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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 • VOL.
2, NO. 43 |
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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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 Repeat washout caused by Monday night's downpour proved deadly for a young family A low place on a curve along Galilee Road not far from Packing Plant Road was being washed out by Monday night's torrential rainfall when an unsuspecting mother with two children drove her vehicle into the rushing water that quickly pushed it downstream. She was able to reach 9-1-1 with her call of distress.
The body of the five-year-old girl was found downstream near the Neuse River Wednesday afternoon. The body of the four-year-old boy was recovered this morning (Thursday). That same spot on Galilee Road was washed out by heavy rainfall when Hurricane Matthew hit us four years ago. It appears the Arters Branch crossing needs an elevated bridge in place of a single culvert. READ MORE and view photos from the unexpected storm on SPECIAL REPORT> |
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School board votes 4-3 to delay return of youngest students to classrooms Superintendent of Schools Eric Bracy recommended last week that all of Johnston County's public-school students remain with remote learning at home through the end of the first nine-week grading period, which ends October 15. The county's Board of Education voted 4-3 at last Thursday evening's special session to follow his revised re-opening plan. The board on July 22 had adopted by unanimous vote a plan to bring K-5 students back to classrooms September 8. Board members Terri Sessoms, Peggy Smith, and Tracie Zukowski voted in favor of the superintendent's recommendation; Teresa Grant, Ronald Johnson, and Mike Wooten voted against; Board Chair Todd Sutton broke the tie in favor of the mid-October re-opening. Noteworthy is the fact that the three board members who voted not to delay students' return to classrooms are the three seeking re-election this fall. READ a fuller account of the board's debate from last Saturday's N&O> (EDITOR'S NOTE: Apparently a News & Observer reporter was among the more than 2,600 of us who watched last Thursday's meeting as it was live-streamed. That's a rare thing for the Raleigh newspaper, which has pretty much abandoned Johnston County when it comes to news coverage these days.) READ board member Peggy Smith's list of complaints from teachers and parents about remote learning in Johnston County's schools --- on OBSERVATIONS> SCHOOLS START REPORTING NUMBERS OF CORONAVIRUS CASES Prior to last Thursday's board meeting, the school system announced release of a COVID-19 "dashboard" reporting cases among its staff. Through August, it shows 12 confirmed cases resulting in 43 staff quarantined from elementary schools, one case with 10 quarantined from middle schools, two cases with 12 quarantined from high schools, and one case with seven quarantined from the Central Office. The particular schools involved are not named. VIEW the latest Johnston County Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard> READ MORE about the school system's COVID-19 report on OBSERVATIONS> FREE CURBSIDE MEALS FOR ALL EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER The school system announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended free curbside pickup meals --- breakfast and lunch --- for all of Johnston's students through December 31. Previously, free meals for all students were to end September 1, with payment required for most families as is done during a normal school year. CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
3,960 cases --- 206 added
this past week
Here's the County of Johnston coronavirus report as of 5:15 p.m. Wednesday: • 3,960 cases, 52 deaths, 25 hospitalized, 481 at home, 3,402 presumed recovered (that nets a total of 506 active cases). • 2,119 female cases; 1,841 male. • Cases by age: 604 ages 0-17 (570 last week); 573 18-24 (534 last week); 1,649 25-49 (1,584 last week); 729 50-64 (688 last week); 405 age 65+ (378). • Cases by race: 2,276 white, 508 black, 572 other (604 not known). • Cases by ethnicity: 1,709 Hispanic, 1,673 non-Hispanic (578 not known). VIEW the current list of test sites and testing events in Johnston County>
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Town Council wrestles with proposal to allow Downtown dining on the street Downtown Smithfield's Director Sarah Edwards asked permission from the Town Council Tuesday night to hold a series of outdoor dining events along the 100 block of South Third Street, which would be closed to vehicular traffic. The intent is to boost patronage for Downtown's restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. The council, on advice from the town attorney, put a brake on the idea over concerns about defying Governor Roy Cooper's statewide restrictions on mass gatherings. "I'd hate to see a town-sponsored violation," advised Town Attorney Bob Spence Jr. The request for a Temporary Use Permit from Ms. Edwards would allow patrons of nearby restaurants to sit at tables set up along the street on four Friday evenings over the next two months. The permit request says the "Third Streatery" event could attract "over 100 people" and would include "live band or amplified sound" in the form of a "busker" who would be compensated by the Downtown Development Corporation. Governor Cooper on Tuesday amended his order restricting mass gatherings to allow up to 50 persons instead of 25. Council members questioned how the number of dining patrons on the street could be regulated in keeping with the latest order. Ms. Edwards said perhaps 50 persons would be the most on hand at any one time, but Town Attorney Spence predicted the proposed set-up "is going to attract more people" than that. He suggested giving Ms. Edwards and the town's Planning staff more time to come up "with a plan that works," and the council agreed by approving the requested street closing but postponing approval of the permit till more details are worked out. On another Downtown Development request, the council approved a "Takeout Tuesday" event that would allow a busker to provide musical entertainment in the Public Library Courtyard at Market and Third streets from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. every Tuesday through October. Ms. Edwards said the intent of that event is to entice more persons to come Downtown during the lunch hour. READ MORE from Tuesday's monthly meeting of the Smithfield Town Council> MUSEUMS AND GYMS ALLOWED TO RE-OPEN, PARTIALLY Governor Cooper's latest order on coronavirus restrictions allows museums to open at 50% capacity and gyms and other exercise businesses to open at 30% capacity. This week's also allows outdoor visitations at nursing homes, provided COVID-19 protections are in place. Meanwhile, bars and movie theaters will remain closed for now. READ the full text of Governor Cooper's order issued on Tuesday> |
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Attendance recorded for Johnston's public schools falls 600 short of last year's total Enrollment in Johnston County Public Schools through the first 10 days of the 2020-21 academic year totals exactly 600 fewer students than last year at this point: 36,811, down from 37,411. That's likely the first decline in enrollment recorded here since Johnston County's population began to boom 30 years ago --- obviously because of the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted just about everything around us since its arrival six months ago. The 10th Day Enrollment Report plays a key role in determining state funding allocations for North Carolina's school districts. That, in turn, determines how many state-paid teachers are allotted each district --- and how much county taxpayers will wind up paying to provide additional teachers beyond the state-required minimum. What all those numbers turn out to be remains to be seen. Part of that puzzle will be what actions the N.C. General Assembly takes to alter funding formulas in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The state's legislators returned to Raleigh for a special session this week. The 10th Day Enrollment Report shows a modest increase at Smithfield-Selma High School --- from 1,337 last year to 1,370 this year --- but decreases at Smithfield Middle School (574, down from 614), South Smithfield Elementary (514, down from 526), and West Smithfield Elementary (471, down from 495). VIEW the full 10th Day Report for all of Johnston's schools and grade levels> LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENDAS JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS will meet at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. next Tuesday instead of Monday, which is the Labor Day holiday. Both sessions will be held in the auditorium of the Johnston County Agricultural Center at 2736 NC 210 west of Smithfield. Limited seating is available because of coronavirus restrictions, and the meetings will be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page> • The 10 a.m. agenda includes updates from county officials on the COVID-19 pandemic, an update from the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, and adoption of a Telework Policy for county employees, VIEW the complete agenda for the morning session> • The 6 p.m. agenda includes public hearings on land-use rezoning requests in Clayton, Cleveland, O'Neals, and Pleasant Grove townships. VIEW details of those rezoning petitions> JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION will hold its regular monthly next Tuesday afternoon at the school system's headquarters at 2320 US 70 Business east of Smithfield. The board will convene in closed session at 4 p.m. followed by an open session at 5 p.m. VIEW the agenda (including attendance rules) once it's posted online> |
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Marcia Armstrong nominated to be new vice president of N.C. State Bar  Story & photo from N.C. State BarSmithfield attorney Marcia H.
Armstrong has been selected by the State Bar's
Nominating Committee to stand for election to the
office of vice president of the North Carolina
State Bar. The election will take place in
October at the State Bar's annual meeting. Ms. Armstrong earned her
bachelor’s degree from Salem College and her Juris
Doctorate from the Wake Forest University School
of Law. She was a member of the North
Carolina State Bar Council from 2011 to 2019,
during which time she served as chair of the
Legislative Committee as well as the Opioid Summit
Special Committee, and was a vice chair of the
Grievance Committee. A partner of The Armstrong Law
Firm, Ms. Armstrong has been a board-certified
specialist in family law since 1989. She is a
frequent speaker and course planner at law schools
and at continuing legal-education programs
sponsored by the North Carolina Bar Foundation.
She has written and presented manuscripts on a
wide range of family law topics. She is a past president of the
state chapter of the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, which is recognized as the
top family-law association in the
country. She is a past president of the
Johnston County Bar Association and the 11th
Judicial District Bar. Marcia practices law with her
husband Lamar along with their son, Lamar III,
daughter Eason Keeney, and son-in-law Daniel
Keeney. This
Monday is the Labor Day
holiday |
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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.... PASCHAL LEE BIZZELL, 97 - died August 29 LINDA MASSENGILL LASSITER, 80 - died August 28 JONATHAN BLAINE LUCAS, 38 - died August 27 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  Photo from the Johnston County Heritage Center of a mostly African-American "chain gang" at work on Galilee Road near Smithfield in the 1920s. NEXT THURSDAY'S ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: ON RACISM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM The
Johnston
County Heritage Commission’s Black History Committee
will present a roundtable discussion on racism in the
criminal justice system at 7 p.m. next Thursday
(September 10). Entitled “The Right to Breathe:
Re-examining Racism,” it will be accessible via
YouTube (JohnstonNC Heritage) and
Facebook (jocoheritage). This
virtual
event is the third discussion in a continuing series.
Black voter suppression was the topic of the first
session in February. “The Right to Live: Re-examining
Racism in Health Care” was explored August 6. The
fourth and final session will deal with racism in
education --- on Thursday, October 8. For
more
information, call the Johnston County Heritage Center
at 919-934-2836 or e-mail heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com.
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LINKS TO MORE PAGES IN THIS EDITION OBSERVATIONS Rewind with our archives |
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a
public service announcement
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It falls on
September 7 this year --- the
latest possible date for the
first Monday in September.