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Year in Review – 2022

Editor’s Note: Over the next several issues, we will publish our annual look back at some of the top stories, newsmakers and images that shaped the year. Following are several of the top stories published in the Bulletin in the first three months of 2022.

January

House of Flags asks for needed help
House of Flags Museum Curator, Director and Treasurer Robert Williamson spoke with the Polk County Board of Commissioners during the county’s December meeting to say the museum needs people to be volunteer greeters, people to join the board of directors and financial donations. Williamson asked commissioners to help spread the word about the unique museum and its needs

Drug bust in Sunny View
Following complaints of an illegal drug operation, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 people on drug charges. Michael Shannon Arrowood and Christine Elizabeth Braly, both of 260 E. McGuinn Rd. were arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and possession of controlled substances in a detention center, according to sheriff’s office reports.

Polk Schools Board of Education vote to change mask policy
Polk County students and staff could wear masks on an optional basis after the Centers for Disease Control had marked Polk County out of the high range for COVID-19 for 7 consecutive days. The Polk County School Board met and voted 6-1 to change the temporary mask policy. The previous policy was that masks could become optional once the county had less than a 5 percent positivity rate for 2 consecutive weeks.

Voters attempt to block Cawthorn from running
A challenge was filed with the North Carolina Board of Elections to block Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for reelection. There were 11 voters who filed the challenge saying Cawthorn’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021 disqualify him from being a congressman.

Winter storm Izzy dumps snow, ice and sleet on foothills
The foothills area was hammered over the weekend with the biggest winter storm in the last 8 years. Winter Storm “Izzy” dumped at least 7 inches of snow in the upstate and as much as 15.5 inches of snow in Saluda.

Person stabbed in Saluda; Zirconia man charged
A Zirconia man was charged in connection with a stabbing in Saluda Thursday. Christopher Glenn Trumann, 44, of Zirconia, was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to Henderson County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Bulletin announces new manager
It was announced that long-time production manager Jeff Allison was named operations manager of Tryon Newsmedia LLC, which publishes the Tryon Daily Bulletin, Life in Our Foothills, the Almanac, the Visitor’s Bulletin and other related digital and print products. Allison began working for the Tryon Daily Bulletin in the pressroom in June of 2002.

Tryon Daily Bulletin begins 95th year
The Tryon Daily Bulletin marked its 95th year of publication. The first issue was published on January 31, 1928, by Seth Vining.

In Memoriam – January

Cooki Berman
Edward Hoyt Britton
Austin Chapman
Bobby Stevenson
Baxter Morgan Haynes
Roger Gossenreiter
Virginia Ambrose
Edgar Irving
Tracie Allison Foster
Gloria Jackson Fisher
Karen Ann Jerichow
Charley Pittman
Dorothy Noblitt
Elizabeth Henkel Wyckoff
Lula Mae Sanders
Norman Keith Collins
Andrew Rogers
Arthur Kuntz
Frances Pauline Greene
Fred Eugene Weir
Judith Lee Nelson
Max Ray Pettit
Richard Estep
Sharon Burrell

 

February

Train museum coming to Landrum
Plans were announced that the “Pacolet River Passenger Car,” an 80-foot-long, single-story railcar that currently sits on the railroad tracks at the Landrum Depot, is to become a train museum in Landrum. The idea to transform the old passenger car into a museum came to fruition in 2019. The city’s goal is to exhibit in the museum a general history of the Landrum area, the cultural impact of the railroad, and pre-railroad history.

Students injured in Polk County school bus crash
Polk County School’s bus 133 crashed in Saluda near Howard Gap Road. The bus veered off the side of the road and down a bank, landing on its side. At the time of the accident, there were students aboard the bus, and several were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Tractor runs over Landrum toddler
An accident occurred on Clearwater Road in Landrum that involved a tractor and a toddler. When firefighters arrived on scene, the child was breathing, and was transported to the hospital via helicopter, according to Landrum Fire Department officials.

Five-year-old falls 40ft on Tryon hiking trail
On February 19, Tryon Fire Department was dispatched to Melrose Falls Trail after a child fell down a trail while hiking with his family. According to Tryon Fire Chief Josh Walton, the five-year-old boy fell and rolled about 40 feet off the trail. The boy was not near the waterfall when he fell, and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Plans announced for intersection on Highway 9 to convert to four-way stop
The intersection of Sandy Plains Road, Landrum Road, and Highway 9 in Green Creek has had 34 car accidents in the past five years. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced plans to make this intersection safer, hoping to reduce the potential for car accidents.

In Memoriam – February

Arnold Patterson Watkins
James Lee Tipton
John Frederick Arcularius
Tommy Stott
Bruce Steppe
George Dimsdale
Nancy Johnson
Nelson Leonard
Tesha Bananda
Cecil Prewette
Alexander Helmuth
Betty Lou Keres
Bob Jutzi
Frances Gray Atkinson
Therese Frances Beaumont
Jay Gardner
Justine Haynes
Mack Henson
Diane Fodel Biggers
JoAnn Gallagher
Melody Spooner Skillman
Robert Alan Bundy

 

March

Polk County Animal Control aids in equine rescue
Authorities arrested a Rutherford County woman on animal cruelty charges, and with the aid of Polk County Animal Control and a team of medical and rescue professionals, 23 horses, as well as several goats and sheep, were removed. One pony and a horse had to be euthanized because they could not be saved.

Local liquor stores pull Russian vodka from shelves
In response to NC Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order to terminate all agreements that might benefit Russia, local liquor stores stopped selling Russian vodka. Earlier in March, Gov. Cooper signed Executive Order No. 251, which terminated any directly benefiting Russian operations.

Polk, Charter partner to apply for internet grant
Polk County commissioners voted unanimously Monday, March 7 to proceed with a partnership with Charter Communications that would allow the company to apply for grant funds to deploy broadband internet to 3,500 addresses in unserved areas of the county. Polk County Manager Marche Pittman said that the census reports 9,071 homes in the county, and that if Charter can reach those 4,850 addresses, a little more than half of the county’s households will be covered.

High winds leave hundreds without power
High winds caused hundreds of power outages in the area. Wind speeds got up to 40mph in the Landrum/Campobello area, as well as the Tryon area. On average, March wind speeds in North Carolina are typically 7.4mph. According to a Duke Energy worker, over 200 Landrum residents were without power on Saturday morning. In the Tryon area, there were 189 outages; 229 in the Lynn/Columbus area; and 5 in the Mill Spring area.

Landrum bicyclist dies following bike accident
A Landrum resident passed away on March 14 following a bike accident on Hwy. 414 in Greenville County. The accident was reported on March 11 around 2:30 p.m. According to officials, the bicyclist, identified as Bernd Kurt Scheumann, 81 of Landrum, was traveling southbound on North Bates Road and collided with the passenger side of a Jeep SUV that was traveling westbound on Hwy. 414.

Plans revealed showing Tryon’s Pre-K will move closer to Tryon Elementary
Polk County Schools Superintendent Aaron Greene detailed the school system’s plans to move the Pre-K program from the Forbes Preschool Center at the corner of School St. and N. Trade St., up the hill to the campus of Tryon Elementary, to a new 11,500 sq. ft., five-classroom addition.
The availability of services such as the cafeteria, other teaching staff, and access to the principal were reasons cited by Greene for the move.

Super Saturday returns
Tryon hosted the 44th Annual Super Saturday Children’s Theater Festival, and there was quite a large turnout. Super Saturday included 10 shows, highlighting many different art forms including theater, storytelling, comedy, magic, puppets and music. A parade was held on Melrose Avenue that featured circus performers, local gymnasts, and more.

Side Street Pizza waitress saves customer’s life
A Side Street Pizza waitress was credited for saving a customer’s life by performing CPR. According to Tryon Fire Department officials, a subject collapsed on Side Street Pizza’s patio. A waitress immediately started CPR on the unconscious man.

In Memoriam – March

Russell N, Randolph, Jr.
James Christopher Scruggs
Robert Harry Renaud
John E. Sparks
Mary Augusta Taylor
Margaret Ellen Sertl
Calvin Allen Rickman
David Robert Hall
Betty Jean Wilmot
Donald Robert Lyons
Frances Pace Tucker
Bertha Laser
Leo Garrison Price
Alma Morris Carruth
Glenn Curtis Searcy
Sophia Leventis Trakas
Clois Champion Jackson
Greer Delores Prevatte
Martha Rawls Oates
Theodore Charles Connors