Local News

OLIVIA SUITE/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Mayor Edward Toledano (middle) and members of the Maxeys City Council (from left) Carrie Hayes, Carrie Hyatt, Danny Gorman, Shirley Callahan and Doug Miller, and clerk Jenny Yearwood-Parker discuss business at the Sept. 8 meeting. A contractor was approved for paving the rest of the Firefly Trail.

OLIVIA SUITE/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO Mayor Edward Toledano (middle) and members of the Maxeys City Council (from left) Carrie Hayes, Carrie Hyatt, Danny Gorman, Shirley Callahan and Doug Miller, and clerk Jenny Yearwood-Parker discuss business at the Sept. 8 meeting. A contractor was approved for paving the rest of the Firefly Trail.

City Roundup: Lexington DDA looks for members to make quorum

Olivia Suite
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Lexington’s Downtown Development Authority can’t conduct business after a recent resignation left it with only three members, city attorney Charlie Barrow said at the city council meeting on Sept. 10.   The remaining members are Ronnie Boggs, Gina Holloway and Linda Parish.
Deb DeWitt holds up a filled water balloon that she dipped in beeswax at a meeting of the Oglethorpe County Bee Club on Sept. 21. She showed the members how to slowly dip the balloon in and out of the wax to create a beeswax luminary. (Photo/Zaire Rushing-Simpson).

Deb DeWitt holds up a filled water balloon that she dipped in beeswax at a meeting of the Oglethorpe County Bee Club on Sept. 21. She showed the members how to slowly dip the balloon in and out of the wax to create a beeswax luminary. (Photo/Zaire Rushing-Simpson).

Here’s the buzz: DeWitt shares tips to make beeswax luminaries

Zaire Rushing-Simpson
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Deb DeWitt said beeswax luminaries can have strong sentimental value.  “I’ve had a couple friends who passed away, so I get the flowers from their memorial service, I dry them and then I embed them into a luminary,” DeWitt said. “Then I can give them back a gift that's personal to them.”
6th-grader Josie Turner holds her ukulele in the OCMS ukulele class. Students use a cheat sheet with lyrics and chords to help them learn the material (Photo/Walker Durham).

6th-grader Josie Turner holds her ukulele in the OCMS ukulele class. Students use a cheat sheet with lyrics and chords to help them learn the material (Photo/Walker Durham).

Songs in the key of C

Walker Durham
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
C, F, G, A minor.  These four chords are the starting point of Erin Serrian’s sixth-grade ukulele class. With these chords, students go from playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to The Beatles in a matter of weeks.
The air conditioning units at the Crawford Depot on Friday, Sept. 18th, in Crawford, Georgia. The copper pipes from the Depot were stolen Sept. 9, causing $2,800 in damages. (SARAH ROPER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

The air conditioning units at the Crawford Depot on Friday, Sept. 18th, in Crawford, Georgia. The copper pipes from the Depot were stolen Sept. 9, causing $2,800 in damages. (SARAH ROPER/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Copper thefts cost thousands in repairs

Sarah Roper
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Copper is being stolen in Crawford.  Stephen Bray There have been three copper thefts in the city since July, bringing back a problem Stephen Bray, a local independent insurance agent, hasn’t seen in 12 years. “It was really, really bad,” Bray said.
From left: board members Morgan Robinson, Sam Nash, JF Hansford and Jimmy Shealy. Jeff Sharp, the director of planning and zoning sits on the far right. The board reviews the minutes from the previous month's meeting. (Ren Grimsley/The Oglethorpe Echo)

From left: board members Morgan Robinson, Sam Nash, JF Hansford and Jimmy Shealy. Jeff Sharp, the director of planning and zoning sits on the far right. The board reviews the minutes from the previous month's meeting. (Ren Grimsley/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Zoning board upholds private drive ordinance

Ren Grimsley
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Private access drives in Oglethorpe County must be paved. That’s what the zoning board decided once again when it denied a variance during its monthly meeting on Sept. 17.  This was the third variance request regarding unpaved private access drives the board has seen in 2026.
There were no reported injuries from a car fire next to a hay field along Highway 78 across from the Farm Bureau in Crawford on Friday night. Firefighters soaked the edge of the field to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the vehicle. (Submitted Photo)

There were no reported injuries from a car fire next to a hay field along Highway 78 across from the Farm Bureau in Crawford on Friday night. Firefighters soaked the edge of the field to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the vehicle. (Submitted Photo)

Driver escapes vehicle fire uninjured on US 78

Mollie Beth Johnson
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
A 2014 Dodge Journey was engulfed in flames beside a Crawford hay field when firefighters reached the scene on Friday night.
Bedding, linens, seasonal decorations, kitchenware and home decor are among the donated items for sale at the Lexington Community Center. The Downtown Development Authority will use proceeds from the yard sale for heating and air conditioning and other improvements to the building. (Submitted Photo)

Bedding, linens, seasonal decorations, kitchenware and home decor are among the donated items for sale at the Lexington Community Center. The Downtown Development Authority will use proceeds from the yard sale for heating and air conditioning and other improvements to the building. (Submitted Photo)

Lexington Community Center clears out items for a cause

Mollie Beth Johnson
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
About 4,500 square feet of the Lexington Community Center is filled with everything from Christmas decorations and camping gear to furniture, appliances and clothes.  Now, the Lexington Downtown Development Authority is ready to clear it out.
Brittni Bland is the new Oglethorpe County game warden after Phillip Nelson's retirement in July. Bland formerly served in the U.S. Army before shifting her career toward law enforcement. (Submitted Photo)

Brittni Bland is the new Oglethorpe County game warden after Phillip Nelson's retirement in July. Bland formerly served in the U.S. Army before shifting her career toward law enforcement. (Submitted Photo)

New game warden excited about job

Matthew Herren
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Oglethorpe County game warden Brittni Bland said the enthusiasm surrounding dove season stood out as she met residents during opening weekend.
A wide view of a section of the cemetery at Temple Methodist Church in Arnoldsville, GA on Sept. 13, 2026. Julio Soto has performed tombstone restorations in the church's cemetery. (Sabrina Felix/The Oglethorpe Echo)

A wide view of a section of the cemetery at Temple Methodist Church in Arnoldsville, GA on Sept. 13, 2026. Julio Soto has performed tombstone restorations in the church's cemetery. (Sabrina Felix/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Business brings new life to final resting places

Sabrina Felix
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Countless volunteers worked hard to ensure nearly 460 Oglethorpe County cemeteries weren’t forgotten, and one business offers a service focused on giving the tombstones a bit of TLC.