A
SUMMERTIME DIGEST EDITION
A scene
to catch
your eye in the
middle of July
If
Smithfield recognized a
"Yard of the Month," this
display in front of a
Crescent Drive residence
across from the First
Christian Church would
surely be a nominee.
CORONAVIRUS REPORT
Health
director:
"This pandemic is
not over"
Dr.
Marilyn Pearson, Johnston
County's director of
public health, made that
statement to the County
Commissioners this week.
"We're seeing an increase
in new cases," she
reported, and "we know
that the Delta variant (of
COVID-19) is causing
significant spread" across
Johnston and the rest of
the state and nation.
As a result, the county's
Public Health Department
has stepped up its testing
for coronavirus
infections, and that has
pushed the positivity rate
to 7% --- up from a rate
closer to 3% a month ago,
she noted.
Acknowledging a recent lag
in persons showing up at
vaccination
clinics, Dr. Pearson
urged Johnstonians,
especially young people
making up a larger portion
of persons hospitalized
with COVID-19, to get the
shots that are provided
free of charge and
are "94-98%
effective."
And if you haven't been
vaccinated, wear a face
mask in public places, she
advised.
According to the federal
CDC (Centers for Disease
Control), more than 99% of
recent COVID-19 deaths
have occurred among
unvaccinated people, and
more than 97% of recent
hospitalizations have come
among the unvaccinated.
VIEW the current list of Health Department
vaccination
clinics in
Johnston
County>
CORONAVIRUS
weekly
measurements |
Case total
since 3-20
(last week) |
Deaths
since 3-20
(last week) |
Hospital
patients
(last week) |
Fully
vaccinated
(last week) |
| JOHNSTON COUNTY |
22,391
(22,155) |
244
(243) |
15
(18) |
79,380: 38%*
(78,183: 37%) |
| NORTH CAROLINA |
1,028,131
(1,020,833) |
13,550
(13,512) |
694
(487) |
4,823,732: 46%*
(4,751,949: 45%) |
| UNITED STATES |
34,187,437
(33,921,230) |
609,604
(607,881) |
|
161,631,676: 49%*
(159,675,163: 48%) |
| WORLDWIDE |
191,723,832
(188,028,448) |
4,122,346
(4,052,742) |
|
3,708,491,772
total doses given |
Information
from: County
of Johnston at
4:00 p.m. July 20
N.C.
Department of
Health and Human
Services at
12:00 p.m. July 21
Johns
Hopkins
University at
1:21 p.m. July 21
* Percentage of
total population
(all ages) |
Johnston's County Commissioners get an earful
Several citizens addressed the board during
Monday's morning
session, offering their
opinions on district
election of
commissioners, "bullying"
in regards to school
funding, "door-knocking
COVID vaccine snooping,"
and "transgenders in
sports."
In actions taken, the
board voted 4-3 to
provide county funding
for domestic-violence
prosecution and approved
a $1.25-million
"wrongful death"
settlement.
READ
MORE in the
Weekly Sun's report
from Monday's
sessions>
Johnston
Health CEO among new
trustees at JCC
Recent
appointees to the
Johnston Community
College Board of Trustees
are: (left to
right) Cody Peedin,
incoming student-government
president; Tom Williams, CEO
of Johnston Health; and
Suefan Johnson, a Smithfield
realtor. With them is Clerk
of Court Michelle Ball,
who administered their oaths
of office. Mr. Williams
noted that nearly 65% of new
hires in Johnston Health's
clinical areas have training
from JCC and nearly all of
JCC's nursing students
complete at least one
clinical rotation with
Johnston Health, which
employs between 10 and 25
JCC nursing graduates
yearly. (Johnston
Community College photo)
Amazon
site may become
a "Foreign Trade
Zone"
The
Triangle J Council of
Governments Board of
Delegates has approved the
site of the new Amazon
distribution center under
construction in West
Smithfield as a potential
"Foreign Trade Zone" --- a
designation that allows a
company to reduce or delay
custom duties or taxes on
imported and
exported products.
Chris Johnson, the
county's economic
development director, said
Amazon's application will
now go before the U.S.
Foreign Trade Zone Board.
"Once docketed we should
have a response in about
30 days," he said.
Triangle J notes on its
website that "foreign
trade zones help U.S.
businesses compete in the
global economy by leveling
the global playing field."
The website currently
lists 10 FTZ
sites within Triangle
J's jurisdiction covering
15 counties revolving
around the Research
Triangle's core of
Raleigh, Durham, and
Chapel Hill.
Here's the latest
aerial photo from the
Johnston County Economic
Development Office of
Amazon's
620,000-square-foot warehouse
under construction
beside Highway 70 not
far from Johnston
Regional Airport.
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Downtown's
Third StrEATery will try
it again this Friday
Rained
out two weeks ago, the next
installment of Downtown
Smithfield's
dining-in-the-street event
is scheduled for 6-9 p.m.
Friday outside along the 100
block of South Third Street
where tables will be set up
for patrons taking out meals
from nearby restaurants.
This week's featured
entertainer is Adam Pitts, a
one-man band.
Schools
offering webinar Saturday
about Virtual Academy
Scheduled
for 3 p.m. Saturday, the
"Virtual Town Hall" is for
parents and guardians to
learn about specifics of the
online,
stay-at-home Virtual
Academy to be offered as an
option for students of all
ages by Johnston County
Public Schools during the
academic year that begins in
late August. Registration
is required through this
link>
DEATHS & FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
JOANN JOHNSON
LANE, 86 - died
July 18
MILDRED TAYLOR
JORDAN, 97 - died
July 17
HENRY EUGENE
WARD, 64 - died
July 14
DOROTHY
(DOT) MOSLEY ELLMORE,
76 -
died July 13
ELIZABETH
DEPPE MONTGOMERY, 83 -
died July 13
WILLIAM (BILL)
JAMES HARRELL-SHIPLEY, 61 -
died July 9
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Sometimes
you take the medicine
you'd rather not
COVID-19
cases are on the rise again,
apparently spurred by the
Delta virus variant.
COVID-19 vaccinations are
lagging, leaving many among
us unprotected and thereby
likely to spread infections
in the weeks and months
before us.
So it's no surprise Governor
Roy Cooper's administration
is recommending continued
use of face masks among most
school children and staff as
we head toward the start of
a new school year.
How will the Johnston County
Board of Education respond
to that? Based on a
discussion at last week's
monthly meeting, the seven
board members appear to be
split on the question: three
siding with "parental
choice" over mask mandates
and the other four
expressing preference for
following public-health
experts on the matter.
Chairman Todd Sutton
promised last week to call a
special meeting of the board
right away to deal with the
issue. At this writing
(mid-morning Thursday) that
meeting has yet to be
called, and perhaps that's a
good thing as this matter
deserves thoughtful
consideration.
After all, we're talking
about public health and
safety, not the political
whim du jour.
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