Newspaper Page Text
Index
News 2,3,5,7,8,12
Obituaries
3
Opinion
4
Around the County
6
Calendar
9
Sheriff's Report
10
Legals
10
Sports
11
% Undefeated Teams
Both OCHS basketball teams
tv
are ranked in Class A Division 1.
Jaelin Lumpkin (left) and the Pa
triots (3-0) are No. 1 in the MaxPreps
1
ranking and in the top 10 in other
rankings. The OCHS Lady Patriots
(2-0) are No. 5 and No. 7 in two state
1
rankings.
>
... Page 11
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The Oglethorpe Echo
Volume 150, Number 9
November 30, 2023 ??? Oglethorpe County, Georgia
$1
ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Rows of cotton turn the fields white at Phil Sanders'farm in Stephens. Sanders, a former Oglethorpe
County Commissioner, said he's the last cotton farmer in the county.
Oglethorpe County: Where
cotton is no longer king
Longtime cash crop is disappearing from area???s landscape
ANDY JOHNSTON/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Oglethorpe County is one of Georgia's largest agricultural produc
ers, ranking 10th in total farm gate value (out of 159 counties), but
is dominated by livestock, poultry and hay, not cotton.
Fewer speeding
tickets given
in school zones
Average number has fallen
to between 100-150 a day
By John Henry Hammond
The Oglethorpe Echo
Phil Sanders sits at his dining
table in Stephens and looks out on
a once-familiar scene that???s now
increasingly rare ??? cotton fields.
Cotton
farming was
once common
in Oglethorpe
County, but its
presence has
slowly waned.
???I guess
you could
say I???m the
biggest cot
ton farm in
Oglethorpe
County because I???m the only cotton
farm,??? Sanders said.
Sanders said cotton was once a
crucial component of the county???s
economy.
???In Oglethorpe County, at one
time, cotton and pulpwood were the
only things you could make money
at,??? Sanders said. ???I???ve just always
thought, ???well heck, if they could
grow cotton back then, there was no
reason I couldn???t grow it now. ??????
Oglethorpe County is one of
Georgia???s largest agricultural pro
ducers, ranking 10th in total farm
gate value (out of 159 counties), ac
cording to the University of Geor
gia???s 2021 Farm Gate Value Report,
with an estimated value of over
$270 million.
The county???s agricultural land
scape, dominated by livestock,
poultry and hay, noticeably lacks
the iconic Georgia staple.
???We are a big cotton-produc
ing state,??? said Shanna Reyn
olds, UGA Cooperative Exten
sion County Coordinator for
Oglethorpe County. ???But the coun
ty, we just don???t have that many
row croppers here.???
Row cropping is a method of
farming where crops are plant
ed in rows, allowing for efficient
planting, irrigation and harvesting.
While the area cultivates row crops,
such as soybeans and corn, cotton
farms are a rarity.
See COTTON, Page 3
By Evan Smoak
The Oglethorpe Echo
The Oglethorpe County Sher
iffs Office has seen a reduction
in speeding in school zones since
ticketing started on Nov. 9.
???We are now down to 100-
150 violations a
day,??? Sheriff David
Gabriel said.
Gabriel said pri
or to the installation
of the speed cam
eras in the school
zones, drivers com
mitted approximate
ly 1,200 violations
a day. The number
dropped to 200-300
violations a day dur
ing the warning period from
Oct. 9 to Nov. 8.
The Sheriff???s Office expects
the numbers to stabilize as resi
dents adjust to the cameras.
???Most of the current viola
tors are from out of town,??? Ga
briel said.
Whether it???s a resident or
someone just passing through,
a violation recorded by the
speed cameras results in a $100
fine for the driver. The fine is
mailed to the address associat
ed with the tag of the vehicle.
Gabriel said, of the $100 fine
for each violation, $35 goes to
Blue Line Solutions, the com
pany behind the speed camera
technology. The other $65 goes
to the Sheriffs Office.
That equates to ap
proximately $6,500-
$9,750 per day for the
Sheriff???s Office at the
current rate of viola
tions.
Gabriel said he
plans to purchase soft
ware that gives direc
tions for county dis
patchers and other
telecommunicators on
how to give CPR in
structions over the phone.
Gabriel said he would also
like to replace tasers in the de
partment, purchase and install
AEDs in patrol cars, and ac
quire lockdown technology for
the school system.
During school hours (7:15 a.m.
to 4 p.m.), any driver going 10
mph or more over the speed lim
it in one of the county???s school
zones will receive a violation.
See TICKETS, Page 5
Oglethorpe County school zone violations decrease significantly
The number of speeding violations in school zones has decreased to about 100 to 150 a day In Oglethorpe
County, according to Shenff David Gabnel. following the installation of speed cameras. Drivers were committing
about 1.200 violations a day prior to the installation, and between 200 and 300 during the warning period
Befoie installation Warning penod After installation
hart Meadow limw * Source Oglethorpe County Shanf f * Office * Craatad with Datawrappar
MEADOW BARROW/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
David Gabriel
SARAH WHITE/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Santa, who is a guest of honor at the Maxeys Christmas Parade,
waves from his float in a recent parade. This is the fifth year for the
parade, which also includes vendors, musical groups and food trucks.
Maxeys parade continues to grow
By Jared Smith
The Oglethorpe Echo
Organizers hope this year???s
Maxeys Christmas Parade will
bring Christmas spirit to the city
and grow connections throughout
the community.
???It???s about spreading good
cheer, having fun in the commu
nity and starting off the Christmas
season,??? organizer Heather Parham
said. ???Being a part of a small com
munity where you know each oth
er is really unique and special.???
This is the fifth year for the
Maxeys parade, which will start
on Sunset Drive and will be filled
More Inside
Holiday activities are
scheduled throughout
Oglethorpe County for
the next month. Check
out The Echo's guide of
holiday events.
... Page 5
with Christmas-themed floats
and cars.
And what???s a Christmas pa
rade without Santa, who will be
available to take pictures on the
apothecary porch.
As usual, there will be vintage
cars, tractors and decorated trailers.
The event also will feature
food trucks from Kona Ice, Jok
er???s Barbecue, Peggy???s Barbe
cue, Thomas??? Tomatoes, Craw
ford Pizza, Wing King and more.
A bake sale will be part of a fun
draiser for the community club.
UGA Noteworthy, the Univer
sity of Georgia???s all-girl a cap-
pella group, will perform af
ter the parade, followed by the
Oglethorpe Elementary School
chorus and Lexington Baptist
Chmch choir.
See PARADE, Page 5