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| PUBLISHED ONLINE MAY 14, 2020 • VOL. 2, NO. 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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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School board adopts its budget asking county for an increase of $8,585,514 That's the bottom line of the budget adopted by the Johnston County Board of Education on Tuesday for the 2020-21 fiscal year that starts July 1. How much funding winds up in the final budget will be decided by the County Commissioners. The school board's request seeks $76,423,852 for Current Expense --- up from $67,945,918 approved by the commissioners for fiscal 2019-20 --- and $1,204,504 for Capital Outlay --- up from $1,096,924 this year. A draft budget submitted by Interim Superintendent Ben Williams in April sought an increase of more than $11.9 million from the county. READ MORE about the budget and other matters covered at Tuesday's meeting> CORONAVIRUS REPORT We're
up to 220 cases in Johnston
Johnston County released the following coronavirus data at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday: • 220 confirmed cases (193 a week ago); 19 deaths, 6 hospitalized (half the number reported a week ago), 195 at home. • 61% of cases female (135); 39% male (85 cases). • Cases by age: 6 ages 0-17; 12 18-24; 78 25-49; 51 50-64; 73 age 65 and older. • Cases by race: 143 white, 65 black, 7 "other," and 5 "unknown." FOOTNOTES: • Of the 27 new cases reported this past week, 20 are persons under the age of 50; just two of the new cases are persons 65 and older. • As reported previously, 72 of Johnston's cases include staff and residents of Springbrook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Clayton while 13 cases include residents and staff at Cambridge Place, a rehab facility in Smithfield.
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 "IF IT'S REALLY CLEAN,
IT'S PARRISH CLEAN!" 919-934-5898 www.parrishclean.com |
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  ABOVE: Blue skies over Belk and Burkes as both Smithfield stores re-opened this week after a shutdown that lasted two months. RIGHT: Harper's Flea Market Mall was open last weekend. The larger flea market in a converted tobacco warehouse farther out on Bright Leaf Boulevard wasn't. Some retail businesses have re-opened; others taking a more cautious approach A number of Smithfield's retailers closed since late March because of restrictions from the Governor's Office were back in business last weekend. Others, including the Belk department store, opened Monday. Yet a signficant number remained closed at mid-week, including 54 of 77 stores at Carolina Premium Outlets, according to the center's website. Still closed under Governor Roy Cooper's "Phase One" re-opening plan that took effect at 5 p.m. last Friday are barber shops and beauty salons, fitness centers, and dine-in restaurants. They're awaiting new orders from the Governor to be issued by the end of next week. Local survey finds many small businesses haven't gotten requested SBA assistance A survey conducted by Johnston County's Economic Development Office and Visitors Bureau along with local chambers of commerce found that a significant majority of local businesses haven't received requested financial aid from the U.S. Small Business Administration authorized by Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 240 businesses countywide responded to the survey, conducted over a two-week period that ended last Friday. That included 79 in the Smithfield-Selma area, reported Chris Johnson, the county's director of economic development. "Has your business applied for any SBA assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic?" the survey asked. 154 said yes; 90 said no. "Have you received any SBA assistance?" 185 said no; 59 said yes. Among businesses that have applied for aid, 93 said they "have not yet heard anything from the SBA." Of the survey's respondents, 168 had 10 or fewer employees prior to the pandemic, 42 had 11-25 employees, 29 had 26-100, and five had more than 100. Asked about declines in revenue because of COVID-19's impact, 22 reported more than $100,000, 21 said $50,000 to $100,000, 31 said $25,000 to $50,000, 53 said $10,000 to $25,000, and 43 reported less than $10,000 in lost revenue. Even so, 162 of the survey's respondents said they "still need employees" despite the pandemic's negative effects. Chamber wants funds diverted directly to local businesses The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce is asking the towns of Smithfield and Selma to redirect annual grants to its Economic Development Fund to helping local businesses impacted by the coronavirus shutdown instead. The grants of $4,000 from each of the towns are normally used by the Triangle East Chamber on projects "to promote our towns and the opportunities for business to locate here," said Mike Mancuso, the Chamber's CEO. Plans for this year's money were to attend "deal making shows" of the International Council of Shopping Centers, but most of those events have been canceled, he noted. |
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Smithfield artist is
inspired to Feed the Kids
HAND-PAINTED NOTE CARDS HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $3,000 SO FAR  While rehabbing from a knee operation,
Michelle Fields-Laughinghouse was moved to action as she
watched the news about folks losing their jobs because
of the coronavirus outbreak."It hurt me to learn that children and their families are hungry," she said. Sharing her concern with friends, she learned about the Feed the Kids program based at Smithfield's First Baptist Church and its need for money to keep going. "I decided to pair my interest in art with my desire to help the program," said Michelle. "Doing original hand-painted designs on note cards, I painted every day for seven weeks," she continued. "I came up with 90 different designs for the note cards... in packs of ten." She decided to offer a pack of cards for a donation of $20 or more. "After texting all my friends, I was thrilled with the response!" she exclaimed. "So far, I have printed over fifteen hundred cards and raised over $3,000." She even delivers the cards to a donor's home --- "with my mask and gloves on," she emphasized. "They are so excited to help with this program," she added. "Another hidden benefit from doing this is to touch base with so many people who want to talk to others and are yearning to help out," Michelle reported. "The whole process as been heart-warming and the response has gone beyond my wildest dreams." To support her project, Michelle said donors should send a check for $20 or more to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 209, Smithfield, N.C. 27577. "Make sure to write FEED THE KIDS - Michelle's Note Cards on the memo line," she advised. EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Gary Ridout for assembling the information, including Michelle's comments, for this story. |
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SMITHFIELD COUNCIL HAS TWO MEETINGS COMING UP The Town Council's regular monthly session for May was postponed till this coming Monday (May 18) at 7 p.m. Here's the agenda> The council will resume budget deliberations during a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. today (Thursday). The agenda includes comments by Jeff Jennings, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield. Public access to both meetings will be limited to a teleconference hookup accessible by phoning 919-391-3517 or 1-800-719-7514 and entering Conference Code 808829 when prompted. |
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 MOTHER'S DAY MASS OUTDOORS AT SAINT ANN CHURCH Last Sunday was Mother's Day and what a lovely day it was --- beautifully evident during this outdoor celebration of mass at Saint Ann Catholic Church west of Smithfield. The photograph is a screen shot of the archived service that was live-streamed on the church's YouTube channel --- a practice several of Smithfield's churches continue to follow until the coronavirus situation allows a return to traditional congregational services. |
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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.... BILLY WAYNE JONES, 50 - died May 10 BARRY ALAN BAREFOOT, 55 - died May 8 ROSSIE LASSITER ADAMS, 94 - died May 7 CAROL GLENN BAKER, 75 - died May 7 RAY KEITH HODGE, 94 - died May 5 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  A STALWART DOWNTOWN RETAILER 50+ YEARS AGO Efird's Department Store occupied a prominent spot in Downtown Smithfield during the heyday of retailing in the central business district. Part of a chain started in Charlotte in the early 1900s, the Smithfield store was the last Efird's to close, in late 1979, according to William S. Powell's Encyclopedia of North Carolina. The Smithfield location pictured here was in the Market Street building presently occupied by Gotham's Deli and the Simple Twist Tap Room. (Photo from the
Joe & Warren Grimes Collection)
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LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PAGES SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF MAY 12 Rewind with our archives |
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