oglethorpe county

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.
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.

Oglethorpe opposes facility in Franklin

News Staff
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Oglethorpe County plans to support Franklin County in its battle against a possible Pilgrim’s Pride chicken rendering plant on state Route 145 near the Broad River in Franklin Springs. Commission chair Jay Paul said he’s sent a resolution to county attorney Chip Ferguson.
Leo Lazo and his wife Maria Lazo serve pupusas, tamales and pollo rostizado at El Mana 2. The first location opened in Gainesville in 2018. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Leo Lazo and his wife Maria Lazo serve pupusas, tamales and pollo rostizado at El Mana 2. The first location opened in Gainesville in 2018. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Salvadoran restaurant opens in Oak Tree Plaza

Libby Hobbs
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Thick cake tortillas stuffed with cheese, pork and beans are a staple in El Salvador. This dish, called a pupusa, can be found in Lexington, too.  Pupuseria El Mana 2, located at Oak Tree Plaza (777 Athens Road), held its grand opening on March 19.
Construction work at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Arnoldsville Road on Monday, March 24, 2025. Work started on March 20 and should be completed by the end of June, a Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman said. (Photo/Andy Johnston)

Construction work at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Arnoldsville Road on Monday, March 24, 2025. Work started on March 20 and should be completed by the end of June, a Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman said. (Photo/Andy Johnston)

Passing lane being added to 78 in Arnoldsville

Libby Hobbs
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Construction has begun on a passing lane on U.S. Highway 78 at the intersection with Arnoldsville Road that will give vehicles traveling east room to pass those turning left. The projected cost is $134,156.50 and is funded by the state.

Victim ID'd; man charged with murder

News Staff
Friday, March 14, 2025
A man was charged Tuesday in the death of David J. Stewart, whose body was found on a property on Double Bridges Road last month, according to the Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office.
Rebecca Wood's yard, located outside of Lexington, Georgia, was destroyed by feral hogs. (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Rebecca Wood's yard, located outside of Lexington, Georgia, was destroyed by feral hogs. (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Feral hogs impact county yards, land

Jesse Wood
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Rebecca Wood trudged through her yard late last month to inspect her uprooted grass. She pointed to her beloved flower bed, home to tall, blooming perennials and annuals, and let out an aggravated sigh.“It’s just like a rototiller went through there,” Wood said. “I’m super pissed off about that.
Vintage and antique items are displayed during the First Friday event in downtown Lexington on Feb. 7.Gina Holloway, Linda Parish’s partner, said they’ve received positive feedback. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Vintage and antique items are displayed during the First Friday event in downtown Lexington on Feb. 7.Gina Holloway, Linda Parish’s partner, said they’ve received positive feedback. (Photo/Libby Hobbs)

Parish plans to bring antique, art businesses to Lexington

Libby Hobbs
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Linda Parish plans to bring new art and antique businesses to the buildings next to The Oglethorpe Echo in downtown Lexington. “There's a lot of talent in this county,” Parish said. “The art colony that we have out here is, I think, really important to the county.
Eggs are few and far between at B&T's Food Fresh Market, where a sign in the egg section reads “Due to a national egg shortage, costs have continued to rise. We continue to provide egg products at the best possible value.” (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Eggs are few and far between at B&T's Food Fresh Market, where a sign in the egg section reads “Due to a national egg shortage, costs have continued to rise. We continue to provide egg products at the best possible value.” (Photo/Jesse Wood)

Egg prices hit hard in county

Jesse Wood
Thursday, February 20, 2025
The egg section in B&T’s Food Fresh Market in Lexington sits nearly empty this week.Manager Tammy Watkins has found the egg shortage and the rising prices of eggs to be “frustrating.” The store would sell up to 80 dozen daily on average, but now, it sells approximately 30 dozen.
Randy Gordon, a resident of Oglethorpe County’s Almond Drive, stands where the edge of Almond Drive once was on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. “When they come in and scrape [the road], they keep getting further and further to the center, and the cul de sacs where the ditches used to be are covered up,” Gordon said. (Photo/Felix Scheyer)

Randy Gordon, a resident of Oglethorpe County’s Almond Drive, stands where the edge of Almond Drive once was on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. “When they come in and scrape [the road], they keep getting further and further to the center, and the cul de sacs where the ditches used to be are covered up,” Gordon said. (Photo/Felix Scheyer)

Rough roads, tough choices

Julianna Duennes Russ
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
On a rainy afternoon, Randy Gordon carefully maneuvers his car down a familiar stretch of road. Potholes filled with water jolt the vehicle and thick mud threatens to trap the tires.  When Gordon moved to Almond Drive more than two decades ago, it was a gravel road.