortar used to build the courthouse. Those formulas died with the craftsmen, Barrington said. He said they are one-of-a-kind materials and will be difficult to duplicate, but Barrington is optimistic it can be done using restorers who specialize in those areas.

Demolition has been going on inside the courthouse for the past two weeks, revealing original craftwork under layers of various renovations. Barrington said what’s being revealed underneath has been surprising. He our courthouse was considered state-of-the-art when it was constructed.

"I found it very interesting that a building of this age had electricity when it was originally constructed. It wasn’t put in later. That was a rare thing in the early 1900’s. The building had indoor plumbing – on both levels – when it was originally constructed. That also is a fairly rare thing for a building in the early 1900’s," Barrington said.

Barrington will soon begin interviewing some senior citizens in the County who worked at the courthouse years ago to get their memories. Those interviews will be videotaped and later donated to the historical society.

Some of the bigger strip centers in Toccoa are now home to vacant storefronts, and the Stephens County Development Authority is hoping to work with outside developers to bring them back to life.

At their meeting this month, Development Authority members received word that several private and commercial developers are looking at Toccoa-Stephens County with an interest in rehabbing store centers like the Bi-Lo Plaza and the old Sky City Shopping Center.

"We’ve been talking to quite a number of commercial developers," noted Stephens County Development Authority director Mitch Griggs. "They’re looking real hard at the Toccoa-Stephens because of all the activity generated by the new Super Wal-mart and Home Depot project. We’re getting a lot of interest from commercial developers all up and down the eastern seaboard really. They’re looking at investment opportunities here, including some re-development opportunities for some existing strip centers," he said.

The Bi-Lo™ grocery store closed last summer due to company cutbacks. When the new Super Wal-Mart opened on SR17 and the 17-Bypass, both Cingular® and Cato’s® moved there. Then last week, Hibbett’s Sporting Goods™ moved to a new location next to Tractor Supply™. Griggs says they’re excited about the interest.

"There’s been some considerable interest in that property and we’re very excited about that because obviously, that was full six months ago and now that plaza is virtually empty. So, our hope is that a commercial developer will come in and make some improvements to that plaza and using their relationships with commercial tenants get it filled back up for us as soon as possible," Griggs explained.

According to Griggs, one of the developers is also interested in the continuing care retirement community concept and would like to do a couple of Greenfield developments further down the 17-Bypass.

Six candidates are in the running for the job of Stephens County Road Superintendent. This week, County commissioners voted to begin interviewing the candidates on Monday. Stephens County has been without a Road Superintendent since former superintendent Clayton Haines resigned last October.

Discussion arose however, on whether to hold public interviews as was done for the Recreation Department Director position or to hold them in executive session. Commissioner Rex Anderson said he believed executive session would be more fair.

"I think it needs to be done in executive session and I also think we need to interview all six of these people," Anderson asserted. "That’s my feeling because they’ve gone to the trouble to make application with us for this job and we may or may not to hire any of them. However, I know there have been times that we have failed to interview people and found later that some of these people might have served us better than the ones we hired," he said.

The interviews will take place Monday morning beginning at 9 a.m. Commissioners said they wanted to hire a new Road Superintendent before paving season begins. This summer, the County plans to pave and repair at least six county roads.

Expect some road closures and detours along the 17-Bypass when the Georgia Department of Transportation begins their widening project.

This week, County commissioners approved the DOT’s request to close four side roads on an as-needed basis during construction.

Those roads include:

The closures will allow GDOT work crews access to those roads during the widening project.

Closures will occur as crews near those intersections.

Of the road projects in Stephens County, the widening of the 17-Bypass from SR17 to the Jeanette Jamieson Intersection is the only one that’s on schedule. For the past year, the GDOT has been purchasing rights of way along that stretch of the Bypass. The project is expected to get underway this year.

A North Carolina man, wanted on two murder charges, was captured Tuesday in Oconee County, SC. 23-year old Lemuel "Zeke" Sherman of Durham, NC was stopped in Oconee County, SC for speeding on I-85. Officers allegedly found marijuana, a stolen handgun, and 100 rounds of ammunition in Sherman’s vehicle.

Sherman was charged by South Carolina authorities with possession of marijuana and possession of a stolen firearm.

In North Carolina, Sherman was arrested on December 12 and charged with murder in the December 4 shooting death of 23-year-old Marlon Rand in Durham, NC. He posted bond and was released from the Durham County jail in December.

Sherman was later indicted on conspiracy and accessory after the fact charges in connection with the Rand murder during a January 16 Grand Jury session.

In addition, Sherman is currently on parole for robbery with a dangerous weapon, and is awaiting trial on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and felony possession of cocaine.

North Georgia Credit Union reported another case of phishing this week. This time, Credit Union manager Laura Williams says customers reported receiving emails asking them to take part in a paid survey.

"The email directed them to a phony Web site and asked them to complete a survey, and for taking part in the survey they would be rewarded with $50. Of course, it asked for their email address, their credit union user ID and password, their credit card information, and their PIN number," Williams said.

A copy of the email was turned over to police and the fake Web site was shut down. The credit union is warning customers to be suspicious of any email claiming to be from North Georgia Credit Union.

Williams said no financial institution would ask for a customer’s personal information or ask them to update their personal information in an email.

A similar phishing email circulated last month supposedly from North Georgia Credit Union asking customers to update their personal information. That Web site was also shut down.

A homeowner on Sweetgum Road called 9-1-1 when he discovered his home had been burglarized. It happened sometime between the end of December and this past Monday. The victim told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies that 10 cardboard boxes containing miscellaneous household items had been stolen. Deputies discovered a muddy footprint inside the home near the front door. They also found someone had slept on one of the beds in the home. There was no sign of forced entry and deputies are not sure how the suspects got into the house.

Two men looking for work may be responsible for stealing an air compressor from a home on Stancil Drive. The victim told Toccoa Police she noticed the compressor missing soon after they left. She was able to give officers a description of the men and police believe they know who they are. The suspects are believed to be responsible for similar thefts across town.

Regions Bank received another fake $20 bill. This time it came in a deposit from Belk’s Department Store. Toccoa Police captain Butch Newkirk tells WNEG he believes there is counterfeiter or counterfeit ring in the Toccoa-Stephens County area. Last week, five fake $20 bills with the same serial numbers were confiscated from two retailers and two banks. This week, someone tried to pass a fake $50 at the McDonald’s on Big A Road.

A commercial developer may soon be taking on the task of building commercial spec buildings in Stephens county. Recently, the Stephens County Development Authority’s property development and finance committee submitted a proposal to Rooker Corporation to create a comprehensive building program.

According to Development Authority director Mitch Griggs, the Company would begin by building a spec building in the Hayestone-Brady Industrial Park.

The first building Rooker is proposing to build in Hayestone would be an 80,000sq.ft. facility that will feature a 28-30 foot clear span with tilt-wall construction. It will be designed to accommodate a rail spur, and will be expandable to fit the needs of any kind of businesses.

All of those features, Griggs said, will make the building highly marketable. From there, Rooker will work with the Development Authority regarding the size and location of each successive spec building.

Rooker would begin work at Hayestone-Brady once an engineering firm has surveyed the property. They would continue putting up spec buildings in the park until it is filled. The move is designed to help the County attract industry by offering turnkey buildings to prospective businesses. Griggs said Rooker is one of the most respected commercial builders in the state.

It could be weeks before any charges are filed against the former affiliate library manager at the Cornelia Public Library. Habersham authorities say Wally Warren may be connected the to disappearance of funds at the library.

Northeast Georgia Regional Library System director Emerson Murphy said it’s not clear exactly how much money is missing.

"Well it's over $1,000, but we really don't know what the total is. That's going to be up to the GBI Forensic Auditor to determine and that's probably going to take awhile," noted Emerson Murphy, director of the Northeast Georgia Regional Library System.

Warren has been affiliate library manager in Cornelia since January of 1996, according to Murphy. Last week, he resigned abruptly after being confronted about the missing funds.

The Cornelia Public Library is part of the Northeast Georgia Regional Library System of which Toccoa-Stephens County is a part. The system consists of six public libraries in Habersham, Stephens, and Rabun counties.

Talks of hiring a new e-911 director or interim director have been noticeably absent from County Commission meetings since former director Paige Worley resigned. At their first meeting this month, commissioners skipped over the appointment of an interim director and have since made no mention of their plans to hire a new director.

County staff had contacted the Georgia Emergency Management Agency in Atlanta for help in the hiring process.

"One of the challenges we've had is that we've made a request for names and contact information for people who were qualified to do this, but we've yet to receive the contact information. We have names, but we do not have contact information for three of four of those candidates. So, we hope to be able to move forward within the next two weeks," explained County administrator Darrell Hampton.

Worley resigned suddenly in early January, but since then, the commission has been tight-lipped about their plans for a replacement. County commissioner Rex Anderson tells WNEG, however, that whomever they hire, he wants it to be someone with considerable experience running an e-911 dispatch center.

Right now, Rex Nelms, who is normally in charge of the mapping, has been holding down the fort at the dispatch center on Virginia Drive in Eastanollee. However, he has not been named the interim director.

The Franklin County Community Players have only been in existence a little over two years, but they are already taking center stage among community theatre groups in Georgia.

Last October, the cast of Forever Plaid won the "Best Play" award at the Georgia Theatre Conference in Macon, GA.

It was the first time the new company of performers had ever entered any competition. In March, the cast will represent the entire state of Georgia at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Atlanta.

There, they will compete against the winning community theaters from nine southeastern states and Puerto Rico.

"It's pretty much a theme show in the '50s and '60s about a guy Doo Wop group and how they dreamed of performing. It's very funny and it has a total ensemble and audience participation and interaction as part of the show," explained cast member Chris Parker, who also won Best Supporting Actor last fall for his role as Jinx.

"As a board member, seeing this great accomplishment from the group and then as a cast member and personal actor it's been a great accomplishment for myself because I've never had the opportunity to experience anything like this," Parker said.

If you have not seen the award-winning "Forever Plaid" musical, there will be two encore performances next month on February 10 and 11 at the Franklin County Performing Arts Center.

Franklin County High School drama teacher Bill Murray who saw a need for the arts in Franklin County created the Franklin Community Players about three years ago.

This past deer season was the best ever for the group, Georgia Hunters for the Hungry.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Hunters for the Hungry donated almost 29,000 pounds of venison - the most ever collected in one year by this program. 

In total, hunters have donated almost 200,000 pounds of venison since the inception of the program in 1993. Georgia Hunters for the Hungry is a program in which deer, donated by hunters, becomes nutritious venison to benefit those who need it the most. 

In 2006, participating hunters were able to donate at any of seven processor collection sites from September through January 1, and at seven two-day collection sites hosted on the weekend of November 25-26, 2006. 

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin alerts consumers that some "Lesley Elizabeth Sun-dried Tomato" products are being recalled because they contain sulfites without listing them on the label.

The tomato products, sold nationally in retail stores, are marketed under a number of brand names, including "Lesley Elizabeth, Inc," "Lizzie's Kitchen", "Attrezzi", "Bangma", "Wonderful", and "Good Spirits."

The products included in this recall are: jars of chunky guacamole; jars of garden vegetable seasoning; brown basmati rice in 8oz; tubes with a sample bag of dried tomato seasoning included in the tube; short brown rice in 1.28oz. tubes with a sample bag of garden vegetable seasoning included in the tube.

Those with allergies to sulfites may experience at reaction that varies from mild to life threatening, officials say.  There is no risk to individuals who are not allergic to sulfites.

It’s just a little flea market on the corner of Rumsey and Franklin Streets off Currahee Street, but it’s drawing big complaints from citizens. Over the months it has been there, the market has become little more than a shantytown.

Now the Toccoa City Planning Commission is taking a hard look at it and other flea markets inside the city limits. At this week’s work session, the Planning Commission will discuss instituting clear ordinances for such outdoor markets, according to Planning Commission Director Connie Tabor.

"Currently, there is nothing in the code of ordinances that addresses flea markets. The Planning Commission feels that there is a need for them to review that and come up some regulations for flea markets in the City of Toccoa," explained Planning Commission director Connie Tabor.

The market off Currahee Street consists of scattered wooden tables, canopies filled with old clothes and other junk items, along with some old camper trailers where people appear to be living.

Ken Cox is the City’s Code Enforcement Officer. He says currently, there are no ordinances in Toccoa that regulate such markets, so there is very little he can do to force them to clean it up.

Cox said that the most he can do is make sure they abide by the one rule that is on the books, which is that all tables with merchandise must be covered when not in use. Tabor says the person who started the flea market must have a business license. In addition, if food is sold, the Health Department must inspect the vendor.

Another counterfeit bill is in the police evidence box. This time it’s a $50 bill that a couple attempted to pass at the McDonald’s on Big A Road. The manager called police when a couple at the drive through tried to pay for their food with it.

According to the manager, the bill appeared to have been photocopied. Officers talked to the couple. They said they received the bill from a man on Wood Street about 30 minutes earlier who asked them for change for a $50.

The couple could not give officers the name of the man only that he was an older black male wearing blue slacks, a tan baseball cap and did not have any teeth.

Police are continuing that investigation. Last Wednesday, five fake 20-dollar bills were passed at two retail outlets and two banks. Police believe there is a counterfeiter or a counterfeit ring operating in the Toccoa area and they are continuing their investigation.

Members of the Stephens County Development Authority are in Atlanta today for a Legislative Reception. It’s sponsored each year by the Georgia Economic Development Association and is a chance for local communities to meet with state legislators.

"Each year, GEDA hosts a reception for all of our legislators and encourages its members and member governments to attend to express our appreciation for the job that they do for us," noted Stephens County Development Authority director Mitch Griggs.

One of the issues concerning the Stephens County Development Authority is the SR17 widening project. The project will turn the two-lane road into a four-lane from I-85 to the 17 Bypass. However, the Georgia Department of Transportation announced last month they have moved their timeline for the project to the indefinite list.

"I think on everyone's mind is our current situation with the dot and with the widening of SR17. We, of course, want to do everything we can to keep that fresh in everyone's mind to get that project back on track," Griggs said.

Last week, State Representative Jeanette Jamieson said plans are still on track to widen the Bypass and if the money can be found, Jamieson said she hopes to get the SR17 widening project back on its original timeline.

Plans to put an FM radio station on the air in Lavonia are moving ahead. Several months ago, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting, parent company of AM630 WNEG, announced the purchase of the old Lavonia Police Station building. Now after weeks of searching, a location for the station’s tower has been found.

"We have a secured a tower location near Lavonia and the station's call letters are expected to be selected in the very near future. So to summarize, that process is continuing. We expect that the Lavonia FM station should begin operations no later than July 4," Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting owner and CEO Art Sutton said.

Sutton said they expect to have the station’s call letters in the coming weeks. Meantime, the Company has already hired a station manager and is in the process of hiring on-air and sales staff.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) returns for its tenth season February 16-19, 2007. The National Audubon Society, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, and the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (DNR/WRD) invites everyone to count birds with a buddy throughout Georgia this winter.

Tim Keyes, biologist with the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division tells WNEG every pair of eyes is needed and every bird counts, whether in a backyard, on a high-rise balcony, in a park, or on any of the 730 million acres of public lands.

A woman on Brookdale Road is missing her three dogs and she believes they were stolen. Patricia Garland told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies that her male Boxer and two smaller dogs were taken from her yard sometime last Wednesday. The boxer is a brown male weighing about 100 lbs. The two smaller dogs are black male mix breed with a black collar and a black and white male mix breed with long hair wearing a red collar. Deputies turned the matter over to Stephens County Animal Control.

The owner of a hunting cabin off Brookhaven Circle called authorities when he discovered the cabin had been broken into. Charles Bowers of Canon, GA told Sheriff’s deputies he discovered the break-in on Saturday. Deputies found someone had forced the front door open. Missing were three propane lanterns and a number of hand tools, including a rake, shovel and axe. Total value of the missing property is about $200.

Commuters down I-985 should be aware of some more lane closures this week at Exit 16.

Georgia DOT crews will be working over I-985 on the new SR13 Bridge, which will require lane closures below the new bridge on the interstate, about a mile north of Exit 16.

Workers will be welding the metal deck panels to the bridge beams that are part of the new Atlanta Highway Bridge over the southbound lanes of I-985.

The plan today is to close the outside or right lane of I-985 south in each direction from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The lane closure will cut the capacity of the interstate in half under the interstate. Those are the only lane closures planned, but they will cause delays.

Crews are also working on the new I-985 bridge over SR 53/Mundy Mill Road this week. Crews will have the inside lane of Mundy Mill closed Monday through Thursday under the interstate as they prepare for pouring the concrete deck on the bridge over Mundy Mill.

AM630 WNEG is celebrating another milestone in its 50-year history. On Friday, word came from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC that our application to increase our daytime wattage from 500 to 5,000 was approved.

Owned by parent company, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting, that means more people will find that WNEG really is "A Nice Place to Be."

"The main improvement will be for our listeners in the rural areas of our surrounding counties, such as Franklin, Banks, and Hart counties where they may have difficulty picking up the station. They will now have a crystal clear signal. The actual coverage area is going to increase three-fold to nearly 15,000 square miles. The population of the station’s listeners will increase from about 300,000 to about 1,100,000," noted Art Sutton, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting owner and CEO.

WNEG’s broadcast coverage circle now extends from Sylva, north Carolina in the north, to Washington, Georgia in the south; and from Greenville, south Carolina in the east to Gwinnett county in north metro Atlanta in the west.

Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting has also requested that WNEG’s nighttime coverage be expanded. Right now, our operating license requires us to go to low power at when the sun sets. However, that approval will require the ok from the Cuban government. Why the Cubans, you might ask? Good question.

"The federal government allocated frequencies to different countries back in the 1930s when the FCC first began, and the Cubans received priority on AM630," Sutton explained. "When Castro took over the government of Cuba in the late 1950’s, he no longer honored that agreement, but United States has. So anytime a U.S. station wants to make changes at night on the 630 channels, it has to go through an international tribunal in Switzerland. They will contact the Cuban government and if there is no opposition, it will be approved. That whole process, because you’re involved in so many government beauracracies can take several years," he concluded.

Other improvements to wneg this year include upgrading our web site to include more streaming audio and podcasts.

Just a reminder that the second city commission meeting, normally held on the fourth Monday of the month, which is today, has been pushed back to the 29^th this month. That’s so Toccoa City commissioners and staff could attend the annual Mayor’s Day Conference at the Atlanta Hilton, which started Saturday and ends today.

The City of Toccoa’s Water/Wastewater Department announced its Toccoa Creek wastewater treatment plant on Scenic Drive recently completed 18 consecutive months of 100% compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

That’s a mouthful, but basically what it means is that plant hasn’t had any spills, overflows, or other problems in 18 months.

"18 consecutive months with our Georgia discharge permit is significant," asserted Water/Wastewater Treatment director Don Dye. "It’s a sign that the plant is operating very well and the guys know what they’re doing and how to operate it. And even though the target and treatments options are moving and increasing standards, the guys are keeping up and that plant has worked supremely well for the past 18 months," Dye concluded.

Toccoa Creek was the focus of a U.S. District Court lawsuit in the mid-1990s, filed by the Georgia Environmental Organization, because of continuous and consistent violations of its discharge permit.

As a result, Toccoa Creek and the Eastanollee Wastewater Treatment Plant were completely renovated and upgraded. Dye said maintaining compliance with federal guidelines is a constant challenge.

"It’s tough to keep a wastewater plant in compliance because they keep raising the bar as far as treatment requirements. That’s what had gotten the plant so woefully inefficient treating the wastewater prior. The standards continued to go up through the 1970s and ‘80s and 1990s. That’s why that plant and the Eastanollee Creek plant were both in significant non-compliance a significant amount of the time," Dye explained.

Another area where the Toccoa Water Department is working on improvements is the water plant itself on Falls Road. That is another area where maintaining federal standards is an ongoing process.

"Wastewater is a tough animal to wrestle, to be honest," Dye admitted. "You’re literally discharging waste into streams and they have certain requirements for doing that. In fact, the water that comes out of the water plant could not be discharged into a creek or stream because of the chlorine that’s in it. It’s good enough to drink, but it’s not good enough to pour into a creek. The water plant improvements are to increase and improve the water treatment capacity so that we can match future requirements," he said.

Dye said SPLOST IV monies are being used to upgrade the water plant.

Lavonia Police have called in the GBI to assist with investigating a burglary at the Burger King on SR17. It happened last Tuesday night when one of the night deposit bags went missing.

"The management at Burger King was making the nightly deposit at one of the local banks in Lavonia. They reported that had put two night deposit bags in the nightly deposit, but only one bag was recovered by employees at the bank," Lavonia Police chief Randy Shirley said.

The missing bank bag contained over $1,600 in receipts. Burger King’s manager told detectives that either he or the assistant manager would follow the employee to the bank to watch the actual deposit.

Investigators are reviewing bank video of the drive through on the night the money went missing, but that video leaves more questions than answers.

"We have reviewed quite a bit of the security tape of the transactions before and after the Burger King incident, but the tape doesn’t help us at this point. It looks like there is about 14 seconds missing from the security tape. Until we can find out from what the polygraph will reveal, we’re at a standstill. We have ordered those polygraphs and are awaiting a time slot by the GBI," Shirley said.

Chief Shirley would not say if any employees were suspects in the robbery.

Wednesday is another school bus evacuation drill day for all students who ride the school bus. Transportation director Beth McDonald tells WNEG that on Wednesday afternoon, children will practice evacuating the school bus as if it were an emergency.

That means that buses will run 15-30 minutes later on Wednesday than normal. A rain makeup day will take place Wednesday the 31. McDonald said the increased number of field trips and other extra curricular activities in which school buses are used make regular practice drills necessary.

This week, students will learn how to turn off the buses ignition switch, set the emergency brake, use the radio system to call for help, help other students off the bus and how to open the emergency and regular exits.

Toccoa Police are investigating a break in at the Toccoa Dialysis office on Falls Road. The office manager told police that sometime after midnight Thursday night, someone threw a concrete block through a window and got in.

They then stole a Dell™ lap top computer that was anchored to a desk by cutting the cable that secured it. No other items appeared to be missing.

A Canon woman faces charges in two counties. Lavonia police arrested 40-year old Karen Lynn Keller on outstanding warrants out of Elbert County.

However, police say after taking her to the police department, officers allegedly located a quantity of marijuana in the back seat of her vehicle. Keller now also faces marijuana possession charges in Franklin County.

The Hills Exxon on Highway 17 reported a check in the amount of $60 turned out to be forged.

The check was turned over to investigators with the Lavonia Police Department.

The Federal Communications Commission today approved the application of Toccoa Radio Station WNEG to increase its daytime transmitting power.

While preparations for the application took several years, on December 13, 2005, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting Company, LLC, licensee of WNEG, filed an application with the FCC to increase the station’s daytime transmitting power from 500 watts to 5000 watts.

The station’s FCC protected contour will increase from 5132 square miles to 14,775 square miles. The population covered by this signal will increase from 297,285 to 1,088,473. The signal will extend from Sylva, NC to the north; Washington, Georgia to the south; Greenville, South Carolina to the east and Gwinnett County to the west. WNEG’s 300-foot transmitter tower will remain on Collins Road in Toccoa.

WNEG has operated on 630 since 1961 when it moved from 1320, the original channel when the station began operations in 1956.

Station officials said the most significant improvement would be for listeners outside Stephens County who may have difficulty hearing the station inside buildings in Franklin, Hart, Banks, Habersham, and Rabun counties in Georgia and Oconee County, SC.

WNEG has pending an application to increase its nighttime power but that application involves consent of the Cuban government and approval, if granted, may take years to secure.

WNEG’s 5000 watt daytime signal is expected to begin April 21, 2007, the station’s anniversary date. Testing of the new equipment for the signal is anticipated earlier and a special ceremony to mark the event is being planned.

With this improvement, WNEG’s coverage area will be among the largest of AM stations operating in the three states it will serve…and as large as many 100,000 watt FM stations.

If you have lost a gun, you might want to check the list of firearms in the legal section of the Toccoa Record. Toccoa Police are gearing up to get rid of some 233 guns of all types and sizes. This is the last week the guns will be advertised as "lost and found" in the paper.

Toccoa Police chief Jackie Whitmire says these are firearms that have been accumulating since the 1970s.

"As long as I've been here, we've never gotten rid of any firearms except those that were returned to the legal owners," Whitmire explained. "So a lot of these guns are old. A lot of them were taken from drug dealers and other convicted felons. Some of them are lost and found. The majority of these guns we have advertised in the legal section of the paper are what are known as Saturday Night Specials," he said.

Most of the firearms have serial numbers on them, but some do not. Chief Whitmire says unless claimed by their rightful owners, all of the guns will be disposed of.

"We will end up destroying most of those guns. We cannot get into the gun selling business for a whole lot of reasons, mainly because it is against federal law. What we will probably do is trade some to our gun company for police weapons," Whitmire said.

What isn’t exchanged or reclaimed, Whitmire says will be handed over to the Toccoa fire department to cut up and destroy. Toccoa Police will wait another 10 days to see if anyone claims any of the firearms. After that, a Superior Court judge will sign a ruling ordering them to be destroyed.

All Stephens County department heads are now without recourse or redress should they be disciplined or even terminated. At their first meeting this month, commissioners voted 2-1 to exempt department heads from the section in the employee handbook that gives hourly employees a list of policies and procedures to follow.

Under the new procedure, any department head can be terminated for any reason other than what is outlined under federal guidelines, so long as two County commissioners agree. The dissenting vote came from commissioner Rex Anderson who said all employees should be on a level playing field and any employee who is fired, should be fired for cause.

"I feel like that it would be better for everybody to go by the handbook the way it is. I just don't see how they could have a chance if they're dismissed without just any reason at all by just two people. No matter if we were a five-person a commission. If two or three people just decide to dismiss someone without real cause," Anderson said.

However, commissioner Harold Andrews disagreed, citing the extra privileges salaried employees enjoy.

"I'm accustomed as most people are in the workaday world that if you're hourly you have certain rules and regulations and if you're salaried, it's recognized that you're on a different set of rules and regulations because there are more freedoms given those people. And the recourse on a termination situation follows a little different route, however they still have an opportunity for recourse," Andrews opined.

County attorney Rusty Smith noted that Georgia is a right to work state. That means, any employee at any level may be terminated for any reason. However, he said how that happens is up to the individual municipality, which must adhere to its own policies and procedures.

"If you have a procedure and you adopt that procedure, then you have to follow it. There are exceptions and the Commission always has the discretion. Georgia is an 'At Will' state, but by adopting a personnel policy and these procedures, the procedures do apply to County discipline of its employees," County attorney Rusty Smith commented.

The only County department that does not fall under the County’s employee handbook polices is the Sheriff’s Department, which has its own handbook.

Saturday’s forecast looks good, but the National Weather Service says another 24-hours of wintry mix could descend on us Sunday. The national weather service has issued a severe weather alert for the mountains and Northeast Georgia for Sunday. Temperatures are forecast to be around freezing as the precipitation begins in the mountains Sunday morning resulting in light amounts of freezing rain and sleet.

"What we're seeing is another storm system that will develop along the Gulf of Mexico Saturday evening and that will be tracking towards Northeast Georgia as the weekend goes on. We have a cold high pressure over the region and once again that will set the stage for some wintry weather across the area for the Sunday/Sunday night timeframe," explained meteorologist Chris Horne with the National Weather Service in Greenville, SC.

The NWS says. the heaviest precipitation is expected to occur from late Sunday evening through Monday morning. Temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 20s in the mountains to around freezing east of the mountains Sunday night.

Most of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia should see some wintry precipitation Sunday and Sunday night. However...significant accumulations of freezing rain and sleet will have the highest probability within the mountain valleys and the North Carolina foothills.

A difference of just one or two degrees will determine whether precipitation falls as a cold rain or whether a major ice storm develops.

"Right now, the temperatures look kind of marginal. Especially the further north you get. In the North Georgia Mountains there may actually be some wintertime conditions be it in the form of snow, sleet or ice or a mix thereof. However, the way it's looking right now is it may be just a little bit warmer than it was during the Thursday storm," Horne said.

AM630 WNEG will have the latest on that system as it approaches and join Ted Taylor at 6 a.m. Monday for information on the weather and related school or business closings.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of a Martin woman accused of stealing then passing bad checks.

Stephens County Sheriff’s investigators are looking for the suspect they say stole the checkbook of a deceased woman, then went on a spending spree. We first told you about her earlier this week when the manager of the Raceway Gas Station on Big A Road reported the suspect had passed seven of those checks at their convenience store totaling more than $1,300.

However, Stephens County Sheriff’s chief deputy Mike Crozier says about 18 bad checks were passed between early January and last week totaling more than $3,400 – most at the Raceway, but one also went through the Royal Foods store in Eastanollee.

Authorities are not sure why the manager of the Raceway did not become suspicious when the woman came in several times a day to cash checks – some in amounts over $400. Crozier says they know who the suspect is since she used her real name when cashing the checks.

The decedent’s son contacted authorities when he discovered the missing checkbook.

Toccoa Police are investigating a possible counterfeit operation. On Wednesday, five counterfeit $20 bills with the same serial numbers were passed at two different retailers and two banks.

In the first instance, a fake $20 was passed Wednesday morning at the Ingles. Ingles store surveillance cameras captured the image of white male making a purchase with the bill. That video is still be examined by investigators.

Later Wednesday, another fake $20 with the same serial number as the Ingles bill was passed at the Hardees. That bill was turned over to police.

Also on Wednesday, tellers at Regions Bank discovered two more phony $20’s with the same serial number. Both of those were also turned over to police. And someone passed a counterfeit 20 at First Citizens Bank, which had the same serial number as two bills discovered at Regions Bank. Toccoa Police detective Butch Newkirk says the investigation is ongoing and so far no arrests have been made.

A routine traffic stop in Toccoa resulted in another drug bust. Toccoa Police stopped a vehicle Wednesday night at the corner of Pine and Franklin Streets for no headlights.

Once stopped, however, the driver got out of the car and ran. He was chased on foot by police and captured. A search of his 1994 Ford Crown Victoria revealed the reason he tried to get away. Officers allegedly found a quantity of cocaine hidden inside.

Police arrested 27-year old Thierry Arthur of South Pond Street. Arthur is charged with possession of cocaine, fleeing and attempting to elude and obstruction of an officer.

For all of the bad weather and low visibility Thursday, driving was surprisingly normal.

Post 7 of the state patrol reported four minor accidents in their five county coverage area. Two of those were in Habersham County, and there was just one complaint of an injury.

Two accidents in Stephens County were reported. One was around the Noon hour at Highway 328 and Tower Rd. One car was involved. The other accident was on Highway 17 south at Grace Baptist Church. One car was involved and again, there were no injuries.

The area’s first real taste of winter weather came in this morning. Although the wintry precipitation was light, Stephens County Schools closed for Thursday as a precaution. There was some icing reported in the area.

John Tomko with the National Weather Service office in Greenville, South Carolina said that a winter- weather advisory will be in effect for most of the day today. "We have a Winter Weather Advisory until 6PM this evening. "Tomko announced. "We’ll have a mixture of rain, freezing rain and sleet. There will be little or no sleet accumulation from the sleet. However, some ice accumulation from the sleet could be as much as a tenth of an inch."

High temperatures will only reach into the 30s for today. After this system leaves, another system will be coming along behind it, on Sunday. ‘We’re looking at another storm system coming into the area on Sunday with rain, sleet and freezing rain. Most of the freezing rain will begin at night, during the colder part of the night."

Just before Noon today, the winter weather advisory was cancelled for this area.

For decades, R.G. Letourneau and later WABCO on Highway 123 were two of the main employers in Toccoa-Stephens County. For the past 25 years though, the buildings that housed those two companies have lain vacant and decaying.

Now, one of those buildings is coming down. Work to demolish the large yellow building was underway this week – deemed too deteriorated to save.

"That 202,000 square foot big yellow building is simply too obsolete and not in very good condition. We didn't have any option to rehab it or reconfigure it or anything. So, the property owner decided to take the building down and try to redevelop the property itself for industrial purposes in the future and we're real excited about that," explained Stephens County Development Authority Director Mitch Griggs.

Early last year, Scrap Masters, Inc. leased and renovated the building in front of the one being torn down. They currently employ about 15 people with plans to expand as their business grows.

Property owner Elliot Caudell tells WNEG he’s not sure what he will do with the lot once the building is gone. However, Griggs said it would likely be redeveloped.

"We would like to site an industrial facility on that property because not only is it fully serviced with infrastructure and everything it has a significant concrete pad and is right on the main line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad with a rail spur that serves the site. It's ideal for industrial redevelopment and this is just another site within the community that we're trying to redevelop for industrial purposes," Griggs said.

Caudell said he plans to renovate another building on the WABCO property, the old office building, and rent it out or sell it. During WWII, the Letourneau/WABCO plant employed over 1,500 people.

Stephens County High School will be getting 22 new computers capable of producing videos. At this week’s School Board meeting, over $750-thousand dollars in extra funding was approved in order to purchase new technology equipment for all schools in the system.

However, computers for the new Media Center at the high school were accidentally left off the list. On Tuesday, Board members voted to add another $23-thousand to purchase the new Gateway™ computers and the video software that will enable students to actually edit their own video productions.

"Many times teachers make assignments for various projects and the way the world changes, many times our projects must change as well," Stephens County High School principal George Sanders explained. "And these computers will have the capability of showing video, manipulate the video so the projects will be first rate. Plus, we'll be using them for other presentations at the school. They'll be housed in the Media Center," he said.

Students learn how to make and display projects using video, which involves learning to use a video camera, as well as editing that video on computer. Sanders said the high school now has daily video newscasts in addition to other video projects.

"We have what's called, Channel One, but within that we'll have some presentations of our own so that our kids will be able to do some of the news. We're also putting a production together for the Governor's Task Force for a request to have the prom at the Governor's Mansion. These are just fun projects that we're working on," Sanders said.

With the additional $23-thousand dollars, the school board will spend just over $800-thousand dollars for the new computers and software as well as other hi-tech equipment.

South Carolina fire officials are trying to determine the cause of yet another fire at a country club subdivision on Lake Hartwell. This time, it happened at the Foxwood Hills Development where the clubhouse was destroyed by fire yesterday.

The fire was discovered around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning by the groundskeeper, Dick Brandebourg. He said he was able to save just a single golf cart, and as many as 15 carts were lost to the fire as well as other items inside the clubhouse.

The clubhouse was a single story, wood frame building with a metal roof.

This is the second blaze at the Lake Hartwell development in as many weeks. On January 4, fire gutted the nearby office Kingston Manor/Foxwood Villas. However, Oconee County Sheriff’s captain Mike Crenshaw said an investigation into the cause of that fire has ruled out foul play.

The country club house and golf course were closed recently and were for sale when yesterday’s blaze broke out, so no one was inside, and there were no injuries.

A Baldwin woman, charged with auto theft in Banks County, was arrested in Toccoa after Toccoa police caught her at a local pawnshop. It happened last Friday.

Toccoa police received word from Banks County authorities to be on the look out for the stolen vehicle. On Friday afternoon, officers spotted a vehicle matching its description Toccoa Pawn Shop on Currahee Street.

Police say they observed a woman leave the Pawn Shop and drive off in the vehicle. Two officers surrounded the vehicle and pulled it over. After running the car’s VIN number, they were able to confirm it had been stolen.

Arrested at the scene was 35-year old Michelle Dodd of Flat Rock Road in Baldwin. Dodd was turned over to Banks County and the vehicle returned to its owner in Homer, GA.

Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies also recovered a stolen vehicle this week. It happened Monday at Stumpy's on Highway 328 in Martin. Sheriff’s deputies were warned to be on the lookout for Blue Dodge 1500 Sport truck taken from Star Fleet Leasing in Hart County.

Deputies located the truck at Stumpy’s after the suspect called authorities in reference to a child custody dispute. Arrested at the scene was 23-year old Ashley Jade Clanton of Cola Berry Highway in Hart County. Clanton was charged with motor vehicle theft.

There’s been a recent rash of bicycle thefts in Toccoa. A resident of Morgan Street told police someone took her son’s bike sometime overnight last Friday. The bicycle is described as a 20-inch "Next"-brand; red, white and silver in color.

Another bicycle was stolen from a shed behind a home on Davis Avenue sometime Monday night. It’s described as a green off-road sport bike with foot pegs and sport handles, valued at $200. That case was turned over to detectives.

And someone stole a15-speed Roadmaster bicycle from a home on Mitchell Street. It happened sometime over night Monday as well. The value of the bike is $150.

So far, police have no suspects in any of these cases and have made no arrests.

The Georgia Department of Transportation North District announces a traffic shift on the US 441 widening project in Rabun County. Spokeswoman Teri Pope tells WNEG that if weather allows, traffic will shift on US 441 to the newly completed lanes on Wednesday, January 24.

The shift will begin just south of the falls bridge over Stekoa Creek and traffic will continue on the new lanes across the new bridge over the creek to just north of the bridge.

This is part of the staged construction that allows the GDOT to keep traffic flowing through the project area. "Once traffic is running on the new bridge, we can upgrade the old bridge without interrupting traffic flow on 441. If rainy weather occurs on January 24 the shift will occur the next day; on Thursday, January 25," Pope said.

The completion date for this project is May 31, 2007 at an estimated construction cost of $65 million.

Toccoa police are investigating a couple of thefts.

The manager of Wendy’s on the Big a Road reported that $258.58 in dollar bills and coins was missing from the store. The investigation has been turned over to detectives.

Someone broke into a residence on E. Doyle Street and took a lap top computer and a guitar. The victim stated that the items had been at the house earlier in the evening. When she returned early the next morning, the items were gone.

The lap-top computer is a Dell model and the guitar is an Alvarez model. No value was placed on the items.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s office is investigating another case of theft of copper wire.

A resident of Dutch Ford Road told deputies that someone had broken into an un-occupied residence by cutting a steel cable and breaking in through the back door.

Odes Roberts said that all of the copper wire in the residence had been taken. He said that the last time anyone had been at the residence was back in November.

A four-wheeler was taken from a residence on Oak Valley rd. The vehicle is green in color with decals on the front and back and the right hand foot boar is broken. The 4-wheeler is valued at about $400.

A 1990 brown 2-door pick-up truck was reported stolen from a residence last Saturday on North Avenue .

Jerry Banks said that he had parked the truck behind his residence with a ladder on the top and keys in the ignition. The truck was eventually recovered on Wolf Pit Road. There are no suspects in the incident.

A rin