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| PUBLISHED ONLINE APRIL 21, 2020 • VOL. 2, NO. 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stories and photos by Wingate Lassiter unless otherwise noted (click highlighted link to e-mail the editor) |
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| CORONAVIRUS
UPDATE: Have we reached a plateau in Johnston? Case numbers rising at a slower pace The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported this morning (Tuesday) that Johnston County has 122 confirmed coronavirus cases --- up from 118 last Friday. The County of Johnston continues to report a lower number: 117 as of Monday afternoon --- up from 115 on Friday. Both the state and the county report nine coronavirus deaths among Johnstonians --- a number that hasn't changed since April 15. What's missing from the county's report is the number of local residents tested for COVID-19. Statewide, that number is 83,331, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Johnston County released the following coronavirus data at 5 p.m. Monday: • 117 confirmed cases; 9 hospitalized, 99 at home, 9 deaths (all age 65+). • 64% of cases female (75) and 36% male (42 cases). • Cases by age: 6 ages 18-24; 28 ages 25-49; 33 ages 50-64; 50 ages 65+. • Cases by race: 75 white, 37 black, 4 "unknown," and 1 "other." Here are the coronavirus numbers for Johnston and neighboring Wake County as well as all of North Carolina, the nation, and the world --- along with links to a couple of reporting agencies where the latest updates may be viewed:
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Online lessons begin in earnest this week Time for BACK TO SCHOOL --- and it's not even August. This, the last full week of April, is the start of a new way of schooling for Johnston County's students. It's called Remote Learning, and it's dependent on the Internet to bring teachers and students together in what's called "virtual reality." When those students can go BACK TO SCHOOL for real remains unsettled as the coronavirus pandemic marches on. This is Week No. 6 Johnston County's public schools have been out of session. Governor Roy Cooper ordered a statewide shutdown of schools March 20 to reduce the spreading of COVID-19. As things now stand, that shutdown lasts till May 15. Last week (April 13-17) was Spring Break on the Johnston County Schools' calendar, so no academic work was expected of students during their fifth week away from the classroom. This week marks the start of Phase Three of the system's plan for Remote Learning. Phase One simply provided a list of "optional web-based resources for parents to engage in with your student while at home." Phase Two called for "instructional activities" from March 30 through April 9, intended to cover "content that has been previously taught" --- for "review and enrichment." Phase Three, starting this week, is the test of how successfully online Remote Learning can be carried out in Johnston County. Wake County, meanwhile, had Spring Break a week earlier than Johnston, so its students began the experiment this past week. According to a report in The News & Observer, by week's end Wake's schools reported participation rates by school ranging from 50% to 75% for that county's 162,000 students. The report said Wake is in the midst of distributing 28,000 computers and 10,500 mobile Internet hot spots to students lacking at-home access to online lessons. Johnston County has distributed more than 8,000 Internet devices --- including computer laptops and tablets --- to students in need. In addition, "we have hot spots on order to loan to students," Dolores Gill, the school system's chief of operations and communication, told the Sun on Monday. Also, "on our website we have been compiling a list of free WiFi locations where students can stay in their cars while accessing the Internet," she noted. "For those without Internet at this time, instructional packets have been delivered and contact made with those students by phone," she concluded. Ms. Gill told the county's Board of Education earlier this month that perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 of Johnston's 37,400 students lack access to reliable Internet service.  Screen shot of Remote Learning portal on Johnston County Public Schools website. Here's the link to that page> Schools' free-meal "grab and go" program to return with modified schedule April 27 When Johnston County Public Schools week before last suspended its free-meal "grab and go" program serving students away from school because of the coronavirus shutdown, it was announced that the program would be re-evaluated, with a possible restart as early as Monday of this week. No further word was received until an announcement went out shortly after lunchtime Monday that the program won't be resumed until Monday, April 27. And then it will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays rather than daily as before, with additional meals handed out to cover the days to be skipped. In its place this week, the school system will offer one day of hot meals for each of the 13 schools that were being used as sites for curbside distribution. That started with four sites today (Tuesday). Smithfield-Selma High School is one of three sites where meals will be distributed Wednesday, starting at noon. West Smithfield Elementary will hand out meals on Thursday. This week's offerings are coming through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in coordination with Golden Corral of Garner. Here's the link to the school system's announcement including the full schedule> Meanwhile, volunteers at East Smithfield's Sarah Yard Community Center will continue to hand out meals Monday-Friday, thanks to a donation of 100 meals from Raleigh's Torchlight Charter School, according to organizer Marlon Lee. The Sarah Yard volunteers also provide a collection station for food donations to the Backpack Buddies program for needy students at West Smithfield Elementary School. |
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WHERE TO DONATE, WHERE TO GET FOOD Johnston County Emergency Services has posted on Facebook the poster shown below listing churches that are accepting donations of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for health-care workers on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 virus....  SALVATION ARMY OFFERING FREE LUNCHES DAILY Sally's Kitchen at Salvation Army headquarters in Smithfield is offering free take-out lunches to anyone Monday-Friday, noon to 1 p.m. The agency's Food Pantry is also open Monday-Friday by appointment by calling 919-934-9102. FOOD CLOSET OPEN THURSDAYS AT CENTENARY CHURCH The Smithfield Area Ministries Food Closet, housed at Centenary United Methodist Church, is now open to any and all comers, vouchers not required, on Thursdays from 9:30 till noon and 2:00 till 4:30 p.m. |
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 AN ENCOURAGING SIGN OF COMMERCE Despite the coronavirus shutdown of "non-essential" businesses and services, interstate commerce appears to be alive if not entirely well, judging by this scene captured early Saturday afternoon of I-95 from Wal-Pat Road. Besides all the truck traffic seen here, lengthy CSX freight trains also continue to pass through Smithfield on a regular basis. Perhaps some of those shipments will bring us more toilet paper! |
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 "IF IT'S REALLY CLEAN,
IT'S PARRISH CLEAN!" 919-934-5898 www.parrishclean.com |
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LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AGENDAS
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 MIGHT HE KNOW ABOUT EARTH DAY? A walk down to South Smithfield's Wilson's Pond late Monday afternoon brought this chance encounter with a good-sized blue heron (or was it a crane) apparently scouting out the shallow water near the bank for some supper. It's an appropriate reminder that tomorrow (Wednesday) is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in the U.S.A. Some commentary about that on the OBSERVATIONS page> |
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DEATHS & FUNERALS Each week we post links to obituaries about persons who have died during the past week. We 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.... JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) BLOW, 97 - died April 19 EULA MAE BELL, 99 - died April 17 MARGARET McCLAMB, 95 - died April 17 JOHNNIE STACKER, 70 - died April 15 EVERETT ODELL (E.O.) ADAMS JR., 73 - died April 13 |
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LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PAGES OBSERVATIONS |
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