safety

Pigmy rattlesnake (J.D. Willson, SREL/Submitted Photo)

Pigmy rattlesnake (J.D. Willson, SREL/Submitted Photo)

Summer means snakes

As people spend more time outdoors, encounters with snakes are much more likely than in other times of the year. There are many misconceptions about the reptiles, as well as many safety tips to keep in mind in case you encounter a snake this summer.
Arnoldsville resident Michaela Guest said the city’s water has caused rings to form around the toilets in her bathrooms. (Submitted Photo)

Arnoldsville resident Michaela Guest said the city’s water has caused rings to form around the toilets in her bathrooms. (Submitted Photo)

Arnoldsville residents upset about city water

Arnoldsville resident A.J. Herrera posted a picture of “greenish yellow” bathtub water in an Oglethorpe County Facebook group last month, sparking a discussion about water quality in the city.
Members of the fifth-grade class at Oglethorpe County Elementary School graduated from the inaugural C.H.A.M.P.S. program. (Photo/Caitlin Farmer)

Members of the fifth-grade class at Oglethorpe County Elementary School graduated from the inaugural C.H.A.M.P.S. program. (Photo/Caitlin Farmer)

First C.H.A.M.P.S. class graduates at OCES

Fifth-grade students at Oglethorpe County Elementary School graduated from the county’s first year of the Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety course on Monday morning.
Phillip Nelson has worked with the State Department of Natural Resources in Oglethorpe and surrounding counties for the past 21 years. (Submitted Photo)

Phillip Nelson has worked with the State Department of Natural Resources in Oglethorpe and surrounding counties for the past 21 years. (Submitted Photo)

Q&A: Nelson says turkey numbers down from last year

State Department of Natural Resources game warden Phillip Nelson said the department made changes to this year’s turkey hunting season. The number of hunted birds declined from 146 in 2021 to 96 this year, but the bag limit was reduced from three gobblers per hunter to two this year.
Sheriff David Gabriel has installed several changes within his office since being elected in 2016. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

Sheriff David Gabriel has installed several changes within his office since being elected in 2016. (Photo/Dink NeSmith)

More pay, resources and balance

The Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office has undergone several changes since David Gabriel was elected sheriff in 2016 and reelected in 2020. Over the last five years, Gabriel has worked to improve both his office and its community involvement through several initiatives and additions.
(Jamie Miller/The Oglethorpe Echo)

(Jamie Miller/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Flock cameras help spot crime, increase safety

Flock cameras have made an impact in Oglethorpe County.   The cameras, which were installed eight months ago, have assisted in 130 traffic tickets, seven arrests for suspended licenses and one arrest for a stolen vehicle in the past six months, 911 Director James Jackson said.