Local News

Macie McDaniel received a certificate for being named Oglethorpe County High’s STAR student at a Rotary Club meeting in February 2024. She was honored with 2024 STAR teacher Eric Schmidt (from left), Christan McDaniel and Phillip McDaniel, her mom and dad. (JIM BASS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Macie McDaniel received a certificate for being named Oglethorpe County High’s STAR student at a Rotary Club meeting in February 2024. She was honored with 2024 STAR teacher Eric Schmidt (from left), Christan McDaniel and Phillip McDaniel, her mom and dad. (JIM BASS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

McDaniel overcomes brain surgery on her way to UGA

Sean King
Friday, April 10, 2026
Trumpets and horns sound throughout the Oglethorpe County Middle School band room. Notes blend and provide a harmonious sound.  For one student, though, it wasn’t pleasant. Macie McDaniel, a 2024 OCHS alum from Lexington, said she had migraines almost every day in band class.
Jenny Wisham (left) and Thomas Carroll pose for their headshots. Wisham and Carroll are running for the District 5 BOE member. (Photos/Submitted)

Jenny Wisham (left) and Thomas Carroll pose for their headshots. Wisham and Carroll are running for the District 5 BOE member. (Photos/Submitted)

Election Q&A: Budget, resources top priorities for BOE candidates

Jasmine Milbourne
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Jenny Wisham and Thomas Carroll are both running on the Republican ticket for the Oglethorpe County Board of Education for District 5.  Wisham is a physical therapist who works in home health care.
Travis Hill, owner of Hill Renovations, hangs up 'The Local Spot' sign outside. The restaurant is located at 1185 Athens Road, and planned to open late April. (Photo Submitted)

Travis Hill, owner of Hill Renovations, hangs up 'The Local Spot' sign outside. The restaurant is located at 1185 Athens Road, and planned to open late April. (Photo Submitted)

Nation aims to bring family fun to Crawford restaurant

Finley Millwood
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Born and raised in Oglethorpe County, Stephanie Nation’s goal is to embody the saying “good laughs, good food, good people” with her new restaurant. “I really want it to just be somewhere fun that people can come, and if they're having a bad day, it will turn upside down,” Nation said.
Blazer's Hot Wings is located in Lexington at 640 Athens Road. The dine-in or drive-thru restaurant is known for its crispy wings and large menu. (Finley Millwood/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Blazer's Hot Wings is located in Lexington at 640 Athens Road. The dine-in or drive-thru restaurant is known for its crispy wings and large menu. (Finley Millwood/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Oglethorpe County Food Tour, Part II

Finley Millwood
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
  From crispy wings to bold international flavors, this Oglethorpe County food tour highlights some of the county’s must-try spots.Starting with Blazer’s of Lexington, where crispy meets juicy hot wings.
Tammy and David Owens (right) point out details about their rezoning request to Commissioner Tracy Norman as county attorney Chip Ferguson looks on at the BOC meeting on Monday. The commissioners voted 4-1 to waive paving requirements for a Yancey Road property. (ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Tammy and David Owens (right) point out details about their rezoning request to Commissioner Tracy Norman as county attorney Chip Ferguson looks on at the BOC meeting on Monday. The commissioners voted 4-1 to waive paving requirements for a Yancey Road property. (ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

BOC approves withdrawal of Bowen Farm cell tower request

Bridget Goodman
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously accepted APC Towers LLC’s withdrawal of a request Monday night to put a 259-foot communications tower on Bowen Farm Road.
Alex White and his family visited Fortress Hohensalzburg during a trip to Salzburg, Austria, last July. White is the new nurse practitioner at MedLink Oglethorpe.

Alex White and his family visited Fortress Hohensalzburg during a trip to Salzburg, Austria, last July. White is the new nurse practitioner at MedLink Oglethorpe.

White Joins MedLink as New Practitioner

Sean King
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Alex White said he originally had little interest following his parents into the medical field.  “We’re all kind of in healthcare,” White said. “My brother is an ER doctor in Brunswick, my dad was a pharmacist, my mom was a nurse … and then my sister works at UGA.
A ewe stands with her two lambs in the shade of solar panels at the Timberland Solar facility in Oglethorpe County. The panels provide shelter while sheep graze as part of the site’s vegetation management program. (The Oglethorpe Echo/Kira Doppel)

A ewe stands with her two lambs in the shade of solar panels at the Timberland Solar facility in Oglethorpe County. The panels provide shelter while sheep graze as part of the site’s vegetation management program. (The Oglethorpe Echo/Kira Doppel)

Solar farm turns to lamb-scaping

Kira Doppel
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Lambs and sheep grazing, with herding dogs nearby, is an expected sight in rural Oglethorpe County. What’s different in this pastoral scene on Goose Pond Road is that they’re grazing under solar panels.
Howard Sanders (left) is the incumbent for the Board of Commissioners District 1 Republican primary, while Britt Brooks (right) is the challenger. (Submitted Photos)

Howard Sanders (left) is the incumbent for the Board of Commissioners District 1 Republican primary, while Britt Brooks (right) is the challenger. (Submitted Photos)

Election Q&A: Taxes, property rights focus for District 1 candidates

Nick Hasnain
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Incumbent Howard Sanders and challenger Britt Brooks are on the Republican primary ballot for the District 1 seat on the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners.