Polk Lore

About Polk Lore

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.

Publisher

James Hrynyshyn

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Jun 2022

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

95 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Polk commissioner candidate Ray Gasperson

   My 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 his seat on the Polk County Commission as a Democrat or running to get back on the commission. If you look at the last few election results, he's never been far behind, so it won't take much for him to break the pattern of almost winning. He made his casea few days ago on a porch in Saluda. Resources: Ray4Polk (https://ray4polk.com)

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Polk Commissioner candidate Andre Overholt

   Andre 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 return to politics a little earlier than he originally anticipated. Other topics include the challenge of zoning in a county where property rights are highly valued, and campaigning as Republican when his party's leadership isn't all that popular. We talked on the last day of September in his Tryon office, where he sells insurance. Resources: Voting information (Polk Board of Elections) (https://www.polknc.gov/board_of_elections_2.php#.UrMc8CcnPsJ)

3. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Polk commissioner candidate Jon Klimstra

   Jon 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 time of year — harvest season — coincides with demands of running a political campaign. But he has assumed a few leadership positions in the county. He’s the current president of the Polk County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and vice-president of the North Carolina Apple Growers Association. So he's as least as qualified as any other first-time candidate.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

17 ratings

Spotify

4.5 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

71

Contact Polk Lore

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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