City of Toccoa's 2016 Water Quality Report

Clean drinking water is one of the most vital factors in city's ecosystem. The United States has one of the cleanest and most reliable source of drinking water across the globe. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to protect public health, including by regulating public water systems.  This act requires the EPA to establish and enforce standards  that public drinking water systems must comply with. You can read about the regulations on the EPA's website where they cover things such as microorgansms, disinfectants, and inorganic chemicals. About 90% of people in the U.S. rely on water from regulated systems, the other 10% use private wells which are not regulated under the SDWA.  People who use private wells need to take precautions to ensure their drinking water is safe. Learn more about private wells on the EPA website.

The City of Toccoa's Water Department provides water to over 10,000 customers and serves in excess 40,000 people. They also export water to two cities, one in Stephens County and one in Habersham County, as well as two adjacent counties, Franklin County and Banks Countyernate approximately 2.5 miles north of the city, which is supplemented by pumping water from Davidson Creek and Lake Yonah.

The City of Toccoa recently released their 2016 Drinking Water Quality Report. But why should you care? How does this report impact you and your household?

Adams Building Supply Hosts Ribbon Cuttting

Store Owner Romeo Adams is pictured with employees and several excited community members as he cuts the Ribbon at their newest operation.

A new building supply store opens its doors to the community.  Adams Building Supplies had its Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting Thursday to celebrate its grand opening.  Adams Building Supplies in Toccoa will be their fourth chain, there are also stores in Hartwell, Abbeville, South Carolina, and Clinton, South Carolina.

Toccoa Store Manager Rick Hackney said Adams is looking to meet the needs of area builders and contractors, along with the rest of the public.  “We are mainly a contractor yard,” said Hackney. “We keep a premium grade of lumber and framing materials, also high-end tools, really just a better grade of material. Everybody can sell the cheap stuff, but we though we would better serve the public by selling a better grade of material.”

Adams Building Supplies in Toccoa is located at 2545 Big A Road in the old Poly Steel building, next to where Fred’s used to be located.

The hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon.

The phone number for Adams Building Supplies in Toccoa is 706-898-5600.

Currahee Club: Georgia's Number 1 Golf Course

Currahee Club's Jim Fazio designed course has been named the number 1 best golf club in Georgia and included in the top 100 courses in the nation list for 2015.

Currahee Club was selected by the Georgia Golf Course Owners/Operators Association (GGCOA) as its 2014 Club of the Year.  Matt Brown, GGCOA’s Executive Director said that “with 7,513 yards from the tees, significant elevation drops, bentgrass greens, over 250 acres of ‘golf course’ and 9 miles of cart paths to maintain, Currahee Club is a significant agronomic challenge.”  Brown continued, “what Andrew and his team have done at Currahee Club in such a short period of time is very impressive.  I have had the pleasure to work very closely with Andrew over the years, and it is quite apparent that his vision and leadership are helping to make Currahee Club one of the premier destinations in the SE USA.”

Currahee Club will now compete with other prestigious golf courses in the nation.  The 2014 National Course of the Year will be announced at the National Golf Course Owners Association Annual Conference held in February.

“Everyone at Currahee Club is beyond thrilled to receive these outstanding recognitions of our course and club,” said Andrew Ward, managing partner at Currahee Club.  “At Currahee, we strive to set the standard for real estate and golf communities, not just in the Southeast, but across the nation.  These recognitions show what our members and residents have known all along- that the Currahee lifestyle is extraordinary.”

In addition to this award, Currahee Club was also picked by Southern Living Magazine to become one of only 7 Southern Living Inspired Communities in America.

Toccoa-Stephens Co. One of “Four for the Future”

Toccoa and Stephens County are receiving recognition for the “Toccoa-Stephens County Tomorrow” program.

Earlier this week, the city and county were recognized by Georgia Trend magazine and the University of Georgia’s Public Service and Outreach division with a “Four for the Future” award.

Georgia Trend magazine says the award is designed to recognize communities that are working across the public and private sectors and nonprofit boundaries on challenging issues that will improve quality of life, economic development, and community well-being.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough and Toccoa Mayor Gail Fry, along with others, recently received the award on behalf of Toccoa and Stephens County.

Scarborough said it is quite an honor.

“There were only four awards for the whole state, so we are happy to receive that,” said Scarborough.

“Toccoa-Stephens County Tomorrow” is a privately funded effort that is being done in conjunction with the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce and the Fanning Institute from the University of Georgia.

The program looks at and focuses efforts on issues such as education, economic development, land use, that the community has expressed an interest in through focus groups and other comments.

Other recipients of this year’s “Four for the Future” award include Covington and Newton County, Cairo and Grady County, and Adel and Cook County.

WNEG

Congratulations to the Leadership 2014 Classes

Graduating members of the adult 2-13-2014 Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County (LTSC class were (front, from left) Brooke Stowe, Jan Crawford, Molly Hicks, Kayla Carpenter, Christy LeCroy, Mandy McDonald, Phyllis Morris, and Joni Hicks. 

Graduating members of the youth Leadership Toccca-Stephens County class for 2014 were (front, from left) Taylor Pruitt, Kiana Gober, rachel Ayers, Chandler Alligood, Katherine Hunt, Jerrica Grant, Brittany Collins, and Emma Frazier. At rear are Jordan Chambers, Gabriel Norcross, Bailey Dickinson, and Paul Hopkins. Not pictured are Hutch Arrowood and Madison Hickey.

Toccoa Resident Recognized as Volunteer of the Year

The Georgia Downtown Association recently recognized a Toccoa resident as a top volunteer in the Northeast Georgia region.  The organization named Chuck Taylor as its District Two Volunteer of the Year for 2013.  The Toccoa Main Street program nominated Taylor for the award.  Main Street Director Connie Tabor said that Taylor helps the downtown area in many ways such as using his talents as a local musician to benefit the city.  "He has been instrumental in planning and initiating our Ida Cox Music Series event," said Tabor.  "He not only lines up the bands, but he (is master of ceremonies) for the concert and fills in as needed.  He is one of downtown's biggest promoters."  Tabor said Taylor has also played a vital role in planning special events surrounding the Schaefer Center theatre in downtown Toccoa.

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Stephens County Unemployment Drops in November

Statistics released from the Georgia Department of Labor indicate that Stephens County's preliminary unemployment rate for November was 6.9 percent.  This rate is eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than the revised October rate of 7.7 percent.  Also, Stephens County's unemployment rate this November is lower than the revised November  2012 rate of 8.7 percent.



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TFC Soccer Standout Named All-American

Toccoa Falls College soccer standout, Lizz Rice, has been recognized as a second team All-American by the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for her standout performances during the 2013 season.  Rice led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 goals and four assists.  Head Coach Jake Warren said he is very proud of Rice and all that she has accomplished this season.  Warren said her relentless work ethic and leadership ability has made a huge impact on her team and added he looks forward to seeing her continual growth as a player in the years to come.  Rice is a junior Ministry Leadership major from Inwood, West Virgina.

Stephens County Graduation Rate at All Time High

The graduation rates released Wednesday by the Georgia Department of Education show that the Stephens County School System had a graduation rate of 90.8 percent in 2013.  This rate is an increase of nearly 3.50 percentage points from the 2012 graduation rate of 87.33 percent.  Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said that is is very exciting news to not only increase the graduation rate yet again this year but also to cross the 90 percent mark for the first time ever as a school system.  "It has increased and it continues to increase," said Whiten.  "We have come a long way.  Years ago, it was 61 percent back around 2003.  We are extremely proud of the hard work our teachers and students do to make sure everyone stays on track."  Whiten said that the Kids Count Data Center ranks the Stephens County School System 14th in the state for graduating students on time.  Georgia DOE numbers also show that Stephens County is well above the state graduation rate of 71.5 percent in 2013.

Stephens County Residents Complete Economic Development Training

Five Stephens County residents recently graduated from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development's 2013 Region 2 Multi-Day Training Program.  Participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers from 11 counties in Region 2 Georgia.  Stephens County graduates are County Commissioner Stanley London, County Commissioner Dennis Bell, former State Representative Michael Harden, Georgia Power Local Manager Nick Martin, and CB&T Senior Financial Sales Representative Stacy Miller (not pictured). The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic development and community development on the local, regional and state levels.  The Mult-Day program includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning, and other essentials for community success.  The curriculum also features specific leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective leadership in economic development.

Discussions Underway on New Toccoa City Pool

At a work session Monday, City Manager Bill Morse updated city commissioners regarding plans for the new city pool.  Morse said that he, City Commissioners Fail Fry and Terry Carter, and Toccoa Planning and Main Street Director Connie Tabor have met with numerous pool professionals about formulating a possible plan for moving forward.  "It is probably going to be best if we demolish the existing pool and bring in a new pool," said Morse.  Meanwhile, Commissioner Fry said that the new pool would be smaller than the one that the city has now.  "It will be basically three areas, the deep end, the 'lap pool,' and an area for handicapped and younger children," said Fry, who added the shallow end will be able to be entered without steps to make it easier.  Toccoa has budgeted up to one million dollars out of SPLOST VI for improvements and renovations at the Doyle Street pool.  Voters approved SPLOST VI in November and collections will start next year. 

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Stephens County Hospital Love Light Campaign Underway

The 32nd annual Love Light fundraising campaign is underway at Stephens County Hospital and is organized by the Stephens County Hospital Auxiliary.  This year also marks the first year of the merging between the Hospital Auxiliary and the Stephens County Hospital Foundation.  "The managers of all the departments in the hospital have the opportunity to submit Love Light requests to us," said Foundation Director Pamela Jones.  "What we do is we have a campaign and we raise money for (purchasing) the equipment in the hospital."  The goal this year is $12,000.  The Love Light campaign culminates every year with the annual Love Light Tree Ceremony, where Stephens County Hospital lights a large Christmas tree with all of the lights on the tree representing family members or friends that are being honored or memorialized.  This year's Love Light Tree Ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Stephens County Hospital and is open to the public.  Envelopes to make a donation to this year's Love Light campaign are available at Stephens County Hospital or an envelope can be requested by calling the Stephens County Hospital Foundation office at 706-282-4254.  All donations to the Love Light campaign are tax-deductible.

Stephens County “Stuffing the Bus”

The Stephens County High School Interact Club is working to "Stuff the Bus" for its 3rd annual food drive this Thanksgiving.  During the drive, the club attempts to stuff a bus full of non-perishable food items in an effort to help the hungry.  SCHS Interact Club Faculty Advisor Derek Demmler said the club has also teamed with the Toccoa Rotary Club to host a 5K race and fun run this Saturday morning in conjunction with the food drive.  The 5K race will start at 9 a.m. and the fun run begins at 8:30 a.m., rain or shine, at the football stadium.  Runners can register online at www.active.com and searching for "Stuff the Bus 5K" or register Saturday morning at 7:30 at the high school.  Many local businesses also have registration forms plus runners can bring a maximum of 10 pounds of food for a discount off of their registration fee.  The public can also donate non-perishable food items to the high school or bring them to the race event Saturday morning.  Demmler said all of the food will remain in Stephens County.

Stephens County Names Teacher of the Year

School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten and other staff surprised April LaHayne of Toccoa Elementary in her classroom Tuesday to present her with the honor of the system-wide Teacher of the Year award.  LaHayne teaches second grade at Toccoa Elementary and said it is an extraordinary feeling to receive this honor.  "Never in a million years would I have thought that six years into my teaching that this would be something that I have accomplished," said LaHayne.  "Teaching is my passion and I feel truly blessed to be here."


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Eastanollee Elementary Named State “Reward School”

The Georgia Department of Education announced that Eastanollee Elementary School was a "Reward School" in the state and recognized as a "highest-performing" school.  A "highest-performing" school is a Title I school among the five percent of Title I schools in Georgia that has the highest absolute performance over three years for the "all students" group on the statewide assessments.  Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the school system is very proud of Eastanollee Elementary for achieving this benchmark and the school is one of about 80 schools to receive this honor from the state.


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School System Offers Annual Report

Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten presented the annual Stephens County School System report on Tuesday at the Gate Cottage on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.  Whiten said she wants people to be able to see from the report some of the positive things taking place in the school system, like the increasing graduation rate.  "Our graduation rate has increased significantly and if I can say any one things that is the best thing for our students, that is it, the graduation rate, because they have to have a high school diploma and a plan for the future," said Whiten.  "Hopefully, that is what we are getting across to our kids."  This year's report highlighted the school system's 87.33 percent graduation rate,  reviewed the CRCT and EOCT scores for each of the schools in the system, and covered the new College and Career Ready Performance Index.

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Stephens County Holds Veterans’ Day Observance

The annual Veterans' Day observance took place Monday morning on the historic Stephens County Courthouse lawn in downtown Toccoa.  Keynote speaker the Rev. Scott Borderud of First Alliance Church in Toccoa called on those in attendance to always remember to express thanks to all veteran for their service.  "Express your gratitude to them for serving our nation, both at war and in peace, and ask those veterans what might you do to lessen their burdens they have carried with them as they return back to civilian life," said the Rev. Borderud.  The American Legion Post 104, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4346, and Marine Corps League Detachment 1303 sponsored Monday's observance. 


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SPLOST VI Passes, Foster Re-elected Martin Mayor

Stephens County voters say yes to SPLOST VI.  According to final unofficial results Tuesday night, 1001 voters cast ballots in favor of SPLOST VI, while 384 voted against the SPLOST.  With a 3-to-1 margin in favor of SPLOST VI, the one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax will continue after the current SPLOST ends on June 30, 2014.  Meanwhile, incumbent Martin Mayor Don Foster won re-election to another term.  Martin council members Roger Looney and Sandi Stovall ran unopposed.  Toccoa did not have a municipal election as Jeanette Jamieson and Evan Hellenga were unopposed in the two open seats on the Toccoa City Commission and all incumbents in Avalon were also unopposed.  Turnout was light for the election, with just over 11 percent of voters casting ballots.

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Collins, Black at Farm City Week Banquet

Monday, the Currahee Campus of North Georgia Technical College hosted the annual Toccoa-Stephens County Farm City Week Banquet where leaders from the state and federal level discussed agriculture and other issues.  This year's attendees included 9th District U.S. Representative Doug Collins and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black.  Collins talked about the budget battles and the government shutdown in Washington.  "The problems overall is we have lost sight of a good Northeast Georgia, biblical word called stewardship," said Collins.  "We have lost track of what it means to take care of what we have got.  We have lost track of what it means to simply say "Here is what we have been given and here is what we give to the next generation'."  State Agriculture Commissioner Black talked about how important it is for the agriculture industry to work on reaching out to the modern consumer.  "We have got to continue our great traditions of agriculture that are so very important, but we have to learn another language if we are going to connect with the 21st century consumer," said Black.  "We have to speak the language of food."
Also during the banquet, the Stephens County Farm Bureau awarded several honors.  At the top of the list was the induction of the late Willie Sheriff into the Stephens County Farm Bureau Hall of Fame.  50th District State Senator John Wilkinson called Sheriff a man of vision, integrity, and wisdom, as well as a steward of the land.  Sheriff's son, Leonard Sheriff, was named the 2013 Stephens County Cattleman of the Year.  Other awards from the banquet went to James Whiten as this year's Friend of Agriculture and the Steve Cothran family as this year's Farm Family of the Year.

Toccoa Hosting Harvest Festival this Weekend

The 37th annual Toccoa Harvest Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday in downtown Toccoa.  Organizers said that the festival will include more than 160 craft and food vendors this year.  As always, the emphasis is on homemade, handmade, home bakes, or home grown items at the Harvest Festival and Toccoa Main Street Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby said there will be some unquie items as always.  "One of the things that I think a lot of people will be interested in is (that) we will be having a glass blowing demonstration and that is a little bit new," said Crosby.  "They are from Georgia Southwestern State University and they will be coming up and doing demonstrations throughout the weekend."  Not only does the Harvest Festival include lots of food and crafts to enjoy, but two stages will also be set up for entertainment throughout the festival.  Hours for the Toccoa Harvest Festival are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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