Lifestyle

Holy cow, have you been outside in the last month? The noise, the racket, the bugs! Scientists tell us that this is a once in 200-year event. Two great strains of these unique little bugs hatched at the same time. My wife and kids have taken to studying them and even to getting me to send to the University of North Georgia a box of bug bodies. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be mailing bugs, but it made my wife happy. The result of this great hatch is an infestation of undesirables in the southland last seen when Sherman marched through. To put a point on it I think the cicadas are more useful. I mean at least fish eat them.

As summer comes along, parents and grandparents are trying to figure out how to entertain their young ones for a few months without school. Summer camps provide lifelong memories for kids and there are so many reasons why summer camps are a great idea for kids of all ages. These reasons include self-esteem building, trying new things and thus learning new skills, social development and so much more. All of these reasons are crucial building blocks for kids.

Black-Owned Town Named Freedom Could Be Reality TV Series. A group of 19 African American families bought a 98-acre tract of land in rural Georgia in 2018 to create a freed state community just 130 miles from Atlanta to develop a relatively racially unfettered community for aspiring Black Americans. Freedom, GA was the brainchild of The Freedom Georgia Initiative founders Renee Walters and Ashley Scott for the purpose of offering a living standard that will serve as a ‘safe space’ for black families.

EATONTON, Ga. — Lake Oconee Botox (LOBO) is delighted to announce Kelsey Fletcher as the newest addition to their esteemed team. As the resident expert in micro-needling, chemical peels, and Sofwave treatments, Fletcher brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to LOBO's clientele. Appointments with Fletcher began on Monday, April 22.

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month, and the Oconee Regional Humane Society is back with the Have a Heart campaign to drive community awareness of heartworms' devastating impact and raise critical funding to help more animals impacted directly upon intake at the shelter. An anonymous donor will match up to...

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is seeking citizen applicants for appointments to the following:. Oconee County Animal Services Advisory Board: Three appointments to begin July 1, 2024 and expire June 30, 2026. Members advise, assist, and provide general policy oversight to the Animal Services program. Meetings are held in January, April, July, and October at a time, date, and place established by the Advisory Board.

On March 30, 2024, Terry Adams of Mansfield, GA, emerged victorious in the American Fishing Tour Division 72 (AFT D72) tournament held on Lake Oconee, Georgia. Adams secured the win with a five-bass limit weighing 19.56 pounds, which included a notable catch of a 4.98-pound bass. His exceptional performance earned him the first-place trophy and a cash prize of $826.

This is an important vernacular house, but it’s difficult to determine its original layout. It may have originated as a dogtrot, but was later transformed into a central hallway form. The addition of another door at the front changed its layout at some point. Significantly, the detached kitchen remains.

Daily Birthday/Anniversary Club (WACO 100 T-Shirt) – Eddie Burden, Sr. Choice of Maricela’s or Pepe’s Mexican Grill Meal – Sandy Fontes. Visit Radio Station WSNT-FM at 312 Morningside Drive in Sandersville, Monday – Friday, from 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. to Claim Your Prize!

Harrison High School junior Eugenie Lim will compete as a national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association Competition Senior String Division Competition. Lim earned this opportunity after winning the Georgia State Senior String Competition, advancing to the Southern Division and winning the Southern Division of the Senior String Competition. The Harrison junior has studied violin for 11 years, is a member of her high school orchestra program and serves as a Concert Master of the top Chamber Orchestra at Harrison. ...

Visitors to the Oconee Ranger District are now able to find and reserve day-use recreation sites online at Recreation.gov and through the Recreation.gov mobile app. The Oconee Ranger District is part of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and is located approximately 60 miles southeast of Atlanta. From the convenience of a mobile device, users will be able to find all the information they need to plan adventures on public lands all in one place. These tools will provide information about facilities, hours, activities, and fees, and will allow visitors to purchase day passes to specific sites and annual passes for the entire Forest. Campsites will not yet be available for online reservations. Visitors will also be able to pay for parking through the Recreation.gov app. It is important to download the app in advance because cellular reception on the Forest may be unreliable. Once at their chosen site, visitors will be able to make payments regardless of reception. The current pay-to-park system, which uses fee collection containers, will remain available. The Recreation.gov mobile app is available to the public for free download on iOS and Android devices. “The Oconee Ranger District is looking forward to offering this alternative form of payment for day-use recreation site fees to our visitors,” said Jeff McDonald, an ORA/Biologist who works on the district. “We will continue to offer fee envelopes for payment by check or cash for a period, but hope that visitors take advantage of this new, seamless way to pay day-use recreation site fees.” Fees play an important role in providing recreation opportunities across the Forest. Since fees are retained locally, the majority of each payment is invested directly into the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. “Your recreation fees support the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the Oconee Ranger District recreation sites,” McDonald said. The Oconee Ranger District is full of popular recreation sites and exciting activities for visitors to enjoy. The Lake Sinclair Recreation area is perfect for a sunny day with its lovely Twin Bridges Foot Trail, swimming beach, and boat launch. Across the Oconee, visitors can also enjoy miles of hiking, OHV, and equestrian trails, one shooting range, and many sites for swimming, boating, and picnicking. “We are eagerly awaiting visitors to the Oconee Ranger District for the spring recreation season,” McDonald said. Find the status of all recreation sites on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/conf/recreation. Contact the Oconee Ranger District at 706-485-7110. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest provides the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 867,000 acres across 26 counties, thousands of miles of clear-running streams and rivers, approximately 850 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities, these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture.

The Ritz Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is ready to wine and dine you.

Daily Birthday/Anniversary Club (WACO 100 T-Shirt) – No Winner. Choice of Maricela’s or Pepe’s Mexican Grill Meal – Alexander Sparks. Peanut’s Laundry $25 Gift Certificate – Tara Farmer. Family Four (4) Pack of Tickets to Clovers & Co. Concert – Connie Brown. Family...

Back for the fourth year, The Plaza Arts Center and The Arts Barn are presenting “Working: A Musical” this summer as their Broadway Intensive Summer Program production. Working is a musical exploration of people from all walks of life. The show's strengths are in the core truths that transcend specific professions; the key is how people's relationships to their work ultimately reveal essential aspects of their humanity, regardless of the trappings of the job itself. The show, set in contemporary America, contains timeless truths. Working allows the audience to get a rare glimpse of the actors and technicians, working to put on a show. As always, anyone from a rising 10th-grader to 25-years-old, is invited to audition for this excellent program.

The Oconee Performing Arts (OPAS) is delighted to announce the continuation of its annual college scholarship program for students dedicated to pursuing a career in the performing arts. With a commitment to fostering and supporting the next generation of talented performers, OPAS invites eligible individuals to apply for these prestigious scholarships.

Daily Birthday/Anniversary Club (WACO 100 T-Shirt) – No Winner. Choice of Maricela’s or Pepe’s Mexican Grill Meal – Dustin Gee. Family Four (4) Pack of Tickets to Clovers & Co. Concert – Jennifer Waters. Visit Radio Station WSNT-FM at 312 Morningside Drive in Sandersville, Monday...

It’s that time of year again! It’s amazing! It’s stupendous! It’s the Jim Ellis Mall of Georgia Spring Fishing Classic with Capt. Mack Farr!See, I knew you would get excited!. Once again Capt. Mack is putting on this great event. If you didn’t go last year,...

Hank Phillippi Ryan is a NY Times bestselling and award-winning author who has won 37 Emmys for her investigative journalism. She has written15 psychological thrillers that have collectively won five Agatha Awards, five Anthony Awards, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. Ryan will be the Georgia Writers Museum’s Meet...

On January 27, 2024, Lance Collins from Monticello, GA, emerged the winner at the AFT D72 tournament at Lake Oconee. Collins secured first place with a five-bass limit weighing 22.54 pounds, earning a first-place trophy and $640 in cash. His catch was highlighted by an 8.33-pound bass, which also won him the Big Bass pot of $260 and a trophy.