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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE JUNE 4, 2020 • VOL. 2, NO.
30 |
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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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OUR JOBLESS RATE WAS 10.9% IN APRIL That's an historic jump from a rate of just 4.0% in March, when 95,218 Johnstonians held jobs and 3,845 were listed as unemployed. In April, reports the N.C. Department of Commerce, the number of Johnstonians employed dropped to 79,638 with 9,702 listed as jobless as effects of the coronavirus shutdown took hold. The statewide rate for April was even worse at 12.5%. Wake County's rate was 11%. Durham-Chapel Hill and Greenville shared the state's lowest rate among metropolitan statistical areas at 9.5%. The lowest April rate in North Carolina was Bertie County's 6.5%. |
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 PEACEFUL PROTEST AT THE COURTHOUSE Sheriff Steve Bizzell (on the right in civilian shirt) and one of his deputies observe last Sunday evening's peaceful protest at the Johnston County Courthouse of the killing in Minneapolis of an African-American man by police that prompted rioting elsewhere across the nation, including outbreaks in Raleigh. (Photo posted by Smithfield's Mayor Andy Moore on Facebook.) READ MORE about the incident on the OBSERVATIONS page> CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Another record-setting week for the spike in cases reported: Now we're up to 513 The County of Johnston reported late Wednesday afternoon that the number of coronavirus cases here has risen to 513 --- an increase of 136 during the past week. Smithfield's ZIP code 27577 accounted for 31 of the new cases. Reporting to Johnston's County Commissioners on Monday, County Health Director Marilyn Pearson said the recent rise in cases here is "not unexpected" because of increased testing of Johnstonians suspected of carrying the virus. She also attributed the rise in infections among the 25-49 age group in large part to "people returning to work." Fortunately, Dr. Pearson added, the number of persons hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment "has gone down" (just 8 in the county's latest report). Emergency Services Director Kevin Hubbard reported at Monday's meeting that three employees in the EMS Division tested positive for COVID-19 last week. They were immediately quarantined, he said, "and everything worked out well." MID-WEEK JOHNSTON COUNTY REPORT The County of Johnston released the following data at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday: • 513 confirmed cases; 23 deaths, 8 hospitalized, 482 at home. • 53% of cases female (271); 47% male (242 cases). • Cases by age: 42 ages 0-17; 52 18-24; 229 25-49; 99 50-64; 91 age 65 and older. • Cases by race: 386 white, 97 black, 11 other, 19 unknown. • Cases by ethnicity: 212 Hispanic, 241 non-Hispanic, 60 unknown. The county has a new hotline number for COVID-19 information: 919-209-8310 available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
LIBRARY AND HERITAGE CENTER TO RE-OPEN MONDAY
RELIEF
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Town Council backs down size of pay raise for Smithfield's police officers Instead of pay raises as high as 15% for entry-level officers, the Smithfield Town Council has approved a less costly plan to provide 5% pay raises for all members of the Police Department. That decision was made during a budget session held last Thursday evening. During a previous session March 14 the council had agreed to raise pay substantially for police positions hard to fill in recent years, increasing the entry-level salary from $39,600 to $45,540. Councilman John Dunn --- who cast the only negative vote March 14 because of his concerns about declining tax revenues during the year ahead --- brought up the matter for reconsideration at last Thursday's meeting. He presented a report showing the $45,540 for starting police officers here would be higher than what other law-enforcement agencies in the region are now paying: $42,000 by the Wake County Sheriff's Department, $41,068 by the City of Raleigh, $42,621 by the Johnston County Sheriff's Department, $36,801 by the Town of Clayton. Only Knightdale --- a nearby municipality that has enticed a number of Smithfield police officers to move there recently --- would be paying more, at $45,751. Following a lengthy discussion about the impact of a 15% pay raise on morale of higher-ranking Smithfield police officers and other town employees as well as the revenue concerns, the council agreed unanimously on a compromise to grant 5% across-the-board salary increases to all Police Department employees in July. That decision raises starting pay for Smithfield's police to $41,590. As recommended earlier by Town Manager Mike Scott, an across-the-board pay raise of 2.5% for all town employees is being postponed till September and perhaps even later because of revenue uncertainties related to the coronavirus pandemic. Would that pay raise be added to the immediate 5% for police? On that question, the council voted 4-3 at last Thursday's meeting that it would not. Councilmen Dunn, Rabil, Stevens, and Wood voted for that restriction; Councilmen Barbour, Lee, and Scott voted against it. With the police-pay issue settled, at least for now, the council adopted the 2020-21 town budget at Tuesday evening's regular monthly meeting following a duly advertised hearing that drew neither in-person nor written public comments. READ MORE about the new budget and other matters on Tuesday's agenda> |
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 Latest
architect's rendering of detention center's
entrance.
New detention center to cost county $12 million less than originally forecast "I'm just ecstatic!" exclaimed Dan Mace of Moseley Architects as he asked County Commissioners on Monday to award the contract for constructing the new Detention Center to be built off US 70 Business just east of Smithfield. "If there ever is a silver lining in COVID, this is it," said Mr. Mace as he presented low-bidder TA Loving Company's price of $36,694,900 to build the 470-bed jail inside a building of 117,000 square feet. Moseley's pre-bid estimate for construction was $48.3 million based on $431 per square foot for a slightly smaller structure. TA Loving's bid came in at $313 per square foot --- among the lowest prices his firm has seen in the past eight or nine years, Mr. Mace noted. Commissioners approved the construction contract along with a total project budget of $44.5 million, including cost of the land, furniture and fixtures, and contingencies. The project will be financed primarily with Limited Obligation Bonds that can be issued without approval by the county's voters. Bond payments will come from the county's General Fund. The contractor should begin "moving dirt" by the end of June, with completion scheduled in February 2022, commissioners were told. READ MORE from Monday's morning and evening sessions of the county board> MORE GOOD FINANCIAL NEWS FROM BOND ISSUE This week's $20-million sale of General Obligation bonds authorized by voters in 2018 for school construction projects drew an interest rate of 1.61%. "We have been told that this was probably the lowest rate (in North Carolina) since just after World War II," County Manager Rick Hester said. Last year's $20-million installment brought an interest rate of 2.38%, he noted. Bond-rating agencies recently renewed the County of Johnston's grade at the second-highest level on their scale --- a rating that produces favorable interest rates for government-backed loans. SPECIAL MEETING ON INDUSTRIAL INCENTIVE GRANT The County Commissioners have scheduled a special session at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday (June 9) to consider an economic development incentive grant for an unnamed company that "intends to expand production facilities... and hire a substantial number of new, permanent full-time employees." The meeting will be held at the Workforce Development Center located at 135 Best Wood Drive, Clayton. |
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School board adopts modified calendar for 2020-21 term; start date now Aug. 17 Following a new state law resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the Johnston County Board of Education has adopted a revised calendar for 2020-21 that moves up the opening of school one week --- to August 17. The new calendar preserves Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and Spring Break as before, but it combines some teacher workdays with "remote learning days" for students as required by the recently enacted coronavirus-related legislation. The last day of school is scheduled for May 28, the Friday leading into Memorial Day weekend. In response to concerns about that timing, the school board was told during a special session held last Thursday evening that school principals will have some discretion about when to hold graduation ceremonies that final week. The complete staff calendar is posted on the school system's website> STUDENTS TO CONTINUE GETTING MEALS THIS SUMMER Now that the 2019-20 school term has ended, Johnston County's schools have rolled over the recent meal-distribution program --- in place since the coronavirus shutdown in March --- into the summer program usually operated this time of year. With one difference: This summer's program, like the recent project, will provide meals to all students under 18 years of age who want them without regard to eligibility rules regarding household income. At the same time, the number of distribution points for the curbside pick-up program has been reduced from 14 to nine, including Smithfield-Selma High and West Smithfield Elementary schools. Funding comes from the federal Summer Food Service Program. Johnston school officials said this week that 357,087 meals were served this spring under the coronavirus emergency project. More details about the summer program on the school system's website> Meanwhile, volunteers at the Sarah Yard Community Center in Smithfield continue to distribute meals to children at lunchtime Monday-Thursday, according to Town Councilman Marlon Lee. A NEW PRINCIPAL FOR WEST SMITHFIELD ELEMENTARY  Darrick McNeill (pictured) will
take over July 1 as principal of West Smithfield
Elementary School, replacing Sharon Bryant, who's
moving to Riverwood Middle School as its principal.Mr. McNeill is coming from West View Elementary, where he was recently named Johnston County's Assistant Principal of the Year. The school board approved contracts affecting those and numerous other administrative positions following a closed session last Thursday evening. The complete list is posted on the school system's website> SCHOOL BOARD'S MONTHLY MEETING NEXT TUESDAY The board meets at the Evander Simpson Building on US70 Business east of Smithfield. The meeting usually opens with a closed session at 4 p.m. followed by a public session at 5 p.m. Check the school system's website for the agenda once it's posted> |
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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.... LUDA BRASWELL HINNANT, 99 - died June 1 JAMES GERALD HONEYCUTT, 76 - died May 31 GARY SHERWOOD PITTMAN, 52 - died May 30 HENRY (JoJo) WHITE JR. - died May 28 HANNAH PAIGE HYATT, 21 - died May 26 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  SMITHFIELD'S FIRST WATER PLANT Built in 1913 when the town's "water works" replaced individual and communal groundwater wells, this structure remained mostly vacant (except for some storage) after Smithfield's current water plant on North Second Street went into service in the summer of 1970. Located at the north end of Front Street above the present-day boat ramp, the old building was considered for many adaptive uses over the years --- ideas that included an arts center and a brewery. But alas, nothing viable ever materialized and it was torn down a few years ago. Part of the space left vacant by its removal is the site of a picnic shelter currently under construction for visitors to the Town Commons and the Buffalo Creek Greenway. (Photo from the Johnston County Heritage Center) |
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LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PAGES COUNTY BOARD REPORT Rewind with our archives |
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