Local News

Powell to earn $170,000 a year

Ellie English
Thursday, July 23, 2026
New Oglethorpe County Superintendent Phillip Powell will earn an annual salary of  $170,000 under the terms of his contract, which was official on July 1.
Phillip Powell’s desk at the central office is filled with paperwork as he continues to assimilate to his new position as superintendent of the Oglethorpe County School System. Powell replaced Beverley Levine, who retired. (Andy Johnston/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Phillip Powell’s desk at the central office is filled with paperwork as he continues to assimilate to his new position as superintendent of the Oglethorpe County School System. Powell replaced Beverley Levine, who retired. (Andy Johnston/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Powell places emphasis on trust, relationships

Jasmine Milbourne
Thursday, July 23, 2026
When Phillip Powell was principal of Commerce Middle School, the students could choose a task for him if they performed well on the Georgia Milestones.  Some were outlandish. One time, he agreed to sumo wrestle the assistant principal. Another time, he had to eat dead tarantulas.
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education approved multiple policy updates Tuesday, including changes to employee leave, student device use and suicide prevention training, ahead of the upcoming school year. (Ellie English/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The Oglethorpe County Board of Education approved multiple policy updates Tuesday, including changes to employee leave, student device use and suicide prevention training, ahead of the upcoming school year. (Ellie English/The Oglethorpe Echo)

BOE approves policies to be in line with state

Ellie English
Thursday, July 23, 2026
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education unanimously approved several policy updates Tuesday night, including changes to employee leave and electronic device use to align with the new state requirements ahead of the school year.
Jazz singer Tempe Otto and pianist Bill Wilson perform their first show together at Shillings On The Square in Marietta. Otto played in restaurants and private events in and around Atlanta for about 15 years. (Submitted)

Jazz singer Tempe Otto and pianist Bill Wilson perform their first show together at Shillings On The Square in Marietta. Otto played in restaurants and private events in and around Atlanta for about 15 years. (Submitted)

From singer to seamstress: Former Atlanta jazz performer sews, does alterations at Lexington Marketplace

Lexie Shadix
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Tempe Otto was standing before a packed house at The Velvet Note, an award-winning listening room in Alpharetta. It was August 2013, and the club was filled with patrons waiting to hear the jazz singer.  “I sold out twice there, and I was shocked,” Otto said.
Workers take core samples of the granite on July 7 on part of the 534-acre site that Oglethorpe County is looking to sell. Two granite companies are taking samples, and three others are preparing to do the same. (Lexie Shadix/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Workers take core samples of the granite on July 7 on part of the 534-acre site that Oglethorpe County is looking to sell. Two granite companies are taking samples, and three others are preparing to do the same. (Lexie Shadix/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Companies test county-owned land for granite

Lexie Shadix
Thursday, July 16, 2026
The county is moving forward with its plans to sell or lease a 534-acre tract of land off Buddy Faust Road.  Two companies have started taking core samples of the property’s granite to evaluate the quality and quantity of the stone, and three more are preparing to do the same, county officials said.
UGA entomologist and Arnoldsville resident Elmer Gray shares tips on how to deal with summer pests, specifically mosquitoes and ticks, at PlowShare's monthly meeting on Monday at the Farm Bureau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of an abnormally early mosquito season. (Ethan Greene/The Oglethorpe Echo)

UGA entomologist and Arnoldsville resident Elmer Gray shares tips on how to deal with summer pests, specifically mosquitoes and ticks, at PlowShare's monthly meeting on Monday at the Farm Bureau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of an abnormally early mosquito season. (Ethan Greene/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Gray says ‘avoidance is the best policy’ for ticks, mosquitoes

Ethan Greene
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Persistent rain has eased Oglethorpe County’s multi-month drought, but the sudden moisture, paired with the usual Georgia heat, has brought back a familiar summer nuisance: bugs.

School system settles lawsuit with former teacher

Jessie Isaacs
Thursday, July 9, 2026
The Oglethorpe County School System’s insurance policy will pay for a settlement resulting from a lawsuit filed by former teacher Michelle Mickens regarding a social media post she made after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last fall.
Brooke Shook shows her children, Sonny Shook (left) and Copeland Shook, an iguana at The Oglethorpe County Library's reptile encounter on June 9. A total of 162 people were in attendance, which is a record for that event. (Submitted Photo)

Brooke Shook shows her children, Sonny Shook (left) and Copeland Shook, an iguana at The Oglethorpe County Library's reptile encounter on June 9. A total of 162 people were in attendance, which is a record for that event. (Submitted Photo)

Library growth leads to parking problems

Lexie Shadix
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Nearly 500 people have signed up for the Oglethorpe County Library’s summer reading program, up from last year’s 364, and visitors are outpacing the number of parking spots at the site.
Commissioners Will Brown (left) and Tracy Norman look over paperwork at the start of the Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday at the courthouse. At Norman’s suggestion, the board approved a 90-day moratorium on data center applications. (Andy Johnston/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Commissioners Will Brown (left) and Tracy Norman look over paperwork at the start of the Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday at the courthouse. At Norman’s suggestion, the board approved a 90-day moratorium on data center applications. (Andy Johnston/The Oglethorpe Echo)

BOC enacts data center moratorium

Lexie Shadix
Thursday, July 9, 2026
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a 90-day moratorium on data centers at its meeting at the courthouse on Monday.  It will temporarily halt any data center applications while county officials draft an ordinance to regulate them.