Toccoa Record

06/24/2026

06/24/2026

06/24/2026

06/24/2026

This fire occurred early this morning near Big A Road on Rock Creek Road.

Update on Rock Creek Road Structure Fire

At approximately 6:23 a.m., Stephens County Sheriff’s Office deputies, alongside Toccoa Fire Department and Stephens County Fire Services, were dispatched to a residential structure fire on Rock Creek Road.

Upon arrival, units discovered the residence was fully engulfed in flames. One occupant was removed from the residence with severe burn injuries. He was transported by Stephens County EMS to a nearby medical facility for burn treatment. Multiple other occupants who reside on the property left prior to the start of the fire.

Rock Creek Road between Van Mar Drive and Shady Lane was shut down for approximately two and a half hours while firefighters worked to put out the fire. Power was disconnected in the area for approximately four hours while HartEMC worked to repair damages near the residence.

While on scene, first responders were notified that one individual residing on the property remained unaccounted for and was possibly still located inside the residence. A state fire marshal was notified and later concluded that no occupants—except one dog—were inside the residence at the time of the fire.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., SCSO deputies located the unaccounted-for individual safe inside Stephens County.

An investigation is still underway by the state fire marshal to determine the cause of the incident. They remain the lead agency in the investigation.

Thank you to Toccoa Fire Department, Stephens County Fire Services, Stephens County EMS, HartEMC, Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, Toccoa Natural Gas, the American Red Cross, and Stephens County 911 & Emergency Management, Georgia for their tireless efforts this morning to ensure the safety of Stephens County citizens!

06/23/2026

The Board of Commissioners is meeting tonight at 6.

Regular meetings of the Board of Commissioners will be uploaded here.

06/23/2026

06/23/2026

Earlier today, state Sen. Bo Hatchett brought a bill to the Senate floor to allow Stephens County voters to cast their ballots on the new Local Homestead Option Sales Tax after separate votes failed on Saturday as part of the Georgia General Assembly's special session this month.

That vote failed 32-19. Hatchett, who represents Stephens County, needed six Democratic votes to get the required 38 votes, or two-thirds majority, to push it through.

More information will be in this week's edition of the paper.

06/22/2026

One of our favorite times of the year is here! Voting is officially OPEN for The Chamber Awards. 🥂

The outstanding finalists have been chosen for each category, and now we need you to help us select the winners. This is the ultimate way to celebrate the hard-working businesses that make our community so special.

It only takes a minute to cast your ballot and make a huge impact for your favorite local spots! Whether you participate once or multiple times, the important thing is that you VOTE!

🔗 Vote for the winners here: https://forms.gle/p6jVzSe7c8RhacQJ7
🗳️ Voting is open until July 6th at 12PM

Please share this post so we can get everyone in the community involved!