News

CRIME REPORTS

News Staff
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Kamece Shawanda Sands, 49, of Madison, was arrested on Oct. 11 on Misdemeanor for criminal trespassing.Edward Vance Tallon, 57, of Madison, was arrested on Oct. 7 for traffic violations including failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving in improper lane, and rules for driving on laned...
Two Madison men arrested for murder

Two Madison men arrested for murder

Two Madison men arrested for murder

Lynn Hobbs
Saturday, October 10, 2026
A man was murdered at Rooty Creek last night (around 6:40 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9) and two men have been arrested in connection with the murder, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.Zachary Brandon Smith, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene at Flat Rock near Pea Ridge Road.
Madison explores looming infrastructure issues

Madison explores looming infrastructure issues

Madison explores looming infrastructure issues

T. Michael Stone
Thursday, October 8, 2026
The Madison City Council took a deep dive into the city’s infrastructure problems Oct. 2 during a retreat and work session held at city hall.According to City Manager John Klimm, the city has neglected its water and sewer, gas and stormwater infrastructure to some extent over the past decade, which...
Marshall Little watches as the statue of his father, Hiram Little, is finally revealed before an appreciative crowd in downtown Eatonton.

Marshall Little watches as the statue of his father, Hiram Little, is finally revealed before an appreciative crowd in downtown Eatonton.

Bronze tribute to Tuskegee Airman revealed in Eatonton

Story And Photos By Ian Tocher
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Despite hot, sticky conditions last Wednesday morning at Veterans Wall of Honor Park, the crowd gathered beneath Eatonton’s new statue honoring Tuskegee Airman and native son Hiram Little, showed no hurry to go home.

Statewide burn ban lifts; four fires started

Lynn Hobbs
Thursday, October 8, 2026
The statewide summer burn ban was suspended on Oct. 1, which resulted in a busy day for Putnam County Fire Department firefighters.“On that first day the burn was lifted, we responded to four out-of-control fires that all started as a result of people burning,” Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas...
Jessica Whistin

Jessica Whistin

Woman arrested on fentanyl trafficking charge

T. Michael Stone
Thursday, October 1, 2026
A South Carolina woman was arrested by a Greene County deputy Sept. 23 following a traffic stop.Jessica Lee Whistin, 39, of 194 Long Cane Rd., Willston, S.C., faces a charge of trafficking fentanyl, according to the GCSO.Whistin was traveling eastbound on I-20 near milepost 132 when she was pulled...
Katherine Abernathy

Katherine Abernathy

Putnam teen dies in vehicle crash on Highway 44

Lynn Hobbs
Thursday, October 1, 2026
A vehicle crash in Putnam County took the life of a teen Friday afternoon, leaving her family and friends grieving their unexpected loss.Katherine Elizabeth Abernathy, 17, of Eatonton, was killed instantly in a two-vehicle crash on State Route 44/Greensboro Road, according to authorities.Katherine...
Kathi and Daryl Chandler (center) cut the ribbon last Wednesday to officially open Harmony Holistic, a wellness company that provides detox support and promotes the health advantages of eating beneficial foods. T. MICHAEL STONE/Staff

Kathi and Daryl Chandler (center) cut the ribbon last Wednesday to officially open Harmony Holistic, a wellness company that provides detox support and promotes the health advantages of eating beneficial foods. T. MICHAEL STONE/Staff

Harmony Holistic cuts ribbon for new wellness business

T. Michael Stone
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Daryl and Kathi Chandler welcomed Mika Mills of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, representatives of the Eatonton-Putnam County Chamber and a group of enthusiastic supporters to Harmony Holistic for a ribbon cutting Sept. 23.The new business (921 Harmony Rd., Eatonton) specializes in health...

Flock surveillance more common than thought?

Ian Tocher
Thursday, October 1, 2026
According to a report posted Sept. 23 by online publication The Intercept (theintercept.com), a map built from Flock Safety’s own location data shows the company’s nationwide surveillance network is “substantially larger” than previously reported.
Nikki Barker (left) of the Eatonton Veterans Thrift Store, helps workers temporarily cover up the statue of Hiram Little.

Nikki Barker (left) of the Eatonton Veterans Thrift Store, helps workers temporarily cover up the statue of Hiram Little.

Local hero Little’s legacy

Story And Photos By Ian Tocher
Thursday, October 1, 2026
After years of planning, fundraising, and more than a little uncertainty, a nine-foot bronze tribute to Eatonton native and Tuskegee Airman Hiram Little is standing tall in his hometown, ready for its public reveal.Created by internationally renowned sculptor Basil Watson, the statue was affixed...
Subscribe to