We want to thank our Tyrrell County readers for their support throughout 2025. 

Here is a listing of our biggest stories from that neck of the woods.  

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Let’s start with this news story – Thompson casts lone vote against FY 25-26 budget – from July 1.  

Tyrrell County Commissioner Robert Thompson was removed from Monday’s meeting after repeatedly interrupting residents’ comments during a public hearing on the fiscal year 2025-26 budget. After returning, Thompson cast the lone vote against approving the county’s budget, which passed 4-1.

The budget set the property tax rate at 87 cents per $100 valuation, for a total of $9,417,739.

Thompson, who has frequently challenged Chair Nathan Everett during recent commission meetings, began speaking over citizens during the public comment period, prompting Everett to warn him about his possible removal. When Thompson refused to yield, Everett instructed a sheriff’s deputy to escort Thompson from the room.

There was no love lost between Thompson and Everett this past year.

Here’s another big story — Tyrrell Commissioners Spar Over Missing ABC Store Funds, Audit Trust, and Paving Delays — from Dec. 2.

COLUMBIA — Tensions flared Tuesday as Tyrrell County commissioners clashed over transparency, financial records, and alleged discrepancies involving more than $60,000 in ABC store revenue. The meeting also featured updates on sewer projects, regional appointments, and long-awaited highway improvements.

The meeting shifted sharply when Commissioner Robert Thompson revisited an earlier discussion about the Tyrrell County ABC Store. See our previous story — here.

Thompson said he still had not received financial documents he requested months ago.

“I still haven’t had any of the information that I’ve requested,” he said. “I still haven’t got any, it’s been two months.”

How about this HUGE story — that went viral around Northeast NC — was about Jeff and Edna Gibbs — Calling Tyrrell County Home: A Visit with Jeff and Edna Gibbs. That was fun to write.

TYRRELL COUNTY — Just off a quiet country road near the Hyde County line, where the fields stretch wide and the sounds of farm life mingle with the breeze, Jeff and Edna Gibbs have built their lives. Their home stands on land that has been in the family for more than a century — a living link to Eastern North Carolina’s rural past, where stories linger longer than the wind that moves across the cypress trees.

Jeff, 78, grew up on this property when it was still dotted with the remains of an old homestead — a house his grandparents lived in, complete with a separate kitchen connected by a porch.

“My daddy bought a place down the road, but my grandma stayed here after we moved out,” he said, sitting on the porch that now overlooks the same patch of earth. “That old house was over a hundred years old. They had a kitchen and dining room set off from the main house. I remember it sitting right there.”

Perhaps the biggest story of the year – Parents Urge Action on Discipline, Communication at Tyrrell County School Board Meeting – came from November’s BOE meeting.

COLUMBIA — Concerns over classroom discipline, teacher burnout, and communication gaps dominated public comment Tuesday night as three citizens urged the Tyrrell County Board of Education to take stronger action to restore order and accountability across the district.

Speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, parents Ashley White, Viri Arzate, and a former teacher, Mark Mixon, delivered passionate, and at times emotional, remarks about the conditions they say are undermining both learning and morale at Tyrrell County Schools.

Albemarle Observer reached out to Superintendent Brianna Williams for comment after the meeting. In November 

“Stakeholder input is invaluable to us at Tyrrell County Schools. We truly welcome and appreciate the collaboration, as it takes all of us working together to move forward. Change takes time, and we are incredibly optimistic about the future of our district. We encourage parents and families to continue to bring concerns to our attention following the proper chain of command in order to bring about resolution or at least, greater understanding.” 

From that same meeting, check this story out about Tyrrell Schools’ Athletic Director’s speech to the BOE in November — Tyrrell Schools Athletic Director Lays Out Vision of ‘Continuous Improvement’ for Student Athletes. ADs and coaches throughout the region told me that they appreciated that story.

Tyrrell County Schools Athletic Director Shawn Walker stood before the Board of Education Tuesday night with a presentation that was equal parts pep talk, performance review, and passionate plea for investment in the district’s athletes.

Since joining the district on July 8, Walker said his mission has been to rebuild Tyrrell County’s athletic culture from the ground up — not by tearing down what exists, but by identifying what works, fixing what doesn’t, and inspiring students and staff to “run up to the plumbing from 64 and back” with enthusiasm for what’s next.

Walker used two contrasting images of houses — one abandoned, one well-kept — to illustrate his belief that athletics is a reflection of the entire school system.

“I want everybody to take a good look at this slide,” he told the board. “Would you have your morning coffee there? Would you feel like it was safe? Do you feel like there’s life there?”

He paused. “Athletics is the front porch of this school district. If your front porch doesn’t look good, then you never go in the house where the academics live and the discipline live. Athletics is the key, in my opinion, to how we make some of these things we’ve heard tonight better. It can make the student-athlete experience better.”

He said Tyrrell’s athletic program is “under construction,” but he emphasized that “construction” doesn’t mean starting from scratch.

“I don’t want to come here and rip anything up,” Walker said. “We want to make sure that when we come in, we are assessing what needs to happen, assessing what’s good — because there are many things that are good — assessing things that need improvement, and then ripping up all the stuff that’s bad.”

Lastly, we announced that Brianna Williams was appointed as Tyrrell Schools Superintendent and one more story featuring an interview — Coming Home: Brianna Williams Brings Local Roots and Lifelong Passion to Tyrrell County Schools

COLUMBIA — When Superintendent Brianna Williams describes her return to Tyrrell County, she doesn’t talk about it like a career move. She talks about it like coming home.

“Yes, coming back to Tyrrell County was a lot like going home for me,” she said in an interview shortly after being named Superintendent of Tyrrell County Schools. “I graduated high school from Mattamuskeet High School in 1998. Tyrrell and Hyde County are very similar. People are very similar — the students, the staff. So for me, relocating from Greenville to Tyrrell County was just like coming home.”

A story that made our Honorable Mention list — Community Rallies to Support Holton Family After Fire Damages Tyrrell County Home — I hope that family is doing well.

TYRRELL COUNTY — A fire extensively damaged the home of Phil and Linda Holton in the Riverneck community north of Columbia on the evening of Dec. 10, 2025, leaving the family displaced during the Christmas season.

The fire was reported around 6:30 p.m. after a neighbor noticed flames and called 911. The homeowners were not present at the time of the incident.