Local News

A black bear in a pecan tree off Crawford Smithonia Road caused a stir on Friday morning. The bear was later named Elvis. (Dink NeSmith/The Oglethorpe Echo)

A black bear in a pecan tree off Crawford Smithonia Road caused a stir on Friday morning. The bear was later named Elvis. (Dink NeSmith/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Bear sighted in Crawford, named Elvis

Leighton Dancy
Thursday, May 1, 2025
When Tony Resop let out his dogs at 7:30 a.m. Friday, the last thing he expected to see was a black bear in his neighbor’s pecan tree. “My first instinct was, ‘Oh my god, there’s a cow in the tree,’” Resop said. “My jaw just dropped. I said, ‘There is a bear in the tree.’ I just couldn’t believe it.
From left: company dancers Lucy Eller, Marlee Waldroup, Molly Rose Graham, and Grace Foland practice a dance routine paired with a song titled "Interlude: Dawn" during their ballet II/III class led by instructor Jessica Palmer at the Lena Wise Community Center on April 7, 2025. Palmer is the owner and instructor of Jessica's School of Dance, a complete dance program for young girls of all ages. (Photo / Lux Corrona)

From left: company dancers Lucy Eller, Marlee Waldroup, Molly Rose Graham, and Grace Foland practice a dance routine paired with a song titled "Interlude: Dawn" during their ballet II/III class led by instructor Jessica Palmer at the Lena Wise Community Center on April 7, 2025. Palmer is the owner and instructor of Jessica's School of Dance, a complete dance program for young girls of all ages. (Photo / Lux Corrona)

Palmer’s small school helps dancers grow

Lux Corrona
Thursday, May 1, 2025
At Jessica’s School of Dance, it’s about more than winning competitions.  “We always joke, ‘This is not ‘Dance Moms’,” said Amber Waldroup, mother of 11-year-old Marlee Waldroup. “This place is like a family. And you know, these girls are my girls. And the moms are some of my best friends.
Xander Buska (from left) and Demarco Martinez, who are fifth-graders, and Jameson Duke, a sixth-grader, complete the live bird judging portion of the Area Poultry Judging Competition at the Oglethorpe County Extension Office on April 24. Their skills in handling the birds help them evaluate egg production traits, among other factors. (Photo/Lilly Stone)

Xander Buska (from left) and Demarco Martinez, who are fifth-graders, and Jameson Duke, a sixth-grader, complete the live bird judging portion of the Area Poultry Judging Competition at the Oglethorpe County Extension Office on April 24. Their skills in handling the birds help them evaluate egg production traits, among other factors. (Photo/Lilly Stone)

Eyes on the poultry prize: Youth put skills to the test

Lilly Stone
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
When some students begin their involvement with the poultry judging team, birds are already a part of their lives. For others, it comes later, in unexpected ways.
District nurse Kristina Turner (left) and EMS director Josh Robinson stand with the new SaveStation at OCHS. “One of the goals of this project was to try to get AEDs as accessible to people in the county as possible,” Robinson said. (Photo/Emery Pikel)

District nurse Kristina Turner (left) and EMS director Josh Robinson stand with the new SaveStation at OCHS. “One of the goals of this project was to try to get AEDs as accessible to people in the county as possible,” Robinson said. (Photo/Emery Pikel)

More AEDs can be found in the county

Emery Pikel
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
A collaboration between the Oglethorpe County EMS, Sheriff’s Office and school district has helped automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in various areas around the county.  There are 15 AEDs in county buildings and vehicles, 16 in patrol cars and 18 on school campuses.
Elizabeth Newton and her son, David, pose for a portrait in Elizabeth’s Cumming residence on April 7, 2025. Elizabeth holds one of four genealogical history books she’s published, which features ancestors who will be honored at a memorial service this weekend. (Photo/Julianna Duennes Russ)

Elizabeth Newton and her son, David, pose for a portrait in Elizabeth’s Cumming residence on April 7, 2025. Elizabeth holds one of four genealogical history books she’s published, which features ancestors who will be honored at a memorial service this weekend. (Photo/Julianna Duennes Russ)

Millstone Memorial: Two centuries later, family to hold service for ancestors

Julianna Duennes Russ
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
On Feb. 4, 1837, an Oglethorpe County man named Nathan Harris offered 1 acre of land along Millstone Creek to Millstone Baptist Church.  Nearly 200 years later, his descendants are returning to that land to honor him, and two other ancestors, at a memorial service on Sunday.
Susan Shaw (top left), her daughter Jennifer Johns (top right), and son-in-law Josh Johns (center) pose with grandchildren Madelyn and Levi Johns (bottom left and right) for a photo at Hickory Hill Farms. (Photo/ Lilly Stone)

Susan Shaw (top left), her daughter Jennifer Johns (top right), and son-in-law Josh Johns (center) pose with grandchildren Madelyn and Levi Johns (bottom left and right) for a photo at Hickory Hill Farms. (Photo/ Lilly Stone)

Oglethorpe’s family-owned farms persevere through changing times

Lilly Stone and Jesse Wood
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Nine-year-old Madelyn Johns spends her Friday afternoons running through rows of crops spread across her family's 12 acres of plantings at Hickory Hill Farms in Carlton.  Across the field, her youngest brother Matthew, 6, clutches a handful of freshly pulled carrots.
Nearly 50 family, friends and colleagues gather at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter on April 13, 2025 to honor Katie Griffeth, the late veterinary technician who was beloved by the local community. Many shared stories amongst the laughter and tears of the day as they remembered Griffeth through a clinic dedication. (Photo/Jennifer Xia)

Nearly 50 family, friends and colleagues gather at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter on April 13, 2025 to honor Katie Griffeth, the late veterinary technician who was beloved by the local community. Many shared stories amongst the laughter and tears of the day as they remembered Griffeth through a clinic dedication. (Photo/Jennifer Xia)

MOAS dedicates clinic to longtime vet tech

Jennifer Xia
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Katie Griffeth was a constant, comforting presence at Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter (MOAS) for more than two decades. She was a familiar face crouching near kennels, assisting with surgeries or just bustling throughout the hallways.
Tom Thon features his original photography at his art show at the Oglethorpe County Historic Jail on Saturday, April 12. Everything on display was for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the jailhouse. (Photo/Emily Slepsky)

Tom Thon features his original photography at his art show at the Oglethorpe County Historic Jail on Saturday, April 12. Everything on display was for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the jailhouse. (Photo/Emily Slepsky)

Historic jail opens its doors to first art show

Emily Slepsky
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
 The Oglethorpe County Historic Jail recently opened its doors for its first-ever art exhibit. Local artist and retired actor Tom Thon launched this potentially ongoing series of art shows, turning the 1879 jailhouse into a pop-up gallery space.
Dwight Howard, founder of the Holy Ground Community Garden, bows his head in front of the Georgia State Patrol’s Sgt. Neil Frankel (left) and Trooper Tyler Crowe and State Rep. Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta). They were listening to the garden's theme song by Jackie Howard, Howard's sister, at the grand opening. (Photo/Adriana Cascio)

Dwight Howard, founder of the Holy Ground Community Garden, bows his head in front of the Georgia State Patrol’s Sgt. Neil Frankel (left) and Trooper Tyler Crowe and State Rep. Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta). They were listening to the garden's theme song by Jackie Howard, Howard's sister, at the grand opening. (Photo/Adriana Cascio)

Holy Ground: Howard’s vision, faith takes root in new community garden

Adriana Cascio
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Dwight Howard Sr. celebrated the debut of the Holy Ground Community Garden on Saturday, a space he envisions as more than a field of soil, but also a testament to his faith. “The community garden is history, but if you think about the word ‘history,’ it’s ‘His story,’” Howard said.