Local News

With the drought unabated and the city under orders from the Governor to cut back on water output, residents along Falls Road are wondering why water has been pouring down the road for the last several days. City water crews are trying to stop the flow from a water line leak near Ramsey Road. The water has been pouring out and down the street since last week. Water/Wastewater Director Don Dye says his crews have tried to stop the water flow by cutting off valves on either side of the leak, but so far, it is not working.

“Last Friday we discussed shutting the valves off. It takes three or four days for the pressure to go down and the line to become static and stop leaking. The two valves we shut off have slowed down the leak, but not much. So, we need to keep working on the valuing. What we’re trying to do is isolate it using valves rather than just go dig up the road,” Dye explained.

Crews are also trying to stop another leak along Big A Road. Dye said more water line leaks happen this time of year during the cold weather. “This happens this time every year as the temperature makes these wide swings. It is going to be come more critical because the public is concerned and looking for the water leaks. That’s not all bad. We need all the help we can get. We’re trying to work on them as fast as we can while balancing the public interest and not having all the roads cut up,” he said. Dye said he welcomes the public’s help in locating water line leaks. If you find one, you are asked to contact the city water department.

Advance voting is underway for the November 6 election and so far, many Toccoans are taking advantage of the opportunity to cast their ballots in one place this week. That’s according to Stephens County Registrar Theresa Kelley.

“It’s turned out pretty good. We’ve had quite a good turnout so far and it’s a whole lot easier for them. They appreciate being able to vote in one place. We’ve had over 200 voters come in on Monday and half them were city residents,” Kelley said. Toccoa residents who wait until November 6 will have to vote in two places – at City Hall for the City Commission race and at their regular polling place for the county SPLOST V Referendum.

City Commissioner Ferrell Morgan took advantage of the advance voting option yesterday. Morgan said he liked the convenience of going to one place to vote. “Oh it’s much easier. I would have had to go out Prather Bridge Road to the Shiloh Fire Department to vote if I did not come here. It’s simple and very good with the machines. I recommend everyone in Toccoa vote early because of the way this is set up,” Morgan said.

Meantime, Secretary of State Karen Handel reminds voters going to the polls this week to make sure they have a valid photo ID with them. Kelley said so far, everyone who has voted this week has had a valid photo ID. If you still need a photo ID and do not have one, you can obtain one free at the County Registrar’s office.

Residents of the Clary Care Center and the Wilkinson Center will soon have a new Administrator. On Tuesday, the Stephens County Hospital Authority announced they have hired a new personal care homes manager. Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrel said the Board interviewed his top choice for the job then made the announcement.

“The Authority interviewed Haley Knight. We have now hired Haley. She will be starting with us on Monday, November 12,” Gambrell said. Gambrell said while he interviewed a number of very good candidates, Knight’s qualifications rose to the top of the list.

“Haley rose to the top for several reasons. One she has a degree in social work. She has good experience since graduating from college, both working as a DFACS caseworker and in home health care. For the past eight years, she has worked as the Director of the Stephens County Senior Center. So she has a great background and we think she will do a great job,” explained Gambrell. In her new position, Knight will oversee a staff of 45 employees and will be responsible for the running of both care centers.

Financial help is on the way for farmers and businesses that may have suffered losses because of the drought. The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) announced recently that federal disaster loans are available to small businesses and small agricultural cooperatives located in all Georgia counties because of damages and losses to crops caused by drought. According to Buzz Weiss with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), it is part of the overall state plan to assist those affected by the severe drought.

“This is a benefit being made available by the Federal Government as a result of the severe drought,” explained Weiss. These are low-interest loans and apply to farmers and small businesses throughout the state. Applicants can receive up to $1.5 million dollars in loan assistance depending on the size of the company or the amount of drought-related loss involved.

“We recommend that if you are a small business owner to go ahead and call (SBA) to see if you might be eligible to receive one of these disaster loans. They will go over the process to determine that,” Weiss said. Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than March 27, 2008.

Toccoa Police are looking for a former Pizza Hut employee who embezzled over $800 from the Big A Road restaurant. It happened over a period of weeks between September and October. Police Chief Jackie Whitmire said the suspect was ringing up the wrong amounts on the restaurant cash register.

“According to the store manager she was discounting customers’ tickets, but charging them the full amount and pocketing the difference,” Chief Whitmire explained. “It’s totaled up to a good amount over a period of time. The detectives are investigating it. Pizza Hut has kept good records on it and we expect to issue a warrant for her arrest any day now,” he said. The suspect reportedly took $832 from the restaurant and faces multiple theft by taking charges.

A shopper at the Sav-a-Lot grocery store on Big A Road learned an expensive lesson about keeping track of your purse. The woman told police she accidentally left her purse in the shopping cart when she left the store. When she returned to get her purse, she found it where she left it but about $430 in cash was missing from her wallet. Police have no suspects.

Civic and business leaders in Toccoa-Stephens County will gather this afternoon to hear the results of an environmental and economic study by the Georgia Conservancy. Under their Blueprints program, the Conservancy looks for ways for counties to expand economically while preserving the environment. Toccoa Planning Commission Director Connie Tabor says the Conservancy has been looking at Toccoa-Stephens County for about year.

“In the fall of 2006, the Georgia Conservancy, working in partnership with Georgia Tech and the Georgia Forestry Commission, offered technical assistance to the City of Toccoa and Stephens County as we face challenges related to land use development. They’ve worked with us about a year and now they’re ready to present their final report,” Tabor said. According to Tabor, the Toccoa-Stephens County team will hear the results of that Blueprint study this afternoon at a meeting at Aqua Taba. Members of the community made up the local study team.

“We had a team of about 30 people that were involved in the Blueprint formulation. So, those folks that were on the team will be present as well as local elected officials and staff for the presentation,” she said. The Conservancy serves as a catalyst for the stewardship of our natural environment through education, principled advocacy, and inclusive decision-making in order to make Georgia a premier environmental state.

High school students looking to learn more about the inner workings of Government should check out Congressman Paul Broun’s office. Broun is taking applications for students who wish to participate in the Congressional Page Program. Broun’s office was one of 24 offices selected by Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to participate in the upcoming year’s program. The Congressional Page Program is open to high school students and provides an opportunity for these young people to play a role in the House of Representative’s legislative process.

“I am pleased that my office has been selected by Republican Leader John Boehner to participate in the Congressional Page Program,” said Broun. “Many former pages cite their experiences on Capitol Hill as having instilled in them both a deeper appreciation for public service and a stronger desire to contribute to their local communities. I encourage anyone who is interested to contact my office so that we can assist their efforts to become part of this exciting program,” he concluded.

In order to be eligible for the Page program, an applicant must be 16 years of age at the time of their appointment, and they must have a “b” average or better. Along with a completed application form and school transcript, applicants will also be asked to provide a valid social security number, a signed parental consent form, a 300 word essay on why they want to become a Congressional Page, a summary of extra-curricular activities, and three letters of recommendation (including one from a current teacher). For further information about the Congressional Page Program, Congressman Broun encourages interested parties to contact either Ms. Acevedo in his Augusta office at (706) 868-8756 or Ms. Teddie Norton in his Washington, D.C. Office at (202) 225-4101.

A Toccoa woman is dead – killed in a one-car wreck over the weekend. It happened over Saturday morning in Rabun County. Rabun authorities responded to a vehicle that had run off the road on U.S 441 South in Wiley. When officers arrived on the scene around 7:30am, they found the driver passed out behind the wheel. The woman was identified as 46-year old Lydia Bee of Owens street in Toccoa. Emergency response personnel tried to resuscitate her and transferred her to Mountain Lakes Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Rabun County Coroner Lloyd Hunter said an autopsy revealed Bee died of a brain hemorrhage while driving. Bee was on her way to work at Mountain View nursing home in Rabun County when she died.

Halloween can be a fun time for kids, but it can also be dangerous. That’s according to Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine. Oxendine stresses the most important safety tip for parents is to know where their children are on Halloween night. “Especially when they’re out walking the neighborhoods. A lot people are driving and they may be looking at children or at decorations and not see a child who runs out in front of their vehicle,” Oxendine said. Oxendine said children should wear reflective tape on their costumes and carry a flashlight so motorists can see them more easily. He also points out that costumes themselves can pose a danger.

“Another big problem with the costumes and a lot of people don’t think about it is the inability for the child to see properly. The mask will often obstruct their vision and children will step on things and trip over things and get hurt. I suggest people consider some type of face paint. That way it can still be scary, fit with the costume, but not obstruct a child’s field of vision,” he said.

Candles and paper decorations can also be a dangerous combination Oxendine said "Everybody wants to enjoy the fun, but please keep fire safety in mind while celebrating,” He said. Fire safety tips include:

--Costumes should be made of fire-resistant material, and should not restrict the

child's ability to see or to move freely. Instead of a mask, consider using makeup, which

-- Choose costume colors that can easily be seen in the dark, or use reflective tape on

-- Keep matches, candles and lighted jack-o-lanterns out of the reach of small children,

-- Since children who are unfamiliar with your property will be visiting in the dark,

Your homeowner’s policy should be reviewed regularly, preferably during the annual renewal period. In addition to coverage for property damage, make sure you have adequate liability coverage to protect you in the event a visitor -- such as a trick-or-treaters – is injured on your property. Adults should keep watch over children who go trick-or-treating. "Close parental supervision can avoid most of the hazards of Halloween," Oxendine said. Finally, make sure your home has smoke alarms and a fire extinguisher. These items can help keep your home safe year-round.

Warrants have been issued for a Lavonia man charged with forging at least seven checks at a local hardware store. It happened over the past month, according to Lavonia Police Chief Randy Shirley. The suspect allegedly wrote checks in the amounts of $30, $50, and $100 and passed them at Morgan’s Hardware store. Chief Shirley said store employees were not suspicious because they know the suspect and his family.

“The Haley’s are family friends of the Morgan Hardware family so they never questioned these checks until Ms. Haley came forward and said they had been stolen from her by another family member,” Chief Shirley explained. Authorities are searching for Maurice Haley. He is charged with seven counts of first-degree forgery. In other Lavonia police news…two brothers are being sought in connection with a fight at the best western that left a third man severely injured. According to Chief Shirley, the fight was over a girl.

“The two brothers pulled out a knife and an aluminum leveler and assaulted the victim by braking his wrist. He also incurred extensive damage to his arm. The medical bills were many thousands of dollars,” Chief Shirley said. Warrants were issued for both suspects, but their identity has not been released.

A Toccoa man told sheriff’s deputies someone stole the c-d player from his vehicle. Total value of the CD player is $200.

A resident of Pine view Road told deputies someone took his mail out of his mailbox, ripped it to pieces, and then put it back in the mailbox. The victim said he has no idea who might have done it. Deputies dusted the mailbox and mail for fingerprints but have no suspects.

Toccoa police arrested a Clarkesville woman on shoplifting charges at the Super Wal-Mart. June Scott Bryant was charged with theft by shoplifting after store security said they caught her taking over $100 in store merchandise.

Candidates running for city commission were light on specifics last Thursday when they gathered for a public forum at the new government building. Sponsored by the Toccoa-Stephens county Chamber of Commerce and wneg radio, the forum was an opportunity for voters to hear how the candidates would handle the issues facing the city.

But the forum served more to show voters that all but incumbent Bob Troup were even aware of the issues in Toccoa, much less what to do about them. Many of answers from candidates were prefaced with phrases such as, “I’m not sure what can be done,” or “I’m not familiar with that issue,” or “I wasn’t aware…”

When asked about redeveloping brown field areas such as Elberton Street, Candidate Elliot Caudell said it was complicated, while Troup was able to give an accurate overview of what the city has done so far. "I don’t' think the City or the County is in any financial shape to have the finances to do that type of thing. It's going to have to be in private hands with somebody with ideas who knows how to develop that property," Caudell said.

"The Development Authority and the City of Toccoa and the County have already started working together on Elberton Street," noted Troup. "Particularly, we've put that into different kinds of zones and overlapped those zones to give us a stronger way to apply for grants to buy the properties and develop the properties or to encourage a private citizen to develop the properties," he concluded.

Candidate Inger Neal said developing dilapidated buildings in Toccoa was the Development Authority’s job.

“Is that not what the Development Authority is supposed to do?” she asked. The remaining Candidates, Janice English, Reverend Charles White, and Ron Seib, had few specific ideas and did not seem to be aware of the city’s access to loans, grants, and technical assistance under its state signature community status.

"We don't know what it's going to take on these buildings that have been abandoned. Nobody has that answer, that I'm aware of," English said.

"I don’t know at the moment, but there's always more than one answer. So we need to take a look at the whole picture," Rev. White said.

"I think it's a two pronged approach. One, you have the existing problem and I think there might be grants we could pursue, that is one side of it. The side I lean more toward is just the economic growth. If we can get the economic growth and expansion in our community going, some of these things will take care of themselves," Seib said.

On the subject of Toccoa’s water, the drought, and the possibility of losing water, most were not clear on how the drought could potentially affect Toccoa and seemed to believe the city had a right to use as much water as it wanted for economic development despite recent mandates from the Governor.

All said they were for the proposed SPLOST five, but none spoke to specific projects planned for Toccoa nor to any ideas, they might have for Toccoa’s share of that money. None, except Bob Troup, were aware of the city’s recent decision to adopt tougher animal control ordinances nor why the city needs a tougher ordinance.

Finally, when asked what is the one issue or problem facing the city of Toccoa that they would address if elected, most had no clear answer and Candidate Inger Neal refused to comment at all. All cited their experience running businesses, yet none except Candidate Elliott Caudell offered any concrete plans to help the city get out of financial debt. You can hear the candidate forum in its entirety tonight on AM 630 WNEG beginning at 6:05 p.m.

Meantime, advance voting begins today and runs through Friday. We told you last week, but it bears repeating, Toccoa voters have a chance this week to vote in one place rather than two on Election Day. According to county registrar Theresa Kelley, the city commission election and the County SPLOST referendum must be put on two separate ballots.

"The City elections are totally separate from any State or County elections and I cannot combine the ballots, it has to be two separate ballots," Kelley said. That means on Election Day, Toccoa voters will have to go to city hall to cast their ballots in the City Commission race, then walk or drive to their regular polling place to vote in the county SPLOST referendum.

It’s one reason why Kelley said advance voting will be much easier because both machines will be in one place at the County Registrar’s Office. Now for those who live in the County, you will only need to go to your regular precinct to vote on Election Day because county voters are only deciding on the special local option sales tax referendum.

This weekend’s Toccoa Harvest Festival is also the time when cyclists gather in Stephens County for the Annual Tour De Tugalo Bike Race. Sponsored by the Stephens County Foundation, cyclists will be gathering early Saturday morning at Yonah Dam Park. Foundation Chair Joe Ferguson said the ride is for cyclists of all ages and skill levels. "You can ride a fun ride for few miles, you can ride a ten mile loop or a twenty mile loop. You can ride a 40 or 60-mile loop if you are a serious cyclist. It's just a fun day with a great group of volunteers who will be out to support these cyclists as they enjoy the area and enjoy the day," Ferguson said.

Money raised from the Tour De Tugalo will go towards helping the foundation finish the Tugalo corridor recreation area. Ferguson said the foundation would have paid off its loan at the end of 2008. Funds raised from next weekend’s bike ride will be used to match a grant from a local donor. "We're trying to raise up to $40,000 with this fundraiser to match that amount. We intend in the spring to begin construction on a caretakers house out there and an outdoor classroom and restroom facilities. We are very anxious to get school children on that property," he said. For details on the bike ride and how to get involved, contact the chamber of commerce office.

It is that time of year when pint-sized pumpkins and wee witches, and other gremlins gather on Doyle street for The Annual Toccoa Costume Parade. The Parade is this Wednesday morning and open to all pre-school age children between the ages of two and five. Sponsored by Main Street and the City of Toccoa, Main Street Director Connie Tabor said this year’s parade route has changed because of the downtown construction.

"We will walk down West Doyle Street. Cross in front of State Farm Insurance and continue down trick or treating past Threads and Stewarts Downtown Discount Drugs. Then our route has changed a little bit. We'll go down the alley next to Stewart's Drugs and finish up at Pruitt Park," Tabor explained. Refreshments will be served in Pruitt Park and judges will be on hand to choose the best costumes in each age group. Participants are asked to gather at the corner of Doyle and Alexander Street by 9:45 Wednesday morning. For questions, contact The Main street Office at 706-282-3309.

The investigation into Judge James Cornwell’s auto accident last month could be over soon. The Northeast Georgian newspaper is reporting that special Clarke county Solicitor General C.R. Chisholm said he hopes to have the investigation wrapped up in the coming days and indicated he does expect to bring charges against Cornwell. Cornwell lost control of his SUV on the night of September 11 on U.S. 441 in Habersham County. The vehicle left the road, rolled several times, before striking a tree. Cornwell, who suffered minor injuries, called a friend and left the scene. Georgia State Troopers say they were not notified of the accident until several hours later. Chisholm, said they have interviewed a number of witnesses so far, but want to talk with several more.

Congressman Paul Broun has a new web site. The website is designed to enhance Broun’s constituent service efforts by establishing a “virtual office” that conveniently places important information at the fingertips of constituents. Key features of the website include: the ability to sign up for Congressman Broun’s newsletter; send e-mail to Congressman Broun; or to look up Congressman Broun’s position on the key issues and access press releases as well as monitor legislation that has been introduced or cosponsored by Congressman Broun.

The website will also feature frequent updates on timely and topical issues, and visitors are encouraged to check back regularly for content additions. You can access Broun’s web site by going to: http://broun.house.gov/. Visitors are also encouraged to offer their suggestions for additional useful features for future inclusion on the website.

Big A Elementary School is in an elite group and state school superintendent Kathy Cox wants everyone to know about it. Recently, Big A received the Platinum Award for their outstanding CRCT scores. Principal Gail Fry said the school is one of only seven elementary schools in the state to receive this high award and she credits a lot of hard work on the part of staff and students.

"We have a very dedicated staff, a rigorous curriculum, and high expectations from our students, our parents, and our teachers," Fry pointed out. "We expect the best and we have students that are very involved in their own learning goals. We help them set those goals and our motto at Big A is 'Every Student Can Succeed' and every day we tell our students that," she said. To honor that hard work, State School Superintendent Kathy Cox will be in Toccoa on Monday to formally bestow the platinum award on the school and its students. Cox is expected to arrive at Big A Monday at 11 a.m.

"We received a call from the State Department of Education to tell us Kathy Cox is visiting all seven schools on Monday. She is going to be here to congratulate our school. We'll have an assembly and we invite everyone to come out and congratulate our students and teachers on a job well done," Fry said. All parents and the public are invited.

With copper prices rising and demand from china on the increase, comes more local copper thefts. Recently, WNEG reported a string of copper thefts from mobile homes in the Greenbriar Trailer Park. Toccoa Police Chief Jackie Whitmire says thieves look for empty or abandoned buildings to strike at first.

"Usually any abandoned house or mobile home, if it has an air conditioner in the window they will take it or take it apart right there to get the copper out of it," Chief Whitmire explained. "We have had reports of people also going under mobile homes, cutting the copper pipes and all that. Copper is bringing a lot of money right now and that's what is behind all of these thefts," he said.

In this latest case in Toccoa, officers were able to get a lot of information from witnesses. As a result, detectives have the names of some possible suspects, and the investigation continues. However, Chief Whitmire said catching the clandestine copper culprits is difficult.

"We just haven't had a good major break on any of these cases yet. We've been checking with scrap yards and other places where they could sell the metal and haven't come up with anything, but detectives are still working on these cases," he explained. The reason for the thefts is easy to see. Right now, copper is going for almost $4 a pound and is in high demand overseas.

Security is heightened at banks in Northeast Georgia after Tuesday’s robbery of a Stephens Federal Bank in Hiawassee. Area banks are being given updates of the suspects as they become available. Video from the Hiawassee branch, which shows the suspect, was turned over to investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Authorities believe this is the same person responsible for other bank robberies in the area.

He is described as a white male, between 5’9 and 6’foot, slight build, with brown hair and hazel eyes. At the time of the Hiawassee robbery, the suspect was wearing a camouflage baseball cap and a camo long-sleeved pullover shirt. He fled the scene Tuesday afternoon in a 1996 or 1997 white, two-door Chevy Cavalier with black front and rear bumpers. Anyone with information is asked to contact towns county authorities or the GBI Tip line at 1-800-587-tips.

With credit card fraud at an all-time high, even children’s personal information is not exempt from scam artists and thieves. A Toccoa woman told police recently she received a recorded message from a bank in Nevada informing her that her 2-year old daughter had been approved for a credit card.

The victim told officers she had recently had her handbag stolen with all of her personal information inside. Whoever took that purse, used her daughter’s social security number and address to apply for the credit card. Police investigators are working with the Nevada bank to find out who applied for that card.

Artists only have a few more days to sign up for the Currahee Artist Guild’s fall arts show. The art show will run concurrently with the Toccoa Harvest Festival November 3 - 4. Deborah Hartley, whose Studio and Frame Shop is hosting the show says, this year’s event will feature a relatively new category, Fine Crafts.

"Fine Crafts is a new category that encompasses jewelry making, basket weaving, wood carving, etc. We don't have individual categories for these things because there are just not enough artists who make them, but we do want to representative these people so we have this catch-all category of fine crafts,' Hartley noted.

Other categories include oil and acrylic, drawing, pottery, watercolor, pastels, mixed media, photography, and computer enhanced photography. This is the 18^th year the Guild has held the show for the community. Hartley says art is an essential part of a community and should not be left to just large cities.

"A community deserves to have a cultural arts center where are children, as well as our adults, can come and be exposed to art. They don’t'[ have to live in Atlanta, they can have this opportunity right here in Toccoa Georgia," she said. She speaks passionately about the influence art has in other areas. “If you have strong arts, you have strong businesses,” Hartley said. She is especially focused on teaching children about art.

"I think it's critical that children study art. When they study art they become so much more aware and better students in the other courses they study. If they are observant it art, they are going to be observant in all these other areas," Hartley said. For more information about entering the show, call 706-886-6138. The show will run during both days of the Toccoa Harvest Festival and can be seen at the Studio and Frame Shop downtown.

A local furniture store celebrated the move to its new location Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Badcock Home Furnishings and More moved several months ago to their new location in the Tractor Supply Shopping mall.

During the ribbon cutting, Toccoa Mayor David Austin thanked Badcock owners Herb and Sue Woodall for their commitment to the community. However, the special guest was Bill Pou, whose grandfather started Badcock in 1920. Pou, who currently serves as executive vice president of retail operations for the Badcock chain said the Woodall’s community spirit is key to the store’s success.

"I’m excited to be here with herb. He has done a great job. This nice turnout shows herb is very involved in this community. That is very important. People like to deal with people who are part of the community," Pou explained. The Badcock store opened in Toccoa in 1984 in the old Sheriff’s Best Buy building. In 1989, the wood alls purchased the store and have owned it ever since. Herb Woodall says the entire store staff worked hard to make the move happen.

"We have worked hard. It has been quite a few months that we have been working to accomplish this. But actually, it's been over a seven-year period because bill started working with me in 2000 to get this done, but we're finally here and we're real proud to be open in a new location,' Woodall said. The new store boasts over 15,000 square feet of retail space – considerably larger than the old location.

The unemployment rate in Stephens County is holding steady. For September, the rate stood at 4.8 percent, up slightly from 4.7 percent in August. For the Georgia Mountains region, unemployment for September rose slightly to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent in August. The unemployment rate for the entire state last month was 4.6 – percent also up slightly from the month before. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, just over 6,000 jobless residents were added to the state’s unemployment rolls in September. In Stephens County, the labor force stood at 13,453. Of that, 12,804 are working, while 649 are without jobs.

Toccoa voters will have a chance to hear from the candidates for city commission tonight at a public forum. Sponsored by AM630 WNEG and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, the forum gets underway at 6 p.m. in the Grand Jury room of the Government building. Committee chair Jack Webb said each candidate would have an opportunity to introduce him or herself before the questioning begins. In addition, each candidate will be able to ask his or her opponent a question. Answers will be held to one minute.

Post 4 – Incumbent commissioner Bob Troup is facing local realtor Elliot Caudell

Post 5 – Local businessperson Inger Neal is running against investment advisor Ron Seib

If you cannot attend tonight’s forum in person, AM630 WNEG will broadcast it Monday evening October 29 at 6 p.m.

Advance voting begins next week and it might be a good time for Toccoa citizens to vote. That’s because on Election Day, Toccoa citizens will have to vote in two places, according to County Registrar Theresa Kelley.

"The city residents who are registered to vote will have to vote at city hall for the city commission election and then they have to go to their county precinct to vote for the special local option sales tax referendum. So, city voters have to go to two separate places on Election Day," explained Kelley. Kelley said city and county elections must be held separately, according to state law. Additionally, she said the ballots cannot be combined. That is why Kelley said advance voting will be much easier.

"The easiest way to handle most of that is for city voters to come in next week and do advance voting because they can vote both for the city election and the county election in one place. They will have to vote on two different machines, but it can all be done in one place during advance voting week," Kelly said. For those who live in the county, you will only need to go to your regular precinct to vote on Election Day because county voters are only deciding on the special local option sales tax referendum.

The City of Toccoa is looking for ways to comply with Governor Sonny Perdue’s mandate to reduce water output during this drought crisis. On Tuesday, Perdue called on municipal utilities in all 61 North Georgia counties to reduce output by 10%.

"The Governor has requested we reduce our water withdrawal by 10%. I think we are actually already doing that. I am proud of our customers. The first of October this year compared to the first of October last year, we have seen a decrease of 10%, but we just want to encourage our citizens to continue to conserve for the good of our community and the state," City Manager Billy Morse said.

At this week’s city commission meeting it was noted that customer usage has already dropped by some 10% as citizens and businesses voluntarily cutback. Yesterday, Morse and Toccoa Water/Wastewater Director Don Dye met to come up with a plan of action for the utility.

"Some of the things we're looking include the blow offs at some of our dead-end lines. We are going to purchase some automatic devices that will manage those blow offs and manage a good amount of wasted water. We're also considering asking the city and county volunteer fire departments not to open up fire hydrants and waste water during their training exercises," Morse said.

Most of the water sold by the city goes to Franklin County and nine major customers, including local industries, Stephens County hospital, and Stephens County High School. In September, their total usage came to 124.5 million gallons for the month. However, according to Dye, the governor is asking for even more.

“For the month of September the total water treatment was 124 million gallons. Therefore, 10% of that would be 12-million gallons. That is a lot of water to ask our customers to cut back on, but they have already done a lot to cut back. What the state is going to compare is the water consumption from last winter to consumption now. That's the goal they're trying to establish and it will go across the northern state of Georgia," dye explained.

In September, the average daily demand, which included Franklin County, local industry and residential, peaked at 5.5 million gallons per day, which Dye said is lower than previous months. Dye also said wastewater treatment at both the Toccoa Creek and Eastanollee Creek facilities were down by half.

Several months ago, we reported on the problem of staph infections showing up in children. Known as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aeruous or MRSA, more people in Stephens County are falling victim to the infection, which can be contracted even in a hospital.

Depending on the person infected and the strain of the bug, MRSA can be somewhat mild or very serious; depending on the strain and the person it is infected. Such was the case for Harold Black, which was hospitalized in 2006 with pneumonia. While in the hospital, he contracted the staff infection. It took 34 days receiving treatment from three IV’s and daily medication to stop the infection.

"Anyone who entered my room had to have a mask on, gloves and so forth," Black said. MRSA has been a problem with children over the summer here in Stephens County and was responsible for closing some southeast schools after students were diagnosed with the skin infection.

According to Toccoa Clinic pediatrician, Dr. Mike Maley says the difficulty is that this regular staph bug has become resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics and doctors are forced to try several different medications. He says the infection that Black experienced may be slightly different than the infection that is seen in the general community.

"The people in the hospital that are already sick probably have a different strain than what's going around out in the community. The trait for developing MRSA resistance is a little for the hospitalized patient, but they are still both bad bugs," he said. Maley says, for most healthy people, MRSA is not necessarily the scary epidemic it has been portrayed as lately. Still, he cautions that parents should pay attention to any unusual sores on their children and use common sense.

"We always have to think about it, but if we practice good hygiene and good common sense and be sensitive to what we see. If you have a child that has a red patch that's more tender than it should be or a family member that has boils and has been told they have MRSA and a child comes from that family, then you have to think about that pretty quickly," he said.

More theft charges are facing two brothers, arrested recently for a string of vehicle break ins. Shane Michael Pierce and Richard William Pierce were arrested October 15 after witnesses saw them taking items out of vehicles in the Wal-mart parking lot. They were initially charged with three break-in, but four more charges have been added since then. Police Chief Jackie Whitmire says officers were able to arrest the pair because of the good description witnesses gave 911.

"Officers Bruce Cleveland and Charles Myers spotted the truck on Big A Road and pulled it over. They noticed many personal items on the floorboard of the truck such as, wallets, personal identification, pocketbooks, and that kind of thing. They started comparing notes with other (smash and grab) reports and ultimately brought them into the detectives to question. They ended up with charging the two suspects with seven counts of entering an auto with intent to commit theft therein," Chief Whitmire said.

Earlier in the month, law enforcement received a string of vehicle smash and grab reports. Several happened in business parking lots, others in retail parking lots and several even took place in the high school parking lot during home football games. However, since the Pierces’ arrest, Chief Whitmire says calls regarding vehicle break-ins have dropped.

"I urge citizens to make sure their car is locked when they park their car in any lot in Toccoa and don't leave any valuables in the car because that's what thieves are looking for," he said. Chief Whitmire says they have reason to believe the Pierce brothers are responsible for the other car break ins around town, but so far, they have not been charged.

"We’re not sure. We feel like they've been involved in a lot more but we don't have any evidence, and they wouldn't admit to any more except the ones on that day," Whitmire said. In addition to the seven theft charges, Richard Pierce is also charged in Stephens County with check fraud.

TOCCOA’S NEW ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE FOCUSES ON ANIMAL WELFARE
October 24, 2007

Some changes coming for people owning pets – specifically dogs – in the City of Toccoa. On Monday, commissioners voted to accept amendments to the current animal control ordinance upon approval by the city attorney. According to City Manager Billy Morse, the new ordinance gives animal control officers more authority and shifts the focus to animal welfare.

"Any animal that in their estimation is not being properly cared for or that they think is abandoned, abused or neglected can be seized and impounded and they have the authority to cite anyone in violation of this ordinance. The existing ordinance dealt with keeping dogs from being nuisances to people. This new ordinance focuses on the welfare of the animal," Morse explained.

One area that is likely to cause some controversy is the decision to require all dogs inside the city limits to be licensed with the city in addition to the regular rabies tag. "That is one of the significant changes that is proposed is that all dogs will have to be registered annually with the City of Toccoa and a $5 fee paid at the time of the registration.

The City will then issue a tag that will have to be worn on the collar of any dog that resides inside the City of Toccoa in addition to a current rabies tag," he said. But the question is how will the city be able to enforce that requirement and what will the fines be if a dog owner does not license his animal.

"Hopefully we'll have some assistance from the citizens groups. They had offered that assistance at one time that maybe we would have a drive on Saturdays for people to come in and get their tags. Short of that, we'll use City staff and figure out the best way to implement that ordinance," Morse said. Another area that has raised some eyebrows was the tethering amendment. Under the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Animal Protection Act, it is illegal to tie or chain a dog as a means of containment, but commissioner Bob Troup felt the proposed amendment was too strict. "I think we need to be very careful that we don't make the average citizen doing the right thing a law breaker in the way he's looking after his dog," Troup said last month.

After meeting with the animal control research committee earlier this month, commissioners approved an ordinance that would allow temporary outdoor tethering. However, it is now against the law to keep a dog chained or tied outside as a permanent means of confinement if the rope or lead is shorter than 15-feet and/or too heavy for the animal to be able to move about freely.

In addition, female dogs in heat are required to be kept contained in a secure enclosure. The new animal control ordinance also adopts a third section that deals specifically with breeders, kennels, and pet stores. That section brings the city ordinance in compliance with the state's Animal Protection Act.

However, all of the new amendments are referenced in the Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Protection Act. Penalties for violating any portion of the new animal control ordinance could include fines of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail. Meantime, the same group of concerned citizens that pushed for Toccoa's tougher ordinances are also working with the County to adopt similar ordinances.

"I'm asking them to form a committee in order to look into what kinds of animal control ordinances the County has now and to try to get them into compliance with what the State has and what the City has,” Committee chair Michelle Jamieson explained. County commissioners have received a copy of Toccoa's ordinance and are reviewing it.

A group dedicated to acting as advocates for neglected or abused children is getting more funding from the county. It is called “CASA” which stands for court appointed special advocates. The group is sponsored by the Georgia Mountain Judicial Circuit, and is funded by the three counties in the circuit, Rabun, Habersham, and Stephens. CASA president Sharon Moore petitioned the county to contribute $12,000 from their FY2008 budget citing the fact that most of their child advocacy cases come from Stephens County.

"The reasoning is that Stephens County is currently funding less than 3% of their revenues, but out of Rabun, Stephens, and Habersham, the majority of the children in need of this service are from Stephens County. So, the commission agreed to increase our funding from nothing to $8,000 in this year's budget," explained Interim County Administrator Phyllis Ayers.

The $8,000 is the most Stephens County has contributed to the program so far since the group was formed in 2004. In FY2005, the County contributed $3,000. However, in FY2006 the County did not contribute any funds. Before the vote, all three county commissioners cited the need for the program in Stephens County and the need to protect the county’s children. Volunteers with CASA represent children in court cases and act as the child’s advocate – independent of attorneys representing parents or guardians.

Phase 3 of the downtown Streetscape project will have to wait. City commissioners voted Monday three to one to reject the two bids entered last month for that part of the Doyle Street renovation. Phase 3 would finish renovations along Sage Street from Tugalo St. to Currahee St. Martin Construction of Toccoa had originally bid $289,000 for Phase 3 of the Streetscape project. L.J., Inc. out of Columbia South Carolina had bid $206, 755.

Project architect, Robert & Co., of Atlanta, recommended the city accept L.J. Inc.’s bid citing the fact that it was the lowest and because they have an outstanding track record on similar projects. This week, mayor David Austin and commissioner Bob Troup both agreed that L.J. Inc. should be awarded the contract.

"We put this out to bid and got two bids from two legitimate companies. Our engineers recommended both companies. The fact that there was an $82,000 difference between the two bids I feel is part of the bid process and we should go with the low bid," Austin commented. "My question is, is it not a little bit unfair to the one who had the lowest bid. The other bidder now knows what that bid is. And I have a little bit of a concern about that," Troup said. Phase 3 was set to concurrently with Phase 2, now being done by Martin Construction. But two weeks ago, commissioners tabled the award night after commissioner Andy Pavliscsak expressed concern that martin construction, was not given a fair chance to bid.

"Gentlemen as I've stated previously I think that one of the bidders was put at a distinct disadvantage by being told he had to work on Phase 3 before finishing Phase 2. Therefore, he had to raise his bid. Had he not been told that, I'm sure his bid would have come in lower," Pavliscsak argued.

Last month, City Planning Commissioner Connie Tabor told the commission a letter from the DOT indicated their share of the funding was running out so Phase 3 had to begin while Phase 2 was still going on. However, City Manager Billy Morse pointed out that a check with the Georgia Department of Transportation found the department was not requiring the city to do both phases at the same time because of funding constraints. Commissioners then voted to reject the bids and re-bid Phase 3 once Phase 2 was completed.

Sentencing will come later for two Rabun county men who plead guilty to making moonshine. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the northern district of Georgia, 46-year old Brett Jarred and 70-year old max moss both of Clayton, face up to 35 years in a federal prison. Both plead guilty in federal court in Gainesville last Wednesday.

Jarred admitted to six counts of unlawfully manufacturing and transferring distilled liquor and failing to pay taxes on such an operation. He also pled guilty to one count of unlawful receipt of untaxed liquor. Moss plead guilty to one count of unlawfully manufacturing and transferring distilled liquor and failing to pay taxes on the manufacturing operation.He faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison. In addition to the prison time, the charges on both men carry potential. Fines of up to $10,000 per count plus back taxes, penalties, and Interest on the taxes, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Two other defendants are charged in connection with the bootlegging Operation. As of last week, 66 year-old terry singleton of Clayton, and Kelly Standridge, 65, of Westminster, South Carolina had not entered pleas.

Franklin county authorities have arrested a man wanted in four states for running a check fraud scam. Last week, 29-year old Kenneth swain was picked up at a skating rink after sheriff’s deputies received a tip he was there. Franklin county sheriff Steve Thomas tells wneg swain allegedly purchased two vehicles in Mississippi with counterfeit checks. The checks totaled $18,000. According to the Georgia department of corrections, swain served two years of a three-year prison sentence for writing bad checks in Oconee County, Georgia. He was paroled in 2005. Swain is also wanted in New Hampshire and South Carolina for running similar scams.

A Toccoa woman told police she was almost the victim of a telephone check fraud. The woman said the men claimed to work for a company called, U.S. Getaway. She said they tried to get her to give them her checking account number for a $498-dollar purchase

The woman gave police the phone number that showed up on her caller id and the matter was turned over to investigators. Toccoa police are investigating more copper thefts. This time, the thefts happened at the green briar trailer park on Hayes Street. Investigators say a number of trailers had copper wiring removed and they took statements from witnesses. Officers say statements were taken and the names of possible suspects were given. Police have now taken warrants out for those suspects.

A Toccoa man claims he bought a car and is out both the car and the money he paid for it. The victim told police he paid $500 for a 1991 mercury topaz, but left the vehicle with the seller until he got insurance and the title. However, he was told at the tag office that the owner had been in and filed for the title to be returned to him. The victim went to retrieve the vehicle and said the bill of sale had been removed from the dash. Officers told the man to file a complaint with the magistrate's office.

THREE CONFIRMED CASES OF WEST NILE IN NEIGHBORING HABERSHAM COUNTY
October 23, 2007

Habersham County is reporting three confirmed cases of west Nile virus. North District Health spokesman David Palmer said these are first confirmed cases of west Nile in the 13-county North Georgia area. Palmer said all three victims are under a doctor’s care and should recover.

According to Palmer, about 80% of those who contract west Nile have no symptoms, but there are symptoms to watch out for. "About 20% of those who become infected will have symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea and vomiting similar to a viral type illness. About one in 150 people who become infected with west Nile will develop a more severe illness. Those symptoms include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, and may even lead to a coma, convulsions, vision loss and even paralysis in some cases," Palmer said.

West Nile virus is spread by infected mosquitoes, and can cause serious, life-altering, and even fatal disease, according to the centers for disease control in Atlanta. The days may be getting cooler now, but mosquitoes can still be biting, do not let your guard down. Still Palmer said it’s a good idea, even this time of year to keep insect repellent handy, wear long sleeves and long pants and get rid of mosquito breeding sites in the yard.

"Look around your property. Make sure there is no standing water where mosquitoes can breed. Empty bird baths at least once a week. Make sure you empty outdoor pet water dishes every day to keep mosquito eggs from hatching. Also, check your gutters and make sure the downspouts are working properly and make sure the screens on your home are in good working order," he suggested.

The CDC says individuals age 50 and over as well as those with compromised immune systems are most susceptible to west Nile. Ron Miller, environmental health manager with the Stephens County Health Department says so far, there have been no cases of West Nile reported here.

An Eastanollee man, already on parole, is back behind bars on drug charges. Stephens County Sheriff Gene Sorrells said a routine traffic stop resulted in the arrest of 29-year old Joseph Menza, Jr.

Sheriff’s deputies and agents with the Piedmont Northern MANS unit searched Menza and say they found a small quantity of crack cocaine. Another suspect with Menza is also being investigated but no arrests have been made. Menza was paroled last may after serving two years of a six-year sentence on cocaine possession and theft by taking charges.

A Women’s Drug and Alcohol Center is hoping Governor Sonny Perdue’s request for federal disaster status for North Georgia will help them with their own low water problems. The New Beginnings ministry in martin is struggling to continue their work because their wells are going dry. Sharon Thompson, New Beginning’s director, said one of the wells used by the facility is already dry and two more are straining to keep up with the demand.

"We have two wells on the property. One is over 400-feet deep; the other is over 700-feet deep. Even with both wells pumping, sometimes we run low on water," Thompson said. Thompson asked the Martin City Council to run a water line one mile from Avalon road to the center’s property. The council told her they could not honor her request because while the facility has a Martin address, it is physically located in Franklin County.

Mayor Don Foster said the city could not absorb the estimated $58,000 cost because it does not get tax income from new beginnings. He told Thompson he would be willing to sell the water to them, if the ministry could find a way to pay for the cost of installing the water line. Now Thompson is turning to a consultant to help the nonprofit find grants, which would pay for the work. She hopes the disaster declaration will mean federal money will be available.

"We noticed in the paper that the Federal Government has declared Georgia in a state of emergency because of low water. So there will be grants coming through the federal government as well," she said. The White House is still reviewing Governor Perdue’s request. New Beginning’s houses women who have been addicted to drugs or alcohol. They help the women get clean, and then assist them with learning life skills, obtaining a GED, and becoming productive citizens. Currently the center has 43 women in residence.

County commissioners are expected to approve a request to help bring the traveling Vietnam War Memorial to Toccoa-Stephens County. "The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam veteran’s memorial and has been touring the country for more than twenty years. Stephens County Historical Society member Milton Spratlin went before the commission to ask for $2,500 to help fund the project. Spratlin said they expect to have the memorial here the end of March.

"It is scheduled to arrive in Toccoa on Wednesday night, the last week of March," Spratlin explained. "It will go up Thursday morning and will be available for public viewing by Thursday afternoon. It will be open 24 hours a day through that Monday, March 31st. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you come to visit and have a name that you would like to find on the wall, there will be two computers set up where you can type in the name and it will tell you where on the wall the name appears," he said.

The Society hopes to also use the memorial as a learning tool for school children. Spratlin said the Historical Society has worked out a schedule with the schools to bring students to see it. Meantime, the City of Toccoa has already agreed to contribute $2,500 to the project. City manager Billy Morse says the city commission was very enthusiastic about the project.

"The City commission is definitely in favor of this. It will bring quite a bit of tourism to our community and obviously having the Vietnam wall in our community would mean a lot to our veterans and their families," Morse said. The Moving Wall has not been to Georgia since 2000 when it spent several weeks in metro Atlanta.

Your help is needed this weekend to clean up a portion of Panther Creek. Keep Toccoa-Stephens County beautiful is sponsoring a cleanup this Saturday beginning at 9 A M Mona Pointer, KTSB’s executive director, says you should come because keeping our environment clean is the right thing to do. This cleanup is part of a larger statewide effort by the Department of Natural Resources to clean Georgia’s waterways. Called Rivers Alive, the program brings volunteers to over 100 cleanups around state.

In 2006, over 700,000 pounds of garbage was cleaned up from rivers, streams, lakesides, and beaches across Georgia. For the local cleanup on Saturday, Keep Toccoa- Stephens County Beautiful will provide trash bags, gloves, and refreshments. All participants will get a Rivers Alive t-shirt. If you want to participate, just come to the Yonah dam parking area a little before 9 a.m.

A Toccoa woman told police she was almost the victim of a telephone check fraud. The woman said the men claimed to work for a company called, U.S. Getaway.

She said they tried to get her to give them her checking account number for a $498-dollar purchase. The woman gave police the phone number that showed up on her Caller ID and the matter was turned over to investigators.

Toccoa police are investigating more copper thefts. This time, the thefts happened at the Green Briar Trailer Park on Hayes Street.

Investigators say a number of trailers had copper wiring removed and they took statements from witnesses. Officers say statements were taken and the names of possible suspects were given.

Police have now taken warrants out for those suspects. A Toccoa man claims he bought a car and is out both the car and the money he paid for it. The victim told police he paid $500 for a 1991 Mercury Topaz, but left the vehicle with the seller until he got insurance and the title.

However, he was told at the tag office that the owner had been in and filed for the title to be returned to him. The victim went to retrieve the vehicle and said the bill of sale had been removed from the dash. Officers told the man to file a complaint with the magistrate’s office.

It may be autumn but the political season is the time of year getting the most attention right now. AM630 WNEG, along with the Senior Sector of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a political forum this Thursday at City Hall.

The forum will feature all of the candidates running for city commission. Committee chair Jack Webb said each candidate would have an opportunity to introduce himself or herself before the questioning begins.

“Questions will be grouped by topic. Each candidate will have one minute to respond to each issue. No questions will be directed to an individual candidate. They will all answer the same question,” Webb said.

In addition, each candidate will be able to ask their opponent a question. Answers will be held to one minute.

“We’re always proud to be associated with the elections because we believe that the best voter is an informed voter. The only way to be informed is to know what the candidates have to say and what they stand for,” noted WNEG station manager Phil Hobbs.

Post 4 – Incumbent commissioner Bob Troup is facing local realtor Elliot Caudell

Post 5 – Local businessperson Inger Neal is running against investment advisor Ron Seib

Thursday’s forum takes place at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. AM630 WNEG will rebroadcast the forum Monday evening October 29^th at 6 p.m.

Justice is being put off for a few more months. The murder trial of Roger Gary Jackson, who is accused of murdering Wayne Calvin Wilson Jr., has been continued until December.

The trial was originally scheduled to begin today. Assistant District Attorney Edward Staples says he needed additional time to finish preparing for the case after taking over for former Assistant District Attorney Rick Bridgeman.

Bridgeman resigned last month to become the District Attorney of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit. Jackson is accused of shooting Wilson last December. After the shooting, Jackson was the person who called 9-1-1 to report the crime.

After interviewing him and taking two guns into evidence, Stephens County Sheriff Gene Sorrells charged Jackson with murder. Jackson faces several counts including felony murder and aggravated assault. Staples said he intends to go to trial in December and doesn’t anticipate any further delays.

Honoring cancer survivors is what Beall’s Outlet store will be doing today with giveaways and discounted prices.

October is breast cancer awareness month. Rosie Wilson, Beall’s general manager, says she wants to help people learn more about the disease and the people who have survived it. “To me it’s something near to my heart. I think everybody should honor any cancer survivor. This is something we wanted to do to honor breast cancer survivors,” she said.

Mondays is a Club Day for shoppers over 50 years old. If those shoppers come in today, Wilson says they will get their frequent shopper card punched twice. Next week, a mammography technician from Stephens County Hospital will be on hand at Beall's to pass out more information on breast cancer.

City commissioners will revisit two issues tonight when they meet for their regular meeting. In the first, commissioners will vote on whether to approve the next round of construction funding for phase three of the downtown renovation project.

At the last meeting, commissioner Andy Pavliscsak expressed concern that the one of the two bidders, Martin Construction, was not getting a fair opportunity to bid because the company is already working on Phase 2. Pavliscsak said Martin would have to hire extra personnel to work on both projects at the same time, which inflated their bid for phase three. Pavliscsak said he, "wants to level the playing field."

In other business, commissioners will once again consider the proposed amendments to the animal control ordinance. Commissioners have been grappling with some of the terminology regarding tethering dogs. However, AM630 WNEG has learned no decision on the animal control ordinance is expected until after the November election. Tonight’s meeting takes place at 5 p.m. in city hall.

It's another state award for the City of Toccoa.

Last week, the Georgia Downtown Association and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) joined forces to recognize Georgia's downtown leaders and their efforts to promote downtown and economic development through public awareness, governmental relations, and education.

Toccoa was one of three Georgia cities to win the "Best Downtown Special Event" award for its Toccoa Rocks celebration last March. The award was part of the three-day conference in Columbus, GA.

Setting the scene - the arts downtown" served as the 2007 conference theme.

Nearly 200 downtown experts converged on Columbus from October 10-12, 2007 to discuss downtown development, specifically the impact and development of the arts, the economy and to exchange ideas.

Awards to 12 Georgia downtowns and one "Above and Beyond" downtown advocate were given out during the 2007 Georgia Downtown Conference.

The Georgia Downtown Conference is the state's premier conference on downtown revitalization and development.

GDA President Niki Knox and DCA’s Downtown Development Director Billy Parrish presented the awards. DCA and GDA served as the conference's primary sponsors.

"It is important to recognize the creativity, energy and success of Georgia's downtown champions. Their efforts to work with various stakeholders to strengthen, enhance and revitalize local economic activity is significant," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty. "Georgia's downtowns are key elements to our state's economic health and quality of life. DCA is pleased to support this conference and to partner with downtowns statewide to create stronger, more vibrant Georgia communities."

The DCA also recently named Toccoa a "Signature City" - a prestigious award that will give the city access to grants and technical assistance for the next three years. Toccoa is also a "Main Street" community and has been for over 10 years.

DCA data estimates that since the inception of the Georgia Main Street program in 1980 and the better hometown program in 1997, more than $1.75 billion in private and public dollars have been invested in more than 100 designated Georgia Main Street and better hometowns.

Windstream Communications is responding to a report that they have not paid the City of Martin its franchise fee. Last week, Martin Mayor Don Foster told the city council that Windstream had not paid the fee since the company changed from Alltel to Windstream.

Windstream Communications manager Alice Hartnett says, “Windstream is in contact with the mayor of Martin regarding the City's apparent request to enter into a franchise agreement with Windstream. Once the city and Windstream sign such an agreement, then Windstream will begin collecting the franchise fee from its telephone customers in Martin and remitting that money to the city," Hartnett explained.

In the city council meeting, mayor Foster said he had tried contacting Windstream officials but had gotten no response. He also said the city already has a written agreement with the company.

Hartnett explained that typically, franchise fees come from the communication company paying to use the public right of ways. This fee is billed to the utility customers and passed back to the local government.

In-person absentee voting for the November election is underway at the county registrar’s office.
Registrar Theresa Kelley said absentee voting started Tuesday.

“You have to have a reason to vote on the machine in person, until the 29th of October,” Kelley said.

Paper mail-in ballots started in late September. Those in Toccoa who requested them received two envelopes.
One contained the ballot for the city commission race. The other enveloped contained the absentee ballot with the SPLOST V referendum.

So far, Kelley says there hasn’t been much confusion or problems with people forgetting to sign the back of their envelopes.

“Most of them are coming back just fine,” she said. “We are getting a lot of them back. We sent out almost 200, both for the city and the county. They are coming back in steadily.”

In addition to having a valid reason to vote absentee in person, anyone wishing to vote absentee must have a photo id to do so. Kelley reminds people if they do not have a photo id, you can get one at the registrar’s office. She said response to the free voter id cards has been very good.

Photo id’s will also be required for advance voting and the November election.

“Awesome” is how a Toccoa boy describes winning a state-wide art contest. Shade Palmer, a 4^th grader at Toccoa elementary, won the state-wide competition for the Bus Safety Poster contest.

“He really got into the theme, which was school bus safety. The facial expression of the people in his poster show the right emotions. We are really proud of him, said David Jacobson, Toccoa Elementary School Principal.

Shade won the county contest with his colorful poster showing kids getting off a bus, with a banner that reads “Stop on Red, Kids Ahead.”

It was submitted to the state competition and this week, Jacobson was informed that his student had won.

“He was excited about being a count winner, but he literally could have done a back flip when he found out he was a state winner,” Jacobson remembered.

Shade’s mom, Lorrine Palmer, said he has been interested in art all his life and it appears that creativity runs in his family.

“He’s been doing (artwork) all his life,” she said. “His father is an artist and he’s taken after him.”

Shade was awarded a $100 prize and an art kit to continue with his creative endeavors.

A section of Lake Hartwell is no longer usable, but this time, it has nothing to do with the drought. Starting this month, the Spring Branch boat ramp off Jenkins Ferry Road is closed.

Zack Harkness, Chief Ranger of the Army Corps of Engineers Hartwell Project, says the closing comes because of steep budget cuts in the proposed federal budget.

"Our budget has been cut pretty significantly and that’s going to affect our ability to operate and maintain all of our parks and ramp," he said. "So we have had to close some parks and boat ramps, and shorten our typical recreation season."

While some boat ramps have been closed because of low lake levels, Harkness says Spring Branch is not one of them. Instead it was low funding levels that closed the gates on this ramp. There is a possibility that the ramp could be reopened if Congress revises the budget before it is passed, though as Harkness points out, sometimes it takes months for Congress to pass the budget.

"Last year they didn’t approve our budget until May," he said. "So we are trying to save money up front. If things change, if funding becomes available, at the project manager’s discretion, we may open things back up."

A Toccoa man is facing a number of charges after allegedly drinking too much, driving erratically, and then taking a swing at a Toccoa Police Officer.

Anthony Miller James was seen allegedly weaving down Big A Road around 1 a.m. last Saturday. Authorities say his driving was not only erratic, but dangerous as well.

He left McDonalds and crossed all the lanes on Big A Road before being stopped on Big A School Road. Once James was stopped, authorities say he lunged at the officer, and swung his fist at him, grazing his chin.

The officer was not hurt, and James was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane, and assaulting an officer. He was taken to the Stephens County Jail.

The deadline is fast approaching for forest landowners to apply for cost-share funding through a special national program. Applications are due November 1, 2007 for the 2008 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which can help landowners pay for a variety of forest management practices.

“Many forest landowners are eligible for these funds,” said Robert Farris, Interim Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission. “A number of activities qualify for financial assistance through this program, including tree planting, prescribed burning, thinning, wildlife habitat enhancement and more.

Farris urges interested landowners to quickly contact their local Georgia Forestry Commission or USDA Farm Service Center Office for more information. EQIP was originally established under the 1996 Farm Bill. Managed by the USDA’s natural resources conservation service, it provides technical and financial assistance to landowners for voluntary actions that address soil, water and related natural resource concerns on private lands.

More information on NRCS conservation programs can be found at www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov under “programs.” The Georgia Forestry Commission website address is www.gatrees.org.

Toccoa Police are investigating a burglary at a home on Collins Road. The victim told police someone entered her house through a window sometime last weekend. Suspects got away with a Brink’s home safe, which contained money, jewelry and important papers. Total value of the stolen property is about $6,000. So far, police have no suspects.

A couple scammed a local convenience store out of some gas. The manager at the Mountain Mart told police a woman came in to pay for $4 worth of gas. While she was paying for gas, a man she was with pumped $25 worth of gas. They then both left in the man’s vehicle without paying for the $25 in gas.

The manager got a description of the white Lincoln and a North Carolina tag number. Officers spotted the vehicle and pulled it over. The driver denied pumping $25 in gas, but the woman admitted to putting in $4 in gas. Police did not arrest either suspect and advised the manager of the Mountain Mart to call the Magistrate’s Office.

Another U-haul has gone missing from Larry’s Service Center. It happened Monday. The owner of the Big A Road service station told police he discovered the missing trailer when he arrived at work. The value of the trailer is $3,000. Police have no suspects at this time.

A Stephens County man is missing a handgun. The Garland Road resident told Stephens County Sheriff’s Deputies that the gun went missing within the last few weeks, but he his not sure exactly when. The gun had been in the glove box of his car.

A Toccoa woman reported the theft of her cell phone. The victim told Toccoa police she thought she knew who took the blue Motorola flip phone. The phone is valued at $80. Police continue the investigation.

A Toccoa woman is seeking legal help after someone took a building from behind her mother’s house. She called police after going to the home and discovering a metal storage building was missing. She told the officer her mother had recently moved to a nursing center and the home was now in the daughter’s name. While the woman was talking with police, she got a call from her brother, who told her he had sold the building with his mother’s permission. The woman plans to clear up the matter through the court system.

According to the 2006 National Immunization Survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia continues to rank among the nation’s top five states for immunizing children against vaccine preventable diseases.

The survey lists Georgia as fourth in the nation for childhood immunization coverage.

The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR), Division of Public Health (DPH) indicates that immunizations have a huge impact on a child’s overall health because they not only protect against serious diseases and even death but they also promote a child’s immunity level.

The survey focused on children between 19 and 35 months old who received the following: 4 doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTAP), 3 doses of polio vaccine, 1 dose of measles-containing vaccine, 3 doses of hib vaccine, 3 doses of hepatitis b vaccine and 1 dose of varicella vaccine.

Of the children surveyed, 81.4 percent received the recommended 6-vaccine series of immunizations on time; the 2006 national average is 77 percent which is slightly higher than the 76.1 percent in 2005. Georgia’s 2006 coverage rate is similar to the 82.4 percent in 2005.

The Georgia Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics and the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians collaborate with the Georgia Immunization Program to continue offering immunization education and to address the challenges of providing immunizations for all Georgians.

When it comes to fighting the flu, the Hospital Authority is leading by example. In their meeting Monday, authority members were offered free flu shots and over half of them rolled up their sleeves and took the shot. Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrel said it is part of a larger effort the hospital uses to fight the flu.

“The hospital buys flu shots in bulk and we give them to any employee who wants them, as well as board members. In addition, we provide them to employee family members at a discounted price, Gambrel said.

According to flufacts.com, there are 25 to 50 million cases of flu each year. Recent estimates put the costs of the flu in the United States at a whopping $71-$167 billion annually. Gambrel reminds people that a shot in the arm is a far better option than a week in bed.

“We are big believers in flu shots,” he said. “They work and they do not give you flu. I encourage everyone out there to get one if their doctor recommends it, because getting the flu shot is a lot better than getting the flu.”

The plans for a new Stephens County High School are on the fast track. So says Stephens County School Superintendent Gary Steppe. The Board of Education voted last week to approve Bowen and Watson as the construction manager at risk for the project.

“We felt very good about the quality of work they did on the Middle School,” Steppe said. “They are local. We feel they have vested interest in doing a good job for our community.” Steppe and the architect, Gregg Smith of Buckley and Associates, have begun a serious of meetings intended to help create the concept design for the school.

“We are meeting with the different departments of the high school; the English Department, the Math Department and all the different groups,” he said. “We are going try to get their ideas and incorporate them into the plan.” Smith also designed the middle school. Steppe said there will be public meetings so the community can express its opinion about the needs and design for the school. He also said he hopes the site work can begin next spring.