Category: News

District 50 State Senator Bo Hatchett has introduced legislation to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Georgia. On Wednesday, Hatchett filed Senate Bill 377 intended to prohibit local boards of education, the University System of Georgian, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia’s state agencies from teaching or promoting certain divisive concepts. These divisive concepts include […]

The Toccoa Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a suspect wanted in connection to a recent robbery. According to Toccoa Police Chief Jimmy Mize, on January 13, during lunch, the Hibachi Grill and Buffett, located at 1488 Big A Road, in Toccoa, was robbed. Mize says a suspect entered the restaurant looking for someone. He went out […]

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners approved a motion authorizing Chairman James Addison sign a Declaration of Emergency in Stephens County during its meeting on Tuesday. County Administrator Phyllis Ayers says the resolution will allow the Commission to have dial-in meetings in case the commissioners test positive for COVID-19. County Attorney Brian Ranck explained that the current State of Emergency […]

The Georgia Department of Public Health is reporting 116 COVID-related deaths in Stephens County with 5,478 residents testing positive for the virus, since the beginning of the global pandemic. In Stephens County there has been a total of 369 hospitalizations due to the virus since the start of the pandemic. The latest report was released Wednesday afternoon. In the last […]

A recent wreck in Mt. Airy sends three Toccoa residents and a Mt. Airy woman to the hospital. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, at the intersection of Camp Creek Road and Cody Road. GSP says, 19-year-old Jennifer Mendoza of Mt. Airy, was driving a 2013 Nissan Sentra east on […]

A Demorest man was killed last week in a residential fire. According to Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King, Johnny Lee Higginbotham, 54, was killed on Friday, January 21, after a 200-square-foot camper, located on Habersham Mills Road, caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the Habersham County and Demorest Fire Departments. The camper was completely destroyed. King […]

The Toccoa Police Department is asking for the public’s help with two unrelated incidents that occurred during the recent winter storm. According to Toccoa Police Chief Jimmy Mize, on January 18, officers were dispatched to a breaking and entering at J & C Auto Care on Mize Road. The complainant advised that sometime during the night someone had cut the […]

The Georgia Department of Public Health is reporting 116 COVID-related deaths in Stephens County with 5,439 residents testing positive for the virus, since the beginning of the global pandemic. In Stephens County there has been a total of 369 hospitalizations due to the virus since the start of the pandemic. The latest report was released Tuesday afternoon. In the last […]

The Toccoa City Commission ratified its recently enacted ordinances pertaining to Hotel-Motel Excise Tax for the purpose of codification. On Monday, City Attorney John Dickerson explained to the Commission that the Hotel-Motel Excise Tax Ordinance needed to be ratified for the codification process. He says the ordinance aligns the City of Toccoa with the Official Code of Georgia. As WNEG […]

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, […]