Local News

Old friends reunite at Saturday’s commemorative program for the Oglethorpe County Consolidated School that opened in 1955 for Black students. The building, which is now Oglethorpe County Primary School, is scheduled to be torn down. (McCain Bracewell/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Old friends reunite at Saturday’s commemorative program for the Oglethorpe County Consolidated School that opened in 1955 for Black students. The building, which is now Oglethorpe County Primary School, is scheduled to be torn down. (McCain Bracewell/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Consolidated school remembered at event

McCain Bracewell
Thursday, October 3, 2024
More than 350 past teachers, students, staff and family members gathered to remember the former Oglethorpe County Consolidated School, now Oglethorpe County Primary School, on Sept. 28.
John Turner, who lives on South Gilmer Street in Lexington, cuts up one of the five trees that fell on his family's property during the storm. Turner said three oaks - possibly at least 100 years old - and two pecan trees fell. (ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

John Turner, who lives on South Gilmer Street in Lexington, cuts up one of the five trees that fell on his family's property during the storm. Turner said three oaks - possibly at least 100 years old - and two pecan trees fell. (ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Residents clean up after Hurricane Helene

Ella Kroll
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Hurricane Helene hit Northeast Georgia early Friday morning, causing widespread power outages, fallen trees and substantial rainfall in Oglethorpe County. While the county wasn’t impacted as severely as initially projected, efforts to clean up and move forward are expected to take several weeks.
Roseanna Ames with Oglethorpe County Schools holds a sign and stands along Highway 78, in front of the OCHS gym. Those who stopped received spaghetti meals, bottled water and other necessities. Some took food to people affected by the damage and power outages. (Submitted Photo)

Roseanna Ames with Oglethorpe County Schools holds a sign and stands along Highway 78, in front of the OCHS gym. Those who stopped received spaghetti meals, bottled water and other necessities. Some took food to people affected by the damage and power outages. (Submitted Photo)

County rallies around those impacted by storm

News Staff
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
The texts and calls started early Sunday morning.  Members of the Oglethorpe County Board of Education and Superintendent Beverley Levine wondered how they could help folks from around the area who needed food, showers and other necessities in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Laundry is shown drying on a side street in the Italian city of Ercolano. It can be viewed at the Winterville Cultural Center Gallery through Oct. 30. (TOM THON/FOR THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Laundry is shown drying on a side street in the Italian city of Ercolano. It can be viewed at the Winterville Cultural Center Gallery through Oct. 30. (TOM THON/FOR THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Local photographer focuses on history

Jack Keys
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
A 10-year-old Tom Thon could hardly sleep the night before Christmas. Having unwrapped a roll of film just hours earlier, he was left to speculate what gifts were on the other side of his slumber.
Don Davis, a retired veteran, sits along the wall he built to help protect the graves he maintains on his property on Buddy Faust Road in Lexington. Not much is known about the people buried in the three graves next to his house. (MARY CATHERINE DODYS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Don Davis, a retired veteran, sits along the wall he built to help protect the graves he maintains on his property on Buddy Faust Road in Lexington. Not much is known about the people buried in the three graves next to his house. (MARY CATHERINE DODYS/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Preserving their memory: Davis maintains unmarked cemetery

Mary Catherine Dodys
Friday, September 27, 2024
The traditional image of a cemetery is quite different from many in Oglethorpe County, where families often buried their loved ones on their own land, sometimes unmarked.  These family gravesites are scattered throughout the county.
A show vehicle information sheet sits on the windshield of a 1932 Studebaker at the Firefly Cruise-In at the Oglethorpe County Courthouse on Sept. 22, 2024. The show vehicle information sheets provided detailed information to the event's judges and attendees. (Kendall Kelly/Oglethorpe Echo)

A show vehicle information sheet sits on the windshield of a 1932 Studebaker at the Firefly Cruise-In at the Oglethorpe County Courthouse on Sept. 22, 2024. The show vehicle information sheets provided detailed information to the event's judges and attendees. (Kendall Kelly/Oglethorpe Echo)

PHOTOS: 11th Annual Firefly Cruise-In

Kendall Kelly
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Jonathan James (bottom left), Karen Pittard (clockwise from top left), Kristi Horsley, Beth Wells, Cody Gibbs and April Moore participate in the Leadership Oglethorpe program. The Leadership Oglethorpe program is one of many causes the Oglethorpe County Rotary Club contributes to, totaling almost $13,000 every year. (Submitted Photo)

Jonathan James (bottom left), Karen Pittard (clockwise from top left), Kristi Horsley, Beth Wells, Cody Gibbs and April Moore participate in the Leadership Oglethorpe program. The Leadership Oglethorpe program is one of many causes the Oglethorpe County Rotary Club contributes to, totaling almost $13,000 every year. (Submitted Photo)

Rotary starts raffle, looks for members

Makenzy Wolford
Thursday, September 26, 2024
In a county where residents are encouraged to “buy Oglethorpe,” Rotary Club President Jeff Welch spawned an idea to do just that and expand his club’s reach.  “We have got to find a way to get our light out from under the bushels,” Welch said about the efforts of the Oglethorpe County Rotary Club.