Year in Review – July

Continuing WNEG News’ look back at 2023, today we take a look at the top stories in July:

In early July, The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the new sensory playground at the Stephens County Recreation Department with a ribbon tying ceremony.

Former Stephens County Commissioner Michelle Ivester was instrumental in the playground being built. She says it required a lot of work from many departments and even the help of a special education class.

County Commissioner Chuck Wright says students in the school system will be using the playground throughout the year on fieldtrips. For additional information regarding the new sensory playground visit stephenscountyga.gov.

 

On July 18 The Stephens County Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt the roll-back millage rate of 14.76 mills. There was no public comment on the adoption during the meeting. Over the past five years, the school system’s millage rate has continually dropped from year to year as the county’s tax digest  continues to grow.

According to the 2023 Stephens County Tax Digest, prepared by Stephens County Tax Commissioner Dene Hicks, the county’s net tax digest for the current year is $738.8 million, meaning that a 14.76 mills rate for the school district will result in the levy of $10,905,281 in taxes for the maintenance and operation of the school system – a 1.92 percent increase over the previous year.

The 2022 Stephens County Tax Digest showed a net value of $680.6 million, allowing the school district to levy $10,699,347 in taxes with a 15.72 millage rate.

 

On the afternoon of July 20, officers with the Toccoa Police Department were dispatched to South Hill Street in Toccoa in reference to shots fired.  Upon arrival, officers met with the complainant who stated someone was shooting a firearm from Hill Place. Further investigation led officers to believe that Jake Eligh Vanesse, 19, of Toccoa, was the person shooting the firearm from a residence on Hill Place. At the residence, investigators found three bullet holes in the house. A BOLO was issued for the suspect’s vehicle, and later in the day, a Lavonia Police Department Officer performed a traffic stop on the vehicle and the suspect was taken into custody. Vanesse was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.