Local News

Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, Georgia's on-time delivery for single-piece, first-class mail trailed behind the national average for both two-day and three-to-five day service. Nationwide, 81.9% of two-day mail was on time compared with Georgia's 61.6%, highlighting regional performance gaps. (Kimberly Thomas/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, Georgia's on-time delivery for single-piece, first-class mail trailed behind the national average for both two-day and three-to-five day service. Nationwide, 81.9% of two-day mail was on time compared with Georgia's 61.6%, highlighting regional performance gaps. (Kimberly Thomas/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Mail delivery continues to be an issue

Kimberly Thomas
Thursday, September 25, 2025
On some evenings in Oglethorpe County, the mail doesn’t arrive until after dinnertime. Residents say they’ve waited as late as 8 p.m. for delivery, a far cry from when letters and bills once showed up by early afternoon.   The delays reflect a broader shift in how the U.S.
Ventilation system used poultry facilities in Oglethorpe county. Various ventilation systems are needed to cool poultry houses in the summer (Submitted Photo/Hog Slat, Inc).

Ventilation system used poultry facilities in Oglethorpe county. Various ventilation systems are needed to cool poultry houses in the summer (Submitted Photo/Hog Slat, Inc).

Technology helps fill gaps as poultry industry shifts

Jacob Harper
Thursday, September 25, 2025
New technology is filling the gap as labor shortages have reshaped poultry operations in Northeast Georgia. Billy Farmer, regional manager at Hog Slat Inc., the parent company of the Georgia Poultry Equipment Co. in Lexington, said the shift toward automation is picking up speed.
Philomath Presbyterian Church has been a prominent structure in Philomath since the mid 1800s. In the early 2000s, the Philomath Church Preservation Association was created to restore the church and its preserve its longstanding history. (Photo/Ansley Gavlak)

Philomath Presbyterian Church has been a prominent structure in Philomath since the mid 1800s. In the early 2000s, the Philomath Church Preservation Association was created to restore the church and its preserve its longstanding history. (Photo/Ansley Gavlak)

Beloved Philomath Presbyterian Church preserves history, unites community

Ansley Gavlak
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Driving along state Route 22, it’s hard to miss the historic buildings and Southern architecture on the two-lane road.  Stretching for just a mile in the southeastern corner of Oglethorpe County, the unincorporated community of Philomath might be small, but it carries a large history.
The Crawford City Council Sandra Sheridan (from left), Brenda Butler, city clerk Amy Wall-Lance, Mayor Seavy O’Neal, Kathy Little, Carol McGrath and Johnny Shedd met on Nov. 12 , 2024 for its monthly meeting. Sheridan stepped down last month after serving on the council for nearly 15 years. (Photo/ Sarah Coyne)

The Crawford City Council Sandra Sheridan (from left), Brenda Butler, city clerk Amy Wall-Lance, Mayor Seavy O’Neal, Kathy Little, Carol McGrath and Johnny Shedd met on Nov. 12 , 2024 for its monthly meeting. Sheridan stepped down last month after serving on the council for nearly 15 years. (Photo/ Sarah Coyne)

Sheridan steps down from Crawford City Council

Mia Fishman
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Crawford City Council member Sandra Sheridan, who has served on the city council for nearly 15 years, announced her resignation last month.  After moving forward with selling her house and moving out of the county, Sheridan said “it was time to resign.” “It was fun,” Sheridan said.
Ashley Simpson holds the mic as Maggie Mobley shares memories from her years at Cedar Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse, during Historic Oglethorpe’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. She recalled how her life changed after the schools were consolidated. (Photo/Molly Moore)

Ashley Simpson holds the mic as Maggie Mobley shares memories from her years at Cedar Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse, during Historic Oglethorpe’s monthly meeting on Tuesday. She recalled how her life changed after the schools were consolidated. (Photo/Molly Moore)

Group honors legacy of 21 Black schools

Molly Moore
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Maggie Mobley, Barbara Johnson Davenport, Willie Clarence Davenport and Carlton Sanders still remember long walks through pastures and on dirt roads, homemade lunches with preserves, and small classrooms where a single teacher taught multiple grades.

School system is investigating social media post

News Staff
Thursday, September 18, 2025
An Oglethorpe County High School teacher has been removed from the classroom while the school system investigates a social media post made in the wake of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s death last week.
The garage doors sit open at Salem Fire and Rescue's main station in Lexington, Georgia, on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. An expansion to the station was completed in October 2024. (Katherine Davis/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The garage doors sit open at Salem Fire and Rescue's main station in Lexington, Georgia, on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. An expansion to the station was completed in October 2024. (Katherine Davis/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Expanded station should meet Salem’s needs for ‘30 years’

Katherine Davis
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Salem Fire and Rescue is using a 4,000-square-foot expansion to more effectively respond to emergencies and lower insurance in its response area. The primary fire station on Davids Road, originally constructed in 1988, was built to hold only two fire trucks. Most recently, it housed three.