From the files of the Polk County News ...

In 1932, President Hoover said he would work with president-elect Roosevelt on war debts, disarmament and world economic affairs ... A truckload of food and supplies donated by churches in Knoxville was taken to the Bachman memorial school ... The death rate from tuberculosis fell to a new low in 1931 ... W.M. Lowery was endorsed for U.s. Marshall at the Polk-Bradley Democrat victory celebration ... W.I. Davis Jr. was elected football captain for 1933 and Robert Clemmer was named alternative captain.

In 1942, civilians were asked not to make long distance telephone greeting calls during the holidays in the interest of the war effort ... Florence Helton died at age 70 ... Buck Arp purchased the Esso filling station from Cecil Lillard.

In 1962, Gary Patterson was Benton’s new policeman ... Janie McClary won her 54th trophy as Tennessee’s Most Beautiful Junior Miss Majorette ... Wilma Clark graduated from Massey College.

In 1982, Keith and Kent Kilpatrick were named Tennessee’s Outstanding Tree Farmer ... Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Lawson found an egg that measured over nine inches long and weighing a half pound ... Bids were sought for a new Ocoee post office ... Iduma Kirkland celebrated her 77th birthday ... Ruth Ann Vest claimed the Professional Karate Association’s Women’s Green Belt ... Denise Harrison was competing for the Miss Tennessee USA title.

In 1992, the International Olympic committee announced that Atlanta had won the bid to host the 1996 Olympics. The bid included whitewater competition on the Ocoee ... Lack of flood insurance was a roadblock to a local Olympics because TVA could not spend federal money in a floodplain unless the local government is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program ... The school board sold the Ocoee central office, with funds to be used to purchase land at both high schools as well as for a new central office facility ... The county commission agreed to pay the local match for replacement of the Dentville Bridge ...

In 2002, East Polk residents voiced support for a plan to build a new comprehensive Elementary School rather than renovating both Turtletown and Ducktown Schools…Sonny Panter, Jr., President of the Ducktown Banking Company and East Polk Community Leader, passed away at the age of 77…Local Nancy Lane, employee of the Ocoee Hardee’s, won the National Biscuit Making Challenge and was featured in a national advertising campaign…Glenn Springs and EPA continued a massive clean-up of the Copper Basin Water System…a truck carrying 45,000 pounds of yarn crashed into the Ocoee Gorge…