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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE APRIL 15, 2021 • VOL. 3,
NO. 15 |
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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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 ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT! Buses filling up with Smithfield Middle School students this week --- the first time that's happened over the past 13 months because of COVID-19 restrictions on numbers boarding buses and attending classes that are no longer in force. School board buys new math program, schedules summer school & 2021-22 term Johnston's Board of Education agreed unanimously at Tuesday's monthly meeting to spend $4,457,274 over the next two years to purchase new curriculum materials for mathematics teachers and students at all grade levels. That decision followed complaints from some parents about a particular math option used elsewhere that was considered but not chosen by Johnston's administrators. The board approved the schedule for a Summer Learning Program designed to make up for instructional time lost during the past year's pandemic and adopted the calendar for the 2021-22 academic term that continues the recent practice of shortening the fall semester to end before Christmas holidays. READ MORE from Tuesday's meeting of Johnston County's school board> CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
Johnston sees a big drop in active cases The County of Johnston reported 527 active COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday afternoon: 515 recovering at home and 12 in hospitals. That's down 202 from 729 active cases in last week's report. (NOTE: The county has cut back its reporting to two days weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays.) Meanwhile, a chart on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website shows an uptick in the positivity rate for COVID-19 tests done in Johnston County, rising above 10% earlier this week from less than 6% a week earlier. The number of new cases reported this past week in Johnston approached 300 after recently showing a smaller weekly increase. Johnston County Public Schools reported 33 active cases among students (45 two weeks ago) and 15 among employees (7 two weeks ago) as of late Wednesday afternoon. The number of active quarantines among students decreased from 587 two weeks ago to 228 this week; the number of active quarantines among school employees decreased from 54 to 37. (NOTE: No report from last week because schools were out on Spring Break.) 48,902 Johnstonians have been partially vaccinated (23.4% of the county's estimated population) for COVID-19, while 36,225 have been fully vaccinated (17.3% of the population), according to Wednesday's report from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Add to the number partially vaccinated 2,300 who received first doses of the Pfizer vaccine during a Health Department drive-thru clinic held Wednesday at Corinth Holders High School. Another clinic for first doses of the Pfizer vaccine was scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today (Thursday) at the Health Department's headquarters in Smithfield. VISIT myshot.nc.gov for a directory of upcoming vaccination opportunities>
VIEW the current list of COVID-19 testing sites throughout Johnston County> |
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Berry Global's plant at Benson to spend $70 million for expansion adding 63 jobs Johnston's County Commissioners and Benson's Town Board met jointly Monday morning to make the announcement and approve financial incentives for the company's plans. The manufacturer of plastic packaging and non-woven fabrics came here more than 50 years ago as Chicopee. The new jobs, to be in place by the end of 2023, will pay an average salary of $45,000 with benefits. READ MORE about that on the OBSERVATIONS page> |
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TEMPORARY END OF THE LINE FOR GREENWAY'S NORTHERN LEG  Construction
to expand Smithfield's water-treatment plant has
temporarily shut down the middle part of the Buffalo
Creek Greenway. Here's the fence blocking the way in
sight of the water plant about a mile and half from
Community Park. The southern end of the trail is
similarly blocked a quarter of a mile north of the boat
ramp. The project is scheduled for completion by the
fall of 2022. |
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South Smithfield Elementary also has two Flame for Learning semi-finalists
Cathy Hoyt has taught both elementary and middle-school students for more than 26 years --- in grades 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Allie Parrish has taught for six years in grades K, 1, 2, and 4. Smithfield-Selma High School also has two of its faculty members on the list of semi-finalists: Bethany Jones, a teacher of Exceptional Children in the SSS Life Skills Program, and Brian Jones, the school's band director. The winner of this year's Flame for Learning Award will be announced May 6 and move on to represent Johnston County in regional competition leading toward the naming of North Carolina's "Teacher of the Year." VIEW the complete list of semi-finalists on the Triangle East Chamber website> |
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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS FOOTBALL: EAST WAKE 33, SMITHFIELD-SELMA 20; SPARTANS END SEASON WITH 2 WINS, 5 LOSSES  The shortened
season's finale against East Wake High was the
Homecoming game for SSS. Spartans' junior Clevonte
Watson carried the ball 19 times for 73 yards and
two touchdowns. Senior Zachery McNeil gained 66
yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown.PLAYOFF-BOUND: Football teams from three Johnston County high schools qualified for the state playoffs that begin Friday --- two of them undefeated at the end of this spring's shortened season in place of last fall's canceled season. Cleveland High (7-0) is a top seed in the Division 3-AA playoffs. Princeton (7-0) is a top seed in 1-AA pairings. Clayton High (6-1, only loss to Cleveland) also qualified for the 3-AA competition. SSS SOCCER GIRLS 1-7; SOFTBALL GIRLS STILL WINLESS The Spartans are 1-7 in girls' soccer competition after a 9-0 defeat at Clayton last Thursday and a 3-2 loss at home against East Wake on Tuesday. The softball team is 0-6 after a 23-2 loss to East Wake at home on Tuesday. VIEW the upcoming Smithfield-Selma schedule for all spring sports |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEET MONDAY EVENING It's the board's third-Monday regular meeting, starting at 6 p.m. in the Old Superior Courtroom in the Courthouse. Limited public seating is available; the meeting will be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page> On the agenda are an update on a Broadband study from consultant Jeff Brooks of ECC Technologies and a report from Chris Johnson, the county's director of economic development. VIEW the complete agenda> TWO R.R. CROSSINGS TO BE CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE CSX will temporary close two of its Smithfield railroad crossings next week for maintenance: Peedin Road Monday through Thursday (April 19-22), Brogden Road Tuesday through Friday (April 20-23). LITTER-SWEEP IN SMITHFIELD SATURDAY, APRIL 24 Volunteers are encouraged to join the "cleaning up the parks" campaign from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at three locations: the Sarah Yard Community Center at 909 E. Lee Street, the Bob Wallace Jaycee Kiddie Park off S. Second Street, and Community Park off M. Durwood Stephenson Parkway. a
public service announcement
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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.... ANGELINE (ANGIE) FAYE JOHNSON BRYANT, 81 - died April 10 |
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| THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  SHOPPING CENTER'S LINEUP IN THE 1970s A Food World grocery store, Clow Drug pharmacy, and TG&Y department store anchored Pine Needle Square after the shopping center opened in 1974 at the intersection of Hospital Road and US 301 (today's Bright Leaf Boulevard). The Food World space is occupied today by Carlie C's IGA. Those other anchors are long gone from the local retail scene. (Photo from Joe & 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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