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The yard of Anne and Bob Arbogast decorated for Halloween.

The yard of Anne and Bob Arbogast decorated for Halloween.

Arbogast ending long Halloween tradition

    Halloween costumes and masks have certainly changed over the past 50 years, but there’s been one constant  in the candy-laden celebration in Toccoa during that span.
These are some of the items, including cash, seized by sheriff’s investigators following arrests for the sale of illegal vaping products.

These are some of the items, including cash, seized by sheriff’s investigators following arrests for the sale of illegal vaping products.

Arrests made relating to the sale of vaping products

    If law enforcement gives you break with a warning, you’d best stop doing whatever you were warned against.     That’s the message the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office put out in a recent release after the arrest of several individuals in the sale of vaping products.
A scenic view of the upper reaches of the Tugaloo River.

A scenic view of the upper reaches of the Tugaloo River.

Spooky stories on the river

    Get ready to hear some of the spookiest stories on the river.      The Tugaloo River Water Trail (TRWT) will sponsor a Spooky Story Paddle on Saturday, Oct.23 beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Owl Swamp pull out on Toccoa Creek.
A police substation at the intersection of Pond Street and Collins Road was named after former Toccoa policeman Curtie Scott..

A police substation at the intersection of Pond Street and Collins Road was named after former Toccoa policeman Curtie Scott..

Substation named in honor of Curtis Scott

Humble, loyal, honorable; those were just some of the words used to describe former Toccoa assistant police chief Curtis Scott.     City officials, business representatives, residents, and Scott's family members assembled on Thursday, Sept.
 Events will be held Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 30 -Oct. 3.

Events will be held Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 30 -Oct. 3.

Military weekend event returns

By Tom Law The Toccoa Record     After missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Currahee Military Weekend returns in 2021.     Events will be held Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 30 -Oct. 3.
Dr. Jeff Deal (left).

Dr. Jeff Deal (left).

Unvaccinated breaks physician's heart

  By Dr. Jeff Deal I love Toccoa. I love Stephens County and Northeast Georgia. I love the people who loved me, gave me a great education, cheered for us and with us, and cried for our losses.  From this love, I must be blunt.
The student population had 36 reported as testing positive for COVID-19 from Aug. 30-Sept. 3.

The student population had 36 reported as testing positive for COVID-19 from Aug. 30-Sept. 3.

School system sees increase in COVID-19 cases

The coronavirus is making it more difficult to keep students in school for in-person learning. The Stephens County school system reported on Friday, Sept. 3, that 104 students had been quarantined between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3. The Sept.
McKenzie Coan shows off the gold medal she won Sunday in the 400 meter freestyle event of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

McKenzie Coan shows off the gold medal she won Sunday in the 400 meter freestyle event of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Coan gets the gold

By Tom Law The Toccoa Record McKenzie Coan, the Paralympics swimmer from Clarkesville with the big fan following in Toccoa, won another swimming gold medal on Sunday in Tokyo. McKenzie, the daughter of Dr.
The 2021 Senior 4-H Project Achievement winners representing Stephens County 4-H at the state competition and 4-H State Congress, were (from left) Susan Yearwood, Stephens County 4-H Youth Development Agent; Chaley Hayes, food for fitness project third place; Hanna Bell, food safety and preservation  third place; Sarah Isaac, public speaking project, second place; Janet Dye, Stephens County 4-H Volunteer Leader. At rear are Jackson Moore, housing project first place and a new Master 4-H’er; & Carter Hewitt.

The 2021 Senior 4-H Project Achievement winners representing Stephens County 4-H at the state competition and 4-H State Congress, were (from left) Susan Yearwood, Stephens County 4-H Youth Development Agent; Chaley Hayes, food for fitness project third place; Hanna Bell, food safety and preservation third place; Sarah Isaac, public speaking project, second place; Janet Dye, Stephens County 4-H Volunteer Leader. At rear are Jackson Moore, housing project first place and a new Master 4-H’er; & Carter Hewitt.

4-H holds weeklong competition

Georgia 4-H hosted the 78th annual State 4-H Congress, a weeklong competition and celebration in Atlanta on July 20-23. During the congress, some 250 youths competed at the state level of Georgia 4-H’s Project Achievement contest.
This is an example of one of the properties the Stephens County Marshal's Office is working to clean up.

This is an example of one of the properties the Stephens County Marshal's Office is working to clean up.

Marshals shore up Shorewood

    The Shorewood neighborhood on Lake Hartwell is looking much better than it did when Marilyn Bathen and her husband moved there 15 years ago.