PRIMARY ELECTION REPORT
AND
THIS WEEK'S WINNERS ARE
. . .
Sloan
Stevens won the
South Smithfield seat on
the Town Council in his
first bid for elective
office. He will succeed
David Stevens, his uncle
who chose not to seek
re-election after serving
one term.
David Barbour
won re-election to a
second term on the Town
Council as West
Smithfield's
representative.
Mayor Andy Moore
and Councilmen Marlon
Lee (East
Smithfield) and Travis
Scott (North
Smithfield) were
re-elected without
opposition.
The five winners will
begin their new terms at
the end of this month.
Terry Tippett,
Kevin Donovan,
Michelle Antoine,
Rick Mercier,
Mark Lane,
and Melissa
Bowers were the
top six finishers in the
13-candidate race for
three seats on the
Johnston County Board of
Education and will advance
to November's General
Election. The only
incumbent in Tuesday's
contest – Al Byrd –
finished ninth. He was
appointed to fill a
vacancy on the school
board a year ago.
Patrick Harris
won election to a second
term on the Johnston
County Board of
Commissioners as
representative of District
5, which includes
Smithfield. He along with
Commissioners Dickie
Braswell and Butch Lawter
– all registered as
Republicans – have no
opposition in November's
election since no
Democrats filed for their
seats.
Recently appointed
Commissioner April
Stephens, a Republican,
will have opposition if
the Johnston County
Democratic Party Executive
Committee submits a
nominee before November's
ballots are printed. Her
appointment last month
came after the filing
period had ended for
candidates competing in
this year's elections.
Benton
Sawrey won
nomination in Tuesday's
Republican Primary to a
seat in the North Carolina
Senate from a newly drawn
district that encompasses
Johnston County alone. He
will face Democrat Gettys
Cohen Jr. in the General
Election.
Larry Strickland
won nomination in the
Republican Primary for
re-election to the N.C.
House of Representatives
from a newly drawn
district that encompasses
all of Smithfield along
with much of Johnston
County to the east and
south. He will face
Democrat Wendy Ella May in
November.
Paul Holcombe
is the winner of a new
Superior Court seat for
Johnston County since he
ran as a Republican
without Democratic
opposition in the 11th
Judicial District, which
encompasses Harnett and
Lee counties as well as
Johnston.
Travis Wheeler
and Jason Kimble
are winners of two
District Court judgeships
since they also ran as
Republicans without
Democratic opposition.
Bo Hines
won nomination Tuesday as
the Republican candidate
and Wiley Nickel
as the Democratic
candidate in November's
U.S. House of
Representatives race
within a new Congressional
district that encompasses
all of Johnston County and
parts of Wake, Harnett,
and Wayne.
In Tuesday's hotly
contested Republican
contest, Johnstonians
DeVan Barbour finished
second and Kelly Daughtry
third among eight
candidates (Mr. Barbour
finished first among
Johnston's voters). Here
are results by county for
the top three:
HINES
5,744 in Johnston + 8,028
in Wake + 1,984 in Harnett
+ 1,767 in Wayne = 17,523
BARBOUR
7,175 in Johnston + 2,512
in Wake + 1,644 in Harnett
+ 1,058 in Wayne = 12,389
DAUGHTRY
3,437 in Johnston +
4,383 in Wake + 747 in
Harnett + 689 in Wayne =
9,256
With
Tuesday's results,
Johnston County voters
will be exempt from voting
in North Carolina's Second
Primary Election next
month.
VISIT the
Johnston County Board of
Elections website to
find updated results of
all contests – statewide
as well as local and
regional – on Tuesday's
ballots>
"Trusted
by families since
1977"
840 S. Bright Leaf
Blvd. • 919-934-7164
• www.carrollpharmacy.com
Schools
ask county for
$11.5-million increase
That
includes requested
increases of almost $8.5
million for operations and
a doubling of county
appropriations for capital
outlay in the year ahead.
Approved last week without
dissent by the Johnston
County Board of Education,
the 2022-23 proposed
schools budget now goes to
the County Commissioners,
who will decide by the end
of next month what amount
will be included in the
coming year's overall
county budget.
Last year commissioners
granted "full funding" of
the school board's request
for county assistance, but
the $7.9-million increase
wasn't approved until
October – after the school
board adopted a policy
directed against the
teaching of Critical Race
Theory in Johnston's
public schools, with
wording acceptable to
commissioners.
What's behind the
$8.5-million request for
more county aid this
coming year?
Stephen Britt, the school
system's chief of finance,
presented this breakdown
to the Board of Education
last week:
• $5,346,235 for raising
county-paid salaries to
match labor-market
conditions. That includes
a $17.50-per-hour minimum
wage for bus drivers,
$15.50 minimum for teacher
assistants, $15 minimum
for cafeteria workers,
custodians, and clerical
staff, plus another 1%
added to the county's
supplemental pay plan for
teachers and 1.5% for
teachers with master's
degrees.
• $ 2,672,112 to cover
inflation anticipated by
department heads in the
year ahead for fuel,
utilities, replacement
parts, and other items.
• $763,564 to cover the
Sheriff's Department
expense of employing SROs
(school resource officers)
assigned full-time to
Johnston's public-school
campuses. That expense has
been absorbed by the
Sheriff's Department up to
now, Mr. Britt noted.
The finance director also
pointed out that as much
as $7.3 million of the
requested $88,271,931 for
county-paid operations
would have to be dispersed
among Johnston's publicly
financed charter schools
with the opening this
summer of the new American
Leadership Academy under
construction between
Smithfield and Clayton.
(Presently funded through
Johnston County Public
Schools are Neuse Charter
School in Smithfield and
Johnston Charter Academy
in Clayton.)
Chairman Todd Sutton
emphasized the priority of
raising pay for all school
employees in the board's
request for another large
increase in county aid.
"If our County
Commissioners value every
county employee," he said,
referring to this month's
upward adjustment of
county pay scales, "we
need to take care of our
people as well."
Mr. Britt said the
proposed budget maintains
a fund balance of more
than $22.5 million after
removal of $8.5 million
for some immediate
building and repair needs
not covered by the 2018
county bond issue. He said
he fears "a huge fiscal
cliff is looming" once the
school system's federal
COVID-relief funds are
exhausted, coupled with
inflationary market
conditions "that continue
to surprise us."
Furthermore, he said the
state "has probably
over-projected" an
increase in Johnston's
school enrollment – from
37,309 now to 38,482 next
fall. If so, the state's
funding allotment could be
reduced mid-year, thereby
squeezing the local
budget, he warned.
Mr. Britt also pointed out
that the proposed
capital-outlay budget of
$6,052,774 does not
include an estimated $4.5
million to purchase future
school sites.
Another add-on is renewal
of last year's request for
a commitment by the county
to pay performance bonuses
ranging up to $3,000 for
teachers and $1,500 for
support staff at
low-performing schools
that meet goals of
academic improvement set
by the state. The maximum
potential payout for that
would be $3,029,000
annually.
In approving the schools'
budget request last week,
six of seven board members
took part in the "Zoom"
meeting held remotely.
Ronald Johnson was absent.
VIEW key
points of last week's
budget presentation to
the Board of
Education>
Here's one of two
large buildings under
construction on the
American Leadership
Academy campus beside US
70 Business near Whitley
Heights. It will operate
as Johnston County's
third publicly funded
charter school.
Meanwhile, the state has
received an application
for yet another charter
school in the vicinity –
on a site just west of
the interchange of US 70
Business and the Clayton
Bypass.
County office study offers options for DSS
site
Employed
to assess County
Government's needs for
more office space beyond
the new Detention and
Public Safety centers
under construction,
Moseley Architects
presented two options to
Johnston's County
Commissioners on Monday.
Both recommend
construction of a new home
for the Department of
Social Services and a new
warehouse for the Building
& Grounds Department
away from their present
locations. Where the
options differ is what to
do with the Social
Services campus of three
"re-purposed" buildings
beside North Street near
the hospital.
The less expensive option
would convert those
facilities into county
administrative offices
presently housed in the
Courthouse and leased
properties nearby. Total
estimated price tag:
$84,284,169.
The more expensive option
would be to sell the
existing Social Services
complex and construct a
county Administration
Building on whatever site
is chosen for the new
Social Services home.
Total estimated price tag
for that: $99,534,450.
Neither of those price
tags include the cost of
purchasing land for a new
Social Services and
Administration campus
since a suitable site has
not been identified, noted
Josh Bennett of Moseley
Architects.
Commissioners made no
comments at Monday's
session about the choices
before them. But diverging
opinions about the
anticipated scenarios did
arise during the board's
recent planning retreat.
Commissioner Fred Smith
declared his support for
constructing all new
buildings rather than
renovating the Social
Services structures for
other agencies. "When you
start fixing up old
buildings," he said,
"you're throwing money
down a rat hole."
"I'm on the opposite
side," said Commissioner
Ted Godwin. "A new DSS
building would free up a
lot of space" for other
offices in a less costly
manner, he added.
Commissioner Tony Braswell
voiced concerns about
spending large amounts of
money on county offices
given the multitude of
facility needs facing
Johnston's public-school
system.
VIEW details
of the Space Needs Study
with the agenda for
Monday's meeting>
Pictured above is the
addition attached some
years ago to the back of
the former Johnston
County Hospital building
to provide more office
space for the Department
of Social Services.
Pictured below is one of
two adjacent buildings
taken over by Social
Services when several
farm-service agencies
moved to the new
Johnston County
Agricultural Center west
of Smithfield.
PUBLIC
SERVICE ADVISORIES
County
increases COVID testing
days as cases rise again
The
following was posted on
social media Wednesday by
the County of Johnston:
With
an increase in COVID-19
cases and an increased
demand for testing, the
OptumServe COVID-19 testing
site will add Fridays to the
schedule beginning this
week. The testing site is
located at 601-B N. Eighth
Street in Smithfield (behind
Johnston Health next to
Carolina Home Medical). The
testing days and times are
now Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Testing is free
regardless of health
insurance or immigration
status. More information at
JohnstonNC.com/COVID19>
Fire
Department will begin
testing of hydrants next
week
The
following was posted on
social media Wednesday by
the Town of Smithfield:
The
Smithfield Fire Department
will be flow-testing fire
hydrants beginning Monday
(May 23). The process will
take several weeks. During
this time, you may notice
some discoloration of your
water. If this occurs,
simply run the water from
your faucets for 3-5 minutes
and the discoloration should
disappear. Call 919-934-2468
for more information.
Mayor
Andy Moore (left)
proclaimed May 10 as
"Matylda Malocha Day" in
Smithfield when she was
named "Ambassador of the
Year." With Mayor Moore
and Ms. Malocha are
Johnston Health's CEO Tom
Williams and HR executive
Robert Cupp.
(Photo & story from
Johnston Health)
Johnston Health "Ambassador of the Year" has
her day
An
employee once
described Matylda
Malocha as the most
helpful person she had
ever met. At the time, the
employee was in a new role
within her department and
had several questions and
concerns. Malocha took
the time to
listen, answer the questions
she could, and
research the ones she
wasn’t sure about. She
even brought up points the
employee had
not considered.
Though shared anonymously,
the story of her
interaction with Malocha
could have been told
by anyone at Johnston
Health, said Tom Williams,
CEO and president of
Johnston Health. "She's
always helpful,
professional, and
striving to provide
the best service to and
for teammates. With her
positive attitude and
radiant smile, she goes
out of her way to make
everyone feel special and
important."
Last week, Malocha was
named Johnston Health
Ambassador of the Year for
her outstanding
performance, dedication to
teammates, and exemplary
service. As an
added surprise,
Smithfield's Mayor Andy
Moore was on hand
to proclaim May
10 as Matylda Malocha
Day.
Malocha said she
is surprised, humbled,
and a little
overwhelmed by the
recognition. "It's my joy
and passion to help
teammates with any
HR-related issues," she
said. "I feel grateful to
live in this wonderful
country with amazing
opportunities and to
be surrounded at work
by fabulous teammates
and great leaders."
More than 30 years ago,
Malocha started as an
occasional worker in food
services. Not long
afterward, she became a
full-time department
secretary for OB and
Orthopedics, and then an
assistant manager
at the family-care
clinic at McGee's
Crossroads. When the
clinic closed, she moved
to Human Resources where
she has been ever since.
Malocha grew up in Poland
and regularly goes back to
visit family. She and her
husband Paul, a retired
veterinarian, live near
McGee's Crossroads.
They have three grown
children and three
grandchildren.
Ambassadors of the Year
are selected by Johnston
Health’s senior leaders
from among each year's 12
Ambassadors of the Month.
It is the highest honor
the organization bestows
upon employees.
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Downtown's
Third StrEATery this
Friday features Reggae
The
monthly outdoor dining
event on the 100 block of
South Third Street
continues from 6 to 9 p.m.
This month's musical
entertainer is Crucial
Fiya, a Reggae ensemble.
Tables will be set up in
the street for diners
bringing take-out dishes
from nearby restaurants of
their choosing. There's no
admission charge.
Movies
in the Park series
opener at sundown
Saturday
"Bring
your chair or blanket and
enjoy the show!" exclaims
the Smithfield Parks and
Recreation Department,
which is hosting the
series at Community Park
off Durwood Stephenson
Parkway. This Saturday's
movie, which starts at
sundown, is Disney's Encanto.
Picnics are welcome, and
chicken sandwiches will be
available for sale by
Chick-fil-A, which is
sponsoring the series.
Additional movies
scheduled: June 11, The
Goonies; July 22, A
League of Their Own;
August 6, Beauty and
the Beast.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
JADDIUS RAY
HORTON, 37 – died
May 17
MINISTER
CYNTHIA JOHNSON, 59
– died May 16
BRANDON TODD
PHILLIPS, 40 – died
May 16
KEVIN
WILLARD SIMMONS, 54
– died May 12
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Two
things about our
elections that oughta be
changed
The
first is that 30% rule for
determining winners of
primary elections without
a runoff. The latest
example of how that falls
woefully short of
determining the will of a
majority of voters was our
13th Congressional
District race among
Republican candidates that
saw the winner, Bo Hines,
get the party's nomination
with just 32% of votes
cast in the four-county
district. That means 68%
voted for somebody else.
The second and third
finishers in that
eight-candidate contest –
DeVan Barbour and Kelly
Daughtry – together polled
almost 40% of votes cast.
The threshold for a
first-primary victory was
changed some years ago
from 40% to 30%, and at
one time was 50%, to avoid
a runoff. Wouldn't it be
fairer if Mr. Hines and
Mr. Barbour, who finished
second, were in next
month's Second Primary?
The other thing changed by
the Republican majority in
the N.C. General Assembly
a few years ago was to
make judicial elections
partisan in North
Carolina. Why in the world
should a candidate for
District Court judge or
State Supreme Court
justice be campaigning
under either the
Democratic or Republican
banner?
There should be no
political agenda attached
to judicial offices. But
that's the way it is these
days, not just here but
everywhere else across the
nation, so it seems.
I know of Johnston County
judges in recent times who
changed their party
affiliation from Democrat
to Republican to guard
against certain defeat in
the present-day political
climate in our neck of the
woods. Once they're
elected, those party
labels are meaningless. Or
at least they should be.
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