Local News

(Dink Nesmith/The Oglethorpe Echo) A stretch of sidewalk and parking along West Main Street in Lexington has been closed because the adjacent buildings have been determined to be unsafe.

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Local News Roundup: Lexington sidewalk closed and more

News Staff

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Lexington officials have closed the sidewalk and on-street parking in front of a stretch of buildings along West Main Street. Mayor Craig Snow said Tuesday that the city has determined the buildings along that portion of downtown Lexington are unsafe and could collapse.

James Wettstaed shows pictures of a Stephens County excavation site he worked on during his presentation at the Historic Oglethorpe County meeting on March 28. Volunteer excavations that spanned from 2014 to 2018 unearthed two distinct hearths, proving that one house had been there in the early 1500s, and another in the late 1500s. (Photo/Maddie Daniel)

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Archaeologist draws packed house

Maddie Daniel

Thursday, April 6, 2023

The meeting was standing-room only, with nearly 70 attendees gathered in the Oglethorpe County Library. “I think we’re gonna have to expand the parking lot out there!” Historic Oglethorpe president Kathleen deMarrais joked. The reason for the unprecedented turnout?

(DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO) Brian Angel speaks against a rezoning request to build new poultry houses on Bethesda Church Road. The Board of Commissioners unanimously denied the request in Monday’s meeting.

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BOC votes against Bethesda Church Road rezone

Wade Cheek

Thursday, April 6, 2023

The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously denied a rezone request from Robert Strother at Monday’s meeting. The request, which was tabled at the March meeting, was for the construction of eight poultry houses on Bethesda Church Road off Highway 78.

Lena Smith Wise is pictured in her book, “The Story of Oglethorpe County.” Wise began her teaching career at Crawford High School and was later principal of Oglethorpe County Elementary School, spending most of her 42 years in education serving Oglethorpe County. (Photo/Scott Thaxton)

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The county’s storyteller: How Lena Wise became central to history

Maddie Daniel

Thursday, April 6, 2023

The Lena Wise Community Center in Crawford, which celebrates its sixth anniversary this year, offers free high school equivalency classes as preparation for the GED. Vicki Ussery teaches these classes, but her connection to the namesake of the community center doesn’t end there.

Bella Guerrero/The Oglethorpe Echo

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County continues search for bus drivers, monitors

Bella Guerrero

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

The Oglethorpe County School System’s bus driver shortage continues. Olivet James-Robinson, who became the acting director of transportation when Phillip Todd recently retired, said there are 23 full-time bus drivers, two substitute drivers and one maintenance driver who fills in as needed.

Recent graduates of the Leadership Oglethorpe program include: Dylan Minthorn, Ashby Booth, Lyla Casper, Maggie Barnes, Leanna Newton, Amarion Alexander, Brodie Layne, Pricila Salas Lopez, Jeffrey Molina, Ava Nimmons, Ashlin Warren, Venus LaParr, Za'Rekyi Walker, Jack Baldwin, Margarita Rodriguez-Valdez, Gloria Hgay, Diego Meza Treto, Jackson Turbeville and Carter Autry (Heli Patel wasn’t in attendance). (Photo/Viktoria Kangas)

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Second group graduates from leadership program

Viktoria Kangas

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Twenty students from Oglethorpe County Middle School walked one by one through the tall glass door, only to emerge from the same door hours later as official leaders of the community.

Hiroya Tsukamoto sings an original song during his concert at No. 3 Railroad Street last Friday. Tsukamoto told stories about his life between songs, adding a level of soulfulness and intimacy to the performance. SOPHIE MCLEOD/OGLETHORPE ECHO

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Concert transports audience to tranquility

Sophie McLeod

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

As golden-hour light bled through the front door of No. 3 Railroad Street late Friday afternoon, owner Mary Nouri and friends hurried to put the finishing touches on the refreshment table. Hiroya Tsukamoto tuned his guitar in preparation for the intimate concert.

The Oglethorpe Echo

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Schools, business help feed the hungry

News Staff

Sunday, April 2, 2023

The Oglethorpe County School System and Nature's Harvest have teamed to provide free meat to families in need. Superintendent Beverly Levine said the cooperative campaign started at the outset of COVID-19.

Cyclists participating in the Ticket to Ride fundraiser approach the first stop on the Firefly Trail in Winterville. Firefly Trail Inc. uses the annual event to raise money to complete the 39-mile path from Athens to Union Point. (Photo/Gray Jones)

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Annual Firefly Trail fundraiser brings in $15,000

Gray Jones

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Specks of color appeared over the horizon as the jackets of the first wave of cyclists inched closer to a stop on the trail in Winterville. Bicycle tires cut through puddles left by the storm that delayed the event’s start time by an hour, unimpeded by Saturday’s gloomy weather.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Large corral-style traps have been identified as the most effective tool to manage the population of feral swine in Oglethorpe County, as opposed to other methods of shooting and hunting the animals.

Experts: Trap, don’t shoot, feral swine

Morgan Quinn and Jack Rhodes

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Kendall Strickland has known about feral swine since 2015. Yet, it wasn’t until connecting with local communities through his business in Lexington, Strickland Pride Produce, that he understood their devastating effect on local farmers and landowners.