Putnam County Sheriff's Office

Eatonton Messenger/File Photo

Woman killed in ATV accident

Lynn Hobbs

Saturday, November 15, 2025

An Eatonton woman was killed early Saturday in an ATV accident, according to authorities.Amanda Swearingen, 43, died when the Polaris UTV she was driving went off the road and overturned, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said.Swearingen was traveling on the 300 block of Rockville Road near the...

Corey A. Hickey

Putnam man charged for creating child pornography

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

State and local authorities have arrested a Putnam County man on charges related to creating child pornography.According to Putnam County jail reports, Corey Andrew Hickey, 38, of the Twin Bridges Road area, is in Putnam County jail facing felony charges including two counts of “create or possess...

Amber N. McDade

Woman arrested for pointing gun at deputy

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Around 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 30, Putnam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Barbee thought he was responding to a routine complaint call to remove a trespasser. But upon his arrival, instead of a trespasser, he found a loaded handgun pointed at him.

Eatonton Messenger/File Photo

Sheriff’s office investigating rocks thrown at vehicles

Lynn Hobbs

Friday, October 31, 2025

Putnam County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating several incidents of vehicles damaged by rocks thrown and a log left in the lane of traffic.Five different vehicles were damaged while traveling on Monticello Road between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, according to PCSO Chief of...

CONTRIBUTED

Wreck kills elderly couple; other driver to be charged

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Tragedy struck again on Putnam County roads when a local elderly couple died in a vehicle crash on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 22, around 2:30 p.m.James Abbott, 83, and Sara Abbott, 81, of Bear Creek Road in Putnam County, succumbed to their injuries sustained when they crashed into a pickup truck,...

Eatonton Messenger/File Photo

Personal watercraft crash on Lake Sinclair

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

A crash between two personal watercraft resulted in one teen being flown by medical helicopter to an area hospital for injuries, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.The crash happened around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, on the Putnam County side of Lake Sinclair.Parker Dingler, 16, and...

Medical grade marijuana and a partially-filled bag of crystalized methamphetamine were recovered after a Putnam County investigation and high-speed car chase in Madison. CONTRIBUTED

Agencies work together to arrest drug supplier

Lynn Hobbs

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Morgan County deputies helped wrap up a drug case that Lt. Harry Luke of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office had been working on for quite a while.For years, each time Putnam County Sheriff’s Investigator Lt. Harry Luke made a drug arrest and learned the drugs were supplied by the same person — a...

Eatonton Messenger/File Photo

Milledgeville man dies in crash with log truck

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

A Milledgeville man lost his life early Tuesday morning when his vehicle crashed into a log truck, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.Micky Lee Bartlett, 51, had already died when emergency workers arrived at the scene of the crash; Coroner Hollis Harrison pronounced him dead at 7:15...

Christine D. Smith

Fishing trip turns foul for fugitive

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

A fugitive from around Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana was captured fishing on Lake Sinclair last week and is in Putnam County jail awaiting extradition back to Louisiana.Christine Denise Smith, 57, of Conyers, was arrested shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, by Putnam County Deputy Sheriff...

Francis Sagastume Garcia

One nabbed, one sought for human trafficking

Lynn Hobbs

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

One Eatonton man has been arrested, and authorities are seeking another man, both of whom are accused of human trafficking and child molestation charges.Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said the case began in June 2024 when his office received a phoned anonymous phone tip regarding a 14-year-old...

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