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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE JUNE 18, 2020 • VOL. 2, NO. 32 |
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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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County budget adopted with schools' appropriation increased to $72 million Johnston's County Board of Commissioners adopted a budget for fiscal 2020-21 Monday evening after adding $2 million to the county manager's recommended appropriation of $70 million for operations of Johnston County Public Schools. The vote was unanimous following no further deliberations by the board. READ MORE about the budget and other actions taken at Monday's session> |
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CORONAVIRUS CASE COUNT: 972 Another
273 cases reported in one week
The County of Johnston reported Wednesday afternoon that the number of coronavirus cases here has jumped to 972 --- an increase of 273 during the past week. Smithfield's ZIP code 27577 accounted for 42 of the new cases, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. More than half of Johnston's cases are Hispanic residents. The number of cases in Johnston County has more than tripled since North Carolina allowed more businesses to re-open four weeks ago under "Phase Two" of Governor Roy Cooper's plan to move gradually away from his Stay-at-Home Order issued in mid-March. Concurrently, testing of individuals for coronavirus infection has increased dramatically in recent weeks (the number of tests administered in Johnston County has not been reported by local officials). The County of Johnston released the following data at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday: • 972 confirmed cases; 26 deaths, 28 hospitalized, 918 at home. • 52% of cases female (502); 48% male (470 cases). • Cases by age: 133 ages 0-17; 112 18-24; 425 25-49; 178 50-64; 124 age 65+. • Cases by race: 660 white, 141 black, 109 other, 62 unknown (not reported). • Cases by ethnicity: 511 Hispanic, 360 non-Hispanic, 101 unknown. REMINDER: The county has a hotline phone number for COVID-19 information: 919-209-8310 available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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 www.johnstonhealth.org |
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A second peaceful protest in Smithfield: "taking a knee" in honor of police victims   Doris Wallace (holding the bullhorn
at left) takes charge of "Marchers Against Racism"
who assembled in Downtown Smithfield last Saturday
evening for an eight-block walk to remember the
eight-plus minutes George Floyd was held down by a
policeman's knee in Minneapolis, resulting in the black
man's death.Pausing on steps of the Courthouse, the group of about a hundred marchers --- whites as well as blacks --- "took a knee" in tribute to Mr. Floyd and other African-American men and women who have been victims of police aggression. Standing behind Ms. Wallace throughout the peaceful protest were Smithfield's Police Chief Keith Powell and Johnston County Sheriff's Detective Corey Scarboro. The marchers stayed on sidewalks all the way to Bright Leaf Boulevard and back without disrupting vehicular traffic. Some motorists honked their horns in support. The Johnston County NAACP Chapter joined the Johnston County African-American Caucus in hosting the event. A previous protest march from Smithfield to Selma that began at the Courthouse on May 31 also took place without violence. |
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SUMMER ARRIVES AT 5:44 p.m. SATURDAY  You wouldn't know it by the
unseasonably cool and rainy weather we've had this
past week, but this Saturday (June 20) marks the
official beginning of summer. The exact moment of the
Summer Solstice is 5:44 p.m. on Saturday (which makes
Sunday the first FULL day of summer).The Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its northernmost position over the Earth, producing the longest days of the year in our hemisphere. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the length of day remains the same from June 15 through June 24 this year at 14 hours and 33 minutes. Starting June 25, the days begin getting shorter by the minute until the Winter Solstice in December, when daylight hours total just 9 hours and 45 minutes. My Kid's Club offering summer camp starting next week; granted $75,000 for proposed center Operating in temporary quarters at Selma Elementary School, My Kid's Club will host a summer camp for youngsters June 22-August 12. Children 8-16 years of age are invited, with priority for 40 spaces going to current club members from Selma and Smithfield, said Executive Director Alison Gammage. "MKC has redesigned the physical space in order to comply with social distancing and safety requirements," she emphasized. "The space will allow MKC staff to work with kids in smaller groups, ensuring they are wearing masks and washing hands." Staffing will be increased to provide two adults for every 10 children, she added. Students will participate in walking field trips in the local community, outdoor activities in the "MKC Olympics," a "Mad Scientist Program," and drumming lessons for the older kids. For more information, e-mail John.lopp@mykidsclub.org. Meanwhile, the County Commissioners this week approved a $75,000 grant to help the club raise money for a proposed $1.55-million center on property it has purchased near the Selma Elementary campus. The club's former home in an old structure at the school was demolished last year after sustaining damage from Hurricane Matthew several years ago. Ms. Gammage said the club had 75 children enrolled in Selma and 40 in Smithfield prior to the shutdown of schools in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Library offers Virtual Summer Reading Program Starting next Monday (June 22), the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield will offer a children's reading program with the theme of "Imagine your Story!" through August 3. To participate, youngsters may download reading logs on the library's website at www.pljcs.org or get them at the library, which is open again after a two-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. Once participants have finished reading their books, they must return their logs to either the children's or teen librarian to obtain a prize. For more information, call the library at 919-934-8146. Parks and Recreation cancels summer camp Smithfield's Parks and Recreation Department has canceled its nine-week summer camp that had been scheduled from now through mid-August. "Due to the Governor's current executive order, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for camps and daycares, and with the current data relating to COVID-19 cases, we have come to the difficult decision to cancel our summer-camp program for this summer," the department announced on its Facebook page. |
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 This aerial photograph made for the County of Johnston shows the flooded plant at Smithfield following Hurricane Matthew four years ago. County presents its plan for $84-million wastewater-treatment relocation project Kim Rinner, engineering manager for the Johnston County Public Utilities Department, laid out the plan that will eventually replace the county's sewage-treatment plant on the Neuse River below Smithfield during an online "Public Meeting" last Thursday evening. The price tag is $84 million for a new treatment plant adjacent to the county's landfill off NC 210 west of town along with "modest improvements" at the existing plant. Ms. Rinner explained that the new plant's capacity of 4-million gallons per day will enable a reduction in treatment at the older plant from 9.5-million to 7.5-million gallons while providing for Johnston's continued residential growth. The long-term goal is expansion of the new plant along with less and less reliance on the old plant, which was inundated and shut down for eight days by Hurricane Matthew's record river flooding in October 2016. Ms. Rinner pointed out that the new plant not only will be located on higher ground well above floodplains, but also will be closer to fast-growing areas of western Johnston County. She said the county will "take full advantage of state and federal funding" to cover the bulk of the project's cost. (Property taxes are not used for water and sewer projects and services that are basically financed by utility customers.) Construction contracts should be awarded this fall with completion of the new plant scheduled by mid-2023, Ms. Rinner said. Improvements at the old plant are to be done by early 2025. The original sewage plant was built by the Town of Smithfield in the mid-1960s. In 1977 the County of Johnston began operating it as a regional facility that accepts wastewater not just from Smithfield but also from the towns of Clayton, Selma, Pine Level, Four Oaks, and Wilson's Mills. See related item in report from Monday's meeting of the County Commissioners> Disposal of construction and demolition debris at county's landfill will cost more starting July 1 A separate area for construction and demolition debris brought to the Johnston County Landfill is running out of space for proper disposal. As a result, "only select dump-truck loads of C&D segregated waste materials" will be allowed as of July 1. And those loads will be shut off later this summer when the C&D space is used up, according to Solid Waste Director Rick Proctor. What that means is such debris from now on will be dumped with all other solid wastes brought to the landfill and charged at the same rate of $37 a ton, Mr. Proctor told County Commissioners last week. Currently, the fee for C&D dumping is $30. |
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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.... CINDY CHRISTINE (CHRIS) MITCHELL, 85 - died June 17 EMMA LOUISE DUBLIN BOJANG, 73 - died June 16 TERESA ANN HUNTER McDONALD, 55 - died June 15 MARIE CREECH, 85 - died June 15 MAGDALENE NARRON ADAMS, 82 - died June 13 TOMMIE GASTON JOHNSON, 68 - died June 13 PEARL MASSENGILL FARISH, 82 - died June 13 MARY LOUISE MURPHY, 88 - died June 10 JAMES ASHLEY (J.A.) THOMPSON, 85 - died June 10 MARGARET RACKLEY PHILLIPS, 77 - died June 7 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  SMITHFIELD'S INFAMOUS KLAN SIGN, version 1 This is the first billboard erected by the Klan at the Neuse River bridge entering Downtown Smithfield --- in 1967. A target of vandalism, it was replaced in 1972 by a new sign erected on steel poles 50 feet high. The second sign came down in March 1977 --- a month before Smithfield's Bicentennial celebration. Although Smithfield's was the one most often publicized, it was not the only Klan "welcome sign" in Eastern North Carolina. Others stood beside NC 50 east of Benson, beside I-95 South near Dunn, and beside US 301 at Fayetteville. Were there others? (Photo from The Smithfield Herald Collection, Johnston County Heritage Center) |
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LINKS TO MORE PAGES IN THIS EDITION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPORT Rewind with our archives |
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LINKS TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL Meeting agendas and minutes JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Agendas for upcoming meetings Highlights of recent board meetings Minutes of board meetings JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Meeting agendas and minutes |
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