Category: News

The Stephens County grand jury says it believes a combination of leadership missteps and external circumstances resulted in a loss of management control resulting in the financial problems now faced by the Stephens County school system. However, the grand jury also says it finds no evidence of fraudulent activity connected with the school system’s financial issues. The grand jury released […]

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said the school system has made some changes at the cannery in an effort to save money. Dorsey said that the school system has transferred the full-time employee to another position and is now operating the cannery with part-time employees in place that are supplemented with hours worked by the school system’s agriculture teachers. […]

Stephens County and northeast Georgia are both getting ready for an arctic blast to move in today. State Climatologist Bill Murphey said a very strong arctic high pressure system is moving in and bringing with it, very cold temperatures beginning later today. “We are getting flow from the arctic coming straight down and it is going to dip into the […]

With an arctic blast on the way, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said Georgians should remember that if their homes are damaged by extreme cold, they may get financial relief through their homeowners policies. Hudgens said that depending on the source of the property damage, someone may or may not be covered. He said there are a […]

Martin Baptist Church will hold a food distribution today. The church, in partnership with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, will distribute free food to all qualifying residents of the Martin area of Stephens and Franklin counties today from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm at the church’s gymnasium. Organizers say the participant’s signature on the form they sign at the […]

Stephens County’s state legislators look ahead to the upcoming session in the Georgia General Assembly. 50th District State Senator John Wilkinson and 28th District State Representative Dan Gasaway both spoke to local leaders at a pre-legislative breakfast Monday at the Mitchell Allen Meeting Room in Toccoa. The two legislators said that three of the biggest issues that are likely to […]

The Stephens County Board of Education approves putting tax anticipation notes out to bid. At a called meeting on Monday, the Stephens County Board of Education unanimously voted to allow Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey to put out a bid request for up to $7 million in tax anticipation notes. Dorsey said that the school system is running low […]

Stephens County Hospital welcomes its New Year’s Baby for 2015. The hospital announced on Monday that this year’s proud parents of the New Year’s Baby are Mercedes Jean Frye and Shamarcus Anderson, both of Hartwell. Mom, Mercedes, said her baby is a healthy 6-pound, 2-ounce, 19 and 1/2″ long baby boy named Messiah Shamarie Anderson. “He is a blessing,” said […]

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia A weekend accident in Hart County claims the life of a young mother and her two-year old daughter. Georgia State Patrol Hartwell Post Commander Sergeant Al Whitworth said it happened at about 5 p.m. on Sunday on State Route 51, just west of Hartwell. “Vehicle 1, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix was traveling west […]

2015 is off to a wet start in Stephens County. Weekend rains starting Friday and continuing through Sunday dumped more than 3.3 inches of rain on downtown Toccoa. According to city officials, that heavy rain was to blame for a sanitary sewer spill near the Ward Creek Liftstation. City officials said that city personnel located an overflow condition at about […]