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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE DECEMBER 3, 2020 • VOL. 2,
NO. 56 |
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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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 Smithfieldlighting up for Christmas At 6 o'clock in the evening on Tuesday the first day of December, Mayor Andy Moore and a jolly ole man in a red suit flipped a switch to light up the town's official Christmas tree positioned in the Public Library courtyard --- done this year without a public gathering as a "virtual event" on the town's Facebook page (as seen in this screenshot). It was the first of several town-sponsored activities planned with COVID-19 restrictions in mind (no parade this year). Next up: The Stink, Stank, Stunk Toy Drop Off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday at the Recreation & Aquatics Center --- an opportunity for folks to bring in new, unwrapped toys for children served by Harbor and the Johnston County Department of Social Services. This event takes the place of the annual 5K Run and Jingle Bell Jog named "in honor" of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas (and then gave it back). DETAILS about other upcoming events on SmithfieldChristmas.com> CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
Johnston's case total tops 8,000 after 500+ new cases added in a week Johnston County continues to register weekly COVID-19 case increases not seen since the pandemic reached us last March. The Johnston County Health Department recorded 539 new cases over the past seven days. The county issued these COVID-19 totals at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday: • 8,069 cases, 79 deaths, 40 currently hospitalized + 1,435 at home for a total of 1,475 active cases (up from 1,349 a week ago). VIEW the Johnston County COVID-19 Information page for more details> The Smithfield ZIP Code (27577) continues to lead Johnston's other postal zones in per-capita concentration of cases with 475 per 10,000 residents over the past two weeks, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. JOHNSTON COUNTY SCHOOLS' REPORT Posted at 9:28 a.m. today (Thursday): STUDENT DATA: 440 cases suspected, presumptive, or confirmed among students who have returned to classrooms; 713 active quarantines including 1 at South Smithfield Elementary, 52 at West Smithfield Elementary, 5 at Smithfield Middle, 10 at Smithfield-Selma High --- total up 10 from 703 a week ago. STAFF DATA: 84 cases suspected, presumptive, or confirmed among the system's 5,000 employees; 163 active quarantines including 1 at South Smithfield, 15 at West Smithfield, 0 at Smithfield Middle, 2 at Smithfield-Selma High --- total up 18 from 144 a week ago. VIEW the JCPS COVID-19 Dashboard for more details>
VIEW the current list of COVID-19 test sites and testing events in all of Johnston> |
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Town Council awards construction contract for expanding the Water Treatment Plant After months of debate about the merits of the project, the Smithfield Town Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to move ahead with expansion of the town's Water Treatment Plant at North Second Street and Hospital Road. Shook Construction Company, Inc. of Columbia, S.C. won the contract with the lowest of five bids at $11,650,000. After adding equipment, engineering services, and contingencies, the project's total cost is budgeted at $17,598,500. Councilman John Dunn cast the lone dissenting vote on approving both the construction contract and the financing for it. Councilmen David Barbour, Steve Rabil, David Stevens, and Roger Wood voted in the affirmative. Councilmen Marlon Lee and Travis Scott were absent. The project will expand the plant's treatment capacity from 6.2-million to 8.3-million gallons per day --- to handle anticipated residential and commercial growth in the region for years to come. "This can be achieved without raising rates," declared Ted Credle, the town's director of public utilities. The bulk of the project's financing will come from a $12,050,000 state loan through the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, with a rate of interest not to exceed 1.82%. The County of Johnston has already contributed $3,250,000 to reserve a portion of the Smithfield plant's capacity for its customers (the county also produces water at its own plant on the Neuse River near Wilson's Mills). The remaining money required for the project consists of $1,948,500 from the town's Water Fund reserves plus $350,000 in the current year's budget for maintenance expenses that can be avoided with the water plant's upgrade. Mr. Credle told the Sun that a start date for construction has yet to be determined, but it's likely to be March or April,"depending on product lead times and supply chains in the age of COVID-19." Construction would take 20-22 months to complete, he said. Shown below is a rendering of how the water plant's "campus" will appear once a second in-ground "clearwell" tank (in gray) and a new storage basin are added along with several smaller structures. Nearby residents will hardly notice the changes, especially with evergreen trees to be planted as buffers on the south and east borders of the property (lower left). Vehicular access to the plant will come only via Hospital Road once Second Street is permanently closed north of North Street.  READ MORE news from Tuesday night's monthly council session> |
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N.C. Supreme Court Justice recount altered Johnston's votes by 13 out of 107,916 cast When Johnston County's recount was finished on Monday, Republican Paul Newby had three more votes and Democrat Cheri Beasley 10 fewer votes than what was certified on November 13 --- 10 days after Election Day. Statewide, the recount produced a winning margin of just 401 votes for Mr. Newby. The revised Johnston County totals: 65,515 for Mr. Newby, 42,401 for Ms. Beasley. The latest statewide totals: 2,695,951 for Mr. Newby, 2,695,550 for Ms. Beasley. That's about as close as it gets in any election with that many voters taking part. Ms. Beasley, appointed Chief Justice by Governor Roy Cooper in March 2019, called for the statewide recount following the November 13 certification. In addition, she filed a protest regarding the handling of absentee and provisional ballots in most of the state's counties, including Johnston. At a meeting November 24, Johnston's Board of Elections voted 3-2 to dismiss her protest here for lack of evidence showing wrongfully rejected ballots. Republican board members John Shallcross Jr. and Deborah Zink were joined by Democrat Shirley Bell in the vote for dismissal. Democrats Gordon Woodruff and Deborah Hooker had favored a failed motion to find "probable cause" for proceeding with a hearing on allegations from the Beasley campaign. Even as the full statewide recount was completed this week, Ms. Beasley called for a "hand-eye recount" of a random sample of precincts in each of the state's 100 counties. VIEW revised Johnston County vote totals for all offices as a result of the recount> |
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70 inches of rain with another month to go! That's the measurement from Cornell Cox's Backyard Weather Station in South Smithfield --- 70.58 inches for the year, to be exact, after a whopping 9.91 inches recorded for November, mostly from that rain event in the middle of the month that produced 8 inches within a 30-hour period. A normal year brings us just under 48 inches of rainfall, according to U.S. Climate Data. |
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Director moving on as Public Library remains closed after staff COVID cases  Renita Barksdale has resigned her
position as director of the Public Library of Johnston
County and Smithfield to accept a position as director
of the Laurens County Public Library System near her
hometown of Greenville, S.C.Her last day on the job here will be December 11. Jeff Jennings, chairman of the library's Board of Trustees, has resigned that position to serve as interim director. Meanwhile, the library closed its doors to the public last week after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. "The library board and I decided that it would be best to close the library for deep cleaning to ensure the staff and patrons' safety and well-being," Ms. Barksdale told the Sun. As a result, the library will offer curbside services only until January 4, she said. Ms. Barksdale came to Johnston County as library director in July 2019 from a similar position in northeastern Tennessee. Prior to that she held various administrative positions in libraries in and around her South Carolina hometown. She said her family encouraged her to apply for the Laurens County position. "When they offered me the position I was still debating if I should accept," she said. "I have created new friendships in the (Johnston County) community." However, "after talking with my family, I decided it would be best to accept the job offer," Ms. Barksdale concluded. LEARN MORE about the Smithfield-based library and its current services>  Another new Downtown business Co-owners Sivonna Jones (left) and Warria Ricks clap with glee at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new business, Alabaster Box Essential Oils, located at 117 North Third Street in Downtown Smithfield. Specializing in bath products, coffee, jewelry, and other gift items, the shop is open 10-6 Tuesday-Friday, 9-2 Saturday. Learn more about the business at www.ab-oils.com> (Screenshot from virtual ribbon-cutting staged by the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce) |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? LETTERS TO SANTA CLAUS, THAT'S WHAT . . .  The
Junior Women's League of Smithfield
(JWL) once again is "teaming up with
Santa Claus" to support the
organization's charitable
initiatives. "For just $5, Santa
will send a personalized letter from
the North Pole to his biggest fans
--- children, adults, pets, and
more."Proceeds from past JWL Santa campaigns have benefited the Interfaith Food Shuttle's Backpack Buddies program and the League's Blessing Boxes program "to eliminate food insecurity within the county." Letters from Santa can be ordered until December 11 at www.jwlsmithfield.com. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEET MONDAY WITH FRED SMITH REJOINING THE BOARD The Johnston County Board of Commissioners will hold its dual monthly sessions next Monday (Dec. 7) in the second-floor meeting room of the Public Library in Downtown Smithfield. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the public will be unable to attend. The sessions will be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page> Monday's 10 a.m. session will begin with the seating of former Commissioner Fred Smith in place of retiring Commissioner Jeff Carver. The newly constituted board will then elect its chairman, a position now held by Ted Godwin. On the Monday morning agenda are updates on the coronavirus pandemic, a regional commuter-rail study, and the Detention Center project, and consideration of an application by Alliance Health for a Behavioral Health and Intellectual Development Disability Tailored Plan. VIEW the complete agenda with details for the morning session> Monday's 6 p.m. session will focus on five land-use rezoning requests --- in Ingrams, Pleasant Grove (2), Cleveland, and Wilders townships. VIEW the complete agenda with details for the evening session> SCHOOL BOARD MEETS NEXT TUESDAY WITH TWO NEW MEMBERS TAKING OFFICE The Johnston County Board of Education will meet next Tuesday (Dec. 8) in the Evander S. Simpson Building on US 70 Business east of Smithfield. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. with a closed session, followed by the open session at 5 p.m. Lyn Andrews and Kay Carroll will be joining the board in place of Teresa Grant and Peggy Smith. Mr. Carroll is a former board member who served for a time as its chairman. VIEW the complete agenda for the meeting once it's posted online> |
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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.... NANCY WILKINS JOHNSON, 60 - died December 2 WILLIAM (BILL) HOWARD STRICKLAND JR., 64 - died November 29 LOURISE DIXON McLAURIN, 88 - died November 29 CHESTER GRAHAM HOLLAND, 84 - died November 28 KENNETH MITCHELL SMITH, 86 - died November 27 CATHY MORGAN PEACOCK, 66 - died November 27 ANNE ELIZABETH BLAKE DUNIGAN, 89 - died November 26 FOLDEN WILFORD (F.W.) LEE JR., 73 - died November 25 JOHN F. PALAWASTA, 87 - died November 24 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS   SMITHFIELD HIGH'S FOOTBALL RED DEVILS OF 1950 We didn't have a high-school football season this year, so we'll have to fall back on memories like this yearbook photo of the 1950 squad at Smithfield High School: (left to right) seated in front --- Rivers Upchurch, Mike Wallace, Jack Pilkington, Earl McCullers, Sherrill Johnson, Bill Moore, Collins Pippin, Tommy Hayes; second row --- Eddie Baroody, Julius Woody, Bill Starling, Ed Paddison, Rodin Sugg, Elmer Owens, Austin Stevens, Billy Dickens, Freddie Weeks, Ben Langdon; standing --- Coach Roy Brown, Jimmy Cheatham, Ruffin Johnson, Bruce Wilkins, Lawrence Parrish, Joe Dupree, Dickie Wallace, Ralph Johnson, Dennis Watson, Eugene Snead, George Meyer. Absent when the picture was taken were Dennis Whitley, Bobby Thomas Hill, and Billy Massey. (Photo from the yearbook archives of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center) |
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LINKS TO MORE PAGES IN THIS EDITION OBSERVATIONS Rewind with our archives |
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For more information
about our community, check out my online
"newspaper parent" via the link shown below. This
website is a handy portal to important sources of
current information about Smithfield and Johnston
County.
 Here's
what you'll find there:• Local government website links • Local weather data, current & past • Neuse River levels & forecasts • Official time & Farmer's Almanac • Monthly unemployment reports • Quarterly retail-sales reports • Official population estimates • Agricultural statistics • Things to see and do www.smithfieldselmasun.com |
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