Renovations continue to make progress at the historic Stephens County Courthouse. Wednesday, the Courthouse Renovation Authority met to discuss the status of the renovations. Henry Fields says work is moving along nicely inside the courthouse. "We have pretty much got the infrastructure ready," says Fields. "They have already started putting the ceiling back up in the courtroom. We have all of the heating and air in, and that is the ductwork. We have the electrical work 90 percent finished. We have to hang the lights. That is still to be done."

Fields adds that other work in the interior, such as on technological infrastructure and the elevator, along with flooring and more, remains to be done. However, he says the group needs to start looking at the courthouse’s exterior as well. "In the overall view for the outside, we need to start thinking about this if we are going to complete this thing down in the summer, I think we need to go ahead and see if we cannot get somebody to draw us up a plan of how we are going to do those yards," adds Fields. Officials say the project is coming in well under the average budget for such a project at this point, so there is some room financially. The authority will meet next on February 27.

Residents in Stephens County should start receiving postcards with their new E-911 addresses on them soon. County officials say the postcards have begun going out recently. The postcards residents are receiving have two addresses on them. On the front of the card is a resident’s old address. Then, on the back, the new, official E-911 address is listed.

Officials say they hope the cards will clear up any confusion. Commissioner Harold Andrews says this is a good way to let residents know what is going on. "We have decided that the most effective way to get the message to all of the citizens is not through any one thing other than to take a direct mail so that everybody gets a copy of the same thing," says Andrews.

County officials say the postcards are going out in very small waves and not all at once. Officials say they will let residents know when all of the postcards have been sent, which is not the case yet. In a related note, county officials add that Martin residents are not online to begin using their new E-911 addresses yet. They say they will notify residents when they can begin using the new addresses as residents can now on Toccoa and Eastanollee postal routes.

Stephens County Commissioners will only meet once next month. That decision was made at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners’ meeting. Stephens County Commission Chairman Kenneth Peeples explains. "(We will) not have commission meetings on February 11 and 12 in order to allow the commission to meet in Atlanta with the legislative business and we will only have one meeting at 10 a.m., with a work session at 9:30 a.m., on February 26, 2008," says Peeples.

Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says the commissioners will be attending a legislative conference of the Georgia Association of County Commissioners on those days. The meeting on February 26 will take place in the commissioners’ normal meeting location in the courthouse annex in Toccoa.

A cause is now known for a minor structure fire Tuesday afternoon in Toccoa. Toccoa Fire Chief Tommy Ayers says it was a minor fire started just before 5 p.m. on Stephen Circle, near the intersection with Stephen Drive. "What they did is they left a pan on the stove and it caught fire and it smoked the apartment up and everything, so they evacuated the apartment and we got the smoke and everything out of the apartment," says Ayers. "There was not any damage to it, just a lot of smoke." Officials on the scene Tuesday indicated the fire was under control not long after 5 p.m. There were no injuries to report. As for a Tuesday morning fire in Eastanollee, officials say the cause of that remains under investigation.

Authorities are investigating a string of damaged mailboxes. According to a report filed with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department, a man living on Nub Garland Road in Toccoa states his mailbox has been damaged three times within a relatively short time. The latest incidence, according to the report, was between 7 p.m. this past Saturday and 9:45 a.m. this past Sunday. The mailbox was damaged with an unknown object. According to the report, no other mailboxes in that area have been damaged. However, the victim states he knows of co-workers who have had their mailboxes damaged. No direct connection can be made at this time though. Authorities have no suspects at this time.

This "hamburglar" is busy again. Toccoa Police are looking for a Toccoa man who allegedly stole a large amount of money from McDonalds. Police Chief Jackie Whitmire says almost $2,000 was taken from the Big A Road restaurant Tuesday afternoon. Police reports identify Daniel Lynn Ford of Ridgecrest Drive as the suspect.  He is an employee of the restaurant. Whitmire says police are still looking for him.

Downtown is the heartbeat of a community. That is the image Toccoa Downtown Development Authority Chair Greg Shultz uses to describe how important a healthy downtown is for a community. "There is history, design, architecture," says Shultz. "It is just our roots and it is just critical we preserve that and it is, like I said, really a heartbeat for the community and for the county."

The lifeblood of the downtown area is the businesses located there and Tuesday night, business owners were celebrated at the Toccoa Main Street Awards reception. Shultz told the crowd that in 2007, business invested $1.2 million in renovating downtown buildings. In addition, six new businesses had opened with a gain of 19 employees.

The evening’s awards ceremony was a way of appreciating this effort, says Shultz. "We think it is important to recognize private individuals and business owners for their efforts, in, number one, selecting downtown as a place to do business because without them, we would not have a downtown, and also staying downtown where there is the option of moving to shopping centers and things like that," says Shultz.

Awards were given to the following businesses:

Outstanding Community Service: Martin Woman’s Club

Special Recognition: State Farm Insurance, Threads Sports, and Stewarts Drugs

Best Historic Rehabilitation: John and Dorothy Hewitt for the Bus Stop Eats, Drinks, and Antiques

Downtown Awareness Award: Larry Whiten with Whitens Shoes

Most Original Newcomer: Billy Power of Frankie Furters

Best Adaptive Re-use: Dr. Kay Royal of Family Eyecare

Best Historic Restoration: The Toccoa Record

Best Historic Renovation: Brian and Joann Raybon of Raybon OB/GYN.

Also recognized was retiring DDA board member Marcia McClain and former city commission liaison Ferrell Morgan.

Stephens County has two new department heads in place. Interim County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says county commissioners extended offers Tuesday morning for the positions of Senior Center Director and Public Works Director. "The Public Works Director offer was made to Robert Hanley and the Senior Center Director was made to Lisa Thomas, and as of right now, both have accepted those positions," says Ayers.

The announcements came after a closed session of nearly two hours. Ayers says they wanted to make sure they were diligent in the hiring process. "I feel like they were pleased with the way it went and it was a very lengthy review, a very deep review of these candidates because in the past, we have had a little difficulty with department head positions and so we had more of a thought process to take our time to get the right one than to be hasty," adds Ayers.

Ayers could not release any other information at this time about the offers made to Hanley and Thomas. As for the ongoing search for a new county administrator, Ayers says they will be moving forward soon on that front. "In the county administrator search, that job application closed Thursday of last week and our HR assistant has provided those names and the backgrounds to the commissioners and over the next week, they will be letting us know who they would like us to set up interviews for," says Ayers.

Ayers says interviews are going to be set up tentatively for February 18. Finalists for the job could be announced by the end of February or in early March. The new county administrator will replace Darrell Hampton, who resigned from the Stephens County job last year. He is now in Jackson County, Georgia.

The investigation continues into what caused a structure fire in Eastanollee Tuesday morning. Four fire departments, Eastanollee, Martin, Carnes Creek, and New Hope were called out before 7 a.m. Tuesday to a mobile home on Kay Road to fight the fire, which started once, was extinguished, and re-ignited, according to Eastanollee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jamie Geddes.

Geddes reports one room was involved the first time firefighters arrived and the blaze was put out and checked multiple times to make sure it was out. He says, however, the fire re-ignited and involved more of the house the second time. Geddes says they do not have a conclusion as to what caused the fire to re-ignite, but he says a space heater could have caused the initial fire, but that investigation continues as well. Nobody was injured. According to Geddes, the homeowner evacuated family and pets from the structure and provided assistance in attempting to put out the blaze.

Progress continues to be made on a rear-access connector road from the Highway 17 Bypass to the future Home Depot store in Stephens County. A public hearing was held Monday at the Stephens County Courthouse Annex to solicit comments and answer questions about the $350,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to build the road.

Angela Steedley is with the firm helping to coordinate the grant for the county. She says the money has already been awarded, but a public hearing must be held to comply with Georgia state laws. According to Steedley, there were a couple of basic questions asked at the hearing, but no other comments were taken.

Steedley says that the road, once built, will alleviate truck traffic on Highway 17. She says there is no timeline for construction of the road, because there are financing issues to finalize before it can be completed. Previously, Outgoing Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Mitch Griggs said the grant and the road were instrumental in securing the final decision for Home Depot to come to Stephens County after initial construction obstacles on the site.

There is also no word on what caused a structure fire in Toccoa late Tuesday afternoon. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. Tuesday on Stephens Drive, near the intersection with Stephens Circle. Toccoa Fire Department vehicles were on the scene to quickly extinguish the fire. It was under control just after 5 p.m. Officials on scene at the time say nobody was hurt in the fire. No cause has been determined as of this time.

In the continuing conundrum of copper theft, one copper crook has finally been caught. 19-year-old Dean Allen Jones, of Hartwell, was arrested in Hart County Tuesday in connection with a January 21 burglary at Stephens County Iron And Metal in Martin.

According to reports, the owner of Stephens County Iron And Metal told deputies that sometime after 4:30 p.m. on January 21 someone cut through the fence, cut the lock off the back door, and took between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds of copper wire. Copper is highly valued on the black market because of international demand.

Chief Deputy Mike Crozier says the copper has been recovered. "A good portion of the copper has been recovered in a location outside of Stephens County and we have put a hold on Mr. Jones, so when Hart County is finished with him, we will be going to get him," says Crozier.

Crozier says sheriff’s deputies spent the week hunting Jones down after a deputy noticed his car in the area. Hart County authorities arrested Jones on unrelated charges. When he is returned to Stephens County he will face one count of burglary. The investigation continues with more arrests expected.

Two Mitchell Street residents are facing costly car repairs after a vandal damaged their cars. According to Toccoa Police, the victims called police to the scene Sunday morning.  Police found two cars – a Dodge Caravan and a Suzuki Reno – with their back windows shattered. Authorities could not determine what had caused the damage.

Nothing from the cars was reported as stolen. Police continue to investigate. Meanwhile, a Canon man is facing multiple charges after a wrestling match with a Toccoa Police officer.

According to police reports, the officer was called to the Relax Inn after someone reported drug activity in the hotel room. When the officer arrived, he was told the group did have a small amount of marijuana in the room.  A routine warrant check showed one of the men was wanted in three counties for various offenses. The officer was beginning to arrest Jermaine Barnes of Canon, when Barnes allegedly tried to get away. The officer pulled him down and a scuffle ensued. The report says the officer was struck several times, but was uninjured.

Barnes was charged with obstruction of an officer, possession of marijuana and giving a false name. Additionally, he faces charges of aggravated assault on a previous warrant in Stephens County, a probation violation in Elbert County, and failure to appear in Madison County.

Construction at Stephens County Hospital continues to move ahead towards completion this year. Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell says things are progressing along on Phase Two of the three-phase project.

Gambrell adds that Phase Two will soon be complete, and work will begin on the final phase of the renovations. According to Gambrell, work on Phase Two will wrap up next month, with the complete project coming to a close by the end of summer.

He says work on the last two phases has progressed much quicker than Phase One. "A lot of the initial work, for example, putting the air systems on top of the building, of course, do not have to be done again so Phases Two and Three are going much quicker than the first phase did," says Gambrell.

The project is slated to completely renovate older patient rooms built when the hospital first opened. Gambrell says what is going on is a very comprehensive renovation project. "The rooms in the re-opened area are literally brand new," adds Gambrell. "I mean, everything in it is new, including head walls, plumbing. Everything is new."

Bowen and Watson of Toccoa is conducting the renovations at Stephens County Hospital at an estimated cost of $4.6 million for the entire three-phase project.

Authorities continue to investigate a number of alleged recent thefts. According to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were dispatched to Sunset Road last week in reference to a number of missing items. The report states the items went missing between January 4^th and January 18^th, when nobody was reportedly at the residence.

A number of items were reported missing. Those include an unknown amount of copper wire valued at $1000, a new air compressor valued at $2000, an unknown amount of aluminum wheels valued at $1000, a new dump trailer valued at $3000, a large steel air tank valued at $3000, and various tools valued at $1000. The total value of missing items is listed in the report as about $11,000. No additional information was available at this time on that report.

Meanwhile, A Toccoa man has his 1930 Ford Model A back after it went missing in the early morning of January 23^rd. According to a report filed with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department, the classic car, valued at $30,000, went missing from the complainant’s driveway. Stephens County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mike Crozier says the vehicle was recovered the next day nearby.

Premium coffee will soon be available once again on Big A Road. Dave Keagan is opening the Café Java next week in the building that formally housed the Java Station. They celebrated with a ribbon cutting last week. Keagan says he has installed a new espresso machine. He will be offering a mouth-watering menu. "We will be having some nice lunch menus, obviously pastries and bagels and things like that for breakfast, sandwiches and soup and salads for lunch, and then maybe we will progress eventually into a dinner menu," says Keagan. The Café Java’s hours will be 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. The restaurant offers wireless Internet along with coffee and munchies.

With W-2 forms headed out, people will start filing those tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service. As always, the IRS is recommending that people file electronically through "e-file" and "free file" programs. IRS Spokesperson Mark Green says filing electronically is much more convenient for taxpayers. "It is safe. It is fast. It is accurate," says Green. "It is quicker in the sense that you can get your refund back in a little over seven to ten business days, versus a paper return, which generally takes anywhere between four to six weeks."

Green says many anyone can use "e-file." Beyond that, the IRS offers "free file" to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of below $54,000. Green says 70 percent of all taxpayers can use the "Free File" program. Green says besides speed and security, electronic filing leads to a more accurate return.

"What we have found is when we process returns from a paper standpoint, of course, there are incorrect Social Security numbers, sometimes Social Security numbers missing, or individuals who forgot to sign their tax return," adds Green. "Electronically, you do not have to worry about this because with the electronic version, if the information is incorrect, we will automatically send it back to you through the system within the 24-hour period, and, of course, you have the option of correcting it at that point and moving on." Last year, the IRS says 57 percent of all tax returns were filed electronically. For more information, visit www.irs.gov.

Funeral services for a former state representative will be this afternoon at 2 p.m. Carl Jack Irvin, Sr., age 79, of Baldwin, died Friday at Habersham County Medical Center. Irvin served as 10^th District Representative for the State House of Representatives for 12 years from 1973 to 1985.

In addition, he served on the Banks County Commission for 20 years. Current 10^th District Representative Jeanette Jamieson remembers Irvin as a popular statesman. "He was very popular during a majority of the time he served," says Jamieson. "He continued to win elections, even though he had opponents from Stephens County and even though Banks County had a much smaller number of registered voters than our county did. I am so sorry that he has passed away. I certainly want to send my sympathy and compassionate feeling to his family." He is survived by his wife Anne, 5 children, 10 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at the chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart funeral home in Cornelia at 2 p.m.

A local bluegrass family, who sings about darkness and light, is facing their own kind of darkness now with the death of the patriarch of the family. Don Watkins, age 66, died Saturday after suffering a heart attack during an appearance at True Gospel Community Church in Dobson, N.C.

Daughter Lori Watkins released this statement: "We want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love they are sharing with our family. It is a wonderful reflection of all those my father has touched in his life with is music, his friendship and his ministry." Watkins was the head of the Watkins family, a southern acoustic gospel group from Eastanollee who have toured throughout the United States and Canada.

According to the family’s website, the five family members began singing together in 1982. In 1988, they played on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. They have received nominations as the Best Contemporary and Traditional Bluegrass Gospel Group by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America.

Their single, "Power of the Holy Ghost," spent several months in the Top 5 of the "Power Source" magazine’s bluegrass chart. Our own Woody Woods, host of the Sunday morning gospel program, "The Woody Woods Show," remembers Watkins as a kind family man. "I know him from just meeting him and the accounts from everyone else I talk with," says Woods. "He is one of the finest men I have ever known. He loved those children. They loved him." Funeral services for Watkins will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Liberty Baptist Church. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Whitlock Mortuary.

Today is the first day of early voting for next week’s Presidential preference primary election in Georgia. Early voting runs today through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Stephens County Registrar’s Office.

Stephens County Registrar Theresa Kelley says voters will need a valid form of photo identification to vote early at the machines. In addition, Kelley says they would appreciate voters providing her office with their new E-911 address so they can update the voter rolls. However, you can still vote with your old address.

No reason is needed to vote early and it does not matter which precinct you are in for early voting. This is also the last week to request an absentee paper ballot. Those must be requested, Kelley says, by Friday. A reason is necessary to vote via paper ballot. Kelley says any paper ballots must be filled out and returned by Election Day, February 5^th.

For more information on the upcoming presidential primary or early voting, call the Stephens County Registrar’s Office at 706-886-8954.

Oconee County voters side with their native son, but Barack Obama wins big in South Carolina. The Senator from Illinois took the South Carolina Democratic primary Saturday in a huge victory over New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

Former North Carolina Senator and Seneca native John Edwards took third place in the statewide contest. However, Edwards was first in Oconee County, winning 45 percent of the vote there, according to Dick Mangrum with our sister station, WGOG, in Walhalla. Edwards’ vote total was 3,240.

Senator Clinton was second in Oconee County with 2,098 votes for 29 percent. Obama was third with 1,872 votes for 26 percent.

The Candidates in both parties are gearing up for a number of primaries in the coming weeks, including Georgia’s on February 5^th, known as "Super Tuesday" because 22 states will go to the polls.

Plans to begin selling Toccoa city water to Habersham County are on a fast track. That was the consensus of attendees at a joint meeting between officials with the City of Toccoa and Habersham County Thursday. Toccoa Mayor Andy Pavliscak called the meeting "very good" and says there were a few changes to the understanding. "Initially, we thought Habersham would be coming online July 1^st, 2008, and they put us on notice last night that they think they will be ready to accept water by mid-May of 2008, so they are running a little bit ahead of schedule, which is good," says Pavliscak. Pavliscak says Toccoa will not have a problem meeting the earlier deadline.

In addition, he went on to say, officials in Habersham County told the group they feel the demand for water will increase, thus increasing the amount Habersham County will have to buy. Right now, the contract between the two governments stipulates that the City of Toccoa will supply a million gallons a day. Habersham officials told Toccoa authorities that they might need 3 million gallons a day in the future. "We talked about meeting their demands and what we could do in the future to continue to meet their demand and I think, overall, it was a very good meeting," adds the Mayor. Habersham County is running a 16-inch main water line down Highway 17 to the Stephens County line.

With all the chilly weather lately, you may have been adding extra wood to that wood burning stove or fireplace. Toccoa Fire Chief Tommy Ayers reminds citizens that lighting that cozy fire could have dangerous consequences.

Last week, the fire department responded to a chimney fire at a local home. While the fire was put out quickly and no one was hurt, Ayers says proper maintenance is necessary to avoid chimney fires. "It means the fireplace is cleaned regularly on it and always use a well-seasoned hardwood that has been dried," says Ayers. "That will help keep the soot out of your chimney."

He says home owners should probably have their chimney cleaned two times a season. If your chimney does catch on fire, Ayers has this advice: "If you ever have a chimney fire, you need to shut the damper down on it and call the fire department," adds the chief. "Let us come check and make sure the fire has not got out of the chimney, up into the attic or in the walls." He cautions against ever putting water on a chimney fire because it could burst the flu liners.

It may hard to imagine, but that muddy, messy construction area in downtown Toccoa will soon be a neat and clean road. Connie Tabor, Director of the Main Street Program, says Phase II is nearing completion. "Phase Five of the Streetscape is starting probably its third phase of completion," says Tabor. "We will begin demolition of the sidewalk located on the southern end of the former mall area on Doyle Street and it will take a couple of days to demolish that and then we will start putting that back with new sidewalk and brick paving, streetlights, and curb and gutter."

Tabor says the last portion of that phase is to pave the road, finally re-connecting Doyle Street between Pond and Sage Streets. At their meeting Wednesday, the Downtown Development Authority discussed beginning the bid process for the final phase. They agreed to begin the bid process now so the work can start as soon as the current phase is complete.

Tabor says the last phase of the downtown streetscape project will include improvements to Sage Street all the way to Currahee Street. "Phase Three of Streetscape construction will include Sage Street from Railroad Street to Currahee and with that will be new pavers, lighting, handicap accessibility, so it will be another phase of the overall master plan for downtown," adds Tabor. She says it will include the nostalgic streetlights and benches. Tabor hopes the last phase will be completed by summer.

Local swimmer McKenzie Coan is one step closer to going to the Paralympics Trials. Or perhaps, we should say, one stroke closer. WNEG reported last month that McKenzie was 1.87 seconds away from qualifying in the breaststroke to go to the trials for the International Paralympic Games in Beijing, China next summer.

Ironically, the 11-year-old Clarkesville girl still has not reached that goal, but she has surpassed her goals in several other events. "I have not gotten my breaststroke actually, but I have gotten my 50 fly, 50 back, 100 back, and 500 free so I am really, really excited," says Coan. She says she is still working on qualifying in the breaststroke and hopes to swim that event as well.

McKenzie swims with the Habersham Rapids Swim Team and qualifies for the Paralympic Games because she has Osteogensis Imperfecta, a rare condition that makes her bones extremely fragile and easily breakable. The U.S. Paralympic Trials are in April in Minnesota. Swimmers from around the country will gather and swim, so a selection committee can choose the swimmers who will represent the United States in Beijing. Good luck, McKenzie!

A local race team is headed to the world center for stock car racing next month. John Carter is taking his race team to Daytona International Speedway for the ARCA race and the Daytona 500 and accompanying races as well.

Carter says they will be leaving on February 7^th to get ready for the ARCA race and early Daytona races that lead up to the 500. Carter says preparations have been underway for some time. "We took both cars down and tested and we have got the cars high-powered motors and we have done everything with these new cars," says Carter. "They have got the Car of Tomorrow for the Cup side and we have been getting it built in different places, different kinds of parts put on it, whatever it takes to put that thing up front."

His drivers are 73-year old James Hylton in the ARCA race and Carl Long, who will drive in an effort to qualify for the Daytona 500. Carter says he realizes the challenges ahead, but promises they are ready. "I’m under the bus when I start because I am under funded and I just like to go down there and show them boys that have all the money that a little team can whip them," adds Carter. Rhino’s Energy Drink will sponsor Carter’s Cup car, driven by Long in Daytona qualifying. The actual Daytona 500, kicking off the 2008 Sprint Cup season, takes the green flag on February 17^th.

EARLY VOTING STARTS MONDAY FOR PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IN GEORGIA
JANUARY 25, 2008

As Presidential Candidates from both parties surround Georgia for upcoming primaries in South Carolina and Florida, voters here are getting ready to make their voices heard. Early voting is next week for the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary on February 5^th, according to Stephens County Registrar Theresa Kelley.

"Early voting starts Monday, January 28^th and goes through Friday, February 1^st and it is between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and we will be open for lunch," says Kelley. "You do not have to have a reason to vote and it does not matter which precinct you are at, just come in and you can go ahead and get your voting done with and you do not have to go to the precincts on Election Day."

Kelley says absentee voting is also underway, both with machine and by paper ballot. She adds there is still time to request a paper ballot. "I can mail paper ballots out until February 1^st," says Kelley. "After February 1^st, I cannot mail you any more paper ballots, so you have still got another week or two to get those mailed out, but I do need those paper ballots back by February 5^th."

To vote absentee, Kelley says a reason is required. No reason though is needed for next week’s early voting. Kelley says anyone using early voting must present a valid form of photo identification. In addition, Kelley says they would appreciate voters providing her office with their new E-911 address so they can update the voter rolls. However, you can still vote with your old address. For more information on the upcoming presidential primary or early voting, call the Stephens County Registrar’s Office at 706-886-8954.

MIXED SIGNALS FROM STEPHENS CO. UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
JANUARY 25, 2008

Unemployment is up in Stephens County. That is according to the latest figures out for the month of December from the Georgia Department of Labor. Department of Labor officials say the unemployment rate in December was 4.8 percent. That is compared to 4.5 percent in the month of November, meaning the rate increased by three-tenths of a percent in the last month of 2007.

However, Stephens County’s unemployment rate is down .5 percent from December 2006, when it was at 5.3 percent. The Stephens County labor force was reported as 13,727 workers. Of those, 13,074 were employed, while 653 were unemployed. The state unemployment rate for December 2007 was slightly lower than Stephens County, coming in at 4.6 percent. That is compared to 4.2 percent in November. Georgia’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in December 2006.

POLICE BLOTTER
JANUARY 25, 2008

A Toccoa man has his air compressor back today after it was allegedly stolen.

In a report filed Wednesday, Toccoa Police say an alleged burglary occurred sometime between midnight and 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Police say the complainant on Lodge View says an unknown person took an Emgloo air compressor from a residence that is currently under construction.

The air compressor was valued at about $500 and has been recovered by police.

Police have made an arrest in the case. According to the report, Michael Scott Mills of Toccoa, was arrested in connection with the alleged burglary. Police have charged Mills with one count of burglary and one count of possession or use of a fraudulent drivers’ license.

The Stephens County Jail reports that as of Thursday morning, Mills was still being held there. No bond was listed.

FORMER FALCONS COACH TO SPEAK AT PAUL ANDERSON BANQUET
JANUARY 25, 2008

A world famous former Professional Football Coach will be coming to speak in Stephens County this spring. Cynthia Sanders is helping to organize April’s Paul Anderson Banquet. Sanders says the banquet and auction is coming up on April 12^th at the Currahee Club.

"We are going to have our auction probably starting about 6:30 p.m.," says Sanders. "This will be a silent auction. It will go for about an hour, then we will have dinner in the dining room, and we will have tables out on the patio. Dan Reeves will be our guest speaker and we are really excited to have him."

Reeves is a former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos. Sanders goes on to say other things will take place that evening, such as a live auction. She says they feel it will be an exciting evening.

"We think it is going to be great for people in Toccoa and people outside Toccoa because this is a world-famous man that we are talking about, even though it is a beautiful park that is coming to fruition here in Toccoa, I know most of you have ridden by that and that is what it is all about, the true Christian man that he was," adds Sanders.

Proceeds from the banquet and auction on April 12^th will benefit the Paul Anderson Memorial Park. Sanders says more information about tickets and sponsorships will come out in the near future.

CITY OF TOCCOA CHOOSES ENGINEERS
JANUARY 25, 2008

The City of Toccoa is gathering its engineering forces to be ready for future projects. At the City Commission meeting Wednesday, commissioners voted to approve a stable of planning and engineering firms which may be used for projects the city may do in the next two years.

"In order to apply for a federal grant to pay for planning or engineering services on a big construction project, you have to prequalify them," explained Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse. "We have done that. We have gone through the selection progress that’s required."

The firms approved by the commissioners are Carter and Sloope, Robert and Company, Precision Planning, Consolidated Technology, and Pond and Company. The five firms were chosen from a slate of nine firms submitting proposals. Carter and Sloope was hired by the Stephens County Development Authority to create a master plan for the Haystone-Brady Industrial Park.

The first project slated to begin will be the revitalization of the Trodgen Mill area, which will include the Avon Street neighborhood. Morse told the commissioners that the committee recommended Robert and Company work on that project.

"We know that we want to do the Trodgen Mill project right the first time and we felt like they were the firm that would do that at the best price," Morse said. Robert and Company is the firm which has engineered the ongoing Downtown Streetscape Project. Morse said the Trodgen Mill project will begin with the renovation of about 10 houses, then move into other restoration efforts.

43-year-old women pulling out in front of others on Big A Road on Tuesday mornings are causing most of the traffic accidents in Toccoa.That is the finding of a compilation of data from the Toccoa Police Department from all the accidents they worked in 2007.

"Most of our accidents happen on Tuesdays between 6 and 9 a.m.," says Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire. "I thought that was a little odd. The next busiest day for the accidents is on Friday, but an interesting observation is the ages of the drivers is 41 for the males and 43 for the females. We usually think that teenagers or older citizens are involved in more accidents, but that is not holding true."

Just slightly more women then men were involved in all of that crashing and banging – 335 women and 329 men. The data showed the busiest place for accidents in the city in 2007 is at the intersection of Big A Road and Currahee Street. Whitmire says this is a particularly dangerous intersection.

"That is a dangerous intersection," says Whitmire. "We have had traffic fatalities at that intersection over the years. I think because it is so wide and spacious, people just breeze through there and they are not paying attention, but I believe they need to slow down through that intersection and keep a foot on the brake and as we go through there, be sure to watch the other drivers."

The data shows the main cause of accidents is failure to yield and following too close. He went on to say that in the past, Big A Road has seen 50 percent of all the accidents, but that percentage dropped slightly in 2007 to 45 percent. Whitmire called that progress.

He says Toccoa Police are able to use the data to target times and places that they patrol to try to cut down on the accident rate. In the end, he says, it comes down to safe driving. Whitmire reminds folks to slow down, pay attention, and do not talk on your cell phone or fiddle with the radio station while you are driving. Especially on Big A Road on Tuesday morning.

Twenty-four hours after an icy morning surprise, Toccoa and Stephens County are back to normal on the roads and in the schools. Yesterday’s ice affected a number of schools and even Stephens County government offices. However, it was business as usual in the city of Toccoa.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse says they did not have any major problems. "We obviously woke up to the surprise of ice like most folks did, but inside the city limits, we did not experience any significant issues," says Morse. "Obviously, in the Toccoa area, some of the state highways had some problems, but within the city limits we’re fine." City Hall was open as normal yesterday and all services ran as scheduled, according to Morse.

Georgia’s Department of Transportation says they were on top of yesterday’s icy surprise. D-O-T Spokesperson Teri Pope says despite the fact that nobody expected what happened, crews were ready when the roads glazed over.

"There was no prediction of ice issues," says Pope. "We did not expect anything, but we worked very closely with the local law enforcement, so the minute they started seeing there was a problem, they called us and we were out working in Stephens, Rabun, and Habersham counties within an hour."

Pope goes on to say that measures they take before bad weather even strikes helps to take care of the roads when they’re in bad shape.

"We actually make assignments on our snow and ice detail based on where folks live, not actually where their job reports to so the people that work on the roads in Stephens County, in Rabun County, live there, so it allows them to get much quicker to their stations and allows us to be much more responsive, so although we did not have a forecast predicting it, we were ready," adds Pope.

Pope says they also prepare their trucks every night for winter weather, just in case. There were six reported accidents, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Reports for most of them are not in at this time.

With an eye to the future, the Downtown Development Authority and the Toccoa City Commission are discussing a set of goals designed to improve the viability of the downtown district. DDA Chairman Greg Schultz says the annual meeting helps both groups get on the same page.

"We meet with the city commissioners each year just to look at past accomplishments and look at future goals for this upcoming year and kind of make sure we are on the same page before we get to budget meetings and things like that, we can kind of lay groundwork for projects and ideas that we have for this year," says Schultz. The 2-hour meeting covered goals encompassing organization economics, design, and promotions.

Schultz says tangible goals such as a historical plaque program and the continuing downtown streetscape project are important to highlight the history of the area. "Also, economic restructure ideas include the possibility of a farmers’ market, something that maybe we can have a joint venture between the county, the city, the DDA, and our local farmers," adds Schultz.

One of the long-term goals the group discussed was the development of a civic center for Toccoa to be used for local and regional events. Main Street Event Coordinator Sharon Crosby reviewed the events calendar for 2008, pointing out that they are planning three "Cinema On Sage" events for this summer, as well as reviving the Christmas Fest event for December.

State Representative Jeannette Jamieson is expressing concerns over seniors joining privatized Medicare plans. Jamieson contacted WNEG this week about her concerns. She says private companies are going door-to-door, selling seniors on plans that are not government-run Medicare. Jamieson says people sometimes do not always receive the same benefits as they would from what she calls "social security Medicare." Jamieson says she thinks the problem is one of confusion.

"I do not think the people who are promoting the sale of these plans explain to them that this is not the Medicare plan and when you are the same age as some of us and it is easy to be confused, you think that maybe the government just changed Medicare and this is what you need to, and it is sort of like someone selling you a bit of goods, they do not always tell you both sides of the story," says Jamieson. She adds that she heard one story earlier in the week about what has happened to a person on one such plan.

"One of the local doctors called me yesterday about a plan that one of this patients had been talked into and it is a private plan and when that plan does not pay, unlike Social Security Medicare, if that group decides not to pay for something, then the patient or the citizen is left to pay for it and this particular individual that was in the doctor’s office yesterday owed $1200 that they would not have owed had they stayed on Social Security Medicare," adds the representative. Jamieson says she wants seniors to be aware of such promotions, and that while legal, for people to think twice before switching off the government plan. One such company mentioned to WNEG was Advantra Freedom. They declined comment when we contacted them.

A Toccoa woman is in serious condition after a two-car accident Monday afternoon.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, Cheryl Kreft, age 34, was driving her 1985 Ford LTD south on Highway 365 near the intersection with Highway 17 around 2 p.m., when her car stalled, stopping in the right lane.

Kreft tried to get out of the car, but before she could get to safety, her car was hit from behind by a tractor trailer.

The car spun and hit her, seriously injuring her.

The driver of the rig, Robert Kavanagh of Cornelia, told state patrol officials he saw he car in front of him swerve to miss Kreft’s car, but he was unable to stop.

Kreft was taken to Habersham Medical Center, but then transferred to Atlanta Medical Center, where she is listed in serious condition.

No charges have been filed against either driver.

Collins Road is back to normal after a water leak earlier this week. Toccoa Water and Wastewater Director Don Dye says the leak was reported early Monday morning.

"There is an old two-inch galvanized line underneath the curb-and-gutter there and probably about 5:30 or 6:00 Monday morning, we were notified there was a leak and so the guys got there and mobilized, had to dig down on it and made the repair," says Dye. "Of course, it was cold and a lot of the water was on the road and causing icy conditions."

Dye says the weather probably had something to do with the leak, which forced a closure of Collins Road near the intersection with Stephens Drive. According to Dye, traffic that needed to get through went through a nearby parking lot.

Dye says the pipe is old, but they will make it work for now.

"There is an old two-inch line that runs all the way down Collins and years before, we had problems down there closer to where Poplar and Stancil Drive go into that roadway, but it is all the same two-inch galvanized line going down, but as long as we can just put it together like that and that is what to do," adds Dye. "Nobody lost water."

According to Dye, everything was fixed and back to normal by 2:00 Monday afternoon.

Officials at Stephens County Hospital want to work at increasing the number of residents in their personal care homes. At the Hospital Authority meeting Monday night, the board heard a report from Hayley Knight.

Knight was hired by the hospital to manage their personal care homes, Wilkinson and Clary. She says they are working to improve both facilities and their appearance.

Knight admits right now, they have lost some residents to other facilities, such as Habersham County’s facility, but they are working to change that.

"I think we are on the right page with getting the place up to date because a lot of these facilities you go into look like resorts," says Knight. "I mean, bottom line, that is what they look like."

Knight goes on to say that appearance, while important, still is not everything.

"You need to look nice, but we need to provide good services and that is what I am trying to work on with the staff because that is as important to a lot of people as the looks but you have got to get that whole package together," adds Knight.

Knight says a potential reason for fewer people at the two facilities could simply be more competition. According to Knight, there are more options for people looking for personal care, which may not have been the case when Stephens County Hospital opened their facilities.

Some board members suggested an open house to draw attention to the facilities and the services. Knight says that is a good idea, but not yet.

"Maybe in the spring, when we get things up and the flowers are blooming, maybe having an open house where we can invite the public, but to be real honest, I think until we get a few things up, right now is not the time I think you want to do that," adds Knight.

Knight reports to the Hospital Authority that Clary Center has 32 residents right now, while Wilkinson has 28 residents at this time.

Officials with the Stephens County EMA and E-911 offices continue to work to combine their two offices at the county’s E-911 center.

Tuesday, Stephens County Commissioners toured the E-911 center and surrounding facility at the old Stephens County Middle School to see where it was possible to locate more of the equipment for Stephens County Emergency Management, such as rescue boats and the communication trailer.

Officials say they are worried about security of the vehicles and want them in a safe location. Renovating part of the old middle school was discussed and commissioners told officials to bring back price estimates.

Meanwhile, the two offices are already working on combining office space. Commissioners approved that last week at their meeting.

Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says it will cut out an unfilled position that the two directors will be able to share, saving the county money.

"It would cost us about $52,000, a one-time cost, to move Becky into the E-911 office, and the savings that we are going to gain from there, that we have been able to identify on paper is the direct report right up under these directors," says Ayers. "They are going to share that person as they will be located in the same building. That will provide a salary and benefits (savings) of about $52,000."

When taking into account other small savings, Ayers says in less than one year, the county will begin saving money.

While on their tour Tuesday, county commissioners also toured the old Crossroads school and looked at what is going to be the future site of the county extension offices.

Today’s meeting was also set up to look at parcels of land the D-O-T was interested in regarding Highway 17 improvements, but Ayers says the D-O-T cancelled for today.

A Toccoa man lost his wheels. The Garland Road man told Sheriff’s deputies that someone took his red Honda 4-wheeler from the carport on his property. He reported the theft last Thursday, but told officers he does not know when the 4-wheeler was taken. The investigation continues. Meanwhile, Toccoa Police are investigating two weekend shoplifting incidents at local businesses.

According to police reports, on Saturday, store security at Quality Foods called police with a shoplifter in custody. Patricia Brock Savage was charged with theft by shoplifting for allegedly stealing $9 worth of merchandise. Then, on Monday, the manager at Ace Hardware on Big A Road called police after the store experienced a theft. Authorities say the manager told officers that just after 1 p.m., a man ran out the door with "his jacket full of items." No suspect description was listed, but a 1994 Ford Mustang convertible was listed as the suspect’s vehicle.

Martin’s water system will be getting some much needed maintenance and security upgrades.

At their monthly meeting Monday, the City of Martin’s council members voted to take bids on the cost of installing fences around the city’s two water tanks and four well houses.

Martin Mayor Don Foster says the work is part of a checklist of mandates required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

"Security around the well houses is kind of mandated to us," says Foster. "We have got to protect the fluoride that we use, and chlorine, mostly chlorine that we use, and so we have some vandalism problems so we are going to put chain-link fences around the water tower and also around the pumphouses."

In addition, the council members discussed painting and cleaning the water tanks.

Along with upgrading security, Foster said the city is working on reducing the total volume of water used by the system.

"To meet the governor’s mandate, we are working really hard on fixing all of our leaks," adds Foster. "We have had some leaks that we have had, small ones that were at the water meters, a few fire hydrants that we kind of knew about, so we have gone along new and to my knowledge, we have got most of them repaired. That is the first thing we had to do and then we are trying to just basically encourage people to cut down on the volume."

Foster says the council will look at bids for the fence project at the next city council meeting and he is hopeful the work can start soon after that.

Local citizens honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative activities to honor Dr. King were held Monday in downtown Toccoa.

On Monday, interfaith services were held at Trinity C.M.E. Church, followed by a March for Peace that took the crowd from the church, up Martin Luther King Way to Alexander Street, ending at the steps of Toccoa City Hall.

There, L.J. Harrison of the Black Christian Men Association thanked everyone for coming. Harrison says for the five years they have held a march, the nation has been at war. He says that hopefully will not always be the case.

"We hope that one day we will come here and we will be at peace, not only our nation, but the whole world will be at peace because Dr. King was about peace," says Harrison. "He was non-violent, so we want to keep that memory alive if we do not keep anything else alive, that we need to live with our brothers in peace."

Brad Mance is a student at Stephens County High School who won an oratorical contest for Martin Luther King Day. He says people should honor Dr. King as a man who fought for freedom, but a freedom beyond how some define the term.

"He envisioned freedom as seeing not one and not two, but all races acting like true brothers and sisters within the eyes of the Lord," says Mance. "A freedom that he tried to achieve at the cost of his life."

The services and march culminated over a week of activities organized by the Black Christian Men Association in commemoration of Dr. King.

Stephens County’s audit firm says the county is doing well financially. Mauldin and Jenkins sent Meredith Lipson to last week’s county commission meeting to report on their audit for the 2007 fiscal year.

Lipson says the county has a fund balance of $4.5 million as of June 30, 2007.

"I think you have a good, healthy fund balance and it is good to always see some growth and you always recognize there are some years where you may not have some growth," says Lipson. "There may be projects going on that you all need to use some of that reserve and that is okay, as long as it is not a continual thing."

Last fiscal year, Lipson says Stephens County grew the fund balance by $875,000. She says a healthy fund balance is important to keep the county running in the period before property taxes come in and during other times. For that reason, Lipson says it is hard to determine where the fund balance is at any one point in time.

Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says they were able to use some of that fund balance growth to benefit county taxpayers last year.

"We had calculated and had made the decision, in the budget year of 2008, to use about $700,000 to $800,000 of that fund balance to help us not raise taxes and so we realize we had a little more than we really needed to get by and we have used that," says Ayers.

County officials are expressing concern that they may be a little short on money this year because of some impending court matters coming up, such as a re-trial that the county says they will have to help foot the bill on.

As for this past audit, County Commission Chairman Kenneth Peeples says Ayers has done a good job managing the finances. Ayers also took time to credit her staff for their hard work.

Qualifying fees are set for this year’s local elections in Stephens County. County Attorney Brian Ranck presented the ordinance setting the fees, which county commissioners approved unanimously, at last week’s meeting.

"Whereas Section 21-2(1)(31)(a)(1) of the official code of Georgia requires the governing authority of any county, not later than February 1 in any year in which a general primary, non-partisan, primary, or general election is to be held, to fix and publish a qualifying fee for each county office to be filled in the upcoming primary or election," says Ranck.

Ranck says it is required by Georgia state law to be 3 percent of the total gross salary paid to each office holder in the preceding calendar year unless it is a non-salaried position. In that case, Ranck says it cannot exceed 3 percent of the income derived from the office during the previous year.

The following fees are in place for Stephens County:

County Commissioner, $360

Tax Commissioner, $1,491.65

Clerk of Court, $1,491.65

Sheriff, $1,779.86

Probate judge, $1,491.65

State court judge, $867.69

State court solicitor, $727.88

Board of Education member, $36

Chief magistrate, $800.03

Coroner, $192.71

If your New Year’s resolution is to save more money, then the Consumer Credit Counseling Service has some tips for you.

The CCCS recently asked its clients for tips on how to save money in 2008. In accordance, they have released their top ten ideas to save cash.

The CCCS says the number one way to save money is to make a budget and stick to it. CCCS Spokesman Scott Scredon says there is nothing magical about making a budget.

"What you really need to do is just sit down and take pencil to paper and write down every item that you know you have and expense for in a month," says Scredon. "That’s the rent or the mortgage payment, utilities, food, gas, just everyday items. A lot of the key here is to look at those things where you spend money and the question is ‘Do you really have to spend that money?’"

According to Scredon, cutting out unnecessary purchases can help to save money as well.

Scredon says clients did offer some unique ideas as well, that just require discipline.

"What we found is that people would do things like just put $1 in a jar every day," he says. "Well, you know that sounds so simple but you have to do it every day and so at the end of the month you have $30 and at the end of three months, you have $90. If you do it every day, you can get things done."

Other tips from the CCCS include purchasing in bulk, paying bills online, using calling cards instead of long-distance home phone service, and hunting for bargains when shopping.

Georgia receives mixed grades on tobacco control policies from the American Lung Association. In a report released recently, the American Lung Association judged all 50 states and the nation as a whole on a variety of factors related to tobacco and controlling it.

The report gave Georgia a "B" for its state smoke free air law, an "F" for the 37-cent cigarette tax, and an "F" for its failure to adequately fund state tobacco use prevention programs. The "D" is for weak youth access to tobacco laws.

Specifically on the cigarette tax, Georgia’s is one of the lowest in the country.

A spokesperson for the American Lung Association says raising the cigarette tax and sufficiently funding tobacco prevention programs would improve Georgia’s grades. Twenty-five states have a cigarette tax of $1 or more. The average state cigarette tax in the U.S. is $1.11.

Grades for federal issues still score only D’s and F’s. However, the American Lung Association says Congress is taking measures to work on that.

Among the things the report grades on the federal level are the regulation of tobacco products by the Food and Drug Administration, cessation policies, and ratification of the international tobacco control treaty.

The full report can be viewed at www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org.

POLICE BLOTTER
January 21, 2008

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate an alleged theft that occurred last week. According to the report filed at the Sheriff’s Department, it happened last Monday.

In the report, the victim states she was asleep on her couch and when she woke up, a man was standing in her living room. A wallet was allegedly taken that includes personal items and $400 in cash.

The suspect, who is unknown, is described in the report of a white male in his mid-to-late 30s, medium build, average height, blonde hair, wearing blue jeans, with a dark pattern button-up shirt. There was no forced entry.

MLK DAY SCHEDULE CHANGES
January 21, 2008

City and county offices are closed today in commemoration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. They will re-open tomorrow on normal schedule. Toccoa garbage and recycling pick-up scheduled for today will be tomorrow instead.

The Toccoa Police and Fire Departments will be on duty. Utility department employees, as well as employees from the Public Works Department, will be on call for emergency situations.

Meanwhile, two meetings are still taking place tonight. The Stephens County Hospital Authority will meet tonight at 5:00 p.m. at the hospital. The Martin City Council will meet tonight as well. That meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. at Martin City Hall.

Stephens County Commissioners set their meeting dates for 2008. Last week at their meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to keep the same meeting dates as last year.

Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says there was one clarification to make about the meeting schedule.

"Your first work session and regular meeting falls on the second Monday and second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.," says Ayers. "Your second session, although sometimes you hear it read the fourth Tuesday of the month, there are a few months where that does not work out on the calendar, so I have actually re-worded it so that no one will be confused is it is the Tuesday following two weeks from the first meeting of the month."

The commissioners are planning to hold a special meeting on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at a number of parcels along Highway 17 to discuss D-O-T proposals to purchase land for highway projects. For more information, call the Stephens County Administrator’s office.

Toccoa’s finances are "a little less optimistic" half way through the fiscal year.

That is the report from City Finance Director Emory Stephens.

In his regular report to the city commission at their meeting last Monday, Stephens told commissioners that the city has $1.7 million in its treasury.

That is a positive report; because that balance is more than at the same time last year, and much more than a few years ago.

Commissioner David Austin pointed out that in the not-so-far past, the city showed a bank balance of just over $16,000.

Yet, Stephens went on to be more guarded with his prediction for the city’s overall finances.

He said while water sales remained stable, it appears that gas sales may be less than expected because of December’s warm weather.

Besides taxes, water and gas are two of the city’s major income streams.

The water fund is budgeted to receive $6.5 million in operating income this year, while gas is expected to see revenue of $14.5 million.

According to an audit of the city’s finances last year, the gas department sold less gas, but made a higher profit because of the way the national price structure fluctuated.

FAMILY WANTS DSL SERVICE THAT NEIGHBORS HAVE, BUT CAN’T GET IT
January 21, 2008

Why did the DSL cable cross the road?

For one Stephens County man, the question has become, why doesn’t it cross the road.

Ian Norcross, who came to Toccoa from Blackburn, England in 2005, has been trying to subscribe to DSL service from Windstream Communications for three years.

"I am trying to get a high-speed Internet connection to my house and I just keep getting told by Windstream that it is not available in this area I just feel like I have been fobbed off," says Norcross.

He says he has called about the situation every three months for three years and has yet to get the issue resolved.

He says Windstream has only told him he is outside the 18,000 square foot coverage.

The confusing part is Norcross’s neighbors, both next door and across the street receive Windstream DSL service.

In addition, Norcross’s home sits at the front of his Stephens County neighborhood and homes in the back of the neighborhood receive DSL service.

Norcross says the service would make a big difference in his home.

"I have got two children that have laptop computers," adds Norcross. "My wife has to keep coming down to work to use the Internet because the dial-up connections are extremely slow. We want to look at holidays and flights. Diane wants her own Internet account and we just do not want to be frustrated by having to sit there for five minutes and wait for something to download."

He says he has checked into satellite Internet service, but finds the cost too high, so for now, he and his family make do with dial-up.

WNEG contacted Windstream, but the representative was unable to provide a comment.

MCCAIN WINS OCONEE AND S.C. PRIMARY
January 21, 2008

Oconee County helps pick a winner in the South Carolina Republican primary. Dick Mangrum from our sister station, WGOG in Walhalla, reports this morning that John McCain wins in Oconee County by about 300 votes over Mike Huckabee. That translates into about a three percent gap in the county.

McCain got 36.5 percent of Oconee County’s vote and Huckabee got 33.25 percent.

Mitt Romney came in third, Ron Paul was fourth, and Rudy Giuliani was fifth in Oconee.

Statewide, McCain had 33 percent and Huckabee had 30 percent to finish second.

South Carolina will hold their Democratic primary this coming Saturday. Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary is coming up on February 5th.

Three downtown businesses have had their burglar alarms activated this week, and one was actually burglarized.

According to Toccoa Police, sometime Monday night, someone broke into Whiten’s Shoe Shop on West Doyle Street.

$37 worth of merchandise was taken.

Then on Tuesday, around 4 a.m., the alarm here at our studio on Alexander Street was activated.

Police contacted Operations Manager Connie Gaines, who checked things out, but found nothing amiss.

Finally, just after midnight on Thursday, a Toccoa Police Officer noticed that the back door of Stewart’s Downtown Drugs on North Sage Street was smashed.

Pharmacist Jeff Dalton said someone threw a flowerpot through the glass, but apparently took nothing.

All the incidents remain under investigation.

Stephens County authorities assist Lavonia Police in an arrest on a burglary last month. Lavonia Police Chief Randy Shirley says it all started back on December 14^th at the Royal Food Store on Highways 59 and 328.

"There was a possible entry through the roof," says Shirley. "A vent had been removed and once inside, there were an undisclosed amount of rolled coins and numerous lottery tickets stolen."

According to Shirley, the suspect, 44-year-old Chris Thomas Allen of Lavonia, then was tracked to Dad’s Restaurant through some winning lottery tickets.

"Dad’s Restaurant was alerted by the Lottery Commission that two winning tickets that had been redeemed by an individual there were stolen from a burglary that occurred in Lavonia," adds the chief. "They immediately contacted the Hart County Sheriff’s Office before they could get there, the suspect ran out the door and fled away."

Allen was apprehended when he called an accident in to Stephens County authorities.

Shirley says Allen is charged with one count of burglary in Lavonia, two counts of theft by receiving and lottery fraud in Hart County. He remains in the Franklin County Jail awaiting a bond hearing.

After only one week in session, the Georgia legislature is about to vote on one of the most anticipated bills of the session and one north Georgia representative is set to vote against it.

State Representative Jeanette Jamieson says she continues to be very concerned about the statewide comprehensive water plan.

"I continue to be very, very concerned about this plan and can see absolutely no way that I could vote for it, have no intention of voting for it, I think, in the long run, it is going to have an adverse effect on areas such as ours," says Jamieson.

Jamieson’s main quarrel with the plan revolves around the ability of local government to control the water in their area.

She says though the plan sets up regional water districts to create regional water plans, they are only advisory groups, and the ultimate control lies with the director of the Environmental Protection Division.

Furthermore, Jamieson protests the special treatment the metro Atlanta area receives.

"They have a separate plan of their own and what is of great concern to me and others is that this major metropolitan area will continue to require more and more of Georgia’s waters, but they are not required to adhere to any of the statewide comprehensive water use plan," adds Jamieson.

Environmentalists also protest the wording of the plan.

The Georgia River Network released an e-mail to its members urging them to speak out against the plan because the regional water districts are created along political boundaries rather than watershed boundaries.

The e-mail goes on to say, the plan "fails to ensure protection and equitable allocation of our water resources."

The vote is set for today.

While Stephens County students are expending energy learning, the buildings they are in are actually saving energy.

The Energy Education, Inc., a national energy conservation company, has awarded the Energy Lighthouse Award to the Stephens County School System.

Dr. Truman Atkins presented the award at Tuesday’s monthly board meeting, saying that by using a variety of conservation methods, the school system is saving approximately $40,000 a month in energy costs.

Tony Pressley is the system’s energy manager.

"Well, it is a nice award," says Pressley. "The Energy Lighthouse Award is the name of it and they told us that we were the number two school system in the state of Georgia as far as energy savings and money saved by conservation."

Superintendent Gary Steppe calls the award "extremely gratifying," pointing out that in 9 years, the effort has saved $2.5 million.

"Our folks do work really hard at trying to conserve energy, be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, and it’s amazing what we have been able to save over the past nine years through this program and it is money that we do not actually get, but it is money that we do not have to spend and that we use for other things to better educate the children," says Steppe.

Steppe went on to praise Pressley, saying he goes above and beyond in his duties including personally checking the buildings for lights and heat left on.

"Tony Pressley does an outstanding job of keeping up with that and checking all the bills," adds the superintendent. "He always notices if there is an overcharge in some area and always digs to find out why that is and what is going on and he has saved us a lot of money."

Pressley showed the board just how serious he is about constantly looking for ways to save energy.

As he accepted the award, he asked board members and staff how many of them had left the lights on in their offices during the meeting.

Stephens County Habitat for Humanity honors their volunteers. Monday night, the organization held a banquet at Gate Cottage. Stephens County Habitat for Humanity President Queenell Neal spoke to WNEG’s Connie Gaines after the banquet. Neal says it is a great event.

"We do this every year to show our appreciation for them because all the work they do is volunteer work and we want to let them know how much we appreciate them and this is our way of showing it," says Neal.

Neal says there are many ways people help out Habitat for Humanity in the area. From helping to construct homes to donations of money and items for the thrift store, Neal says people can get involved in a number of ways.

"Our thrift store is our main source of finances here, along with those people who make financial donations and people do make those donations each year," says Neal.

The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store is located near Stovall Building Supplies in Toccoa. The goal of Habitat is to build affordable homes and provide them to low-income families at rates they can pay back at no profit to Habitat for Humanity. For more information on Stephens County Habitat for Humanity, call 706-886-3790.

Northeast Georgia woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. Snow began around 6 p.m. or so yesterday in much of the area, moving up from the south and west and soon picking up in intensity.

The snow is turning into a wintry mix this morning. Roads are slick and slushy in most areas this morning, with icy spots as well.

Due to the weather, Stephens and Habersham County Schools are both closed for students today, along with a number of other districts and offices. Stay tuned for a complete look at cancellations, closures, and delays.

Preparations began yesterday for the storm. The City of Toccoa and Stephens County joined the D-O-T in getting their road departments ready. Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse says they were hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

"Well, our public works department has already mounted a snowplow and they’ve got other equipment that they can use as well if they need to clear the roads," says Morse. "They have the sand truck ready. That’s probably what we’ll be using the most, because it sounds like an ice event as opposed to a snow event."

Morse says the police and fire departments were also getting their vehicles outfitted for snowy and icy conditions so they can travel when necessary.

As for driving in this weather, D-O-T Spokesperson Teri Pope has this advice.

"Our biggest safety tip is to tell folks to stay at home if they can," says Pope. "If you have to get out, slow way down, use those lower gears on your car for more traction, pay attention when you are approaching bridges because they are more dangerous with ice and never, ever pass a D-O-T dump truck."

As for local power companies, both Georgia Power and Hart EMC say they have crews on heightened alert and ready to go if necessary.

A winter storm warning remains in effect from the National Weather Service through 7 p.m. today. Stay tuned to WNEG for the latest weather-related information.

Stephens County is now one of Georgia’s newest "Entrepreneur Friendly" communities. A reception was held Tuesday to mark the occasion.

The designation indicates the community has worked to develop an environment that is welcoming to small businesses and entrepreneurs. As part of the project, the county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster the growth of this business segment.

Georgia Department of Economic Development Regional Project Manager Suzanne Browne says the project and designation will help Toccoa and Stephens County.

"It means that Stephens County now has the tools in their tool kit to help their small businesses grow and be successful in the international market," says Browne.

The county is now eligible for grant funds to help implement specific, long-term programs to support entrepreneurs and small businesses with local matches.

Qualified entrepreneurs and small business owners are now eligible for customized market data, such as demographic and business information, to help them get a competitive edge.

Entrepreneur Friendly Committee Chair Toby Goodlett says this information will be applied in Stephens County.

"Well, we are going to take the results and we will be sharing them with North Georgia Tech," says Goodlett. "We will be sharing them with our city, with our county, and then we hope to formulate some plans around that, so that some of the concerns and issues that were outlined, that we can address those. Again, training, it could be processes that we have in our local community, things that we could do better."

The information will also eventually be available at the Chamber of Commerce web site at www.toccoagachamber.com.

Rabun, Habersham, Hart, and Franklin counties already have this designation.

Stephens County Hospital receives a three-year accreditation from a national company. The Joint commission arrived recently for a survey for the accreditation process.

According to Stephens County Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell, the Joint Commission is a Chicago-based company that does accreditations for hospitals throughout the nation and some abroad as well.

Gambrell says they look at a number of quality of care and safety issues. Most of those, Gambrell says, are basic.

"But they also look at how we handle, for example, patients who could be a fall risk or do we unnecessarily restrain patients, and of course they look at a lot of clinical indicators as well," says Gambrell.

Gambrell says Stephens County Hospital has long held this accreditation, which is considered the "gold standard" for organizational quality of care issues and the safety of the environment in which patient care is provided.

He adds that one aspect of the hospital the Joint Commission was particularly pleased with was their "medication reconciliation" process.

"And it has to do with how a hospital makes sure that the patient is receiving the correct medications and then is given a list of those medications at the time of discharge and it sounds simple but it is not as simple as it sounds because some patients are on many medications and those medications sometimes change but they said we had one of the best policies and procedures and practices on that they had seen," adds Gambrell.

Gambrell says he is proud of the staff and the entire hospital community for making the accreditation process go well. He calls it a team effort.

More information is available today on finalists for two department head positions in Stephens County.

Robert Hanley of Carnesville is the lone finalist for the post of Public Works Director. According to information provided by Hanley through Stephens County, Hanley has worked as a County Engineer in Dawson County and in the public works division for Hall County.

Meanwhile, there are two finalists for the position of Senior Center Director. Patricia Lester of Toccoa has 18 plus years of experience in the non-profit arena, according to information provided to Stephens County by Lester. She has experience working in Girl Scouting in Northeast Georgia.

Lisa Thomas of Toccoa is the other finalist to fill the post of Senior Center Director. According to information provided to the county by her, Thomas has experience in not-for-profit and public agencies in Northeast Georgia, including the Northeast Georgia Housing Authority and the 4-H Program.

County officials did not give a timeline Tuesday night when the finalists were announced on filling the positions.

The Crossroads School will now be used for county extension offices. Tuesday night, Stephens County Commissioners agreed to a one-year lease for the facility.

Commissioners’ Chairman Kenneth Peeples says the lease is for $1 a year.

"Basically, what we’re doing is leasing the Crossroads school building at Eastanollee for the purpose of office space for Stephens County Extension," says Peeples. "Their offices will be there and the 4-H will use this facility for their activities."

County Attorney Brian Ranck looked over the lease. He says the only change was to change the lease from 25 years to one year with an option to renew yearly. Ranck says other than that, it stayed the same.

"It requires the county to pay the rest of the expenses, the insurance, the utilities, that type of stuff, which is all what we proposed initially," says Ranck.

The lease was approved unanimously.

Stephens County’s leadership will serve another year in that post.

Tuesday night, Commissioners appointed Kenneth Peeples to another term as Chairman and Rex Anderson to another term as vice-chairman. The third commissioner, Harold Andrews, made the motion.

"If a motion is in order, I would move that we keep the same chairman and vice-chairman that we presently have," says Andrews.

County Commissioners also approved the department heads for the next 12 months. Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers listed the appointments for the board.

"Currently, you have Phyllis Ayers as the finance director, Sanders and Smith law firm as the county attorney, Dan Merck as Marshal/Code Enforcement, Richard Adams as Recreation Director, Becky Wall as EMA Director, and Rex Nelms as E-911 Director," says Ayers.

Commissioners also approved interim department heads Ayers as County Administrator, Debbie Woody as interim Senior Center Director, and Stanley Fulbright as interim Roads Superintendent. Board appointments were Dan Merck for Soil and Water Conservation, Kenneth Peeples for the Regional Development Center, and Rex Anderson for the Health Department.

Ayers is also the Budget Director for the upcoming fiscal year and Pat Heaton-Timms was appointed to the Toccoa-Stephens County Public Library.

Northeast Georgia could be in for some interesting weather over the next 24 to 48 hours. Doug Outlaw from the National Weather Service says a high pressure system pumping in cold air from Canada is meeting up with a low-pressure system moving into the region from the Gulf of Mexico. Outlaw says the combination could bring some wintry weather to the area beginning tonight.

"The precipitation should begin in the form of snow mixed with rain at first Wednesday evening for northeast Georgia then gradually changing over to a wintry mix, rain, and snow, towards midnight Wednesday night and then mixing with sleet and possibly even some freezing rain as we go into Thursday morning," says Outlaw.

According to Outlaw, it should turn to a cold rain by tomorrow afternoon. He adds temperatures should be around freezing overnight tonight into tomorrow, with tomorrow’s highs only reaching the upper 30s. Add it all up, and Outlaw says it is shaping up to be a nasty day.

"It is going to be a cold, kind of miserable, day, but as far as snow and ice accumulations, should be less than an inch in total around Toccoa," adds Outlaw. Of course, stay tuned to WNEG throughout today and into tomorrow for the latest weather-related information as necessary.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is prepared if the winter weather comes this way. D-O-T Spokesperson Teri Pope says officials are on top of the latest weather situations.

"We use all kinds of technology that is available to us between the National Weather Service and radar that we can get from the local media outlets, so we have already got a plan in place, expecting to implement it Wednesday night or Thursday morning, based on what actually happens," says Pope.

Pope says law enforcement officers and other contacts keep them abreast of updated road conditions throughout the region. That way, Pope says, they can hit the roads as soon as the precipitation starts.

She goes on to say that every day, the D-O-T prepares their equipment in case winter weather comes on the way, equipping trucks to treat roads. In addition, Pope says they do advance planning in the summer to get ready for these types of situations.

"That’s when we have our training courses, refresh everybody, remind everybody what to do," adds Pope. "We actually go ahead and assign routes in the summer, so every person at D-O-T knows which section of road they are responsible for and whether they are working the first shift or the second shift."

Pope says the trucks are on the road no later than an hour after that initial phone call from spotters reporting the winter weather.

Stephens County residents will have until January 5, 2009 to post their new E-911 addresses. Tuesday night, Stephens County Commissioners formally approved that date as the deadline for making sure the number is posted in accordance with the county ordinance.

The original ordinance only gave residents 15 days from the notification, which occurred on January 5^th. Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says it would be easier to understand and probably cause fewer problems for people if they followed the same timeline as the post office.

"The post office is giving us 365 days," says Ayers. "We need to set a date that we will begin requiring citizens to comply with posting of this ordinance. We didn’t feel 15 days was quite fair after what we have been through."

Commissioners say they feel good about the situation now. To help clear up some confusion, Stephens County E-911 Director Rex Nelms says they will be sending out postcards to notify residents of their addresses yet again.

"We’re in the process of mailing these postcards to every structure in the county," says Nelms. "It is going to be addressed to the previous address, but on the back, it is going to have someone’s 911 address."

Commissioner Harold Andrews says he feels the card, which he read a copy of, would be quite explanatory. Ayers adds that the cards will be out eventually, but not all at once.

"We put no timeframe on when all of the cards will go out," says Ayers. "Rex (Nelms) and I spun our heads around trying to make sure we do not confuse anyone and calls come in two weeks with people saying ‘I should have gotten mine in two weeks.’ These are going out in waves."

Ayers does say at some point, they will have sent them all out and will notify media of that fact.

Concerns have been raised about people not getting their mail at the right address, or getting their mail properly, but an address that is neither their old one or the new E-911 address. Ayers says if there is any confusion about these issues to call the Stephens County E-911 office at 706-779-3911.

Meanwhile, postal officials say problems with a person’s mail should be brought to the attention of your local post office.

Stephens County is one step closer to filling two department head positions on their staff. Tuesday night, the county commissioners announced finalists for the vacant Senior Center Director post, as well as the vacant post of Public Works Director. The two finalists for the position of Senior Center Director are Patricia Lester and Lisa Thomas. The sole finalist for the position of Public Works Director is Robert Hanley. Interim Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says none of the applicants currently work for Stephens County. No other information about the applicants was available at this time.

With a flurry of "ayes" the Toccoa City Commission elected a new mayor and vice-mayor, appointed a new city chaplain, then re-appointed several city positions Monday. In the first commission meeting of the 2008, commissioners unanimously elected Andy Pavliscak as mayor and Ron Seib as vice-mayor. Pavliscak says he takes being a representative of the people quite seriously. "It is an unbelievable experience to be an elected official and knowing that people are depending on you to make the right decisions that will affect this community for years to come," says Pavliscak. "I am going to do my best job in making those decisions and I am looking forward to hearing the input from people because I am their representative and I need to know what is on their mind."

Seib, who was elected in November in a special election to fill Billy Chism’s term, says he is excited to be serving in the vice mayor’s seat. "I would just say that I am very excited to participate in that capacity and I am very excited about the trend that has existed in the city and I think that Mayor Andy is well-qualified and will do a great job so I am just excited about the year to come."

In addition to the mayoral elections, the commission appointed the Rev. Paul Garrison, pastor of Hill Street Baptist Church, to serve as chaplain. Commissioner David Austin jokingly commented that Garrison’s 18 years in church politics should have prepared him for city politics. Two other posts were re-appointments. City Manager Billy Morse and City Clerk Jo Gleason were each unanimously appointed to their respective posts.

Lavonia Police are still investigating a rather large carry-away from Carry-On Trailers in Lavonia last week. Police Chief Randy Shirley says the thieves had to have known what they were doing when they broke into the plant last Thursday. "The suspects went behind another business and cut the chain link fence large enough to pull a large flatbed-type truck carrier in there and took four cargo-covered travel trailers and it was about a $15,000 loss," says Shirley. The thieves loaded the four trailers onto the flatbed using a winch and disappeared into the night. Shirley says his department has met with investigators in the tri-state region and hopes to get some leads from that. Carry-On Trailers manufactures utility and enclosed trailers along with associated trailer parts.