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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE MAY 27, 2021 • VOL. 3, NO.
21 |
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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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| Proposed county budget cuts tax rate with modest increase in school funding Manager Rick Hester's proposed county budget for fiscal 2021-22 is balanced with a one-cent cut in the property-tax rate and an increase in local school funding that's well short of what has been requested by the Johnston County Board of Education. The school board's request seeks additional county appropriations of $7,927,090 for operations and $2,162,000 for capital outlay; Mr. Hester's proposal calls for increases of $500,000 for operations and $400,000 for capital projects.  "We are
fortunate to enjoy a great working relationship with
our education partners," Mr. Hester wrote in his
Budget Message. "This has been an unusual year and
there are still many uncertainties beyond anyone's
control. I believe that in a year from now... we will
all have a better baseline of information to work
with." Meanwhile, he said his recommended allocations
for Johnston's public schools are made "with
anticipated further discussions in June and throughout
the upcoming year regarding reserves, projected/actual
enrollment figures, and impacts of state funding."The County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on the proposed budget during the board's morning session on Monday, June 7. Adoption of the 2021-22 budget must be done before July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. A one-cent cut in the county's property-tax rate of 76 cents per $100 valuation would reduce anticipated revenues about $2 million, Mr. Hester told the Sun. For the owner of real estate valued at $250,000, the cut would reduce one's yearly tax bill by $25. READ Mr. Hester's full Budget Message posted on the county's website> Smithfield Council in agreement on key items in proposed 2021-22 town budget Those items include increases in monthly fees for garbage and trash collection, a "revenue neutral" tweaking of electrical rates, 2.5% pay raises for all town employees, and additional part-time firemen assisting the county with EMS calls. The proposed budget is balanced without a change in the town's property-tax rate of 57 cents per $100 valuation. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be conducted during the Town Council's regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at Town Hall. The full agenda for that meeting will be posted on the town's website> READ MORE from the past week's Town Council budget sessions> |
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 Johnnie Pippin stands with one of the colorful new signs fronting the Public Library in Downtown Smithfield. Others are pictured below. (Story & photos from the Library) MEET THE PUBLIC LIBRARY'S NEW DIRECTOR Johnnie Pippin
has been hired to lead the Public Library of
Johnston County and Smithfield as its
director. He brings more than 20 years of
experience as a librarian in both public and
academic libraries. While new to the position here, Mr. Pippin is not new to the community. He and his wife Betsy and their two daughters, Ellie and Riley, have lived in Smithfield for more than 10 years.  |
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CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
Health Department offering vaccines to ages 12-18 at SSS next Wednesday The Johnston County Health Department will offer first and second doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to young people ages 12-18 next Wednesday (June 2) at Smithfield-Selma High School. There's no charge for the shots, but appointments are requested and youth must be accompanied by an adult. To sign up, click here> VIEW the current list of vaccination clinics offered in Johnston County> Based on reports compiled by the Sun, here's how many persons received their final COVID-19 shots over the past week to be classified as "fully vaccinated": • Johnston
County --- 1,516 (2,030
previous week)
• North Carolina ---- 119,061(159,049 previous week) • United States --- 6,396,666 (7,805,984 previous week) The County of Johnston reported 509 active COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday: 494 recovering at home and 15 in hospitals. That's up from 357 cases in last week's report. Of 21,382 cases reported here over the past year, 20,641 Johnstonians are presumed recovered from COVID-19 infections. Despite those encouraging numbers, Johnston reported six more COVID-19 deaths this past week. Johnston County Public Schools reported 15 active cases among students (43 a week ago) and 1 among employees (1 last week) as of Wednesday afternoon. The number of active quarantines among students dropped from 343 last week to 202 this week; the number of active quarantines among school employees is down from 16 to 13. VIEW the current list of COVID-19 testing sites throughout Johnston County>
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Water-supply issues hit county's customers; incident at Smithfield didn't impact locals The County of Johnston sent out several water-conservation advisories during the past week because of separate issues at both the county's water-treatment plant and Smithfield's plant. First of all, a piping failure last Thursday at the county's plant on the Neuse River at Wilson's Mills restricted the amount of water available for customers of the county's system. That was fixed within a day or so, allowing the county to lift its water-shortage advisory last Friday afternoon. Then, last weekend a mechanical failure during maintenance of the Neuse River intake at Smithfield's plant prompted the town to suspend its sale of water to the county in order to maintain stable service for the town's customers. That problem was fixed earlier this week, restoring water supplies for the county's system. On top of all that, the county issued an advisory on Tuesday that a portion of its system serving areas east of Clayton "will be supplemented with chloraminated water" until June 1. "Water supply to these areas is typically chlorine only, but ammonia will be added to the system for disinfection under the emergency supply conditions," the county's advisory said. Smithfield customers have not been adversely affected by any of those situations, Town Manager Mike Scott reported to the Town Council Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the county has completed an expansion project at its Timothy G. Broome Water Treatment Plant that will be "online and operational once we receive final approval from the state," reports Chandra Farmer, the county's utilities director.  NEW AVA EXHIBITS FOLLOW "DEVASTATING" EVENT The Ava Gardner Museum's Director Lynell Seabold stands with one of the new exhibits making their debut with the museum's re-opening last weekend after replacement of carpet and repainting of walls that were ruined by a plumbing failure in early January. Calling the event "devastating," Ms. Seabold said her response was "let's turn this into something good." The result, she said, is "a brand-new museum." Focal point of the new displays are costumes from Ava's five-decade career as a movie actress. Although she grew up in the farming community known as "Grabtown" out Brogden Road, she considered Smithfield her hometown. Visit the Johnston County Visitors Bureau's website to learn more> |
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 MILITARY SUPPORT MAKES SSS A "PURPLE STAR" SCHOOL The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has designated Smithfield-Selma High a "Purple Star, military-friendly school," according to an announcement from SSS. "The school has a dedicated link on its website for military families as a resource when they move in and out of the area on a Permanent Change of Orders. These resources and experts in the building accommodate military children, helping to make their stay and transition as easy as possible." Representing SSS in the picture are (left to right) Master Sergeant Randy Griffin (retired), Cadet Amy Martinez, Cadet ENS Miranda Galindo, Cadet Jennifer Aparicio, Cadet Ana Alvarado, and Master Chief Matthew DesChamps (retired). (Photo from SSS) |
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at park's Story Walk A
new book has come to the Story Walk at Partnership
for Children Park next to Smithfield's Community
Park off Durwood Stephenson Parkway. |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? MONDAY'S MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY START OF "SUMMER"  It's
the unofficial
beginning of the
summer season as
our public
schools will be
done and the
hotter weather
surely isn't
waiting till the
astronomical
start of the
season June 20.
The Memorial Day
holiday ---
honoring
Americans who
have perished in
military service
to the nation
--- is observed
by federal,
state, and local
government
agencies as well
as banks and the
U.S. Postal
Service.The Johnston County Council of Veterans Organizations will host a Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday inside the Courthouse. Featured speaker will be U.S. Army Brigadier General (retired) Ray Johnson of Four Oaks. The event is open to the public and will also be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page>  RECYCLING STATION'S HOURS ARE SHRINKING Effective next week, the recycling and debris "Convenience Center" at the Town of Smithfield's Public Works Garage will be open just a day and a half each week: 7-4 Wednesdays and 8-noon Saturdays (up to now it's been open to the public six days a week). The reason: To limit access to town residents with an attendant on duty to check IDs. The move came about during a recent Town Council budget session when staff reported that unauthorized users were driving up the town's expense for disposal without additional revenue to offset it. Cost of the service is borne by the town's taxpayers plus monthly garbage and trash fees paid by Smithfield residents. |
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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.... JAMES LEVY DAUGHTRY, 78 - died May 23 MYRTLE BLACKMON BYRD, 83 - died May 22 FREDERICK DEMORRIS LEE, 52 - died May 21 ELIZABETH LEOLA DEGRAFFENRIED, 67 - died May 20 HAROLD FUTRELL, 74 - died May 20 SANDRA (SANDY) KAY KLINGER, 79 - died May 20 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  A STAPLE OF THE MID-CENTURY AMERICAN DOWNTOWN Simply stated, it's a "Fruit Stand" in makeshift quarters selling APPLES, GRAPES, TOOLS & TOYS --- and don't forget the AZALEAS. This scene along Smithfield's Market Street is the way it was as late as the 1980s. The Carolina Telephone building is still there today, but the produce stand and flower shop along with the storefront on the left have been replaced by today's Town Hall and a small park that may soon give way for an expansion of municipal offices. (Photo from the 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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