Author: Ethan Jordan

The spread of COVID-19 continues to slow in Stephens and surrounding counties. The Georgia Department of Public Health is reporting 124 COVID-related deaths in Stephens County with 5,888 residents testing positive for the virus, since the beginning of the global pandemic. In Stephens County there has been a total of 385 hospitalizations due to the virus since the start of […]

Toccoa Main Street has been selected as one of eight semifinalists for the Great American Main Street Award. The Great American Main Street Award is the highest award in the nation for Main Street communities. Sponsored by Main Street America, this award annually spotlights Main Street communities in the nation that focus on innovation and job creation within the context […]

District 2 Public Health continues to offer free COVID-19 drive-thru testing at Stephens County Hospital. As WNEG News previously reported, testing at the hospital is available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Additionally, District 2 Public Health offers testing at Habersham Medical Center, located at 541 Historic Hwy 441 North, in Demorest, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, […]

A Stephens County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer was recently notified by staff at Liberty Elementary School that a man was seen on the school property offering children on the playground pizza over the fenced area. According to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, the resource officer was able to locate the male subject, identified as Joseph Otto Phelps, 54, of […]

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office has recently received reports of several thefts. According to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, on January 25, his office received two separate reports of theft by deception and burglary in the first degree at a residence on Piney Ridge Road in the Holcomb Access neighborhood of Martin. Shirley says after a month-long investigation into the […]

Ninth District Opportunity has announced it will begin scheduling appointments for Cooling Help on April 1. According to Ninth District Opportunity’s Community Resource Coordinator Paula Duley one-time payments will be made by check issued to the home cooling suppliers on behalf of eligible households up to $500. She says the Cooling Help program is available for households in which every […]

Today marks the start of qualifying for several Stephens County posts. Qualifying will run today, March 7 through Thursday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday, March 11 from 9 a.m. to noon. Qualifying for Republican candidates will be held at Bross, McAllister, and Williams located at 268 Broad Street, in Toccoa. Qualifying for Democratic and […]

An Eastanollee man has been arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following an officer-involved shooting in Carnesville. The GBI reports that 31-year-old Richard David Travis Eastanollee was the driver of the SUV in this officer-involved shooting. Travis was arrested and charged with aggravated assault upon a peace officer. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to conduct an […]

The Toccoa City Commission approved an initial zoning request for annexation during its meeting on Monday. Dennis Smith is the petitioner for annexation for his property located at 198 Rose Lane. Filling in for City Attorney John Dickerson, Attorney John Doss opened the public hearing for the requests. No one came forward to speak in favor of or in opposition […]