From the files of the Polk County News ...

In 1922, the County Court voted an issue of bonds for $20,000 to build a new law court building at Ducktown to replace the old frame building ... Thousands of citizens attended the two political conventions to select candidates. Republicans nominated Sheriff E.N. Bell for re-election but he declined, naming his chief deputy J.N. Woody ... Democrats voiced support for Harvey Hannah for governor. He was the grandson of a Polk pioneer, the first Surveyor of Polk county, John F. Hannah. J.N. Gregory was nominated for Sheriff.

In 1942, draft boards were told to study the need for farm work ... Margaret Poe was named an honor students at Bob Jones College ... Political announcements included W.V. Davis for County Judge, B.S. Biggs Sr. for Sheriff, R.E. McClary for Trustee, and L.H. Park for County Court Clerk ... Women were encouraged to join the workforce to fill the needs of industry during the war.

In 1952, Lynn Bates received  honorable mention for the all-state high school basketball team ... Benton was considering the construction of a modern water works.

In 1972, the Rescue Squad responded to a call of a car in the lake .. Members of the Civil Defense began raising funds for a comprehensive fire protection plan ... William Claud Hicks died at age 63 ... Henry Watson announced his candidacy for Assessor ... Frank Hammons announced he would seek re-election as a Justice of the Peace ... Officers of the Benton Garden Club were Mrs. Pryor Crowe, Mrs. Charles Burch, Mrs. Don Ledford, Miss Louise Haney, Mrs. Raymond Creasman, Mrs. T.S. Witt ... Ronald Davis was named Polk County Young Farmer of the Year.

In 1992, voters rejected a wheel tax and chose Deborah Williams over Danny Rogers as the Democrat candidate for school superintendent ... Momentum was growing for Olympic events on the Ocoee ... McCaysville voted to accept Copperhill’s bankruptcy plan for paying off its debtors. Copperhill promised to pay McCaysville $500 a month for the next ten years plus a $4,000 payment immediately ... Copperhill councilmembers were thinking about changing their mind about extending beer sales to 2 a.m. ... Road approval for subdivisions continued to cause problems for the Planning Commission ... Lara Bryant won the county spelling bee.

In 2002, planning was underway for the county’s first middle school, to be created from the old PCHS when the new school opened … Autopsy results were inconclusive on the exhumed body of Brian Deal, who died in 1999 … PCHS took the regional Science Fair championship again … Teacher contract negotiations were getting underway … The Gondolier opened for business in Ocoee.