Newspaper Page Text
Index
Inside
News 2,3,5,6,8,12
Obituaries 3
Opinion 4
Around the County 7
Calendar 9
Legals 10-11
Sheriff's Report 12
Sports 13
Senior running back Jake
Turner rushed for 164 yards
and two touchdowns to lift
the Oglethorpe County foot
ball team to its first victory
of the season, a 20-7 win
over Lake Oconee Academy.
... Page 13
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The Oglethorpe Echo
Volume 149, Number 50
September 14, 2023 ■ Oglethorpe County, Georgia
$1
SIDNEY CHANSAMONE/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Blinky, a Labrador retriever mix, stands in its pen at the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter earlier this week. MOAS is
already at capacity despite coming off a month in which 171 animals were adopted.
Free pet adoptions skyrocket
But MOAS is already at capacity, continues to face challenges
By Caleb Rollins
and Sidney Chansamone
The Oglethorpe Echo
There were 171
pets adopted dur
ing the Madison
Oglethorpe Animal
Shelter’s month
long free adoption
event that wrapped
up on Sept. 8, an
increase from 87
adoptions the previ
ous month.
“The event was
a great success, and
many lives were saved,” MOAS Director
Erica Hendrix said.
The event was sponsored by
Oglethorpe County’s Roddy Sturdivant,
who made a contribution that covered the
adoption fees for every pet adopted dur
ing the month.
“Without his huge contribution, the
shelter simply could not afford to do an
event like this,” Hendrix said. “The en
tire MOAS family (is) very grateful to see
many of our wonderful animals find safe
and loving homes.”
How To Help
Donations for MOAS are ac
cepted through its website,
Facebook and at its Danielsville
location. The shelter also ac
cepts cash and non-monetary
contributions, such as pet food
and supplies. Supporters can
buy a monthly membership,
with the first tier beginning at
$5 a month. Visit|moaspets.com|
or call 706-795-2868 for more
information.
Despite the increase in adoptions, the
shelter is already at maximum capacity for
dogs. Prior to the event, the shelter, which
houses dogs and cats of all ages, had been
consistently at capacity for over a year.
This highlights a growing issue: ani
mal surrenders are outnumbering adop
tions.
Hendrix said folks have been surrender
ing strays and their own animals at a high
er rate than previous years. Most who sur
render their animals report they can’t af
ford to care for them, she said.
To address this, the shelter is taking
measures to raise awareness of the need
to adopt pets. MOAS has established a
social media presence on Facebook and
X (formerly Twitter). The shelter even
uses TikTok to show off the personal
ities of the pets and stress the need to
adopt.
What’s next
Even though the event was a success,
MOAS faces challenges.
As an open-admission shelter, the facil
ity is constantly taking in strays and sur
renders, and there is a need for more space
and resources.
Despite the increase in adoptions dur
ing the event, as of Sept. 10, MOAS an
nounced on Facebook that it was once
again at full capacity.
Reaching out to the community for as
sistance, the post stated, “We are out of
space! Adopt or foster before time runs
out. Several amazing dogs are in need of
immediate adoption or foster before diffi
cult decisions must be made.”
See ADOPTION, Page 3
Solar farm
ordinance
approved
Unanimous vote gives
county more oversight
By Caitlin Downing
The Oglethorpe Echo
Solar farm companies may now think
twice before moving to Oglethorpe Coun
ty-
In addition, current solar projects need
to adjust their operations after the Board
of Commissioners unanimously accepted
an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance
of Solar Energy Systems at its monthly
meeting on Monday.
The vote was 5-0.
The amendment, which the Zoning
Board recommended, was created during
the six-month moratorium on solar proj
ects. It replaces Section 712, which re
stricts solar farms and protects the land,
as well as residents.
Chairman of the Board of Commission
ers Jay Paul said, “It is a huge step in the
right direction.”
There are two solar farms in the coun
ty: Timberland Solar Project on Goose
Pond Road and the Wolfskin Project on
Double Bridges Road.
A representative from a third com
pany — Leeward Renewable Energy
— spoke at the meeting in an attempt
to persuade the commission to delay
the vote. Leeward had hoped to build
a solar farm on Devil’s Pond Road and
Highway 22.
See SOLAR, Page 6
DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Craig Livingston, a senior develop
ment manager with Leeward Renew
able Energy, attempts to persuade the
Board of Commissioners to postpone
its vote on the revised solar farm ordi
nance. The ordinance passed 5-0.
Overdoses on track
to surpass 2022 total
By Emily Lupo
The Oglethorpe Echo
Oglethorpe County Emergency
Medical Services is responding to
a rise in overdoses, an issue coun
ty officials say can impact anyone.
There were three recorded over
doses and two deaths last week
alone.
“It's becoming more and
more prevalent,” EMS Director
Jason Lewis said. “We've had
a pretty tough week here with
overdoses, critical sickness and
deaths.”
EMS received 32 calls in ref
erence to an overdose in 2022.
This year, first responders have
responded to 30 overdose calls in
the county.
“There is no demographic,”
Lewis said. “It happens to the
wealthy. It happens to the poor.”
See OVERDOSES, Page 5
HOMECOMING COURT
Oglethorpe County High School
will celebrate homecoming next
week.The court, which includes
eight seniors, two juniors, two
sophomores and two freshmen,
consists of Brock Barrett (back,
from left), Caleb Hall, Jackson
Tatum, Walker Young, Ashton
Sexton, Naeshon Wilson and
Jamarion Miller; and Aariana Bell
(front, from left), Macie McDaniel,
Zy'Kieria Edwards, Denim God
dard, Reagan Poulnott, Azlynne
Sexton and Elin Turner. For more
about OCHS homecoming, the
parade and dance, see Page 5.
ANDYJOHNSTON/
THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
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