business

Lauren Willcox, owner of W5 Breakaway Roping, makes her catch during competition, throwing a clean loop as her horse tracks the calf across the arena. She’s also a special education and pre-K teacher in Oglethorpe County. (Photo/Submitted)

Lauren Willcox, owner of W5 Breakaway Roping, makes her catch during competition, throwing a clean loop as her horse tracks the calf across the arena. She’s also a special education and pre-K teacher in Oglethorpe County. (Photo/Submitted)

Willcox spurs growth of her roping school

Jacob Harper
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Lauren Willcox owns and operates W5 Breakaway Roping, which has attracted customers from across Georgia and the Carolinas.  “A friend asked if I wanted to put on a clinic, and I thought that it would be something fun to do one time,” Willcox said.
Landon Howard, owner and founder of Howard’s Detailing, has been detailing cars since early 2023. A junior at OCHS, Howard balances academics, club and leadership involvement, church involvement and running his business. (Submitted Photo)

Landon Howard, owner and founder of Howard’s Detailing, has been detailing cars since early 2023. A junior at OCHS, Howard balances academics, club and leadership involvement, church involvement and running his business. (Submitted Photo)

Howard balances OCHS, car detailing business

Grace Burnett
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
When he’s not serving as an FFA officer, attending club meetings or maintaining his 4.0 GPA, Landon Howard can be found cleaning and detailing cars for Oglethorpe County residents and beyond.
Izzy (left) and Tania Marler enjoy bonding over baking for Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery. Izzy serves as CEO and Tania assists with tasks, such as posting on social media. (Emily Adams/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Izzy (left) and Tania Marler enjoy bonding over baking for Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery. Izzy serves as CEO and Tania assists with tasks, such as posting on social media. (Emily Adams/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Homemade happiness

Grace Burnett
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery in Winterville embodies Izzy Marler’s mission of inclusion.  A graduate of the Destination Dawgs program at the University of Georgia, Izzy bakes and sells artisan, breads, treats and pastries alongside Tania Marler, her mother, from their Winterville home.
Willie Torres stands in front of the counter of his restaurant, Town and Country Kafe, that he co-owns with his wife, Amy Delfin-Torres. The couple decided to put the restaurant on the market after three years to pursue other personal opportunities like traveling. (photo/Emily Adams)

Willie Torres stands in front of the counter of his restaurant, Town and Country Kafe, that he co-owns with his wife, Amy Delfin-Torres. The couple decided to put the restaurant on the market after three years to pursue other personal opportunities like traveling. (photo/Emily Adams)

Torreses opt for new path, put restaurant up for sale

Emily Adams
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
The sale of Town and Country Kafe in Crawford will mark a new chapter for owners Willie Torres and Amy Delfin-Torres. After three years of owning the restaurant, the couple is selling to “pursue new opportunities and personal growth.
Tracy Massey smiles while hugging her horse Traveller at her home in Arnoldsville, Georgia, on Aug. 28, 2025. When creating her small business, Gallop and Glaze, Massey was inspired by her love for horses and used Snickers (left) as a model for the horse galloping in the Gallop and Glaze logo. (Photo/Emily Adams)

Tracy Massey smiles while hugging her horse Traveller at her home in Arnoldsville, Georgia, on Aug. 28, 2025. When creating her small business, Gallop and Glaze, Massey was inspired by her love for horses and used Snickers (left) as a model for the horse galloping in the Gallop and Glaze logo. (Photo/Emily Adams)

Massey’s Gallop and Glaze Studio: Where ceramics and horses meet

Emily Adams
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Tracy Massey married her two favorite things — art and equestrian life — when she started Gallop and Glaze Studio in November 2024. “They try to tell you to kind of go to a little niche, and my niche was the horses,” Massey said. “And so I've been trying to combine and do equestrian art.
(Left - Right) Jay Patel, Beulah Hatchett (Nana) and Carrie Faris pose for a photo at Carrie’s Corner Store & Cafe in Stephens, Georgia on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. Faris sold the business to Patel at the end of January. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

(Left - Right) Jay Patel, Beulah Hatchett (Nana) and Carrie Faris pose for a photo at Carrie’s Corner Store & Cafe in Stephens, Georgia on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. Faris sold the business to Patel at the end of January. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Faris sells Carrie’s Corner to take care of ‘Nana’

Libby Hobbs
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Carrie Faris opened Carrie's Corner Store & Cafe in Stephens in May 2022 and said this community “feels like family.” However, her mother’s eyesight has worsened from macular degeneration, so she decided it’s time for her to stay at home with “Nana.
Linda Parish reads the Rural Zone Designation plan at the Lexington Downtown Development Authority board meeting at Town and Country Kafe on Thursday. The DDA, which includes Ronnie Boggs (left) and Tom Thon (right), discussed revisions to the master plan, updates to the community center and rural zone designation. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Linda Parish reads the Rural Zone Designation plan at the Lexington Downtown Development Authority board meeting at Town and Country Kafe on Thursday. The DDA, which includes Ronnie Boggs (left) and Tom Thon (right), discussed revisions to the master plan, updates to the community center and rural zone designation. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Community Center progresses amid funding challenges

Libby Hobbs
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Renovations and work on the Lexington Community Center, formerly the Macon Coil building, are underway. However, fundraising goals still haven’t been met.
The Commercial Bank CEO Mike Sale (middle), meets with 4-H Americorps volunteer Kayla Latimer (left) and Oglethorpe County 4-H Agent Marcus Eason (right) to present a donation check to Oglethorpe County 4-H. The Commercial Bank gave the donation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the local business. (Submitted Photo)

The Commercial Bank CEO Mike Sale (middle), meets with 4-H Americorps volunteer Kayla Latimer (left) and Oglethorpe County 4-H Agent Marcus Eason (right) to present a donation check to Oglethorpe County 4-H. The Commercial Bank gave the donation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the local business. (Submitted Photo)

Bank's donation leads to 4-H scholarship fund

Sarah Myers
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
The cost for a child to attend 4-H summer camp is the highest it has ever been, but a new Oglethorpe County 4-H summer camp scholarship fund has been created to help.
Todd Smith (from left), Mark Atkins and Katie Armour welcome folks to Nature Harvest Meat Company’s grand opening celebration for its custom processing/in-store meat counter season on Feb. 10. Atkins, the owner of Second Chance BBQ, collaborated with Nature’s Harvest to cook meat for customers at the event. (Gianna Sandy/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Todd Smith (from left), Mark Atkins and Katie Armour welcome folks to Nature Harvest Meat Company’s grand opening celebration for its custom processing/in-store meat counter season on Feb. 10. Atkins, the owner of Second Chance BBQ, collaborated with Nature’s Harvest to cook meat for customers at the event. (Gianna Sandy/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Second Chance BBQ, Nature's Harvest team for grand re-opening

Sarah Myers
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
From the farm to the butcher to the barbeque, it takes a collaboration of local farmers and business owners to bring custom-processed meat to Oglethorpe County.
Chamber of Commerce board members (from left) Peter King, Ronnie Boggs, Linda Parish, Tom Thon, Claudia Reit, Owen Bullard and Williamson Sintyl host the first business after hours meeting of the year on Jan. 25 at the Crawford Depot. The meeting gave the board time to introduce themselves and their goals. (Sarah Myers/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Chamber of Commerce board members (from left) Peter King, Ronnie Boggs, Linda Parish, Tom Thon, Claudia Reit, Owen Bullard and Williamson Sintyl host the first business after hours meeting of the year on Jan. 25 at the Crawford Depot. The meeting gave the board time to introduce themselves and their goals. (Sarah Myers/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Local businesses continue to be focus of chamber

Sarah Myers
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Williamson Sintyl became the new chairman of the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce last month. After being elected to a three-year term by the other board members, Sintyl took on this role with the intention of “serving, supporting and promoting local businesses.