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By: Casey Roberts 

Contributing Writer

In Lincoln County, Lee Sinkhorn ensured the community stayed connected and informed during a challenging winter storm.

“Sometimes when people lose power, they don’t necessarily have a battery-powered TV,” Sinkhorn said. “They do most likely have a battery-powered radio.”

As the on-air host of The General Store on WPBK-FM, Sinkhorn is accustomed to taking calls and chatting with listeners. But when winter weather hit, his role shifted, and the station became his home for two days.

“It was, stay the night here, or not make it in,” he said. “I’m glad I did. My road was actually the only road in Lincoln County that got shut down.”

For Sinkhorn, staying at the station was more than a logistical choice—it was about serving the community. He recalled the importance of local radio during the 2009 ice storm.

“Of course, we always harken back to the ice storm of 2009,” he said. “The team here did such a great job in 2009 of keeping everyone informed.”

This time, Sinkhorn’s broadcasts featured updates from local officials, including a surprising tidbit.

“Even the mayor was out here scraping snow in a plow truck around downtown,” he said.

From listener calls and his own reporting, Sinkhorn concluded that Lincoln County had been fortunate in this storm.

“We dodged a major bullet here in Lincoln County,” he said. “We were expecting more ice than we got. Seemed like it shifted a little more north and we didn’t have to deal with that. Seemed like we were really close to getting that.”

Reflecting on the storm, Sinkhorn described the precarious weather conditions.

“Last night the ice was really starting to pile up on the trees and power lines, and then I walked outside again about 11, looked around, and it was starting to melt off. We got really close and really lucky.”

Despite the challenges, Sinkhorn appreciated the experience.

“It’s been nice. It’s been fun, it’s been something different. A challenge,” he said.