Tyrrell County News: Livestock Sales and Community Happenings

BY MILES LAYTON

COLUMBIA — In days of yore, pastors called circuit riders traveled from town to town to give sermons and spread the word of God.

Applying that concept to journalism, I traveled through several counties in recent days to talk to people so as to get a feel for what’s really happening in our neck of the woods.

Included in this Tyrrell Country round-up are a few other news items of interest. Tyrrell folks, please share post near and far so everyone has a chance to see it. Thanks.

Tyrrell Taxes — here is the link to the county’s delinquent tax list — $33,000 is owed by one company.

In other news, Emilou Spruill, Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, sent me these photos from the annual livestock sale. Thanks. More on the sales results below. Pictures come from Photography by AC — great photos!

Next, per County Manager/Attorney David Clegg — Governor Josh Stein recently announced more than $41 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects to connect 11,816 households and businesses in 17 counties to high-speed internet.

“Connecting North Carolinians online helps strengthen our state,” said Governor Josh Stein in a press release. “Broadband plays a crucial role in our development, and I look forward to seeing how these funds expand economic opportunities for people in every corner of North Carolina.”

As to Tyrrell County — Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed) will provide high-speed internet access to 237 homes and businesses (73.37% of the county’s 323 eligible locations).

These projects will be funded by more than $29 million from the federal American Rescue Plan awarded by NCDIT and nearly $12.5 million from the selected broadband providers.

Alligator River Bridge project is coming along nicely. These photos come from the existing bridge as my wife Nicole and I were crossing on Friday – check out the pylons and such.

Construction equipment and cranes on the water, with several construction piles visible and a clear blue sky.

The $450 million contract, awarded to Skanska USA, will replace the 65-year-old swing-span bridge with a modern, two-lane fixed-span bridge just north of the current one, according to the NC Department of Transportation. Funding is aided by a $110 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

Work began on the bridge in February and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2029, with the bridge’s demolition in the spring of 2030.

Construction site with cranes over a body of water, showing installed pylons for bridge construction.

Tyrrell County VFD will hold a BBQ Pork Dinner with sides starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 18 at the Columbia Fire Station, 618 North Road Street. Meal will be cooked by the TVFD with the Women’s Auxiliary selling desserts. Cost — $12 — that’s a bargain! Come out and support the fire deparment.

Speaking of Clegg and the County Commission, the next Commission meeting will be May 6. That meeting’s agenda is not posted as yet, but it is early. Pending everything, I’ll probably cover that meeting.

Back to the livestock show — I believe it is important to report on happenings such as livestock shows to present a more accurate snapshot of who we are as a community.

Because Tyrrell County’s livestock sales results bear repeating, I’m reposting the results from our previous story. The numbers may have been revised upward in some cases after the show, but here’s what we’ve got for now.

Why does coverage of the livestock sale matter?

Answer – the 4-H kids spend A LOT of time raising their animals and getting them ready for the auction – an experience that teaches valuable lessons and lifelong skills.

In contrast to mainstream media outlets, the Albemarle Observer cares about farmers, rural values and the community. See this story about John Layton, a farmer in Chowan County.

If you want to connect with the Albemarle Observer, email me at mileslayton1969@gmail.com

Last note, names and spellings come from 4-H.

Livestock Show Results

Goats

A young girl proudly holds her ribbons and poses with a goat next to an adult male in a red shirt and white cowboy hat at the Tyrrell County 4-H Livestock Show.

Adelyn Hemilright Grand Champion Market Goat & Grand Champion Jr Goat Showman $3,600.00 Riverside Insurance, K&W Trucking, B&E Property, and Spear Unlimited Electrical

A young participant and an adult mentor stand together with a goat in front of a Tyrrrell County 4-H backdrop at a livestock show.

Caiden Coltrain Reserve Champion Market Goat & Reserve Champion Sr Goat Showman $1,300.00 Precise Electrical

Nate Muthler Grand Champion Sr Goat Showman $1,200.00 Cherry & Bateman Farms

Joe Bateman Reserve Champion Jr Goat Showman $1,200.00 Atlantic Building Supply

Alexander Arzate Goat $800.00 Cross Country Repair

Landon Bateman Goat $1,200.00 Precise Electrical

Lorelei Swain Cloverbud Goat $1,300.00 Riverside Insurance, K&W Trucking

Alana Coltrain Goat $1,100.00 Riverside Insurance, B&E Property

Liam Swain Goat $1,200.00 Atlantic Building Supply, Crossroads Fuel

Sadie Kaukola Cloverbud Goat $900.00 Smith Demolition

Adriel Arzate Goat $1,100.00 Sound Side Duct Cleaning, Music Works by Susan

Ellie Hodges Cloverbud Goat $1,000.00 Coastal Ag Construction, Black Dirt Coffee Shop & Cafe’

Jonah Bateman Goat $1,200.00 Riverside Insurance, B&E Property

Jack Bateman Cloverbud Goat $1,100.00 Precise Electrical

Hogs

A young participant of the Tyrrell County 4-H livestock show holds a trophy, standing in front of a wooden backdrop with the event's title.

Chesson Boucher Grand Champion Market Hog $1,400.00 Double Dee Farms

A man in a cowboy hat and a woman stand next to a market hog, displaying ribbons at a livestock show in Tyrrell County.

Reagan Atkinson Reserve Champion Market Hog & Reserve Champion Sr Hog Showman $1,395.00 Meherrin

Darci Boucher Grand Champion Sr Hog Showman $1,350.00 Lake Phelps Grains

Kennedy Winslow Grand Champion Jr Hog Showman $1,375.00 Harris Farms

Garrett Phelps Reserve Champion Jr Hog Showman $1,150.00 Atlantic Building Supply

Grayson Phelps Hog $1,350.00 Cahoon Farms

Lambs

Darci Boucher Grand Champion Market Lamb & Grand Champion Sr Lamb Showman $2,000.00 Riverside Insurance, Cherry Farm Seeds

Three participants at the Tyrrell County 4-H Livestock Sale holding ribbons and awards, standing beside a market goat.

Mack Odom Reserve Champion Market Lamb & Reserve Champion Sr Lamb Showman $1,950.00 Mark & Karen Clough, David & Becky Clough, Sweetwater Creek Seeds, Andre Bailey, Jim & Pat Anderson, Bill & Bonnie Alexander

Kennedy Winslow Grand Champion Jr Lamb Showman $1,000.00 Harris Farms

Georgia Atkinson Cloverbud Lamb $1,650.00 Meherrin

Will Odom Lamb $1,400.00 Precise Electrical

Savannah Spruill Cloverbud Lamb $1,500.00 Riverside Insurance, K&W Trucking, Stephanie Bateman

Reagan Atkinson Lamb $1,700.00 Cherry Farms, LLC

Sawyer Hemilright Cloverbud Lamb $1,800.00 Riverside Insurance

Ellie Hodges Cloverbud Lamb $1,500.00 Lake Phelps Grain

———-

Last thing about livestock sales — I’ve worked in deep rural areas for years, so coverage of the county fair was something the local newspaper reported on because livestock sale was considered the “Superbowl” for 4-H. And I had a lot of fun watching the auctioneer bid up prices, seeing the kids show their animals and the community come together for this big event.

SUBSCRIBE/DONATE

If you want to subscribe, check out our website at https://albemarleobserver.news/

If you want to subscribe – you can enter your email address at the website or send it to us at albemarle.observer@gmail.com and we will gladly add you to our growing subscriber list. Your information will never be sold or used for any purpose. We will send you an email every time we publish a story.

Albemarle Observer