Opinion

On Capitol Hill in Atlanta, the state erected a memorial to its veterans and in honor of Gen. Pete Wheeler, who served as commissioner of the Department of Veterans Service from 1948 until his death in 2015.(DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

On Capitol Hill in Atlanta, the state erected a memorial to its veterans and in honor of Gen. Pete Wheeler, who served as commissioner of the Department of Veterans Service from 1948 until his death in 2015.(DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Opinion Column: Pete Wheeler was a legend among Georgia veterans

Dink NeSmith
Monday, November 14, 2022
Curiosity killed the cat, said my grandmother. Curiosity made me drive to Atlanta in 2011. All these years later, I am still shaking my head — in amazement — about the legacy of Crawford’s native son, the late Pete Wheeler.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 1996 Olympics, Athens and the University of Georgia re-enacted the torch run. As chairman of Athens 96, I invited Billy Payne, left, and Vince Dooley, right, to speak at the ceremony. (Submitted Photo)

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 1996 Olympics, Athens and the University of Georgia re-enacted the torch run. As chairman of Athens 96, I invited Billy Payne, left, and Vince Dooley, right, to speak at the ceremony. (Submitted Photo)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Opinion: Remembering my friend, UGA legend Vince Dooley

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, November 3, 2022
In sports lingo, it’d be a highlights reel. For me, it’s more of a mental scrapbook. I remember that Saturday afternoon on Oct. 8, 1966.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Editorial: One year later

News Staff
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Thank you, Oglethorpe County.    Last year, you said you wanted your 147-year-old newspaper to keep on keeping on.  We heard you. This edition marks the first anniversary of The Oglethorpe Echo Legacy’s ownership of your community’s newspaper.
The Oglethorpe Echo

The Oglethorpe Echo

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Editorial: Let’s celebrate Homecoming

News Staff
Friday, October 28, 2022
Fall is a busy time, especially during an election year.     Early voting is in full swing at the Board of Elections office on Fairground Road, but the big excitement this week is Oglethorpe County High School Homecoming.
Wendell Berry was the first person inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. His written and spoken words have carried the farmer and author’s influence to the far reaches of the globe. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

Wendell Berry was the first person inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. His written and spoken words have carried the farmer and author’s influence to the far reaches of the globe. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Opinion Column: Candidates ignore the environment

Dink NeSmith
Friday, October 28, 2022
If you wish the Nov. 8 election was over, raise your hand.   Careful.   Don’t throw your shoulder out of joint.   The only ones not eager to see the bickering and backbiting in the rearview mirror are the TV stations that are profiting from the gold rush of mudslinging advertising.
We stagger the planting of Peredovik sunflower seeds to stretch the enjoyment over several months. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

We stagger the planting of Peredovik sunflower seeds to stretch the enjoyment over several months. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Opinion Column: Why grow patches of sunflowers?

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, October 20, 2022
The love affair goes way back.   I’ve always loved digging in the dirt. Maybe it’s the agrarian roots on my mother’s side. Her daddy and his daddy and his daddy walked a thousand miles behind mules. Little wonder I had to have a mule or two or three in my barnyard.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Editorial: The Echo's Opinion

News Staff
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Vote early Ready. Set. Go! With early voting this week, the election races are off and running.  If you’re a registered Oglethorpe County voter, you can cast your early ballot at the Board of Elections office at 41 Fairground Road in Lexington.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Column: Fall is time to boil pot of ‘country caviar’

Dink NeSmith
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Have you ever wondered why so many Northerners turn up their noses at boiled peanuts?   I can tell you why.   They have had the misfortune of buying a roadside bag of boiled peanuts that too often taste, well, awful. I am a peanut purist, especially when it comes to boiling goobers.
The Oglethorpe Echo

The Oglethorpe Echo

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Editorial: Thumbs up and down

News Staff
Friday, September 30, 2022
Oglethorpe County and the world are filled with news — good and bad. Some news is scary, i.e., the war in Ukraine, wondering what Russian leader Vladimir Putin will do. And then there’s the posturing between China, Taiwan and the U.S. Is World War III nigh?