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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE FEBRUARY 18, 2021 • VOL.
3, NO. 7 |
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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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 THE GROUND WON'T DRAIN AFTER SO MUCH RAIN Standing water at the Second Street Dog Park Tuesday morning was a common sight around town following several days of rainfall. Cornell Cox's Backyard Weather Station in South Smithfield has recorded measurable rain 10 of the first 16 days of February, producing 4.59 inches for the month and a total of 11.43 inches since the first of January. CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
10% of Johnstonians have gotten shots --- 360 at a drive-through clinic on Wednesday The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday that 20,490 Johnstonians have received first doses of one of two COVID-19 vaccines available since mid-December, with second doses given to another 8,287. That means almost 10% of Johnston County's estimated population of 209,339 has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine so far. The state's February 17 report shows that 41.13% of first doses in Johnston have gone to persons age 65-74 and 27.68% to persons 75 and older (a U.S. Census report for 2019 estimates that 13.6% of Johnston's population is 65 and older). The state's report shows that 13.21% of first doses in Johnston have gone to African-Americans and 3.32% to Hispanics (2019 Census estimates put the county's African-American population at 17% of the total, Hispanics at 14%). Johnston's Health Department hosted another drive-through vaccination clinic on Wednesday at Corinth Holders High School. Since only 360 doses were available, all the shots were claimed before 11 a.m. Starting next Wednesday (Feb. 24), the state will extend eligibility for vaccinations to a group that includes teachers and other school employees, regardless of age. VISIT this official state web page to find upcoming vaccination locations> Johnston County reported 1,469 active COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday: 1,411 recovering at home plus 58 in hospitals. That's up slightly from 1,428 active cases a week ago. Johnston County Public Schools reported 36 active cases among students, down from 45 a week ago --- and 23 among employees, down from 31 a week ago --- as of Wednesday afternoon. The number of active quarantines among students declined from 696 last week to 619 this week, while the number of quarantines among school employees dropped from 175 to 134. VIEW real-time updates on the schools' COVID-19 Dashboard>
VIEW the current list of COVID-19 testing sites throughout Johnston County> |
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31 apply for vacated school board seat, including 5 candidates from 2020 elections
The other applicants: Jaron Benson, Hidden Valley Dr., Clayton. Al Byrd, Watrus Dr., Clayton. Summer Capps, Pineapple Place, Benson. Sarah Chera, US 70-B East, Smithfield. Wayah Rose Colombo, Cleveland Township. Brice Connors, Fieldtrial Circle, Garner. Kenneth Edge, Bailywick Dr., Clayton. Heather Fox, Grey Abbey Dr., Clayton. Brian Jenkins, Mallard Loop Dr., Clayton. Toni McLamb, Hummingbird Lane, Four Oaks. George Moore, Opry Lane, Clayton. Susan Moore, Kensington Court, Clayton. John Mulhern IV, Edgefield St., Clayton. Teena Nichols, Swift Creek Dr., Clayton. Robert O'Neal Jr., Richardson Rd., Zebulon. Thomas Presti, Broadmoor Way, Clayton. J.M. Radford Jr., address not shown. Marvin Rawls Jr., Ashlyn Dr., Clayton. Phillip Roberts, Berea Church Rd., Four Oaks. Jeff Robinson, Bridgham Place, Clayton. Stephen Sellers, Hibernia Court, Smithfield. Charles Snyder, Princeton-Kenly Rd., Kenly. Lock Whiteside, W. Copenhaver Dr., Clayton. Gary Whitman, W. Woodall St., Benson. Paul Yates, Gasper Ct., Clayton. Matt Zaske, Clayton (street address not shown). Two years remain on the term of Tracie Zukowski, who resigned from the board last month after moving her residence from the Clayton area to Brunswick County. This past Monday was the deadline for applicants to submit "statements of interest" in serving as her replacement. The remaining six board members will choose Ms. Zukowski's successor. Toward that end, the board scheduled a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday) "to approve a process for filing the vacant board seat and to identify candidates to be interviewed for the seat." The meeting will be live-streamed> The school system's Central Office released statements submitted by the applicants in the form of a PDF opened with this link>
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Live-streaming glitch interrupted county board's third-Monday meeting It was the first breakdown in communication since the County Commissioners began live-streaming their meetings almost a year ago as a result of coronavirus-related restrictions on public attendance. Monday's 6 p.m. session started 20 minutes late, and after about 30 minutes the broadcast "froze" and wasn't restored until the last 15 minutes or so of the meeting. During the latter portion of the broadcast, the audio quality was poor. County Manager Rick Hester reported Wednesday that Jeff Howard, the county's director of technology services, believes the cause of it all may have been "a Windows profile corruption." But "no viruses were found," Mr. Hester noted. "Everything has been reformatted and we don't anticipate issues in the future." Live-streaming of commissioners' meetings continued today (Thursday) as the board met for an all-day "work session" ahead of deliberations on what's to be included in the 2021-22 county budget for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. That session will be archived for viewing on the county's Facebook page> The board has scheduled regular meetings on the third Monday of the month this year in addition to its regular sessions at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the first Monday. READ the Sun's summary of Monday night's proceedings> |
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 A HIGHER POWER COMING TO SMITHFIELD'S CUSTOMERS Town of Smithfield Electric Department employees installed a new transformer on top of new underground wiring in a South Smithfield residential neighborhood Monday morning. It's part of a 30-year project about 40% done to convert the town's electric system to a higher voltage for increased reliability, explained Ted Credle, the town's director of public utilities. With the project's completion, expected by 2035, about 60% of the town's transformers will have been replaced, he noted, and power lines either re-insulated or replaced. While most of Smithfield is served by the town's municipal system, West Smithfield is served by Duke Energy, the state's predominant investor-owned electric utility whose predecessor --- Carolina Power & Light Company --- extended service to that area long before it was annexed to the town in 1993. (Photo taken from the editor's second-floor home office) WHAT'S COMING UP? TOWN COUNCIL SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON 2021-22 BUDGET Smithfield's governing board has scheduled a "public input budget meeting" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. next Thursday (Feb. 25) at the Recreation and Aquatics Center. "This unique opportunity will give citizens the opportunity to give their input to the 2021-2022 Town of Smithfield budget," states a meeting notice from the town. (The town manager has not yet put together his proposed budget for the new fiscal year that starts July 1.) Citizens may express their views in person or via telephone conference call by dialing 1-800-719-7514 or 919-391-3517 and entering the code 808829 when prompted. The public may also submit comments by e-mail to the town clerk: shannan.parrish@smithfield-nc.com --- no later than 3 p.m. next Thursday. |
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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.... VIRGINIA DARE BIZZELL CREECH, 86 - died February 15 ANNIE MOYE CORBETT, 79 - died February 12 WILLIE E. PARKER, 77 - died February 12 MARY LOU ANDERSON, 71 - died February 11 DEBORAH DALE BATTEN, 66 - died February 11 |
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THIS IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH  A
HALF-DOZENBLACK MEN WERE ELECTED TO THE TOWN BOARD IN THE 19th CENTURY This plaque graces the brick wall outside the entrance to the Council Chamber at Smithfield's Town Hall. The six served during the Reconstruction Era when African-American men not only had the right to vote but also the right to hold elective office in North Carolina. Those rights were suspended by a white supremacy campaign at the turn of the 20th Century and weren't fully restored until Congress passed overriding federal legislation during the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. Since then, Smithfield's voters have elected four African-American men to serve on the Town Council: James Barbour, Charles E. Williams, Charles A. Williams, and present-day member Marlon Lee. |
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LINKS TO MORE PAGES IN THIS EDITION OBSERVATIONS |
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DID YOU MISS A PREVIOUS EDITION? Rewind with our archives LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION? Up-to-data Johnston County data along with useful community links are on the Smithfield-Selma Sun website> |
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