Polk Lore Podcast
1) The farmer who wants to be a congressman
I know it's a big ask, given how horrible all the political news is these days. But if you live in Saluda or Coopers Gap, or certain parts of White Oak, and you’re interested in who your representativ...Show More
2) Sympathy for the Superintendent
A state government that's engaged in a war on public education. The challenge of enforcing a ban on smartphones in classrooms. Artificial intelligence that threatens to put an end to critical thinking...Show More
3) When wildlife is an afterthought: More lessons from Helene
Surprise: It turns out that driving all that heavy machinery up and down the middle of the Green River, and ripping out all those fallen trees may have made things worse, not better. At least, in some...Show More
4) The Spirit of Radio: WNCW vs. Project 2025
A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump ordered Congress to stop funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Congress, including Polk County’s two congressmen, complied. That saved US taxpaye...Show More
5) Meet Polk's Punk Prom King
Myles Freeman is about to graduate from Polk High School, so as part of my attempt to revisit some of the guests and topics I’ve covered over the past three years on Polk Lore, I asked him to come bac...Show More
6) How can the Democrats win again?
Twenty years ago, Democrats could win seats in Polk County. without too much difficulty. Today, they can't even beat a Republican organization that needs to call police to break up their meetings. Is ...Show More
7) How much are firefighters worth?
Everyone says they appreciate our firefighters and other first responders. But when you find out just how little we pay the people who put their lives on the line to protect our homes and businesses —...Show More
8) So much for "from farm to table"
Jon Klimstra is not a high-value target in the war that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are waging on the imperfect but mostly successful post-war, liberal consensus on how to expand freedom, equality, and...Show More
9) Hey, hey. Ho, ho. We’ve had enough of the status quo
I'm not sure the Tryon Daily Bulletin was even at the Tryon rally the other day — they didn't take their own photos, for one thing. It was good to see some coverage, but that coverage didn't really ca...Show More
10) The once and future diplomat
A few years from now, no matter who is running the country, there's going to be a big hole in the civil service thanks to the one-two punch of a hiring freeze and a U-turn in foreign policy now being ...Show More