Author: Phil Hobbs

Each year public health observes National HIV Testing Day, to emphasize and encourage HIV testing.  The theme for 2022 is “HIV Testing is Self-care.”  The goal of public health is to increase your knowledge of your HIV status so you can live a long and healthy life, says Natasha Young, Public Information Officer for District 2 Public Health.  “So, with […]

A Royston man is facing charges after an accident in Lavonia involving a pedestrian. It happened around 11p Monday night on Jones St. According to the Georgia State Patrol Post 52 trooper who worked the scene, a Toccoa man, identified as 44-year old Carlos Montez Bullard was struck crossing Jones St. By a 1999 Chevrolet S10 pick up driven by […]

Another threat to the RitzUSA plant in Hart County. On Monday, the Company went into lockdown after Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland said the plant had received a threat via the Internet that someone was planning to come there and start shooting. Multiple law enforcement agencies descended on the plant Monday morning and stayed through noon after it was determined […]

The Salvation Army in Toccoa will be training new volunteers to become Emergency Disaster Team members next Wednesday and Thursday at the Toccoa Salvation Army Center at 306 East Franklin Street. There will be a full day training on Wednesday and a half day on Thursday. Rebecca Dixon of the Salvation Army of Toccoa explains the training. “There are three […]

A day removed from the Republican Primary Runoff Election the newly elected Stephens County Commissioner in Post 4 Chris Rickman expressed gratitude to the voters in Stephens County. “I just want to thank all of the citizens of Stephens County. It has been an awesome experience. It has been really encouraging and engaging with the folks of Stephens County and […]

North Georgia Technical College recently celebrated the official grand opening of the Tommy and Bernice Irvin Aquaculture and Agricultural Mechanics Complex with a ribbon cutting led by Chris Irvin and family members representing the Thomas and Bernice Irvin Foundation. The Thomas and Bernice Irvin Foundation, named after longtime Georgia commissioner of agriculture Tommy Irvin and his wife, Bernice, seeks to […]

A Toccoa man has been arrested and charged in connection to a fight at the Sav-a-Lot in the Collins Road area. On Tuesday, June 14th, City of Toccoa officers responded to a fight in progress at the Sav-a-Lot. When they arrived, officers found Roy L. Sears with cuts on his right arm. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Sears […]

Next week Erin Harper will complete her second month on the job as the new Stephens County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent. Harper comes to Stephens County from Illinois where she taught at the University of Illinois and spent four years as an extension agent. Harper grew up on a farm family in Central Illinois, got her undergraduate degree […]

The Stephens County Commission will have three new commissioners in 2023 as a result of the Republican Primary Runoff on Tuesday. In County Commission Post 4, the challenger Chris Rickman defeated the incumbent James Addison. Rickman received a total of 937 votes to Addison’s 756. The totals for Rickman were 573 in advance voting, 313 on election day, and 51 […]

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office is reporting the arrest of a Toccoa man that involved multiple drug charges and possible dog bite. On June 6th, 911 dispatched deputies to 6280 Mize Road after a caller reported two dogs running at large where one person may have been bitten. The caller was worried about the dogs being loose, unattended, and could […]