Johnston
County's school board
endured the brunt of a
nationwide campaign
against mask mandates
during Tuesday's monthly
meeting. But a vote on
whether to continue
requiring mask wearing by
students and staff in
Johnston's public schools
was postponed till next
week because of one board
member's absence.
The husband of Terri
Sessoms died unexpectedly
last week and she did not
attend Tuesday's meeting.
At the outset of the
session, Mike Wooten
suggested the board delay
another vote on masks
until all board members
could take part. Chairman
Todd Sutton scheduled
a virtual board
meeting at 2 p.m. next
Monday to take up the
masking issue as required
each month from now on by
a new state law.
Outside the board's
meeting room in the
Simpson Building more than
a hundred anti-masking
protesters made their
presence known. Yet only
25 citizens were allowed
inside the
cramped board room at
any one time to make their
pleas directly to school
officials present, mask
wearing required.
Those who addressed the
board were strictly
limited to three minutes,
and that included U.S.
Representative Madison
Cawthorn, a first-term
Republican who traveled
all the way from North
Carolina's westernmost
Congressional
District to fuel the
protest as a right-wing
political celebrity.
"Our children live in a
world where science and
reason have been cast
aside and replaced with
fear," he declared. "Our
children have been
muzzled, forced to grow up
in a world where their
emotions are hidden and
their voices are
smothered. During the most
impressionable time of
their lives, children
should not be forced to
obey destructive,
unscientific mandates from
the heavy hand of
government....
"Forcing our children to
wear masks is nothing
short of psychological
child abuse.... Children
are struggling to breathe,
struggling to concentrate,
fighting headaches, and
struggling to learn.
"We're here today in the
heart of our state, in
King Cooper's backyard, to
declare 'No more!'
(referring to N.C.
Governor Roy Cooper, a
Democrat). It's time
to stand up to Roy Cooper
and say firmly that the
family and individual
freedom always comes
before the government....
"Defy Roy Cooper.
Make masks optional,
end contract tracing, and
end these burdensome
quarantine requirements.
Let us declare in one loud
voice that we will no
longer be bulled by
radicals who trample our
liberties in the name of
safety."
Most of the two dozen
citizens, many of them
parents, who spoke during
Tuesday's meeting echoed
Mr. Cawthorn's remarks
with repeated claims that
"science is on our side"
while declaring mask
mandates counter to "our
God-given freedoms."
Just three speakers voiced
support at the
meeting for the
schools' masking
requirement. However, more
than 40 written comments
were e-mailed to the board
urging continuation
of the current mask
mandate.
WATCH the
archived video of
Tuesday's meeting (two
Public Comment segments
begin at the 2:09:45 and
4:53:20 time marks)>
READ the
written comments
e-mailed to the Board of
Education this week>
A
physician's report from
the front lines
At
the outset of Tuesday's
school board meeting,
Chief Medical Officer
Rodney McCaskill of
Johnston Health spoke
about an "awful August"
that "has taken a big toll
on our staffs" at
hospitals in Smithfield
and Clayton, which at one
point saw more than
half their 150 or so
patients victims of COVID.
Dr. McCaskill
said hospital staffs
are especially discouraged
as they deal with a
rising number
of deaths among
Johnstonians in their 30s
and 40s.
He said the Delta variant
of the coronavirus is far
more infectious than the
original strain. With
Delta, one person is
likely to infect eight
others rather than just
one or two, Dr. McCaskill
noted.
He reported that 100% of
local ICU patients on
ventilators are
unvaccinated. But he did
express hope that the
latest COVID outbreak has
reached its peak.
CORONAVIRUS REPORT
County
posts hospitalizations
and deaths by age
The Johnston
County Public Health
Department this week began
posting age breakdowns for
COVID-related hospitalizations
and deaths among
Johnstonians:
Of
55 in hospitals as of Tuesday,
25 were age 65 and older,
20 ages 50-64, eight
24-49, and just two under
age 24.
Of
296 deaths as of Tuesday,
230 were persons 65 and
older, 48 ages 50-64, and
18 ages 24-49. No deaths
have been reported so far
for persons under 24.
The Health
Department's mid-week
report showed 479
"breakthrough" cases
(vaccinated persons
infected) and 172
re-infections. The
Johnston County Jail
continues to lead
"Institutional Outbreaks"
with 111 inmates and 4
staff members infected.
Nursing homes and
assisted-living centers
account for a handful of
cases.
Johnston
County Public Schools report
202 active cases
among students and staff
with 842 students and
52 staff members
quarantined as of Thursday
morning. A week
ago 1,049 students
were quarantined.
Schools with the most
students in quarantine
this week (30 or more
cases): Selma Elementary
50,
Polenta Elementary
45, Four Oaks
Elementary 38, South
Johnston High
38, Glendale-Kenly
Elementary 36, Archer
Lodge Middle 34.
VIEW
the latest report for all
of Johnston's public
schools>
VIEW the
current list of
vaccination clinics in
Johnston County>
VIEW the
current list of testing
sites 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 |
29,148
(28,237) |
296
(281) |
55
(86) |
91,441: 44%*
(89,542: 43%) |
| NORTH CAROLINA |
1,315,427
(1,267,333) |
15,405
(14,894) |
3,630
(3,790) |
5,408,292: 52%*
(5,314,240: 51*) |
| UNITED STATES |
41,439,256
(40,311,473) |
665,282
(651,053) |
|
179,289,983: 55%*
(176,659,496: 54%) |
| WORLDWIDE |
226,142,621
(222,212,318) |
4,655,116
(4,591,159) |
|
5,773,053,848
total doses given |
* Percentage of total population (all
ages)
Data provided by: County
of Johnston at
4:25 p.m.
September 14
N.C.
Department of
Health and Human
Services at
11:50 a.m.
September 15
Johns
Hopkins
University at
2:21 p.m.
September 15 |
Schools
amend policy
to address racism
Board
member Lyn Andrews
reported at Tuesday's
Board of Education meeting
that its Policy Committee
on September 1 adopted an
addition to the schools'
personnel policy that
addresses the teaching of
racism.
"No student or staff
member shall be subjected
to the notion that racism
is a permanent component
of American life," reads
one section apparently
aimed against the teaching
of a controversial
academic concept known
as Critical Race
Theory.
The policy incorporates
suggestions from school
board member Ronald
Johnson in response to an
ultimatum from County
Commissioner Fred Smith
that additional funding
for Johnston's public
schools this year will be
withheld until the school
board adopts a policy
banning CRT.
During one of the "Public
Comment" segments of
Tuesday's board meeting,
CRT opponent Dale Lands
complained that the Policy
Committee's amendment
isn't sufficient. "We need
more," he told the board.
"We need a
stand-alone policy...
that will satisfy the
commissioners." And he
threatened to work against
the next school-bond issue
to be put before voters
"if we don't get
this policy in
place."
VIEW the
newly adopted policy in
full, posted on the
schools' website>
READ MORE
from Tuesday's Board of
Education meeting>
SSS REMEMBRANCE: EVERY YEAR SINCE
9/11
On
the eve of the 20th
anniversary of the
horrible terrorists
attacks of September 11,
2001 the Smithfield-Selma
High School community
gathered first thing last
Friday morning for the
school's 20th consecutive
annual commemoration. It's
likely none of today's SSS
students were yet alive on
that fateful day. (Photo
from Johnston County
Public Schools' Facebook
page)
CONVENIENT
COFFEE AT PINE NEEDLE
SQUARE
Cars
lined up for breakfast on
a beautiful Saturday
morning this past week at
Scooter's Coffee
Drive-Thru, a new addition
to the mix of retailers at
Smithfield's rejuvenated
Pine Needle Square
Shopping Center on North
Bright Leaf Boulevard
at Hospital Road.
Owners of the new
enterprise are Shawn and
Jennifer Pearce and Rob
and Jocelyn Southerland.
It's open daily from 5:30
a.m. till 9 p.m.
919-934-0153 www.CallPernell.com
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Bell
ringing Friday to mark
Constitution's birthday
The
Smith-Bryan Chapter of
Daughters of the American
Revolution will stage a
brief ceremony at 3:45
p.m. Friday on the front
steps of the Courthouse in
Downtown Smithfield to
commemorate the signing of
the U.S. Constitution on
September 17, 1787. A
Presidential proclamation
asks that bells be rung
nationwide at 4 p.m. to
mark the moment of signing
at the Constitutional
Convention
in Philadelphia.
SSS
hosts South Johnston in
Friday night football
The
Spartans had an open date
last Friday. They'll take
on 3A conference rival
South Johnston High at 7
p.m. this Friday at
Charles Tucker Stadium on
the SSS campus. Tickets to
the game may be
purchased online>
Neuse
Little Theatre opens
47th season this weekend
The
season's first show is
"Never Too Late," a comedy
by Sumner Arthur Long that
will be presented this
Friday and Saturday at 8
p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.,
and the following Friday
and Saturday evenings at
The Hut at the corner of
Front and Market streets
in Downtown Smithfield.
Members of the cast are D.
Anthony Pender, Nancy
Gibbs, Mary-Leigh
Hamilton, Shaun Braswell,
Reggie Parker, Patsy
Castellano, Scott Newell,
and Stephen
Roberts. To reserve
tickets, call
919-934-1873.
County
Commissioners scheduled
to meet Monday
The board's regular
third-Monday session is set
for 6 p.m. Monday at the
Courthouse. On the agenda is
reconsideration of the Town
of Princeton's request for
more than $1 million from
the county to help pay for
storm-water and water-line
improvements. The board will
also consider county
participation in a
feasibility study regarding
the East Coast Greenway and
Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The
complete agenda for Monday's
meeting is posted on the
county's website>
Autumn's
astronomical arrival
next Wednesday p.m.
The exact
time is 3:21 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time. That's when
the Autumnal Equinox
occurs. Fall's official
meteorological arrival was
the first of September.
Practically speaking, it
doesn't feel like autumn
around here
before October.
Even, this young maple (right)
at the South Second Street
Dog Park apparently thinks
it's autumn already as its
leaves are turning red
here in mid-September.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
ARTHUR
BERNARD THORNE, 75 –
died September 15
JANET GAIL
HARPER, 63 –
died September 14
JAMES EDWARD
BRANTLEY, 57 –
died September 12
JAMES
MICHAEL WOOD, 47 –
died September 11
REUBEN
LEROY DAVIS, 73
– died September 10
ANDRES LOPEZ
PEREZ, 47 –
died September 10
ROBERT (BOB)
LESLIE SCOTT, 93 –
died September 10
WILLIAM
EDWARD SHARPE JR., 62 –
died September 9
LINDA FAYE
JOHNSON STANLEY, 77 –
died September 9
MERVILLE
(MERV) WHITE SESSOMS
JR., 76 – died
September 7
For sale: highly visible commercial
property
Former
Jewel Box store on its
own lot at 1699
East Booker Dairy Road,
Smithfield with more
than 30 parking spaces.
Price reduced to $569,000.
SUSAN LASSITER
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Johnston
and Union counties:
similar yet different
Both
are fast-growing suburban
neighbors of North
Carolina's largest cities:
Raleigh and Charlotte.
Both have similar-size
populations and school
enrollments.
But one requires masks in
its public schools; the
other does not.
Last week Union County
Public Schools reported
479 positive COVID-19
cases among students and
staff and a whopping 7,381
of both in quarantine.
Union started the school
year back in late August
without a masking
requirement (and this past
week ended mandatory
quarantine of students
exposed to the
coronavirus).
Meanwhile, Johnston County
Public Schools this week
reported 202 cases
among students and staff
with a total of 894
in quarantine.
Johnston's Board of
Education is scheduled to
vote Monday on whether to
continue mandatory masking
or give in to cries for
parental choice. Can we
not predict what the
latter course will
produce?
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