A Martin man is fighting for his life after being beaten in the head with a baseball bat. It happened Tuesday night at a home on Greater Hope Road just inside the Franklin County line. Friends found the victim unconscious and called 9-1-1.

"When officers arrived, they learned from eye witnesses that the victim had sustained multiple blows to the head with a baseball bat. The victim was unconscious and transported by Franklin County EMS and later by Emory Lifeflight to Gwinnett Medical Center," explained Franklin County Sheriff investigator Jimmy LeCroy.

WNEG has learned the victim is identified as Chris Arnott of Graves Road in Martin. Interviews with witnesses to the beating and subsequent investigations lead to the arrest of 42-year old Steven Edward Moore of Toms Creek Road in Martin.

Sources tell WNEG, one of the witnesses to the beating is a juvenile relative of Moore who tried to stop him, but was allegedly beaten by Moore as well. LeCroy says Moore faces numerous felony charges. "Mr. Moore was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of burglary. He's being held in the Franklin County jail awaiting a bond hearing," LeCroy said.

WNEG will continue to follow this story and bring you more details as they become available.

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce director Cynthia Brown has resigned. Brown tendered her resignation to Chamber chairman Toby Goodlett yesterday. Brown says after almost nine years in the job, it’s time to do something different.

"I've been back in Toccoa for eight and half years and have loved every minute of Chamber work. It's the best place on earth. I've got maybe ten more years to work and it's time for a new challenge. This community is ready to forge ahead and I feel like I need to forge ahead," she said.

Brown has been director of the Chamber since 1997. During that time, she has led the effort to get the Chamber accredited with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, helped to double the Chamber’s membership, and helped spearhead the move of the Chamber offices to their new facility at the train depot.

Brown has accepted a position as sales manger for Global Partitions – a division of Gem Industries, which is locating in Toccoa. Her last day with the Chamber is July 14^th.

It was a better-than-expected turnout for yesterday’s dispatch center open house. The first of two such open house events, visitors were able to see the new building and find out exactly how their tax dollars being spent.

"We had a steady flow of Stephens County residents and they're all impressed with the new center and how it's operating and the abilities we had that we haven't had before. Everybody is just impressed with everything that's been done thus far," noted Stephens County GIS e911 Coordinator Rex Nelms.

While there, visitors could also check to make sure their new addresses were in the system and see how the new addresses are located on a computer map. "They're just amazed at how the signs and maps are made and they're amazed at the professionalism of the staff here at the e-911 center. It's opened their eyes a lot and they're starting to see it all coming into place and they're really pleased with it," Nelms said.

They also got to go inside the dispatch room and watch as dispatchers answered calls on one of the most cutting-edge e-911 systems in the state.

Another open house will be scheduled for a Sunday afternoon in July. This week, e-911 Communications Director Paige Crocker said the entire e-911 system will go live in September.

Lavonia police are looking forward to moving into their new building later this summer – now even more so because of a grant coming from the federal government. Yesterday, Congressman Charlie Norwood’s office announced the Lavonia Police training facility was approved for federal funding from the U.S. House of Representatives. Police Chief Randy Shirley says they’ve been waiting awhile for the news.

"We're really excited about the funding approval from Congressman Norwood's office. We put in for this grant about six months ago and our police department is coming along quite well. We should be in it sometime in August," Shirley said.

Though an exact amount hasn’t been determined yet, Shirley says it should be for about $50,000.

The money will equip the training facility with much-needed computers, plasma TVs, and other media equipment.

"Lavonia is located on one of the hottest growth corridors on the east coast and we really needed this money. We've had to cut a few things out in this so we're actually at over a million dollars in this building. We've had to do some trimming. So this money will certainly be needed since we had to trim some other things off," noted Shirley. The new police station will be located across from the current facility in downtown Lavonia.

A Democratic candidate for Secretary of State will be in Lavonia this weekend. Angela Moore will be at the gazebo in downtown Lavonia handing out watermelon between 11 a.m. And 1:30 p.m.

Moore says for decades, state politicians have neglected the rural areas of Georgia – especially North Georgia and she plans to change that.

Many people in Stephens County work odd shifts and getting to the doctor when the doors are open can be challenging. That’s why one local internist decided to open a clinic with later hours.

Dr. Timothy Beck, along with members of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting yesterday at his new clinic in the Currahee Corners Shopping Center. A board certified internist, Dr. Beck says his clinic will be full service.

"We offer a team approach. We have one physician and several physician extenders who man this office as well as my regular office staff. We have a very computer integrated office that offers a lot of safeguards and help with quality of care," he said.

Beck’s health care clinic is located next to the Super Wal-mart and will offer later hours for those who have a difficult time getting to the doctor during normal business hours.

"We found here in Toccoa that there was need for afternoon and evening hours to help the folks who work. With Toccoa being such an industrial town we decided to open our doors at 11 a.m. and finish at 8 p.m. at night so that people who do need care can come after work and not miss out on work and not ask for time off," said Beck. In addition to regular health care, the clinic also specializes in allergy related illnesses.

Every year for the past several years, Toccoa-Stephens County has enjoyed a community Fourth of July celebration with the Liberty Spectacular, but while the Liberty Spectacular will not be taking place this year, another fun night of fireworks, music and food will. It is the Community Fourth of July celebration tonight at the Recreation Center on Rose Lane.

Sponsored by AM630 WNEG, Stephens Federal Bank, and the Recreation Department, the theme, is an old fashioned Fourth of July summer evening for the whole family. Live entertainment begins around 8 p.m. AM630 WNEG will broadcasting live from the Recreation Center beginning around 7:40 p.m. Tonight’s fireworks celebration of our nation’s freedom is free.

Cell phone use is up, landline use is down. That’s one reason, County commissioners approved a requested dollar a month charge for e-911 service for cell phone users.

"One thing we've seen is that cell phone use seems to be growing and there are households that are getting rid of landlines and going totally wireless. So if we don't do this we won't have a way to serve our wireless customers," observed County Administrator Darrell Hampton.

Speaking at a public hearing on the matter this week, e-911 Communications Director Paige Crocker said since she took over as director three years ago, landline use in Stephens County has dropped by 2,500 customers.

However, not everyone attending the hearing on the dollar charge was happy with the decision.

Former County commissioner Jonesy Haygood accused the commission of changing the e-911 plan by adding new services without the public’s knowledge – thereby delaying the implementation of the emergency service. "As we continue we keep adding to our proposal and it's extending our time limit as far as implementing e911. And the people are saying, "Why are we paying a dollar when we don't have it?' We do have it, but they're wondering. Now we're going to put a dollar on. Let's wait until we implement it and then start charging a dollar," Haygood complained.

Hampton said the cell phone charge had always been a part of the e-911 plan and is the same as the $1.50 charge for landline users. Every cell phone customer will have e-911 service provided their phone is equipped with a locator chip. Crocker recommends checking with your provider to make sure.

"They can tell them, usually by looking in the phone to see if it has the correct chip. If that doesn't work, they can go to the manufacturer and they can advise," Crocker explained. "Generally, in the past two years, most cell phones will have the GPS chip, but if not, your wireless cell phone provider would be the place to start," she said.

Hampton said the dollar charge would go into effect in October.

Clemson University’s Board of Trustees has approved the schools’ smallest tuition increase since 1999 – 5.8% for in-state students and 7.1% for out of state students. That means Clemson’s undergraduate tuition will be $4,700 per semester for South Carolina residents and $9,912 per semester for non-residents. The higher tuition goes into effect in the fall.

Clemson president James F. Barker tells WNEG the increased state funding and internal cost-efficiency measures helped keep the tuition hike low. State funding increased Clemson’s academic base budget 4.9%.

That money has already been earmarked for graduate programs, research aimed at economic development, new faculty and academic quality enhancements, according to barker.

Trustees also approved a restructuring of graduate fees they say will help keep the school competitive. The move will cut the costs for some teachers, nurses, and youth development workers who are seeking a master’s degree

Stephens County’s Emergency Management Agency is joining with the County Health Department and Georgia Homeland Security to come up with a mitigation plan in the event the bird flu hits our area. This week, Joe Anderson and Becky Wall met with members of the State Health Department to discuss putting such a plan in place.

"They've requested our assistance in developing a pandemic flu set plan for response in Stephens County in the event there were an avian flu outbreak. In addition, part of that plan process is going to be to develop an exercise program," EMA spokeswoman Becky Wall explained. "What we're going to be working on in the immediate future is a tabletop exercise, which is just like what it sounds like. All the key players, the folks that would be involved and responding and you go through your scenarios to find out your capabilities and weaknesses and you start working from there. Eventually, the tabletop exercise we hope to build up into an actual full scale exercise," she said.

Right now the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says the bird flu is mainly confined to Asia, but they have provided educational material on their Web site for health departments in the U.S. to access.

Preparing for an avian flu pandemic was not something included in the Stephens County Disaster Mitigation Plan recently submitted to the Department of Homeland Security, but if it hits our area, it could be a disaster.

"When we look at natural disasters, we look more at tornados and severe weather like thunderstorms. This is potentially a disaster for any area so this will be done through public health - they are the lead agency in dealing with anything biological. We'll be working to assist them," Wall said.

Anderson and Wall will have another meeting with state and local health officials on the plan sometime in August.

Toccoa is one of 70 Georgia cities recognized this week by the State Department of Community affairs for its downtown development efforts. The Main Street Accreditation award was presented Monday at a breakfast event during the 2006 Georgia Municipal Association Convention in Savannah. Toccoa and 68 other cities received accreditation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program.

The Main Street Program uses a comprehensive revitalization process originated by the National Trust. The program’s approach works to integrate a locally driven management strategy with a focus on the physical improvement of buildings and public spaces, an aggressive promotion plan, image building, and economic development.

Authorities are looking for two suspects who took items from a local lumber store then returned them for a refund. It happened last Thursday at Grafton’s Building Supply on Mize Road. Dustin Grafton told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies his employee gave the suspects a refund of $113 for two cases of nails.

Grafton later discovered the suspects had taken the nails from a pallet in the lumberyard without paying for them. A witness told deputies they saw the two suspects in the lumberyard earlier before they returned the cases of nails.

Five people are facing various drug charges after Stephens County authorities and the Piedmont Northern MANS Unit conducted a raid at house on DeFoor Road. It happened Friday evening at 7506 DeFoor Road – the home of Willie Irvin Martin – who is already serving time in prison for drug dealing.

This time, his son, 28-year old Joslin Anderson Martin and 33-year old Dorothea Ann Singleton of Eastanollee were arrested and charged with one count each of possession of marijuana with intent and possession of cocaine with intent.

Investigators say a search of the home turned up five ounces of marijuana, two grams of crack cocaine, $3,500 in cash and a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass. According to Stephens County Sheriff’s spokesman major Tim Jarrell, the other three arrests came later – despite the fact that law enforcement was clearly present on the property.

"After the two people at the residence were transported to the Stephens County jail, and the property was still secured and authorities had maintained security of the residence, a vehicle pulled up and approached one of the undercover officers," Jarrell said. "He was asked by these two ladies in the vehicle if he would be willing to sell them crack cocaine. They were arrested and charged with criminal attempt to purchase cocaine. A marked unit was called to the residence. They were placed in the back of that unit and transported to Stephens County jail. No more had that unit left the area when another vehicle pulled up the man inside walked up to the front door of the house, knocked on the door, and asked one of the agents inside if he could buy crack cocaine. He was also arrested," Jarrell concluded.

Those three suspects are identified as 41-year old Tammy Melissa Gilleland of Toccoa, 41-year old Dolores June Boles of Eastanollee and 40-year old Sammie Lee Dingle of Cornelia.

All three were charged with criminal attempt to purchase cocaine and were released on $15,000 security bond. Martin and Singleton remain in the Stephens County Jail awaiting bond.

If you have always wanted to know what the inside of a police dispatch center looks like, mark your calendars. The new e-911 Dispatch Center in Eastanollee will have an open house tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Located on Virginia Drive, the new center is now home to the Toccoa Police dispatch and will soon house the Sheriff’s Department dispatchers. E-911 Communications Director Paige Crocker will also be on hand to answer visitors’ questions.

"We're up and running as far as operations. I am hoping to do a tour of the PSAP, which is the actual answering room, Crocker said. "It's according to how busy they are and how noisy it is, but other than I will definitely have a tour of the entire facility. We will have refreshments afterwards and I will be answering any questions people might have," she explained.

Meantime, Crocker says that so far, they are on track for going fully online in September. At last night’s called meeting, Crocker told Commissioners an exact date in September will be determined by Alltel once they finish the second scrub – their term for making sure phone numbers and addresses match.

Yesterday, Crocker received word from Alltel that their first "scrub" of the new e-911 addresses went better than expected.

"They put it through their system, see what's good what's bad and we came out excellent. We had a less than 8% error rate, which is wonderful for the first scrub. So, we did an excellent job as far as getting those in and getting them corrected. And Alltel has them now and they will correct what they can. Then we will get them back and what they could not correct, we will work on. Once our error rate is at 2% or less we will be ready to turn us on. They are still projecting September," Crocker said.

According to Crocker, first scrubs usually result in a 12 – 25% error rate. Now if you cannot make it to Thursday’s open house, another open house will take place on a Sunday in July. The exact date will be announced later.

Almost 200 local leaders from business and government here in Stephens County could find themselves locked up. Tomorrow, the Toccoa Police and Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies will be arresting our Community’s finest in order to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. MDA spokeswoman Sabrina Hughes says the "criminals" will then be held in a secure location until they make bail. While incarcerated they will also be treated to either breakfast or lunch. This year, the goal is to raise $25,000 for MDA research.

Funds raised during the event will support MDA’s efforts to serve over 2,200 families in the north Georgia area by providing assistance in the purchase and maintenance of wheelchairs, leg braces, and speech communications devices.

Campuses at all 13 North District Health campuses will be tobacco free beginning July 1 – that includes the Stephens County Health Department. "Inside, the government buildings have been tobacco free for several years. We are going smoke-free on our campuses because tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the United States as well as Georgia. We just want to send the message to everyone that we support behavior that will make them have a healthier life," noted Dave Palmer, North District Health spokesman.

The new rule applies to employees as well as patients. In Georgia, one out of five Georgians die each year from smoking-related illnesses. Additionally, smoking costs Georgians $1.2 billion in direct health care costs each year.

A resident of Scenic Drive told deputies a woman came to her home in may and tried to unlock her front door by trying the lock with a handful of keys. When the homeowner came to the door, the woman ran off, jumped into a black Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows, and sped off.

Later, a Makita radial saw was discovered missing from the side of the house. Last week, the homeowner called deputies to report she had seen the Jeep again in the area. Deputies are looking for a late 80s model black Jeep Cherokee with 4-doors and tinted windows. The suspect is described as a white female tall and thin with dark hair.

• A man on Rose Lane told police someone stole his motorcycle. The victim said he had the bike parked in his front yard for sale and gone away for several days. When he returned the bike was missing. It has described as blue and yellow 2001 Honda CBR 600. Police have no suspects.

• Toccoa detectives are looking into a report of a burglary that was witnessed by neighbors. Neighbors gave the police the name of a suspect they said they saw break into a home on Prather Bridge. The suspect allegedly took a weed eater and a boot dagger. So far, they have not made any arrest.

• A woman called Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies after she discovered her refrigerator missing. The victim told deputies someone entered her home on Julian Westmoreland Road and took the appliance. After looking at the home, deputies could not determine how entrance was made. The refrigerator is a white Frigidaire purchased in 2004 with a value of $650.

Cell phone users in Stephens County may soon be paying a little extra in order to receive e-911 service. Tonight, the County Commission will hold a public hearing on whether to add a $1 a month charge to cell phone users for the added service.

Currently, dispatchers cannot tell where a cell phone user is located when they call in, but the extra fee will pay for enhanced locator technology.

"We will have the ability to know within several hundred meters or so where someone is as opposed to this point in time not knowing at all," explained County Administrator Darrell Hampton. "One of the classic problems people have seen is they call in say from I-75 and they get bounced around to several counties. What we are doing will provide the e-911 service with the ability to receive a cell phone call and we will know within a fairly defined area where that is," he said.

Under Georgia law, a public hearing on the matter must be held before the County can vote on it.

If the charge is approved by the Commission, it will take a couple of months to implement.

"I would think we would probably have a 30-60 day period or more to get that worked through because unlike the phone land line with a single provider we will have a multiple number of cell phone providers that we will have to work with," Hampton said.

Tonight’s hearing takes place at 5:30 p.m. immediately following the second hearing on the proposed FY2007 budget in the County Courthouse Annex.

Voters in Stephens County will be asked to decide whether the School Board may sell bonds in order to build a new high school. On Monday, the Stephens County Board of Elections approved a request by the BOE to hold a special referendum in the fall. That special referendum will take place on September 19.

If voters approve the resolution, the BOE would be allowed to sell $23-million in General Obligation bonds in order to raise some $21-million dollars. Voters will also decide whether to extend SPLOST II in order for the school system to continue to collect a 1% sales tax.

In addition to building a new high school, the money will also go towards repairing and renovating older school buildings.

A Toccoa woman remains hospitalized in Greenville, SC after her car overturned on Highway 184 over the weekend. Georgia State Patrol’s Toccoa Post says Amy Fulbright was traveling north on 184 when she lost control of her 2002 Ford Taurus going around a curve near Leatherford Road. The vehicle left the road and struck a tree before flipping over.

Fulbright was trapped inside the vehicle for a time until EMT’s could free her. She suffered serious injuries and was lifeflighted to Greenville Memorial Hospital where the extent of her injuries have not been released.

DILLARD MAN LOSES VEHICLE TO FIRE
Tuesday, June 27, 2006

A Dillard man had to find another way home from Stephens County Saturday after his VW Bug caught fire.

It happened on the 17 Bypass about 5:30 p.m. Ricky Owens of Bald Mountain road in Dillard told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies his engine backfired then burst into flames.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire, but the car was a total loss. Owens was not injured.

An effort to open a free clinic in Toccoa is moving forward and the call is out for volunteers and supplies. The idea for the Open Arms Free Clinic was born out of a need to help those who cannot afford regular medical insurance.

"As we have seen a lot of industries leave the Toccoa area and factories close, there have been increasing numbers of uninsured in our community," clinic spokeswoman Joanne Raybon noted. "What happens is those residents end up using our emergency room as their primary care facility. So they may put off being seen because they cannot afford the doctor visit and they present to the emergency room for care often times much sicker than if they had been able to maintain primary care on an ongoing basis with a physician," she said.

So far, the free clinic, which is located on big a road across from the Toccoa Clinic, is receiving strong support from Stephens County Hospital. Right now, however, they have a laundry list of items on their wish list including all kinds of medical and office supplies that they need before they can open.

"We’re hoping to open by August 14th. Right now, our biggest goal is staffing the clinic. We do have commitments from some physicians, but we are also looking for some more commitments from other physicians and some more volunteers as well," Raybon said.

A list of those supplies can be obtained by calling Joanne Raybon at 706-282-7676. Also needed are more volunteers. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer may pick up an application at the Java Station.

This year marks the 12^th annual observance of National HIV Testing Day and the Stephens County Health Department is holding a walk-in clinic for free HIV/AIDS testing today.

An estimated 40,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year and at least one fourth of Americans who are HIV positive do not know it. This year also marks the 20^th year that HIV testing and counseling has been offered by North District Health Departments.

With the new rapid test technology, patients can learn with minutes whether they have HIV. To get more information on today’s HIV testing clinic, contact the Stephens County Health Department at 706-282-4507.

Governor Sonny Perdue has more than just Democrats running against him in the July Primary. A conservative Republican is also challenging the Governor, but he claims the Georgia Republican Party is blocking his campaign efforts.

Ray McBerry, a businessman from Henry County, says he paid his $4,000 qualifying fee to run against Perdue, but the Republican Party refused to put him on their Web site. McBerry claims it is a conspiracy to keep voters in the dark.

"The chairman of the Georgia Republican Party does not want the voters to know that there is a conservative running against Sonny in the July Primary because the state GOP chairman is also Sonny's campaign manager," McBerry charged. "They have done something unprecedented in the history of the Georgia Republican Party; they have refused to list me on the State Web site, which they have done to other candidates running against incumbents, but they have also have used State GOP funds to run Sonny's radio and television commercials before the Primary elections. And to our knowledge that has never been done in the history of the Georgia Republican Party," he concluded.

McBerry says he was told by the party chairman that the party’s goal is to protect incumbents.

Local Republican Party chairman Kellie Austin agrees.

"As a general rule, most county parties do not endorse a candidate until after the Primary. That's not really a law as much as it is the way we do things to try and keep it very open for anyone to run," Austin noted. "On the State level, the executive committee has the authority to decide in the Primary if they are going to support one candidate over another. Generally, they don't do that no matter what, but in this situation where we have an incumbent Governor such as we do who is running for re-election they made the decision to publicly endorse him and support him in the Primary. That means the State Republican Party is actually working for Sonny Perdue's re-election," she said.

Those who remember W.C. Clary, Jr. also remember his many contributions to this community.

Now, those contributions are being recognized in a special exhibit at the Stephens County Historical Society museum. Joanne Clary, widow of W.C., provided most of the material for the exhibit.

"They asked that we have a rotating exhibit and they asked me if I would get some plaques and things together to overview his life and so that's what I did," she said.

The W.C. Clary exhibit will be on display for the next three months or so. The display is part of an ongoing effort by the Historical Society to highlight those who have made significant contributions to Toccoa-Stephens County.

Heavy rainfall yesterday and over the weekend has caused some roads in neighboring Oconee County, SC to be closed due to flooding. A total of seven roads are affected. They include:

Yesterday, the Oconee County reported as much as four inches of rainfall in some areas.

Despite rain the last few days, Toccoa-Stephens County residents are under a state-mandated outdoor watering restriction. Last week, Toccoa’s Water Department was notified of the tougher restrictions by the State Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division. Toccoa Water-Wastewater Director Don Dye said all citizens must follow an odd-even system.

"The new schedule is even numbered houses can water on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesday. Odd numbered addresses can water on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. That means nobody can water on Fridays. As of last Wednesday, there's no daytime watering even if it's your day to water, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outdoor water use is prohibited," Dye said.

These restrictions will remain in effect until further notice, according to Dye, but which address should you use? Many are confused over whether to use their old address or the new e-911 address.

"I've had that question before," Dye said. "On my personal address, it went from an even number to an even number so it didn't impact me, but that's not going to be the case for a lot of our citizens. I would say since we are officially still using the old addresses, to go by that for outdoor watering until we officially switch over to the new e-911 addresses," he said.

Those who are caught watering on the wrong days face a series of fines. At the first instance of violating the watering schedule, citizens will be given a written warning. A second violation will bring a $15 fine. However, if caught a third time violating the restriction, expect a $200 fine, which could also include having water service cut off.

A Stephens County man with a long history of drug dealing in North Georgia pled guilty last week to multiple drug charges. On the run for months, 40-year old David Paul "Tater" Jones was arrested in February after falling for a fake drug deal.

Sheriff Gene Sorrells said after his arrest, investigators also discovered Jones had several items that turned out to be stolen, including the car he drove to the sting operation along with tools found in the trunk of that car.

On Friday, Jones pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of imitation controlled substances with intent. Judge Ernest Woods sentenced Jones to eight years in prison with four to serve.

Also pleading guilty to multiple methamphetamine and assault charges last week were a Toccoa man and his Rabun County girlfriend. Last November, agents arrested 33-year old Corey Shane Wilson after investigators found ingredients used to manufacture the methamphetamine at his home.

Wilson resisted arrest and in addition to being charged with criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine, was also charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

At the time of his arrest, investigators also seized several guns at the scene and arrested 42-year old Marlene Faith of Clayton. Faith was charged with possession of a fire arm by a convicted felon. On Friday, Judge Ernest Woods sentenced Wilson to 15 years in prison with three to serve. Faith also plead guilty to the weapons charge and received 10 years in prison with three to serve.

An Eastanollee man pled guilty to two counts of aggravated child molestation in Stephens County Superior Court last week. 30-year old Larry F. Welborn was arrested last November during the Toccoa Harvest Festival on the charges.

On Friday, Judge Ernest Woods sentenced Welborn to 10 years in prison with three to serve and seven on probation. Details of the charges have not been released.

Another child molester arrested during the Harvest Festival was 29-year old Jeffery Franklin Ledford of Martin. Ledford is currently serving time in prison on theft by taking charges.

County Commissioners will hold the second of two public hearings on the County’s FY07 budget tomorrow at the Courthouse Annex. These hearings are designed to give citizens an opportunity to ask questions or comment on this year’s preliminary budget.

The total budget amount that the County is proposing for FY07 is $21,937,960, according to County Administrator Darrell Hampton.

"Our budget, like most other governments is divided into three funds. Our General Fund will be $12,566,017. The Restricted Fund, which is where we do SPLOST and other funds that are used for single directed purposes, is $8,306,427. The Enterprise Fund, which is where solid waste and emergency communications is, is $1,070,917," Hampton said.

The County is proposing creating four new positions in various departments, including the road department and three in the Sheriff’s Department to handle increased security in the New Government Building. County workers will also see a 3.4% cost of living raise, and the County will be paying about 8% more for health insurance.

Hampton said last week the county is also budgeting for a number of new projects for FY07. "The largest project we will do is the e-911 project, which is pretty well complete. We will also do some continued stabilization on the old County courthouse and the jail. We'll build a small facility out at Rose Lane Recreation Center's football field - a restroom/concession stand, which we've been trying to do for years. The rest of those projects include road paving and bridge replacement projects. Also a lot of office equipment and we have to replace some vehicles and trucks," Hampton explained.

Tomorrow night’s public hearing takes place at 5:30 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex. Immediately following the hearing, the Commission will vote to accept the new fiscal budget.

North Georgia Democrats, including members and candidates from Stephens County will gather Sunday for a rally for statewide candidates. Democrats from more than 25 counties will converge on the Georgia Mountains Center in downtown Gainesville on Sunday for a "Mega Rally for the People."

More than 25 Democratic candidates will be at the convention style rally including the top two of the four gubernatorial candidates, according to Stephens County Democratic Committee spokeswoman Cavonna Holcomb.

Other guest candidates will include candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state school superintendent and Congressional Districts 7, 9 and 10. However, Holcomb says the day will not be all political speeches. There will also be music, a live comedian, and food.

Tickets are available from Jamieson Tax Service, or by calling Cavonna Holcomb at 706-491-1743 or Ray Ward at 706-886-4657.

Representatives for Indian tribes in Mississippi and Louisiana said former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed used money that was filtered through numerous organizations to fight competition to tribal casinos, according to a federal report released this week.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported yesterday a 373-page report by the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee found that tribal representatives said the filtering was used to satisfy Reed's quote, "political concerns."

The report was released less than a month before Georgia's July 18 primary, in which Reed is a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.

The document was the result of a two-year investigation into influence peddling by Washington, DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who directed the money Reed used in his anti-gambling efforts in 1999 and 2000.

Reed has maintained that he was always assured his efforts against casinos would not be paid with money tainted by gambling.

Reed told the AJC, "It is now clear from benefit of hindsight, that this was a piece of business I should have declined."

Toccoa police are looking for a former Huddle House employee they think may be responsible for a theft there. Huddle House manager John Britton called police when he discovered over $2,000 in cash missing from the store safe late Wednesday.

"They had what they suspect is an employee theft. Approximately $2,000 was taken from the safe, the drop safe, and the registers. We have warrants out on a suspect at this time," Toccoa Police investigator Ginger Currans. So far, investigators have not made an arrest.

Firefighters with the Georgia Forestry Service continue their mopping up efforts on Yonah Mountain today. Over 80 acres have burned on the mountain since the blaze started early last Sunday morning. District Forester Ken Masten says the fire is contained and their primary goal right now is putting out hot spots.

"We have control lines all the way around the fire. All the fire is within these lines, but what we still have are burning snags," Masten explains. "These can be dead or live trees that had fire in them; burning and smoldering stumps and roots," he said.

Forest service firefighters from Gainesville have been working around the clock since Sunday in two 12-hour shifts. Today, Forest Service crews from around the state arrive to give the Gainesville firefighters a break.

"What they will be doing is continuing the mop up efforts. That's using water, shovels, and going and trying to put the smoking stumps and hot spots out, as well as anything that if we get a little wind might flame back up and possibly fall across or blow across our control line," Masten said.

The forecast calls for thunderstorms this evening and rain will definitely help put out the hot spots.

However, Masten says lightening associated with that rain could actually hinder their efforts.

"We're now going to have to fly that area where the storm passed through tonight and tomorrow morning to make sure we don't have any lightning strikes. If we get rain with those, they do not generally give us a problem. If we get just lightning strikes though, then that's a big concern," he said.

It will be several more days before the Forest Service will feel comfortable enough to call the fire completely under control, according to Masten.

A new business on the downtown mall celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning. The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce welcomed "Daryl's Place" to their membership roll.

Daryl's place is located at 133 E. Doyle St. and specializes in men and women’s clothing. The store will be open Thursday through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Lavonia Milliken plant will be part of government effort to help protect the nation’s military. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a new military spending bill that includes $2-million in funding for a clinical trial of bacteria-resistant clothing.

That material will be manufactured at Milliken’s Lavonia plant. Clinical trials on the new fabric will be done at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, according to Milliken spokesman Richard Dillard.

"Recent studies have shown that hospital textiles may contribute to the build up and spread of bacteria and could be responsible for many infections, which could be deadly. We are hoping and confidant the trials will show that treated hospital textiles lower the rate of infections, days of recovery time, operating costs, and certainly mortality rates," Dillard noted.

Wounded soldiers and other patients frequently contract secondary infections while being treated in hospitals. Current bacteria-resistant clothing used in hospitals to safeguard against additional infection fails to hold up after washing. Milliken has demonstrated to the federal government a product that will retain its anti-bacterial effectiveness even after being washed. The product kills 99.9% of bacteria.

Milliken, like many textile companies, has been decimated in recent years by Chinese competition. The $2-million dollar earmark will provide a vital boost for the local economy. Dillard credits U.S. Congressman Charlie Norwood with securing the funding.

"Once again, Congressman Charlie Norwood has gone to bat in a big way for the textile industry. He's a champion for American manufacturing jobs. He understands the importance of America's manufacturing base and for that we are very grateful," Dillard said.

While the bill did pass the House, Dillard says it still has a ways to go before Milliken sees any money. "It has passed the House, but it does have a ways to go in the appropriations process. It's my understanding it does still have to go through the Senate," he said. The Company hopes to begin manufacturing the fabric at their Lavonia plant within the year.

More students in Stephens county will be a belt o take advantage of the summer school program no that the school system has received two major grants. The funding comes from two 21^st Century grants, according to School Superintendent Gary Steppe and will be used to help Middle School and Crossroads Academy students.

Each grant is almost $200,00 and will be spread over a five-year period. The school system received the same grant four years ago for the elementary schools. Steppe says the grants will provide free school bus service for summer school students. The board of education also is waiting to hear about to other grants. Both are federal grants.

"We received one of those about four years ago and that has enabled us to have the summer school program we've had for our children in grades K-5," Steppe explained. This last one is the same kind of grant but it's for the Middle School and for Crossroads Academy. So they will be able to have the summer school as well," he said.

One will provide $300,000 for additional books for school libraries, the other Steppe says will help disadvantaged students.

"It's called the "Gear Up" grant, and it's a federal program that provides money for a counselor and other activities for a group of students that are generally considered to be disadvantaged," Steppe said. "These are students who have the potential to do college work, but for whatever reason they many not have the support and enough direction to move toward college. This starts with a group in 7th grade and follows them all the way through high school and gives them that support. So we're excited about having that program possibly available as well," he concluded.

The "Gear Up" grant was applied for through a consortium of schools in the Pioneer RESA district of North Georgia.

It was mostly housekeeping items in anticipation of the new school year that faced the Stephens County Board of Education this week at their regular meeting. Among the actions taken, the Board approved the vendors for milk and bread for school cafeterias.

Next year, student’s will be drinking Mayfield milk and eating sandwiches made with Flowers white wheat bread. The board also discussed and then adopted a Student Wellness Policy.

Coming under the Student Health Services Policy, the Wellness Policy calls for increased PE classes or activities designed to help students keep the weight off and get more exercise. School Board member James Thomas said he believes the PE program should be more rigorous at all grade levels. "I'm in favor of having a tough, rigorous PE program. I think it would reflect an additional increase in performance in school," Thomas said.

The Board agreed, but the problem according to Stephens County High School principal George Sanders is too many students and not enough PE teachers. Sanders tells WNEG he and his staff are currently working on a plan to beef up the PE program at the high school.

Life will be a little easier soon for boaters using the Jenkins Ferry boat ramp. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work yesterday on a new courtesy boat dock at Jenkins Ferry. "The reason we put in courtesy docks on our boat ramps is for folks who use our boat ramps it makes it easier for loading and unloading the vessel. They don't have to pull up to the rocky bank or shoreline. So it can potentially reduce damage to their boat and other private property," said Kenneth Bedenbaugh, Lake Hartwell park ranger.

Each dock costs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about $15,000. Bedenbaugh says right now crews are putting in the cement pilings. Once the pilings are completed, the dock will be put in place as soon as it arrives.

"What we're doing right now is we're in the process of putting in the bulkhead, the concrete supports that the actual floating dock will be anchored to. Once the dock is constructed it will be floated here and secured in to place, Bedenbaugh said. Bedenbaugh said it could take up to eight weeks before the dock is delivered.

The Chamber of Commerce welcomed another new retail business to Toccoa-Stephens County this week. The Currahee Ridge Embroidery Shop is located in Bell’s Plaza. Opened two months ago, owner Donald McFarlin says they are a full-service operation.

"We also do screen printing. We can monogram. We can put your name or any name you bring in or we can order anything you want. We can put it on shirts, caps, jackets; it doesn't matter, we can get it. Whatever you want on it, we can do that for you," he said.

Tomorrow, the Chamber will welcome a new clothing store on the downtown mall with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

It is the first day of summer, but summer temperatures have already been causing dry conditions in Georgia.

The past six months have been abnormally dry. As a result, a moderate agricultural drought now covers most of the state, according to the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Science.

They say only Southeast Georgia has near-normal soil moisture conditions for mid-to-late June. The National Weather Service in Greenville, SC says a stalled high-pressure system over the southeast is keeping the hot dry weather around, but meteorologist Blair Holloway says that should change next week.

"We are in a drought situation, but from here on for the next few months, it looks what we would typically see in a summertime pattern," he said.

Temperatures are expected to stay in the upper 80s to low 90s the rest of this week. That means the chances for heat exhaustion and dehydration are high if you spend a lot of time outside. If you must work outside, try to do so in the early morning or evening hours, restrict gardening to 40 minutes with a 20 minute break, take breaks in shaded areas, and drink plenty of water to replace lost body fluid.

A Cornelia man is believed to be impersonating a local doctor in order to obtain prescription drugs. Pharmacists at Maddox Drugs on big a road became suspicious when a man posing as a physician at Stephens County Hospital called to refill two prescriptions – one for 180 tabs of Loritab – another for 60 tabs of Percocet.

Pharmacists called the physician to confirm the prescriptions and discovered the doctor had not called them in. A check of their records by investigators found the suspect has managed to call in fake prescriptions on at least four occasions at the pharmacy. All of the prescriptions were picked up at the drive through.

Investigators were able to obtain a photo of the suspect from Habersham authorities, but so far, they have not made an arrest.

Stephens County Sheriff’s investigators are looking into a break in at Stephens County High School. It happened sometime over the weekend and was discovered Monday by coach Travis Noland.

Suspects broke the windows to the PE portable building and took a new Dell 17" computer monitor and a new IBM ThinkPad lap top computer. Total value of the missing items is approximately $1,600.

Deputies processed the scene for fingerprints but did not find any. They also took into evidence a wooden dowel, which they believe was used to break the windows. So far, there have been no arrests.

It’s not about politics, it’s about fairness.

That’s what State senator Nancy Schaefer says is the issue with the recently overturned Georgia amendment that defines legal marriage as that between a man and woman only.

In a public letter to her challenger, Democrat Carol Jackson, Schaefer called on Jackson to publicly announce her full support for traditional marriage.

Jackson replied in a public letter to the media that she already supports the Governor in his effort to pass a constitutional amendment that protects marriage between a man and woman only and says she does not support same sex marriage.

Annoyed by Schaefer’s public appeal, Jackson said she would not wage a campaign by letter, but in what she called the old fashioned way – through public forums, town meetings, and directly with the voters.

She then called on Schaefer to debate her on the issues publicly after the primaries at Tallulah Falls. So far, Schaefer has not indicated whether she will take Jackson up on her offer.

The City of Toccoa will purchase four new police cars from two different dealerships. Eight bids were opened last week from dealerships all over the state. The lowest bid of $29,340 came in from Gregory Dodge in Columbus, GA for a 2006 Dodge Charger v-6 with the Enforcer package.

The highest bid of $37,102 came from Maypole Chevrolet in Toccoa for a 2006 Chevy Impala with the Police package. At Monday’s City commission meeting, City manager Billy Morse recommended a split bid award.

"The lowest bidder was from Carl Gregory Dodge in Columbus. We want four police cars. They had two available immediately and then other two we'd have to wait 10 weeks," explained Morse. "The Commission wanted to make sure the police department got four new cars on the road immediately so what I recommended was that we purchase those two Dodges now and then that we go with the second lowest bid, which was for two Ford Crown Victoria’s from Jackie Jones Ford in Augusta, GA," he said.

In the past, the City has always purchased Ford Crown Victoria’s. This time, high gas prices have the City looking at different vehicle models and smaller engines, according to Morse and the Dodge Charger had the lower bid.

"Neither Chevy bid were low, so that gave us the opportunity to look at Chargers. With gas prices being expensive, we wanted to try a 6-cylinder vehicle. This will give us the chance to try two of them out to see if they meet our standards," Morse said.

The Dodge Chargers are available immediately and the two Crown Victoria’s will be delivered in two weeks. Toccoa Police chief Jackie Whitmire is hoping to replace the entire fleet of police cruisers with new ones.

Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies arrested five people in connection with a shoplifting in Rabun County. It happened Saturday at the Super Wal-mart. The suspects – all from Toccoa – allegedly stole a plasma color t-v.

Rabun authorities issued a look out for a white Ford Super Wagon with Stephens County tags. The van reportedly contained four white males and was being driven by a white female. Deputies traced the tag number to a home on Easy Street. There, they discovered the van with four white males and a white female standing around it. They also say they found a Sharp-brand TV box in the back of the van.

All five suspects were placed under arrest and turned over to Rabun County authorities. Two of the suspects are identified as 23-year old Joshua Foster of Easy Street in Toccoa and 23-year old Wendy Mitchell of the same address. The names of the three other suspects have not been released.

An afternoon of four-wheeling uncovered a long-lost handbag. Daveay Sapp told deputies he was four wheeling in the Highview subdivision area when he found a brown handbag.

The purse contained a wallet with a drivers license belonging to a Ruby Dickerson. Sapp said he tried to contact Mrs. Dickerson to return her purse, but discovered both she and Mr. Dickerson are deceased. Deputies took the purse into evidence and have attempted to contact relatives but have not been successful.

The fire on Yonah Mountain continues to burn, but firefighters with the Georgia Forestry Commission says it appears to be under control. The blaze broke out early Sunday morning.

Three volunteer fire stations in Stephens County answered the call Sunday morning and worked until dark with shovels and rakes trying to keep the flames from spreading up the mountain side. Crews worked all last night into this morning to secure another fire line after the flames broke through the first line late yesterday morning. Overnight, firefighters were able to find an area in which to put in a wider dozer line, according to Ken Masten with the Georgia Forestry Commission.

"What it meant was we had to include some additional acreage in the fire, but it gives us some security because we've got a stronger fire line and barrier. What they did last night was to burn that extra area out. Reports I'm getting this morning is that everything is within the control lines. Helicopters will be working that fire today," explained Masten.

Helicopters will continue carrying water from Lake Yonah to the fire sight today and Masten asks boaters on the lake be aware of the choppers and give them a wide berth. Masten says it will like be at least another day before the fire is out.

"In all probability we'll have personnel on that fire for another day or two just to make sure it's safe to leave. Even if everything goes as planned, it's still going to take a lot of work to be safe. Right now we've got a handle on it," he said. So far, 80 acres of forest have burned according to Masten.

A local construction company will soon start work on the exterior of the old Stephens County Courthouse. Yesterday, the Courthouse Restoration Authority awarded the contract for the window repairs and exterior paint.

"The contract was awarded by the Authority to Andrews Construction Company of Toccoa. They were the lowest qualified bidder. We had three competitive bids from Mr. Andrews, Leonard Griffin both of Stephens County and Melton Painting of Stathem, GA. Andrews was the lowest one," noted County Administrator Darrell Hampton.

That bid came in at $98,400. Andrews Construction will paint the exterior of the courthouse, including the windows and will replace some of the windows. "They'll also be removing all of the old telephone wires on the outside and will be doing some cleaning outside. The windows will be the largest part of the project," Hampton said.

Hampton says it’s not clear when the full renovation of the courthouse will be done. He tells WNEG that once they have a clearer picture of how much the jail project will cost and a timeline, Commissioners will have a better idea of when to begin the courthouse renovation.

Over 40 workers at the Bi-Lo grocery store on Big A Road will lose their jobs this week, when the store closes its doors for good on Saturday. "It was purely a business decision," explained Bi-lo Corporate spokeswoman Heidi Smith. " We are constantly evaluating each of our facilities, taking a look at the viability of sales. There are a variety of factors there," she said.

While Smith would not confirm or deny it, sources close to WNEG say competition from the new Super Wal-mart is the real reason for the closing. The store had been struggling for years to compete with Ingles down the street.

Rumors of its closing circulated two years ago when the grocery chain was sold to Texas-based Lone Star Funds for $560-million dollars. Since then, Lone Star has closed many of the chains’ less profitable stores.

Bi-Lo is based in Mauldin, SC and has stores in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, employing over 20,000 people.

Two teenage girls missing from a wilderness camp in Rabun County since Sunday – have been found safe. The girls, ages 14 and 16 left the Second Chance Wilderness Camp in northern Rabun County sometime overnight Sunday. The girls were found Monday walking along Highway 76 outside of Clayton and were returned to their guardians.

The first of two public hearings on the Stephens County’s FY2007 will be held tonight at 5:30 in the Courthouse Annex. These hearings are designed to give citizens an opportunity to ask questions or comment on this year’s proposed budget.

The total budget amount that the County is proposing for FY2007 is $21,937,960. However, the millage rate actually dropped from 9.95 in FY2006 to 9.94. This budget also includes a 4% cost of living pay raise for county employees. The next public hearing will take place on Tuesday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. Afterwards, the Commission will vote to adopt the budget.

It has taken about four years, but the Martin Water Tank Project will take a major step either today or Wednesday when it actually gets filled up with water.

Martin Mayor Don Foster said that it is a day that the city has looked forward to…

"Yes, after almost four years of talking and planning, the water tank should be ready Tuesday or Wednesday," Foster announced. " We will fill it up and it will have to stay that way for about a week before we can actually use it."

Even though the entire project has taken about four years, actual construction of the tank has been surprisingly rapid, according to council members, who have been documenting the project.

Foster said they have been pleased the way construction has gone to this point…

"Once we got the contracts and everything approved, it moved along quite rapidly. We’ve had very few problems. We appreciate everybody’s help in what they did and so far, it’s worked out real well."

The city still has some work to do on the property and must install some control panels, but according to Mayor Foster, the tank should be in actual use by sometime next month.

An 8 year old Hartwell boy is doing OK this morning after he was hit by a pick-up truck Saturday afternoon in Stephens County. The boy, identified as Zachary Pittman, was apparently trying to cross Highway 106 south of Toccoa when he was struck by a truck, driven by Randy Smith of Toccoa The accident occurred about 5:30pm Saturday afternoon.

The boy was taken to Stephens County Hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruises, but is recovering very nicely today. No charges have been filed against Smith.

Toccoa’s airport may soon be getting jet service. That’s according to Toccoa mayor Bob Troup. Troup, who is on the Airport Authority Board, said the Authority is looking at getting a small jet service at the airport for business use.

"Because of our improvements at the airport, our airport will be available for it. There are three stages. There's a day jet that will come in here and if an attorney or businessman wants to go to Augusta or Atlanta or wherever they need to go, that jet will pick them up and carry them anywhere they want to go. That's the Day Jet program," Troup explained. "Then there'll be a Day Port, where they'll make regular stops here. I do not think we are ready for that yet, but it could happen in the future. And then there's a Base, where they would base one of those million dollar jets here to service this area," he concluded.

The first phase of the service could be up and running by as early as next year, according to Troup. Troup said the Airport Authority is also trying to build a new larger hanger for business jets, but so far has not been able to get funding from the FAA.

As we have been telling you, the deadline to register to vote or to make sure you are registered is today at 5 p.m. If you are planning to vote in the July General Primary, according to registrar Theresa Kelley.

"If you're not registered by that time, then you cannot vote in the July Primary. If you have any doubt just give us call at the office and we'll double check to make sure we have everything in order for you," Kelley said.

Registered voters should have received a new peach-colored voter registration card in mail, but about 700 of those cards came back, according to Kelley. Kelley says if you did not get a new registration card in the mail, you need to contact her office today.

"If you're living in Stephens County and you're not sure you're registered in Stephens County, double check with us. If you've moved and changed addresses, we need to get the correct addresses on the rolls," she said.

Meantime, absentee voting continues at the Registrar’s office in the new Government Building, but so far, Kelley said she has not yet received permission to begin using the state-issued voter ID machine.

City Commissioners meet tonight for the second Monday in a row. The change is due to commissioners attending the Georgia Municipal Government Annual meeting the following week. Three of the five City Commissioners will be attending.

On tonight’s agenda, Commissioners will honor one of the charter members of the ABC Board, Major Scott, who was known for his concern for and involvement in the community. Scott passed away about a month ago.

Finally, Commissioners are expected to hear recommendations from police Chief Jackie Whitmire on where to purchase four new police cars. Eight bids came in from dealerships around the state. Those bids were opened last week. Tonight’s meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the City Hall meeting room.

Another case of copper wiring thefts… this time at a home on Robinson Road. The homeowner told Stephens County Sheriff’s deputies someone cut out the air conditioner unit from the side of their house removed all of the copper wiring. The suspects then left the unit in pieces the back yard.

After stripping the a/c unit, the suspects entered the home through the back door and removed the copper wiring from inside the house. The victim told deputies he had hired some workman recently and gave deputies their names as possible suspects.

Fifteen kinds of canned dog food are being voluntarily recalled by Simmons Pet Food, in Siloam Springs, AK.  Consumer complaints led to the discovery of "random flaking" of the inside coating of the cans.

The products being recalled include Simmons’s Ol Roy, Pot Luck, Twin Pet, and American Fare canned dog foods. Those dog food brands are sold at Wal-mart, Dollar General, and other retail outlets across the Country under several private labels. You can return the cans of pet food to the retailer where you purchased it for a refund.

• Police investigators are looking for two men who allegedly took a litter of Chihuahua puppies. It happened last week at home on Rumsey Avenue. The owner of the puppies told police she heard someone on her front porch where the puppies were located. When she came out she saw the two men walking away from her home and the puppies were missing. The victim gave police descriptions of the two men and their names, but so far no arrests have been made.

• Another victim of identity theft. This time, the victim told police investigators someone took his checks from his home and went on spending spree totaling almost $900. The victim received the cancelled checks from the bank with the names of the suspects. They also contained a driver license number. All of the checks were written at retailers in South Carolina. That investigation is continuing.

Local businessman Gordon Telford was recognized this week with the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce’s "Lifetime Achievement Award." The award was presented at the Business After Hours reception on the Currahee campus of North Georgia Technical College.

Telford has been very active in business, church, civic, and educational activities in our community for many years. During the presentation, Chamber Director Cynthia Brown thanked Telford for his commitment, dedication and stewardship in our community.

For the past several years, Toccoa-Stephens County citizens have enjoyed a community Fourth of July celebration with the Liberty Spectacular. And while the Liberty Spectacular will not be taking place this year, another fun night of fireworks, music and food will.

It is the Community Fourth of July celebration coming up Thursday June 29 at the Recreation Center on Rose Lane, according to spokeswoman Kim Hudgins.

"We are inviting people in the community to come out and picnic on the ball fields. We will have some entertainment. Around 9:30p when it starts to get dark, we will have a beautiful fireworks show. So we're inviting everyone to come out and join us," Hudgins said.

Everyone is invited to come out with your lawn chairs, blankets and maybe a picnic basket to celebrate America’s freedom. Sponsored by AM630 WNEG, Stephens Federal Bank, and the Recreation Center, there is no charge for the fun and fireworks.

"We are in sponsorship with the Rec Department and WNEG Radio that is going to be providing music for us so the cost is free so just come out. The concession stand will also be open so come out and enjoy it." Hudgins explained.

Again, this year’s Community Fireworks Celebration of our Nation’s freedom takes place Thursday, June 29 at the Rose Lane Recreation Center and it is free.

The Toccoa Police Department is preparing to purchase at least four new police cruisers and they have a lot of bidders from which to choose. At this week’s City Commission meeting, eight bids were opened from dealerships all over the state.

The lowest bid of $29,340 came in from Gregory Dodge in Columbus, GA for a 2006 Dodge Charger V-6 with the Enforcer Package. The highest bid of $37,102 came from Maypole Chevrolet in Toccoa for a 2006 Chevy Impala with the Police Package.

While it might seem like an easy decision, Commissioners decided the bids needed more study and turned that job over to Police Chief Jackie Whitmire.

"Right now we are researching all the bids that we received on Fords, Chevrolets, and the Dodge Charger," explained Whitmire. "We're looking at the equipment that was submitted in the bid and delivery dates. We're also looking at expected miles per gallon on these vehicles. We're looking at everything. Once we get all that information together in presentable form, we hope to make our recommendations to the City manager and the City Commission," he said.

The police department currently has 18 cruisers in service, most of which must be replaced.

Last year, the City purchased four new Crown Victoria’s from a Ford dealership in Toccoa.

Republicans from seven North Georgia counties will converge on Stephens County Saturday to meet and hear from their state candidates. The Republican Political Forum is being sponsored by the 10^th District Area four Republican Committee and will take place at Shepherd’s Hill Farm in Martin.

Stephens County Republican Committee chairwoman Kellie Austin says they’re hoping to hear from all of the candidates.

"We have virtually every contested Republican candidate coming. From Mike Beatty coming for the Governor, Cathy Cox, Nancy Schaefer, Casey Cagle, Bill Stephens, Gary Black, all the major candidates from Governor, Secretary of State, all the way down," noted Austin.

Candidates from local races in the 9^th and 10^th Districts will also be on hand to meet the public.

Austin says tickets are $15 each and are available by calling her at 706-599-7159.

North Georgia Democrats, including members and candidates from Stephens County will gather next weekend for a rally for statewide candidates. Democrats from more than 25 counties will converge on the Georgia Mountains Center in downtown Gainesville on June 25 for a "Mega Rally for the People."

More than 25 Democratic candidates will be at the convention style rally including the top two of the four gubernatorial candidates.

"Different committees in Northeast Georgia were contacted by bob Barton and we wanted to get together to see if we could get a mega rally to let people know about all the statewide candidates that are running this election year," Stephens County Democratic Committee spokeswoman Cavonna Holcomb said. "It's a way for the Democrats to be seen now and it's also a way for people here in Northeast Georgia to get to meet these candidates who might not get up to a small town," she said.

Other guest candidates will include candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State School Superintendent and Congressional Districts 7, 9 and 10. However, Holcomb says the day will not be all political speeches.

"There's going to be a great emcee - he's a comic. There’s also going to be some groups doing political satire. It's not just campaign speeches. It's going to be a lot of entertainment and a pretty lively group," Holcomb said.

Tickets are available from Jamieson Tax Service or by calling Cavonna Holcomb at 706-491-1743 or Ray Ward at 706-886-4657.

Toccoa Falls College Alum will take center stage next month at an Atlanta Braves baseball game. Aaron Shust, a 1998 graduate of TFC will perform at the Braves’ "Faith Days" on Thursday, July 27.

After the Braves play the Florida Marlins, Shust will perform a concert along with the group, "The Afters."

While attending TFC, Shust studied music theory, developed an aptitude for the likes of Bach and Mozart. He released his first record last September and recently released his first album, "Anything Worth Saying."

The Stephens County Animal Shelter will remain closed at least through today; according to Toccoa police chief Jackie Whitmire. Last week, a Beagle puppy that had been turned in to the shelter was diagnosed with the canine Parvovirus by a local vet after being adopted.

Another case of the deadly disease in dogs was discovered by animal control officers Monday morning. Once a dog in a shelter is diagnosed with Parvo, the Georgia Department of Agriculture requires that the shelter be closed and the dogs euthanized. The Agriculture Department ordered the Stephens County shelter closed for at least three days.

"What we've done is closed the shelter for three days," Whitmire explained. "We have to clean the shelter out completely and then spray it down with pure bleach and let that dry. Then we have to spray it down again and let it dr