Local News

Mya Jewell and Maggie Barnes talk before the 2025 Oglethorpe County High School Prom at Historic Smithonia Farm in Colbert, Georgia on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Jewell and Barnes are both sophomores who helped plan and set up prom. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Mya Jewell and Maggie Barnes talk before the 2025 Oglethorpe County High School Prom at Historic Smithonia Farm in Colbert, Georgia on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Jewell and Barnes are both sophomores who helped plan and set up prom. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

PHOTOS: OCHS Prom returns to Historic Smithonia Farm

Libby Hobbs
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
The 2025 Oglethorpe County High School Prom returned to Historic Smithonia Farm on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Su Moo was crowned Prom Queen, and Aidan Carlan was crowned Prom King.
Saxophonist Bill Oglesby and guitarist Marcelo Buril open their set at Meson Park. The Original Screw Tops recently played at Number 3 Railroad St. in Arnoldsville. (Jet Rawls/ The Oglethorpe Echo)

Saxophonist Bill Oglesby and guitarist Marcelo Buril open their set at Meson Park. The Original Screw Tops recently played at Number 3 Railroad St. in Arnoldsville. (Jet Rawls/ The Oglethorpe Echo)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Screw Tops kick off spring concert series

Jet Rawls
Friday, April 11, 2025
Dozens gathered at Meson Park in downtown Lexington on Saturday for the first of three concerts benefitting the renovation of the Lexington Community Center.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Ratcliffe to leave library; pledge drive continues

News Staff
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Katherine Ratcliffe is leaving as branch manager of the Oglethorpe County Library to take a similar position at the Bogart Library.  Ratcliffe has been in the role for nearly two years, taking over for Austin Jenkins in June 2023.
Lucas (from left), Stetson and Brooke Holcombe stand with their two catahoula leopard dogs, Delta Dawn (left) and Boone (right), at the UGA Intramural Fields last month. The Holcombes, who live in Winterville, have started a hunting business around their dogs. (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Lucas (from left), Stetson and Brooke Holcombe stand with their two catahoula leopard dogs, Delta Dawn (left) and Boone (right), at the UGA Intramural Fields last month. The Holcombes, who live in Winterville, have started a hunting business around their dogs. (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Boone the one-of-a-kind dog: Family’s best friend provides legacy of hunting, love and entrepreneurship

Jesse Wood
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Deer blood in dog kibble is part of the process of turning a puppy into a tracking dog, but Boone, a catahoula leopard dog, didn’t need it. When Boone joined Brooke Holcombe’s life in 2019, he was meant to be a companion, at most a guard dog.
Belle, the longest dog resident at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter, jumps on executive director Juli Huth. Recently hired, Huth has goals "to see (the shelter's) length of stay go down." (Photo/Jennifer Xia)

Belle, the longest dog resident at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter, jumps on executive director Juli Huth. Recently hired, Huth has goals "to see (the shelter's) length of stay go down." (Photo/Jennifer Xia)

Q&A: New MOAS director brings interim experience to role

Jennifer Xia
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Juli Huth stepped into her new role as executive director of the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter (MOAS) this past March with quite a bit of experience. She served as interim director twice in the last two years.
District 1 Commissioners Howard Sanders (right) and District 3 Commissioner David Clark (left) examine a map of Dredrick Lane's property has he defended his variance request at the April Board of Commissioners meeting on April 7, 2025, in Lexington, Georgia. Lane was granted his request for an address on Hutchins Wolfskin Road. (Photo/Zach Leggio)

District 1 Commissioners Howard Sanders (right) and District 3 Commissioner David Clark (left) examine a map of Dredrick Lane's property has he defended his variance request at the April Board of Commissioners meeting on April 7, 2025, in Lexington, Georgia. Lane was granted his request for an address on Hutchins Wolfskin Road. (Photo/Zach Leggio)

BOC OKs new drone program

Zach Leggio
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved moving forward in the process to buy three drones to use for search and rescue operations, terrain mapping, watershed inspections and even sludge tracking.
Anastasia Davis’s new home is in Maxeys on Sunday, March 30. The suspended bedroom and deck with joint fireplaces hang above the drive-through garage and barn. (Photo/Anastasia Davis)

Anastasia Davis’s new home is in Maxeys on Sunday, March 30. The suspended bedroom and deck with joint fireplaces hang above the drive-through garage and barn. (Photo/Anastasia Davis)

A showcase for Sanchez

Emily Slepsky
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
 Anastasia “Staz” Davis wanted a home suited to her lifestyle, one that could accommodate her motorcycles and horses.  So she met with local artist and architect Cynzia Sanchez at a clearing in the woods where the house would one day stand, describing her vision.
Gwendoline Browning answers questions asked by the fifth graders of Oglethorpe County Elementary School during her presentation on Friday, March 28, 2025 in Lexington, GA. Browning sat patiently and listened to these questions for thirty minutes after she had finished telling her story. (Photo/Frankie Hennessy)

Gwendoline Browning answers questions asked by the fifth graders of Oglethorpe County Elementary School during her presentation on Friday, March 28, 2025 in Lexington, GA. Browning sat patiently and listened to these questions for thirty minutes after she had finished telling her story. (Photo/Frankie Hennessy)

WWII survivor shares survival story with OCES fifth-graders

Frankie Hennessy
Thursday, April 3, 2025
It is not every day that a class at Oglethorpe County Elementary School gets to meet someone who lived through World War II, especially someone who escaped the German blitz of London by evacuation as a child.
A koi fish swims in the upper pond within the backyard of Sheriff David Gabriel on Monday, March 17, 2025. Koi are largely social and collective creatures, and some even develop distinct “personalities” within their school such as a leader or a loner. (Photo/Felix Scheyer)

A koi fish swims in the upper pond within the backyard of Sheriff David Gabriel on Monday, March 17, 2025. Koi are largely social and collective creatures, and some even develop distinct “personalities” within their school such as a leader or a loner. (Photo/Felix Scheyer)

Photos: At peace with his fish

Felix Scheyer
Thursday, April 3, 2025
In addition to being the sheriff of Oglethorpe County, David Gabriel is an avid koi enthusiast whose love for koi began nearly 30 years ago when he helped his father build a koi pond outside of his childhood home.
Voting for the Special Election will take place at the Athens-Clarke County Elections Office. “We've got a great council now and I hope they just round it out with a whole lot of energy and passion for the city.” (Photo/Olivia Wilson)

Voting for the Special Election will take place at the Athens-Clarke County Elections Office. “We've got a great council now and I hope they just round it out with a whole lot of energy and passion for the city.” (Photo/Olivia Wilson)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Winterville City Council to hold special election

Olivia Wilson
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Qualifying is this week for a vacant Winterville City Council seat after the resignation of council member Tina Mills. Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle said he has high hopes for the resident who steps into this vacancy.