Author: Charlie Bauder

White County authorities and agents with the North Georgia Regional Drug Enforcement Office say they have made additional arrests and dismantled a methamphetamine ring that was active in Stephens County and throughout the north Georgia region. Authorities say that earlier this month, they arrested 37-year-old Stacy Collins, 32-year-old Jeremy Prestwood, and 28-year-old Casey Gragg, all of Cleveland, Georgia. These three […]

The Georgia Department of Transportation is trying to help make sure drivers this New Year’s holiday get started on a safe foot. Georgia DOT officials said the agency is suspending construction-related lane closures on interstates and major state routes starting at 5 a.m. Wednesday and continuing through 5 a.m. Friday, January 2, 2015 for the New Year’s holiday. DOT Spokesperson […]

A Friday night wreck in Stephens County results in multiple injuries. It occurred just after 6 p.m. on Georgia Highway 17 near Yow Mill Road and involved three vehicles. According to the Toccoa post of the Georgia State Patrol, all three vehicles were traveling in the northbound lane of Highway 17 when a vehicle driven by 51-year-old David Sexton of […]

Main Street Toccoa has announced the winners for this year’s downtown Christmas Storefront Window Contest. 13 downtown businesses decorated their storefront windows and voting took place between December 5 and December 23 by the public. First place in this year’s contest went to Victoria’s Sweet Treats. Second place went to Feral and third place went to CK Morgan and Company. […]

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia Franklin County’s new Industrial Building Authority Director, Frank Ginn, is settling into his new role and setting some goals for 2015. Ginn took over the job at the end of October. He said since then, he has been re-acquainting himself with Franklin County and its leadership. “For me, it’s been a good reorientation to […]

A man wanted in connection with a weekend shooting in Habersham County is now in custody. Robert Lynn Shook of Lakemont turned himself in at the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office early Monday morning. Habersham County authorities say the 37-year-old Shook allegedly shot a victim during a burglary in Cornelia early Sunday. Shook has been charged with Aggravated Assault at this […]

A Stephens County man dies in a Friday morning accident. The Toccoa post of the Georgia State Patrol says that 53-year-old Ronald “Peck” Ivester of Eastanollee was traveling southbound on Brookhaven Circle in a 1984 Ford pick-up at about 9:11 a.m. on Friday. According to the GSP, the vehicle traveled onto the west shoulder where Ivester lost control. The GSP […]

Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley said two separate traffic stops earlier this month resulted in two drug arrests. Shirley said his office’s Crime Suppression Unit conducted both traffic stops. The first one was on December 8. According to the sheriff, deputies pulled over a silver Isuzu Rodeo for an invalid vehicle tag. Shirley said a passenger in the vehicle, 38-year-old […]

The unemployment rate goes down in November in Stephens County. According to figures released last week by the Labor Department, Stephens County had a preliminary November unemployment rate of 6.2 percent. That is three-tenths of a percentage point lower than the revised October rate of 6.5 percent and six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the revised November 2013 rate […]