 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PUBLISHED
ONLINE NOVEMBER 26, 2020 • VOL.
2, NO. 55 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Stories and photos by Wingate Lassiter unless otherwise noted (click highlighted link to e-mail the editor) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 THANKSGIVINGv.2020 A time to be grateful. A time to be careful.  'Tis the season to ring for the needy Their numbers are almost certain to be higher this year because of jobs lost to the coronavirus pandemic. Adding to the challenge for this year's Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign is a shortage of volunteers plus a potential shortfall of shoppers as folks seek to avoid COVID-19 infections. Rotarian Pete Connet (pictured), a former Smithfield town manager (now retired), was one of the volunteers who took turns ringing the bell outside Walmart last weekend. If you or your organization would like to help with that, contact The Salvation Army's Smithfield headquarters by phoning 919-934-9102 or e-mailing SmithfieldNC@uss.salvationarmy.org. Another way to boost the campaign is to make an online donation with the Virtual Red Kettle> CORONAVIRUS REPORT
Johnston's case total is still jumping; deaths and hospitalizations are up, too The news for Johnston County regarding the fight against the coronavirus pandemic remains alarming, but it could be worse in light of what's going on elsewhere across the state. The number of new cases here continues to rise by 500 or so in a week's time; deaths since the outbreak hit us last March rose by seven this past week to a new total of 78; and the number hospitalized has risen from 26 to 33 (reaching 42 on Monday before dropping back on Tuesday). According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the positivity rate for coronavirus testing in Johnston has reached 9.5% lately. Despite those worrisome numbers, Johnston County remains in the "Substantial Community Spread" category on the state's COVID-19 County Alert System, while the number of counties getting a "Critical Spread" rating has doubled over the past week --- from 10 to 20. Fortunately for us, Sampson County has come off the "Critical" list, leaving Wilson County as our only neighbor in that category of alarm. Most of our other neighbors, meanwhile, are in the "Significant Spread" category --- of somewhat lesser concern than Johnston's "Substantial Spread" rating. VIEW the latest data provided by the state's COVID-19 County Alert System> Here's the County of Johnston's COVID-19 report issued at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday: • 7,434 cases, 78 deaths, 33 hospitalized + 1,316 at home for a total of 1,349 active cases --- down from 1,535 a week ago --- with 6,007 presumed recovered. • 3,903 female cases; 3,531 male. • Cases by age: 1,078 ages 0-17 (1,002 last week); 989 18-24 (933 last week); 3,032 25-49 (2,862 last week); 1,470 50-64 (1,371 last week); 865 age 65+ (801). • Cases by race: 4,343 white, 935 black, 975 other (1,181 not known). • Cases by ethnicity: 2,447 Hispanic, 4,048 non-Hispanic (939 not known). INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS Johnston County Jail: 5 inmates, 20 staff. Johnston Correctional Institution: 111 inmates (99 last week), 6 staff. Nursing and adult-care centers: 27 residents, 101 staff (89 last week). SCHOOLS' REPORT GIVES BREAKDOWNS BY CAMPUSES Here's what was posted at 9:47 a.m. Tuesday (last report for this week): STUDENT DATA: 92 cases, 648 quarantined among 21,660 students who have returned to school this month --- 42 cases in elementary schools including 3 at South Smithfield and 8 at West Smithfield, 17 in middle schools including 7 at Smithfield Middle, 33 in high schools including 18 at Smithfield-Selma (last week: 75 cases in all grades countywide). EMPLOYEE DATA: 42 cases, 116 quarantined among approximately 5,000 employees (teachers, administrators, and support staff) ---19 cases in elementary schools including 1 at South Smithfield and 4 at West Smithfield, 3 in middle schools including 2 at Smithfield, 14 in high schools including 1 at Smithfield-Selma, 10 in all administrative buildings (last week: 19 cases countywide). PUBLIC LIBRARY, TWO COUNTY OFFICES CLOSED BY QUARANTINES Because of staff quarantines, the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield as well as two offices of County Government were closed to the public this week. The Tax Collection section of the Johnston County Tax Office was closed on Monday (its Real Estate section has remained open). Also closed was the administrative office of Emergency Services. (Those two offices as well as the library were already scheduled to be closed to the public the rest of the week starting Thursday for Thanksgiving holidays.) GOVERNOR ISSUES STRICTER RULES ON WEARING MASKS Effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Governor Roy Cooper's latest order tightens a statewide mask directive that urges everyone to wear a mask whenever you're with someone outside your household. The new order also requires retail businesses with more than 15,000 square feet to station employees near entrances to require mask wearing and limit the number of patrons who may enter.
VIEW the current list of COVID-19 test sites and testing events in all of Johnston> |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 SMITHFIELD'S FALL COLORS ARE ON THE WANE And, quite frankly, they weren't as spectacular this autumn as what we've enjoyed in years past. Blame that on the year's excessive rainfall. Or perhaps it was bad luck associated with the coronoavirus pandemic. Whatever the reason, you can still find striking samples here and there, such as this Vermont Street scene featuring a red-leafed dogwood and in the distance a yellow-leafed oak at South Smithfield School. MORE photos and some Thanksgiving reflections on the OBSERVATIONS page> |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Johnston considered for headquarters of newly established Space Command Johnston County didn't make the cut, but we were invited this past summer to compete for the new headquarters of the U.S. Space Command.  "On July 24, the U.S. Air Force's
Strategic Basing Office notified Johnston County's
Office of Economic Development that it had met initial
screening criteria and would be moving forward for
further consideration," reports Chris Johnson, the
county's economic development director.Following that invitation, Mr. Johnson said his office "spent the following five weeks compiling detailed information in response to the Pentagon's exhaustive questionnaire about various sites around Johnston County." He said our community "would have been a natural fit for the command due to its skilled workforce, growing population, close proximity to large military bases in Goldsboro and Fayetteville, and appealing quality of life." Mr. Johnson admitted that county officials "understood from the beginning that the highly competitive, highly political project would be a long shot." Even so, "we knew it would also be a wonderful opportunity to display the numerous business amenities Johnston County has to offer," he concluded. The U.S. Space Command is part of the U.S. Space Force created last December by the National Defense Authorization Act as a new branch of the armed forces. Its provisional headquarters is located in Colorado Springs, which remains under consideration for the permanent home base along with military installations in New Mexico, Florida, Nebraska, Alabama, and Texas. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 A new teamof Smithfield accountants CPA John Scovil (left) has joined the accounting firm of Koonce, Wooten & Haywood (KWH) as a partner. Joining him part-time at the Smithfield office is Lindy Faulconer (right), a KWH partner since 1988 who's based in Raleigh yet resides in Smithfield. He is the son of the late Lynn Faulconer and wife Patricia, who also resides here. Mr. Scovil has worked as a Smithfield accountant since 1985, first with CPA Bobby Eason (now retired) and on his own the past 10 years. Mr. Scovil's office, now part of KWH, is located at 212 E. Church Street. The phone number is 919-934-1121. Coates Hearing Clinic adds 2nd audiologist  Dr. Tessa Merrill (right) has
joined Dr. Kathleen Coates at her hearing clinic in
Smithfield.Dr. Merrill received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Maryland's Towson University. She also completed a year-long externship at ENTAA Care Audiology in Glen Burnie, Md. She and her husband, Sean, have a 14-month-old son, Colson. Coates Hearing Center opened in January 2019 at 1652 E. Booker Dairy Road. For more information, visit the clinic's website> |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WHAT'S COMING UP? SMITHFIELD'S CHRISTMAS-TREE LIGHTING NEXT TUESDAY  It'll
be a virtual
event to be
live-streamed
at 6 p.m.
Tuesday on the
town's Facebook page. Mayor Andy Moore will flip the
switch to
light up the
tree in the
Public Library
courtyard at
the corner of
Market and
Third streets.Smithfield will not host a Christmas parade this year because of coronavirus mass-gathering restrictions, but other Yuletide activities are in the works, listed on a new web page: SmithfieldChristmas.com. SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL WILL MEET NEXT TUESDAY; WATER-PLANT EXPANSION BIDS AMONG ITEMS ON AGENDA It's the first Tuesday in December --- designated date for the council's regular monthly meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in Town Hall at the corner of Market and Fourth streets. The council will consider awarding a $17,598,500 contract for expansion of the town's water plant to increase its treatment capacity from 6.2-million to 8.3-million gallons per day. The council will continue discussing and possibly adopting several changes in the town's Unified Development Ordinance, including a new procedure called "conditional zoning." Two public hearings are scheduled: • On a request for "substantial changes" to the previously approved East River Planned Unit Development Master Plan. • On a request to rezone almost two acres at the intersection of North Bright Leaf Boulevard and Waddell Drive from B-2 (Business) zoning to B-3 (Highway Business). The complete agenda, with details, is posted on the town's website> |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.... GLENN DEREK ANDERSON, 57 - died November 23 OCTAVIANO GONZALEZ SANCHEZ, 45 - died November 23 GERTRUDE REBECCA MILLARD MASSENGILL, 77 - died November 22 COLLEEN NORETHA DEANS SMITH, 91 - died November 22 JAQKWON LEE MINGUS, 23 - died November 21 ROSA LEE BEASLEY, 81 - died November 19 MELVIN LEON NORRIS SR., 91 - died November 18 CHAPPELL VAIL (DICK) PARKER, 82 - died November 18 NAPOLEON SHUMPERT, 76 - died November 17 MALVERN WILLIAM (BILL) THARRINGTON, 93 - died November 17 ROBERT (BOB) FARMER, 87 - died November 17 STEPHEN WAYNE WARREN, 67 - died November 14 MARIAN BRASWELL DODD, 88 - died November 4 CLARENCE ALTON (AL) WORSHAM, 66 - died August 24 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  SMITHFIELD'S POST-WORLD WAR II FORD PLACE This was the home of B&R Wilson Ford that was gutted by fire in 1960. In its place on what was then North Eighth Street arose a larger facility that became Brack Wilson Ford, which was sold in 1984 to a business that has evolved into present-day Classic Ford of Smithfield. The structure that took the place of the building shown here is in use today as the home of Evans Tire and Automotive Center. And the widened roadway out front (still US 301) is now Bright Leaf Boulevard. (Photo from the Johnston County Heritage Center) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
DID YOU MISS A PREVIOUS EDITION? Rewind with our archives |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
a public service announcement
INITIAL LOW
INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE
Eligible households will not
receive a LIEAP check as the payments will be made
directly to the heating provider such as your power,
gas, or fuel-oil company. ALL households must make
application for LIEAP Heating Assistance as there
will be no automatic approvals for recipients of
Food and Nutrition Services. Due to COVID-19
and the current Health Emergency, applications
will be completed by telephone by calling
919-989-5300. You may apply online via the ePass
Portal at https://www.nc.gov/services/e-pass,
and from there you will print the application and
mail to the Johnston County Department of Social
Services at P.O. 911 Smithfield, N.C. 27577, or
place it in the drop box outside Social Services
at 714 North Street in Smithfield.  |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
