- Ogles consistently supported and promoted large public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, often defying health guidance and mandates, which may be viewed as disregarding public safety (Daily Herald, 12/22/20; Daily Herald, 2/8/21).
- He strongly opposed the cancelation of Mule Day in 2021, publicly criticizing local decisions and organizing alternative events that may be seen as undermining collaboration with other local officials (Daily Herald, 2/6/21; Daily Herald, 2/12/21).
- Ogles’ insistence on fundraising privately for events rather than using public funds could raise questions about transparency or favoritism in event organization (Daily Herald, 2/17/21).
- His public statements and actions frequently frame health and safety concerns as issues of political freedom, which could be seen as polarizing or dismissive of broader public health priorities (Daily Herald, 2/8/21).
- The focus on large-scale, in-person events—sometimes against prevailing public sentiment or expert recommendations—exposes him to criticism for prioritizing event traditions and political messaging over community health (Daily Herald, 12/22/20; Daily Herald, 6/1/21).
2020: Ogles Was Keynote Speaker At Knoxville Anti-Mandate Rally According to Daily Herald, "Over the weekend, Ogles was slated as the keynote speaker at a Knoxville rally encouraging a plan to move the Knox County's health board to an advisory role for the county's health department." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Ogles Hosted 9/11 Memorial Gathering With Over 3,000 Attendees According to Daily Herald, 'Days later, Ogles hosted a Sept. 11 memorial gathering on Columbia's courthouse square, an event he said saw more than 3,000 attendees including U.S. Navy Seal Team Six member Rob O'Neil.' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Spoke Publicly About Freedom At 9/11 Anniversary Event According to Columbiadailyherald.com, '"Ronald Reagan said 'Freedom is never more than one generation away,' Ogles said speaking from the steps of the Maury County Courthouse. 'We don't give it to our kids in their bloodstreams, we have to teach it to them, and we have to fight for it, and we pass it along so they can pass it along. We have to remember that.'" [Columbiadailyherald.com, 2/6/21]
2022: Andy Ogles Frequently Spoke On Conservative Issues In Tennessee According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles travels the mid-state speaking on current conservative issues, many times drawing a crowd of 300 people to 800-plus." [Columbia Daily Herald, 2/17/22]
December 2018: Andy Ogles Presented RaeLynn With A Key To Maury County As New Mayor According to Daily Herald, "Midway through her performance, RaeLynn was awarded a key to the county by Ogles, a first for the new mayor." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 12/3/18]
October 2020: Andy Ogles Presented Proclamation For 'Swanky South Day' Honoring Makky Kaylor According to The Daily Herald, "During production, Kaylor received a surprise visit from Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who presented him with a special proclamation claiming Thursday, Oct. 29 as 'Swanky South Day.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 10/28/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Hosted 9/11 Anniversary Gathering According to Daily Herald, "Days later, Ogles hosted a downtown gathering in recognition of the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. More than 1,000 attendees gathered on the steps of the Maury County Courthouse to listen to live music and comments from Rob O'Neill, a former Navy Seal Team 6 member [...]. During the event, Ogles spoke about freedom." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Quoted Ronald Reagan On Freedom According to Daily Herald, at the 9/11 anniversary gathering, Ogles said, "Ronald Reagan said 'Freedom is never more than one generation away.' [...] We don't give it to our kids in their bloodstreams, we have to teach it to them, and we have to fight for it, and we pass it along so they can pass it along. We have to remember that." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
August 2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Issued Proclamation For Annie McGill Hardison According to Daily Herald, "Sunday's speakers included several of Hardison's closest friends, including Jai Lipscomb of All Hands on Deck, who helped organize the event alongside members of Fresh Start Recovery Church, as well as Vice Mayor Christa Martin, Columbia Housing and Redevelopment Executive Director Trent Ogilvie and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who read a proclamation he issued in her honor." [Daily Herald, 8/4/20]
October 2021: Ogles Praised Kelly's Perseverance And Character At Marker Dedication According to Daily Herald, "'There is no one, I dare say, more determined and resolute than Mr. Kelly. That's what really inspired me, that you have a figure, regardless of color, who was such a character that wanted a better life for himself, as well as improve the lives of others in this community,' Ogles said. 'It was this perseverance that I don't think many of us can truly understand, with the kind of hardship that all individuals faced, especially if you were an individual of color. There's lessons we can all learn here, and values that we can all learn from and apply. How much better would the world be if we all had this perspective?'" [Daily Herald, 10/19/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mule Day 2021 Cancelation According to Columbiadailyherald.com, "This is absurd," Ogles said in a statement posed on his Facebook page. "I fully support Mule Day 2021." [Columbiadailyherald.com, 2/6/21]
2020: Ogles Advocated For Holding Maury County Fair Amid Pandemic According to Daily Herald, 'In Maury County, Ogles remained a supporter of the Maury County Fair and Exposition which was held in August as many other similar events were canceled for the summer in an effort to limit the virus' spread.' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Maury County Fair Board Credited Ogles As A Driving Force Behind Event According to Daily Herald, '"Mayor Ogles has been a driving force," said Eddie Kerr, the president of the Maury County Fair Board [...]. "If it were not for Mayor Ogles, we would not have had a fair this year," Kerr added. "He was a cheerleader."' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
December 2018: Andy Ogles Participated In Columbia Christmas Tree Lighting As Newly-Elected Maury County Mayor According to Daily Herald, "The more than 60,000 lights were then illuminated for the first time with upcoming country star RaeLynn leading the countdown, joined by outgoing Columbia Mayor Dean Dickey and newly-elected County Mayor Andy Ogles." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 12/3/18]
December 2018: Andy Ogles Led A Christmas Sing-A-Long With Incoming Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder According to Daily Herald, "Ogles and incoming Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder also joined forces to lead a Christmas sing-a-long." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 12/3/18]
2018: Andy Ogles Participated As Maury County Mayor In Columbia's Main Street Christmas Parade According to The Daily Herald, "This year, the Knights of Columbus, County Mayor Andy Ogles, Columbia Dance Academy, the Columbia Academy cheerleaders, 2018 Mule Day queen Ginger Morrow and many more took part in the holiday tradition." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 12/4/18]
2018: Andy Ogles Led A Christmas Sing-Along With Columbia Mayor-Elect Chaz Molder According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles and Columbia Mayor-elect Chaz Molder joined forces to lead a Christmas sing-a-long." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 12/4/18]
2018: Andy Ogles Won The First Mayors Cookie Eating Contest According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles narrowly defeated Columbia Mayor elect Chaz Molder in a battle of stomachs and Christmas cheer at the first Mayors Cookie Eating Contest." [The Daily Herald, 12/23/18]
2019: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Led Mule Day Parade As Dignitary According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles rode at the head of the parade in boots and a cowboy hat, jumping off his own wagon to shake hands with those in the crowd." [Daily Herald, 4/7/19]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Promoted Maury County Fair Amid Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles has promoted the event in recent weeks, inviting members of the community and visitors alike to take part in the celebration." [Daily Herald, 9/8/20]
February 2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mule Day Cancelation According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles does not stand behind" the decision to cancel Mule Day. Ogles said in a statement, "This is absurd," and posted on his Facebook page, "I fully support Mule Day 2021." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Argued Mule Day Could Be Held Safely According to Daily Herald, Ogles argued that Mule Day "could be held safely as the majority of events and activities take place outdoors at Maury County Park in Columbia." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
February 2021: Andy Ogles Expressed Determination To Hold Mule Day According to Daily Herald, Ogles said, "It may only be me on a tractor pulling my kids on a hay wagon up and down 7th... but there will be a Mule Day 2021! Who's with me?" [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
2020: Andy Ogles Supported Large Gatherings Amid Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "The conservative mayor has supported several large gatherings amid the pandemic. In late August 2020, the Maury County Fair continued with the vast majority of its scheduled events, while many other similar gatherings across the state were shut down." [Daily Herald, 2/8/21]
February 2021: Andy Ogles Opposed Mule Day Cancellation And Sought Alternatives According to The Daily Herald, "Porter's outlook of the event reflects similar comments shared by Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who last week called the event's cancellation 'absurd' and argued that the annual gathering could be held safely even with the presence of the virus. 'We will see if it is something we can salvage,' Ogles told members of the Maury County Commission this week." [Daily Herald, 2/12/21]
February 2021: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Led Grassroots Effort To Revive Cancelled Mule Day Event According to The Daily Herald, "The grassroots effort was spearheaded by Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who initially called the decision to cancel Mule Day for the second year in a row, 'absurd.' Ogles was joined by several local business owners, nonprofit groups and citizens who wished the events could somehow continue." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
February 2021: Ogles Supported Community-Driven Fundraising For Mule Day Events According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles said he does not wish to spend any of the county's taxpayer budget, but suggests a coordinated effort amongst the community with the bulk of Mule Day funds generated by fundraising. [...] 'I don’t want to tap any county funds, and so we’re going to have to do some fundraising,' he said." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
February 2021: Ogles Proposed Expanding Mule Day Participation To Regional Marching Bands According to The Daily Herald, "There is also an open call to any regional marching band or school group to be involved, which would not only bring more people to Columbia, but many who likely haven't experienced a Mule Day, or Columbia, before. 'I want to open it up to all of the surrounding marching bands. If you are from Lawrence County, I don't care if it's middle school or high school, if you want to come and march then come on up,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
February 2021: Ogles Encouraged Community Input And Volunteerism For Mule Day Planning According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles urges any local business, nonprofit or individual with ideas for fundraising, as well as event suggestions for Mule Day 2021, to contact his office at (931) 375-1002 or the Maury County Visitors Bureau at (931) 381-7176." [Daily Herald, 2/17/21]
February 2021: Andy Ogles Criticized Mule Day Cancellation As "Absurd" And Organized Alternative Event According to Daily Herald, "Ogles who called the event's cancellation 'absurd,' was joined by several local business owners, nonprofit groups and citizens in planning an alternative event about two weeks following the event's official cancellation." [Daily Herald, 3/7/21]
Early 2021: Andy Ogles Organized A Fundraiser For Alternative Mule Day Event According to Daily Herald, "A GoFundMe account is gathering funds for a proposed alternative event and has collected more than $10,000 to host 'Maury County Mule Day - May 2021.' The online fundraiser is organized by Ogles, Shannon Southall, Beth Zaunbrecher and Shannon Moore." [Daily Herald, 3/7/21]
February 2021: Andy Ogles Used Social Media To Garner Support For Alternative Mule Day Event According to Daily Herald, "Days before the three club members approached the local government, Ogles gathered support via social media to fund the upcoming alternative event. 'Mule Day is a tradition that is important to our community, and it's up to you and I to stand together and celebrate the history and traditions of our great community,' Ogles said in post shared on Facebook." [Daily Herald, 3/7/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Shared Vision For Alternative Mule Day Event According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles shared with the county commission his vision for the May gathering that has brought concerns for longtime organizers of the event. 'My desire is not to take over Mule Day,' Ogles said. 'I do think we have a tradition that we need to honor in some fashion this year. [...] One of the things that we strive to do during this pandemic is to be a vocal cheerleader for Maury County's businesses to be open albeit safely and this is no exception.'" [Daily Herald, 3/10/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Expressed Commitment To Supporting Local Businesses During Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Part of my vision for this is to support our businesses in the community that are struggling. We have got to fight for our economy. I don't want to highjack Mule Day, but I can't let this tradition just fall by the wayside. If you go two three years of not having Mule Day, it might not come back, and I am not going to let that happen." [Daily Herald, 3/10/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Led Alternative Event With Business Community Involvement According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor said the new event led by him and other local business leaders is attracting support from new businesses that have previously not supported the weeklong celebration in the past. He said the alternative event offers an opportunity for new businesses to invest in the community." [Daily Herald, 3/10/21]
March 2021: Andy Ogles Announced Trace Adkins Would Perform At Mulefest According to The Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said in a Facebook post announcing Adkins' performance." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/24/21]
March 2021: Andy Ogles Organized Mulefest As Maury County Mayor According to The Daily Herald, "The event, organized by local business owners and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles is planned as an alternative to Columbia's Mule Day celebration." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/24/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Stated Mulefest Was In Honor Of Mule Day, Not A Replacement According to The Daily Herald, '"This is in honor of Mule Day, not a replacement," Ogles said.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/24/21]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Hosted 9/11 Memorial Event At Maury County Courthouse According to The Daily Herald, "The upcoming event reflects that of a Sept. 11 memorial event hosted by Ogles on the steps of the Maury County courthouse and attended by former U.S. Navy Seal Team Six member Rob O'Neil." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/24/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Organized Military Tribute At MuleFest As Maury County Mayor According to The Daily Herald, "Veteran and U.S. Rep. Mark Green and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles held a military tribute to begin the night before Adkins' performance." [Daily Herald, 5/30/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Stated That MuleFest's Success Was "Only The Beginning" For Columbia Events According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles described Mulefest's success as 'only the beginning,' and he hopes to bring more public events and concerts to Columbia over the coming months, such as Indie Fest on July 3 [...] as well as the Maury County Fair, Oktoberfest and the Columbia Christmas tree lighting and parade." [Daily Herald, 5/30/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Said MuleFest Was A Model For Celebrating Freedom And Troops According to The Daily Herald, "'The vision was to show Tennessee this is how you celebrate freedom, and this is how you celebrate our troops,' Ogles said. 'It's time for us to open up our community and our country, and that's what this is about. We've set the model that we can do this in Maury County, and hopefully we have a vision and a template to do this every few months.'" [Daily Herald, 5/30/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Estimated MuleFest Attendance At 20,000 For Friday Festivities According to The Daily Herald, "Roughly 20,000 people are estimated to have attended the Friday night festivities and concert, according to county officials, while the parade the following day drew between 10,000 to 12,000 people." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Ogles Claimed MuleFest Was One Of Columbia's Largest Celebrations According to The Daily Herald, "According to Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles it's one of the largest celebrations that's taken place in Columbia's recent history." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Helped Organize MuleFest As A Community Event Post-COVID According to The Daily Herald, "According to MuleFest organizers, including Ogles and Asgard Brewery owner Stephen Porter, people were happy to finally gather with others after being isolated from large community events for over a year." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Rode On Top Of A Firetruck In The MuleFest Parade According to The Daily Herald, "Directly behind the singer, Ogles rode through the city on top of a firetruck operated by the county's fire service as dozens of other vehicles and floats followed behind in the hour-long parade." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Ogles Stated MuleFest Demonstrated Community's Desire To Return To Normalcy According to The Daily Herald, "This is a testimony that people are tired of being locked up," Ogles said. "Maury County, for much of COVID, has led the way. Now we are coming into the summer, and this is the biggest event that Tennessee has had post COVID. People are excited." [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Ogles Cited Inspiration For MuleFest From Defunct Muletown MusicFest According to The Daily Herald, 'Following the parade, Ogles said the event was heavily influenced by the defunct Muletown MusicFest. "In reality, we are just bringing back a music festival that used to be here many years ago," Ogles said.' [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Ogles Was Presented With The Memorial Service Flag At MuleFest According to The Daily Herald, 'During the memorial service, Rogers presented Ogles with the flag used in the memorial service, which Ogles took and held to his chest.' [Daily Herald, 6/1/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Co-Organized MuleFest In Columbia, Tennessee According to Daily Herald, "Columbia locals, including several business leaders and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, organized the celebration that has given residents a sense of normalcy and community spirit, following the peak of the pandemic." [Daily Herald, 6/6/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Stated MuleFest Created A Template For Community Events According to Daily Herald, 'This created a template for other communities to be safe and have fun and celebrate,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald, 6/6/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Expressed Gratitude For MuleFest Volunteers According to Daily Herald, 'It was a huge success,' Ogles said on Saturday. 'We had hundreds of volunteers. The reality is there was a 100 people behind the scenes that pulled this off, and I want to say thank you. Our community needed this.' [Daily Herald, 6/6/21]
March 2022: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Expressed Excitement To Ride In Mule Day Parade Again According to Tennessean, 'Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said he is excited to again ride in the Mule Day Parade.' [Tennessean, 3/28/22]
March 2022: Andy Ogles Connected Mule Day To Maury County Heritage And Economic Growth According to Tennessean, 'Mule Day is a long tradition here in Maury County, and we are glad to get this tradition back in gear and look forward to the many tourists who will come. Obviously, there is the economic benefit, the more parades and festivals we have, the more Columbia becomes a destination community, but it speaks to who we are and our history. As we continue to be the fastest-growing community in the state, it is important that we remember our heritage and always go back to our roots because that is who we are as a people.' [Tennessean, 3/28/22]
March 2022: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Expressed Excitement About Mule Day's Return According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said he is excited to again ride in the Mule Day Parade. 'I am excited that it is back,' said Ogles, who was vocal in his opposition to the event's cancellation last year. He played a key role in organizing the successful MuleFest event held as an alternative to the traditional gathering last year." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/30/22]
Andy Ogles Emphasized Economic and Cultural Importance of Mule Day in 2022 According to Daily Herald, "Mule Day is a long tradition here in Maury County, and we are glad to get this tradition back in gear and look forward to the many tourists who will come. Obviously, there is the economic benefit, the more parades and festivals we have, the more Columbia becomes a destination community, but it speaks to who we are and our history. As we continue to be the fastest-growing community in the state, it is important that we remember our heritage and always go back to our roots because that is who we are as a people." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/30/22]
Andy Ogles Advocated For MuleFest As Alternative In 2021 According to Daily Herald, "He [Ogles] played a key role in organizing the successful MuleFest event held as an alternative to the traditional gathering last year." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 3/30/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Helped Organize Alternative Mule Fest During Mule Day Cancellation According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, who also helped to organize the alternative event Mule Fest last spring when Mule Day was cancelled, also served as a sponsor of Mule Day." [Daily Herald, 4/5/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Served As Primary Sponsor Of Mule Day According to Daily Herald, 'After a brief hiatus, it was an honor to be one of the primary sponsors of Mule Day,' Ogles said. [Daily Herald, 4/5/22]
August 2020: Andy Ogles Declared August 1-2 As 'Celebration of Life Day' For Annie McGill Hardison According to Daily Herald, "Ogles' proclamation also declared Aug. 1-2, 2020 as a 'Celebration of Life Day for Ms. Annie McGill Hardison.'" [Daily Herald, 8/4/20]