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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE DECEMBER 5, 2019 •
VOL. 1, NO. 49 |
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| Smithfield's Patrick Harris, Allen Wellons seeking new district's N.C. Senate seat
Both men are Smithfield residents. The current senator representing District 11 --- Rick Horner of Nash County --- announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election. FILING CONTINUES TILL DEC. 20; PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 3 Here's a rundown of other local filings through Wednesday of this week (D denotes Democrat, R denotes Republican, asterisk (*) denotes incumbent: N.C. House of Representatives (one seat per district): District 26 --- Donna McDowell White (*) (R), Clayton Justin Tate (R), Monarch Trail, Selma District 28 --- Larry C. Strickland (*) (R), Pine Level. County Commissioner (four seats, by residential district, elected countywide): District 1 --- Fred J. Smith Jr. (R), Pritchard Road, Clayton District 2 --- Ted G. Godwin (*) (R), Hawkins Road, Selma District 4 --- Larry Wood (*) (R), East Church Street, Benson Alan Lamont (D), Everland Parkway, Angier District 6 --- Tony Braswell (*) (R), Gor-An Farm Road, Selma County Board of Education (four seats, at large, nonpartisan): Kelly O'Hanlon-Peedin, Hawks Nest Circle, Smithfield District Court Judge (designated seats): Seat 6 --- Paul A. Holcombe (*) (R), Windham Way, Clayton Seat 7 --- Terry F. Rose (R), Smithfield Seat 9 --- Frank Wood (*) (R), West Church Street, Benson Visit the Johnston County Board of Elections website and click "Candidates who have filed" to view the latest list for local as well as statewide offices>  Photo from Centenary Church's
weekly TV video
The Advent of Christmas is upon us
On the first Sunday in December, children of Smithfield's Centenary United Methodist Church gathered before Meagan Matthews, Pastor of Congregational Life, to learn about the the newly decorated Chrismon tree behind them. On the third Sunday of Advent --- December 15 --- Centenary's Chancel Choir will present "Appalachian Winter: A Cantata for Christmas" during the 11 o'clock worship hour. |
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Commissioners hold off approval of extra funding requested for Johnston's schools Interim Superintendent of Schools Jim Causby told Johnston's County Commissioners this week that never in his 30-plus years as a school superintendent has he asked a county to come up with additional money for schools once that county's annual budget is done. Until now. To cover a major shortfall in this year's proposed budget for Johnston County Public Schools, Dr. Causby asked commissioners Monday for $8,874,429 beyond the $67,945,918 appropriated for schools in the 2019-20 county budget adopted in June. He blamed the shortfall on rising expenditures for salaries and benefits, utilities, worker's comp insurance, charter school payments, cost of financial software, property insurance, and the school system's costly program for "exceptional" children that goes beyond funding provided by the state. Johnston County, Dr. Causby said, is "an attractive county" for parents of children with all sorts of handicaps. "You're getting a lot of folks who are school shopping and coming into our system," said. An increase of more than 400 "exceptional" children is anticipated in Johnston before the current school year is out, he noted. Commissioners' Chairman Ted Godwin pointed to another "white elephant in the room" that citizens suspect is a cause of rising school expenditures. "We've got too many people in the Central Office," he declared. "I don't know if we do or not," the superintendent responded, noting that a number of administrative positions have been eliminated during the current process to pare the school's budget. (He returned to Johnston as interim superintendent in September following the departure of Ross Renfrow. Dr. Causby was the school system's chief from 1994 through 2003.) The commissioners took no action Monday on Dr. Causby's funding request, preferring to wait until more work is done by the superintendent and his staff to cut local school spending. Meanwhile, the biggest factor affecting the final budget for Johnston's schools is what the state will do about teacher salaries --- unresolved because of a budgetary impasse between Governor Roy Cooper and leaders of the N.C. General Assembly. "My next move is a reduction in force," Dr. Causby told commissioners --- in other words, school-employee layoffs if additional county appropriations and/or further cuts in expenditures fail to eliminate the $8,874,429 shortfall as things now stand. READ MORE about Monday's sessions of the County Commissioners> Board of Education meets next Tuesday (Dec. 10) • 4:00 p.m. Closed Session • 5:00 p.m. Open Session • 6:00 p.m. Public Comment The board meets in the Evander S. Simpson Building, 2320 U.S. 70 Business East, Smithfield. The agenda is usually not posted online until the end of the week prior to each meeting and was not available when this week's Sun was published. Visit the school system's website to view the agenda in full once it's posted> |
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Smithfield Council "re-sets" with new mayor pro tem and one replacement
Roger Wood, one of three elected by the town's voters, took the seat of Emery Ashley, who chose not to seek re-election after eight years on the council. John Dunn, the top vote-getter in last month's election, was chosen by the council as the new mayor pro tem. He and Steve Rabil, along with Mr. Wood, took oaths of office to begin four-year terms --- the second for Mr. Dunn and Mr. Rabil. Mr. Wood had previously served a term on the council but stepped away two years ago. Mayor Andy Moore, unopposed in last month's election, took the oath to begin his third two-year term in that office. He previously served 16 years as a councilman.
The proclamation continues: "He has worked constantly for improvements to the Town of Smithfield's financial policies and fiscal responsibilities and... has reviewed and deliberated all matters, facts, and proposals before the Council in a fair and sound manner...." Absent from Tuesday's meeting were Councilmen David Barbour, Marlon Lee, and Travis Scott, who had served as mayor pro tem the past two years (the holder of that position presides at council meetings and represents the town at other events in the mayor's absence). |
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| Town to employ Fire Department "control burns" to destroy Matthew-flooded houses Town Manager Mike Scott reported to the Smithfield Town Council Monday night that seven houses approved for buy-outs by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be destroyed by Fire Department "control burns."  The
first, at 1014 Blount Street, is scheduled for January
4, he said. The others are located at 308 Rosewood
Drive, 115 Riverside Drive (pictured), 665 NC
210, 739 NC 210, 808 NC 210, and 845 NC 210. Dates for
those burns have not been announced.FEMA is covering 75% of the cost of acquiring and demolishing the houses with federal disaster funds. The State of North Carolina is providing the other 25%. Total estimated cost for the Smithfield project is $2.1 million. The town will hold title to the properties after the demolitions are done. The houses were damaged extensively by the record-setting flood that followed Hurricane Matthew three years ago. |
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  JOHN
P. (JACK)
O'HALEAttorney at Law 102 S. Third St. Smithfield 919-934-6021 e-mail kim@jackohale.com |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? A rundown of upcoming civic and cultural events in our community that we've been told about or seen publicized elsewhere:  CHRISTMAS
TREE LIGHTING
in Downtown Smithfield, 7 p.m. today (Thursday) in the Public Library courtyard, corner of Market and Third streets. Event includes hot chocolate, food trucks, entertainment, and a special guest from the North Pole. South Smithfield Elementary School K-2 students will sing at 7:10. "WINTER MARKET" CRAFT FAIR this Saturday (Dec. 7), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the gym of the Innovation Academy at South Campus on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Smithfield. Hosted by the school's PTA, the event will include the following vendors: Scentsy, Anna's Home Grown, Paparazzi Jewelry, S&A Boutique Designs, Nana's Unlimited LLC, CKB Creations, Snow-Crocheted Works, Moon Runners Food Truck, "and many more." SMITHFIELD-SELMA HIGH'S "HALL OF FAME" will induct six more of the school's graduates at a banquet set for 6 p.m. this Saturday (Dec. 7). This year's class, the second to be inducted, includes Tamara Barbour (1990), Rick Childrey (1973), Marlon Lee (1992), Dr. Craig Price (1970), Bruce Radford (1973), and Dr. Renee Sanders-Lawson (1978). Tickets to the banquet are $20. To purchase tickets contact Deanna Morris at deannamorris@johnston.k12.nc.us. 8th ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE FESTIVAL at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 6 p.m. next Thursday (Dec. 12) just prior to the Christmas Parade. Entries will be accepted next Monday-Wednesday (Dec. 9-11) in several categories. More information on the library's website> CHRISTMAS PARADE in Downtown Smithfield, 7 p.m. next Thursday (Dec. 12). The parade proceeds westward along Market Street from Sixth to Second streets. |
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DEATHS & FUNERALS Each week we'll post links to obituaries about persons who have died during the past week. We'll monitor the websites of local funeral homes to compile our list, and we welcome links provided by readers to obituaries of persons with Smithfield connections who have died outside our immediate area. KIM RODERICK (ROD) EDWARDS, 66 - died December 2 MARILYN MICELLE RICHARDSON, 62 - died December 2 JOSEPH HENRY SMITH, 93 - died December 1 JUDITH CAROLYN BEASLEY CHAMPION, 75 - died November 28 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS US 301 between
Smithfield & Selma, 1990
This portion of the two-lane highway at its intersection with Booker Dairy Road was "out of town" in 1990 when this photograph was taken for The Smithfield Herald. Look at all the trees still standing back then! The road was widened to five lanes from Selma to Smithfield in 1992 at which time the Town Council named all of 301 through Smithfield "Bright Leaf Boulevard" --- and that's three words, not two. (Johnston County Heritage Center archives) |
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"INSIDE" PAGES IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Emergency Services thanks First Baptist SPORTS & RECREATION SSS boys & girls win basketball games OBSERVATIONS Global warming shouldn't be brushed aside WANT TO VIEW PREVIOUS EDITIONS? Visit our archives |
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For more
information about our community, check out
our online "newspaper parent" via the link shown
below. This website is a handy "portal" to
important sources of current information about
Smithfield and Johnston County.
 Here's what you'll find there:• Local weather data, current & past • Monthly jobs reports • Quarterly retail-sales reports • Official population estimates • Agricultural statistics • Local government links • Things to see and do www.smithfieldselmasun.com |
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