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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE MARCH 18, 2021 • VOL. 3,
NO. 11 |
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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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Schools suggest $143-million bond issue; "totally inadequate," responds Fred Smith He was the most outspoken of County Commissioners during Tuesday evening's joint session with Johnston's Board of Education to discuss upcoming construction and operational challenges facing the county's public schools. But he was not alone in voicing a willingness to face the music and dance when it comes to financing construction of new schools to match Johnston's rapid residential growth. As a result, leaders of the two governing bodies --- Commissioners' Chairman Chad Stewart and School Board Chairman Todd Sutton --- agreed to convene a joint "working group" right away that could meet monthly to work out details putting another school-bond referendum before Johnston's voters as early as next year. READ MORE about Tuesday's joint meeting in an expanded report> CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
New cases include a school "cluster"; more than 20,000 are fully vaccinated Wednesday's COVID-19 report from the County of Johnston showed an increase of 328 cases this past week with two more deaths, plus the first report of a "cluster" of cases at Cleveland Elementary School. Johnston County reported 790 active COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon: 768 recovering at home and just 22 in hospitals. That's down from 815 active cases a week ago. 33,743 Johnstonians have been partially vaccinated since mid-December, while 20,554 have been fully vaccinated, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday (a second shot is required for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines but not for the Johnson & Johnson single dose). Add to that "partially vaccinated" number 2,000 first shots of the Pfizer vaccine administered by the county's Health Department at Corinth Holders High School on Wednesday. Last Friday, 300 first doses of the Moderna vaccine were given during a drive-through clinic at Johnston Community College. The county confirmed this morning (Thursday) that another drive-through clinic is scheduled next Wednesday (March 24) at North Johnston High School, beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing till noon --- first-come, first-served. VISIT this state web page for a directory of upcoming vaccination opportunities> Johnston County Public Schools reported 46 active cases among students (48 a week ago) and 4 among employees (16 two weeks ago) as of late Wednesday afternoon. The number of active quarantines among students decreased from 719 last week to 620 this week, while the number of quarantines among school employees decreased from 85 to 61. An outbreak of cases among students at Cleveland Elementary School west of Smithfield was reported Monday as a "cluster" (five or more cases) by the Health Department. The school system's dashboard showed 76 students from that school in quarantine as of Wednesday afternoon. 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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 Architect's
rendering of the expanded station; new addition is
on the left.
Smithfield Council okays $784,572 loan for project to expand the police station Hearing no opposition at a public hearing last Thursday evening, the Town Council approved United Community Bank's offer of a 2.13% loan over 15 years to finance construction of a 3,500-square-foot addition to Smithfield's police headquarters on South Fifth Street. The $784,572 loan awaits approval from the N.C. Local Government Commission. After Finance Director Greg Siler noted that interest expense for the loan over 15 years will total $136,634, Councilman Travis Scott suggested the town consider taking money out of its healthy General Fund Balance to reduce that cost. Mr. Siler said the loan agreement gives the town the option to reduce or retire the indebtedness before the 15 years are up and thereby save some of that interest expense. EQUITY DRIVE'S PARTIAL SHUTDOWN DELAYED TILL NEXT WEEK Because of issues related to the weather, the temporary closing of Equity Drive from Outlet Center Drive to the Baymont Hotel's entrance has been delayed till next Monday (March 22). Completion of the reconstruction of that portion of the street is expected by the end of next week. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HOLD THIRD-MONDAY MEETING They discussed the composition of a Land-Use Plan Update Steering Committee to be appointed next month and a got an update on the East Coast Greenway project as it relates to Johnston County. READ about those items and others addressed during the session> |
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Smithfield's hospital receives accolades in N.C. business magazine's yearly ratings
Johnston Health, also part of the UNC system, is cited in two sub-lists: • Under "Proven Winners" recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. is "Johnston Memorial Hospital" for maternity care (that's the old name for today's Johnston Health Smithfield). • Under "Top Performing Tar Heel Hospitals" --- based on the latest ratings compiled by U.S. News & World Report --- the Smithfield hospital is cited for its treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. Johnston Health and UNC REX Healthcare cemented their recent partnership with a Joint Operating Agreement that took effect January 1. VIEW the entire list of hospital ratings on the Business N.C. website>  Rotary Club
awardslifetime membership to radio icon Carl Lamm Don Duggin, president of the Rotary Club of Central Johnston County, made the presentation last week, honoring Mr. Lamm especially for his "Rotary Radio Day" fund-raiser that started on WMPM in 1972 and continued yearly until 2013. More than $300,000 was raised over those 41 years for scholarships administered by the Johnston Community College Foundation and the Johnston County Education Foundation (for public schools) as well as community-service projects. Mr. Lamm's career as a local radio broadcaster stretched from the late 1940s until his retirement two years ago. His 72 years on the air earned him a claim as "America's longest continuous radio broadcaster." He was inducted into the N.C. Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004. He joined the Smithfield Rotary Club in 1950 and continued his affiliation with Rotary in the Central Johnston club after the Smithfield club disbanded several years ago. |
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SSS sustains football season's first loss; boys soccer winding up; girls soccer begins The Wildcats from West Johnston High School defeated the Spartans 35-20 last Friday night, handing Smithfield-Selma its first loss in the third game of a seven-game season. It was the first of five Greater Neuse 3-A Conference games. The Spartans will host conference rival Cleveland High this Friday. Leading the SSS attack against West Johnston, junior George Brewer completed 8 of 10 passes for 118 yards, including a touchdown pass to senior Devon Roesch. Brewer also had a short TD run. Junior Clevonte Watson ran for 108 yards on 22 carries that included a touchdown. To buy tickets required for admission to this Friday's game, follow this link> The SSS boys soccer team has finished its season with three wins and eight losses after losing its final five games. That left the Spartans in fifth place in the Greater Neuse 3-A Conference with a league record of 2-8. The SSS girls soccer team opened its season Monday with a 4-0 loss to the team from Triton High School in neighboring Harnett County, followed by a 6-1 loss to Harnett Central High on Wednesday. Both were non-conference matches. VIEW the upcoming Smithfield-Selma schedule for all spring sports> The Neuse Charter School boys soccer team completed its regular season with an overall record of 6-4-1 and third place at 5-3 in the Carolina 1-A Conference. The Cougars defeated West Columbus 4-0 Wednesday in the opening match of the state 1-A playoffs. Sophomore Philip Miller scored two goals while senior Mason Schwartz and junior Jacob Tremblay scored one goal apiece. Neuse Charter's girls soccer team opened its season with two wins this week: 9-0 over North Duplin on Monday, 3-1 over Princeton High on Wednesday. Both were conference matches. Sophomore Olivia Malzahn scored six goals for the Cougars on Monday. The other goals came from sophomore Lyndsy Parrish and freshmen Delaney Harris and Greyson Dunn. (Stats from Wednesday's match had not been posted on MaxPreps as of mid-morning Thursday.) VIEW the upcoming Neuse Charter schedule for all spring sports> |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? The arrival of SPRING this Saturday . . .  Its astronomical start is 5:37 a.m. EDT Saturday (March 20). Its meteorological beginning is March 1, says The Old Farmer's Almanac --- and that's the way we were taught back in our grade-school days: that the season of Spring is defined as March, April, and May. In bloom for a week already along South Front Street (pictured here), Smithfield's flowering Bradford pears usually split the difference, and don't show their fall colors till November, the first month of "old school" Winter.  FRIENDS OF JOHNSTON COUNTY PARKS ORGANIZING CLEANUPS The countywide campaign is set for the morning of Saturday, April 24 in several communities, including Smithfield. Registration is required to participate since each location will be limited to a maximum of 50 persons because of the Governor's latest Executive Order on mass gatherings. Launched last October, Friends of Johnston County Parks is a volunteer coalition in support of parks, open space, the arts, and recreational opportunities in general. To register for an April 24 cleanup event, follow this link> |
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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.... NANCY MITCHELL STEWART, 83 - died March 17 JOHN MICHAEL (MIKE) WALLS JR., 64 - died March 14 MADISON OAKLEY SMITH, 17 - died March 13 DEWEY TULL LAWSON, 77 - died March 11 ANTHONY JOHN HARRIS, 54 - died March 10 ROSE LASTELLA STITES, 77 - died March 6 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  TODAY'S CHAMBER OFFICE ONCE A DOWNTOWN ICON Here's a view of the Lee House on Second Street across from the Courthouse before it was separated into two pieces and moved in 1988 to its present location beside Carolina Premium Outlets to house headquarters of the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce, today's Triangle East Chamber. Built in the 1880s as a residence, the structure served as a boarding house for many years during the mid-20th Century. (Photo from the Warren Grimes Collection, Johnston County Heritage Center) |
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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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