Local News

Person dies in two-vehicle accident on 78

One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 78, just west of Crawford on Monday afternoon.  Emergency personnel responded to the accident at approximately 2:30 p.m. near Greater Georgia Printers. The victim has been identified, but the family hasn't been notified.
MORGAN QUINN/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO John Fortuna, a retired graphic designer, enjoys peace and quiet in his dome home off Crawfordville Road in Lexington. It’s the second one he’s built. The first one was in Orlando, Florida, in the 1970s.

MORGAN QUINN/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO John Fortuna, a retired graphic designer, enjoys peace and quiet in his dome home off Crawfordville Road in Lexington. It’s the second one he’s built. The first one was in Orlando, Florida, in the 1970s.

Home sweet Dome

WATCH: Tour John Fortuna's Geodesic Dome House in Lexington   Camouflaged down a dirt path off Crawfordville Road are three dome-shaped structures around an acre-wide pond.    One holds three chickens named Pancake, Sausage and Bacon. Another shelters two peacocks.
Mayor Warren Gilson

Mayor Warren Gilson

Maxeys’ radiation filters to be replaced

Maxeys will have the radiation filters on their existing well replaced after the city council voted unanimously to approve a contract on Feb.14. The initial payment has been made and the contract totaled $29,817.50.  The radiation filters will be used to remove radiation from the water.
OCHS teacher Elaine Kitchens guides her ESOL students through their common literature questions. ESOL students make up 4% of the district’s student body. (Photo/Viktoria Kangas)

OCHS teacher Elaine Kitchens guides her ESOL students through their common literature questions. ESOL students make up 4% of the district’s student body. (Photo/Viktoria Kangas)

Multilingual students equip themselves with ESOL program

Students' eyes are drawn to the board. They listen, internalize and interpret the lesson there — both in the language they hear and language they know fluently.
Tobacco offered by Community Cigar in downtown Lexington. (Photo/Alex Bavosa)

Tobacco offered by Community Cigar in downtown Lexington. (Photo/Alex Bavosa)

Cigar lovers find community at Lexington shop

Glynn Segars, president of Community Cigar and director of sales and marketing at Big Country Cigar Brokers, decided to start hosting events on the first Friday of every month to bring folks into his store and to build a community that shares the same simple passion — cigars.
Kathleen deMarrais (left) and Alice H. Hughes (right) moments after Hughes received an award from Historic Oglethorpe County. (RAMON ELORTONDO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Kathleen deMarrais (left) and Alice H. Hughes (right) moments after Hughes received an award from Historic Oglethorpe County. (RAMON ELORTONDO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Hughes honored for efforts to preserve history

Alice H. Hughes spent time serving the Georgia Historic Markers program. She contributed to three of the 10 historic markers in Oglethorpe County and has been a meticulous recorder of history and dedicated genealogist.
(Map/Gianna Rodriguez)

(Map/Gianna Rodriguez)

Greater Athens Physicians looks to add staff by June

Greater Athens Physicians is in the process of hiring medical professionals to start in June at its Oglethorpe County office at 774 Athens Road.    The hiring of at least two nurse practitioners this summer will allow Dr.
JACK RHODES/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

JACK RHODES/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO

HB 477 would assist counties in sludge battle

  County leaders throughout Northeast Georgia, like those in Oglethorpe, are concerned about the lack of regulation for soil amendments and have pushed for more local control.

Rezoning, roads on BOC’s agenda

The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners will address rezoning items, the introduction of Vanguard Renewables to the county and a no-thru-truck road list as part of the tentative agenda for its meeting on Monday, March 6.