Local News

(Jamie Miller/The Oglethorpe Echo)

(Jamie Miller/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Flock cameras help spot crime, increase safety

Jamie Miller
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Flock cameras have made an impact in Oglethorpe County.   The cameras, which were installed eight months ago, have assisted in 130 traffic tickets, seven arrests for suspended licenses and one arrest for a stolen vehicle in the past six months, 911 Director James Jackson said.
Laura Pallas and Cameron Phillips's daughter, Savannah, runs through the vast produce fields with the family's two dogs. (Kate Hoffman/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Laura Pallas and Cameron Phillips's daughter, Savannah, runs through the vast produce fields with the family's two dogs. (Kate Hoffman/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Agritourism seeks new revenue

Kate Hoffman
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
District 4 Commissioner Will Brown anticipates that agritourism could be discussed at the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Feb. 7.
Charlie Snelling was among a group of 12 men from Oglethorpe County and around Northeast Georgia who helped the tornado victims in Kentucky. (Submitted Photo)

Charlie Snelling was among a group of 12 men from Oglethorpe County and around Northeast Georgia who helped the tornado victims in Kentucky. (Submitted Photo)

Tales from Sandy Cross: Charity — A Southern Tradition

Charlie Snelling
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Y’all have probably heard about the storms that went through Kentucky on the night of Dec. 10.   Unless you see it for yourself, there are no words to describe the devastation.
The traffic signal at the intersection of Athens Road, which is also U.S. Highway 78/state Route 10, and North Street in Crawford, is the only stoplight in the county. (Liset Cruz/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The traffic signal at the intersection of Athens Road, which is also U.S. Highway 78/state Route 10, and North Street in Crawford, is the only stoplight in the county. (Liset Cruz/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Officials discuss traffic concerns, possible solutions for county

Liset Cruz
Thursday, January 27, 2022
There’s only one stoplight — at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and North Street in Crawford — within the 442 square miles of Oglethorpe County.   “I think some of these people like it being a one-light town,” Oglethorpe County Sheriff David Gabriel said.
(Thomas Ehlers/The Oglethorpe Echo)

(Thomas Ehlers/The Oglethorpe Echo)

COVID-19 numbers on rise in schools

Thomas Ehlers
Thursday, January 27, 2022
An unwelcome guest entered the hallways when Oglethorpe County students returned to the classroom after break.   The district reported 59 new COVID-19 cases on the week of Jan. 10, with numbers trending higher last week.
(Darden Hearn/The Oglethorpe Echo)

(Darden Hearn/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Free N95 masks available locally; tests by mail

Darden Hearn
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Oglethorpe County residents should be able to pick up free N95 masks at retail pharmacies in Athens this week as part of the Biden Administration’s nationwide COVID-19 response plan.    According to the pharmacies, the Kroger Marketplace on U.S.
The historic building that housed the A.J. Gillen Department Store in Maxeys recently had a water meter installed for the first time in its history. (Sydney Fordice/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The historic building that housed the A.J. Gillen Department Store in Maxeys recently had a water meter installed for the first time in its history. (Sydney Fordice/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Cities make decisions on pricing, signage and renovations

Sydney Fordice
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Household trash pickup rates in Lexington will increase after a unanimous vote by the Lexington City Council at its Jan. 13 meeting. The price per can will go from $5 to $8, and extra cans from $9 to $12, after AAA Sanitation increased its rate from $11 to $13 for the city.