About this podcast
Polk Lore is a hyperlocal podcast that explores the culture, politics, and geography of Polk County, a rural community of 19,000 people nestled in the southeastern corner of western North Carolina.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 98 episodes
- Rise of the machines in the classroom · 48 min · Season 4 Episode 24We old-schoolers can complain about the homogeneity and lack of a soul that characterizes the visual products of artificial intelligence, but that’s a minor problem when compared…
- Saluda voters get an October surprise · 28 min · Season 4 Episode 23Saluda voters will see three candidates for mayor on this year's ballot. Only two are still running. It's officially a non-partisan election, but the Polk Democrats have endorsed…
- NC Senate District 48 candidate Doyle Brown · 36 min · Season 4 Episode 22It wouldn’t be fair to say that Doyle Brown came out of nowhere. Everyone asking for your vote in every election comes from somewhere. For today’s guest, that place is just down…
- Polk commissioner candidate Ray Gasperson · 33 min · Season 4 Episode 21My guest for this episode is perhaps one of the most familiar names in the county. Ray Gasperson is a farmer, a businessman, and for a very long time has been either defending…
- Polk Commissioner candidate Andre Overholt · 31 min · Season 4 Episode 20Andre Overholt served one four-year term — 2020 to 2024 — before deciding two years ago not to seek re-election. In this epsiode, he explains why, as well as why he decided to…
- Polk commissioner candidate Jon Klimstra · 21 min · Season 4 Episode 19Jon Klimstra insists he’s not a politician by nature, and it’s probably not too surprising that someone might not be all that keen on seeking public office when their busiest…
- NC House District candidate John Morgan · 33 min · Season 4 Episode 18John Morgan took a rather interesting route to get onto the ballot in the election for state legislature, specifically the seat now held by Republican Jake Johnson for House…
- Saddle up and face the music · 28 min · Season 4 Episode 17This Thursday evening the Tryon International Equestrian Center is hosting somethings called Divertimentos and Dressage. It combines live classical music, provided by the…
- Saluda commissioner candidates · 36 min · Season 4 Episode 16Saluda is the only municipality in the county with competitive local elections this year. I guess the people of Columbus and Tryon are happy enough with the current crop of…
- A vote of confidence: Why you shouldn't worry about casting a ballot · 31 min · Season 4 Episode 16Why so much skepticism around about how our elections are managed? If anything, Polk County has one of the most secure and professionally run elections offices in the country. I…
- Keenan Nesbitt: Independent candidate for County Sheriff · 20 min · Season 4 Episode 14It’s fair to say that Keenan Nesbitt's campaign has managed to gain a little more traction than many observers expected, if the number of lawn signs and attendance at his…
- NC 11 Democrat candidate Jamie Ager · 16 min · Season 4 Episode 13Last year for Polk Lore, Jamie Ager recorded the first podcast interview of his political career. He was running for the Democratic nomination to represent North Carolina…
- Peoples' perspective on rails to trails · 47 min · Season 4 Episode 12After more than two decades of wishful thinking and dead-end proposals, the Norfolk Southern railbed that runs through Polk County is about to be replaced with a cycling and…
- John Vining has some thoughts · 47 min · Season 4 Episode 11For years John Vining was county director for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. His grandfather founded the Bulletin and his father later took over the paper…
- One Nation Indivisible. But is it really? · 38 min · Season 4 Episode 10Indivisible seems like a perfect way to sum up what so many Americans, including a sizable number in Polk County, are trying to do. But given how polarized we've all become, how…
- The Revolution Will Not Be Amplified (in Columbus) · 28 min · Season 4 Episode 9Did you miss the third No Kings rally in Columbus? This episode of Polk Lore is a condensed version of the event, with four speakers and some (hopefully) helpful context. For…
- A Democratic Republican for NC 14: Kate Barr wants to upset the apple cart · 42 min · Season 4 Episode 8Democrats who listen to this episode are going to hear a lot of things they like. If you're a registered Democrat in Congressional District NC 14 — which includes the…
- GOP primary candidate for Sheriff Keith Henderson · 31 min · Season 4 Episode 7State Trooper Keith Henderson may be an exception to the rule that police officers are more comfortable asking questions than answering them. He still chooses his words…
- GOP primary candidate for sheriff Clayton Price · 34 min · Season 4 Episode 6The primary ballot in this year’s elections includes three Republicans who want to be sheriff. The incumbent, Tim Wright, is facing two challengers. For this episode, I sat down…
- When there's a measles outbreak next door · 29 min · Season 4 Episode 5Given the threat posed by a 1,000 cases of measles on our doorstep, I wanted to find out how our county’s health department was responding to both the change in public attitudes…
