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| PUBLISHED
ONLINE MARCH 11, 2021 • VOL. 3,
NO. 10 |
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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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 NORTH SECOND STREET CLOSED AT WATER PLANT It's to be a permanent closure of the street, resulting from the soon-to-see expansion of the town's water filtration plant. A short portion at North Street will remain open for access to Talton Park and the Thomas Cemetery. Meanwhile, Hospital Road will remain open for access to the town's Operations Center and Public Works recycling station, but through traffic is barred. SOUTH EQUITY DRIVE TO BE CLOSED FOR SIX DAYS A
portion of South Equity Drive will be closed this
Friday through next Wednesday to enable
construction workers to complete improvements. The
closure will extend from Outlet Center Drive north
to the entrance of the Baymont Hotel.
CORONAVIRUS
REPORT
Johnston's active cases on the decline; death toll tops 200: average age is 75.3 The numbers continue to look better as we enter the second year of the pandemic. Johnston County reported 815 active COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon: 792 recovering at home and just 23 in hospitals. That's down from 867 active cases a week ago. Four more fatalities were reported this past week, bringing Johnston's death toll since the outbreak began to 203, but that's fewer deaths in a week than what we've seen recently. The county's Health Department reported at the first of this week that 167 of Johnston's COVID-19 deaths have been persons age 65 and older, with 25 deaths among ages 50-64, nine in the 25-49 age group, and no deaths for persons under 25. The average age of coronavirus fatalities here is 75.3. The average age of all Johnstonians infected by COVID-19 over the past year is 41. 29,983 Johnstonians have received first doses of COVID-19 vaccines since mid-December, with second doses given to another 16,591, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported on Wednesday. Add to that 1,500 shots administered by the county's Health Department at Wednesday's drive-through clinic at North Johnston High School. VISIT this official state web page to find upcoming vaccination locations> Johnston County Public Schools reported 48 active cases among students (47 a week ago) and 8 among employees (16 a week ago) as of late Wednesday afternoon. The number of active quarantines among students increased from 548 last week to 719 this week, while the number of quarantines among school employees decreased from 99 to 85. VIEW real-time updates on the schools' COVID-19 Dashboard>
VIEW the current list of COVID-19 testing sites throughout Johnston County> |
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SSS beats North Johnston for Spartans' second football win in a shortened season The score was 38-0 in the game played last Friday night at North Johnston High School's Ben E. Strifert Stadium. It followed the Spartans' season-opening victory over Western Harnett a week earlier by a score of 28-14.  SSS Junior
Clevonte Watson scored four touchdowns as he ran for 308
yards on 19 carries at North Johnston. Senior Shy'Keim
Bennet caught a 61-yard TD pass from junior George
Brewer. Junior Luke Jenkins added a field goal and was
5-for-5 in extra-point kicks. On defense, sophomore
Jaylen Stancil made 11 solo tackles.Next up for the Spartans is a home game this Friday against Greater Neuse 3-A Conference rival West Johnston. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Because of limits on attendance by the public, no tickets will be sold at the gate. Instead, they may be purchased through a website sanctioned by SSS> Along with Friday's game at Charles Tucker Stadium, senior football players, cheerleaders, and band members will be honored; and the Spartan Thunder drum line will perform at halftime. Postponed from last fall because of the coronavirus pandemic, North Carolina's high-school football season is limited to seven games this spring, plus playoffs for teams that qualify. It's the first season at SSS for Head Coach Deron Donald. VIEW MORE stats from last Friday's game on MaxPreps> SCHOOLS AMEND POLICY ON HIGH-SCHOOL GRADUATIONS In a change announced Tuesday, Johnston County Public Schools will now allow "either traditional graduation ceremonies or multiple ceremonies" at Smithfield-Selma and other high schools on Friday, May 28. "Each traditional high school will also hold a drive-through ceremony on Tuesday, June 1 for families that opt out of the ceremony on May 28," the school system said in its statement. Before Governor Roy Cooper eased restrictions on mass gatherings, Johnston's schools were limited to drive-through commencement ceremonies where graduates receive diplomas and have pictures taken one at a time. SCHOOL BOARD CONTRACTS FOR CUSTODIAL HELP READ THE SUN'S REPORT on decisions made at Tuesday's monthly meeting> |
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Public Library now open by appointment; new online app also allows accessibility
In
addition, the library has launched “myLIBRO,” a
new Smartphone app and online service that enables
patrons to access the library’s online catalog and
reserve books for curbside pickup. Browsing
appointments and computer lab times can also be
reserved through the app.
All services are available during current business hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit the library's website> |
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 FREE CHILDREN'S MATERIALS FOR PANDEMIC COPING The Junior Women's League of Smithfield has partnered with Alliance Behavioral Health, the Johnston County Public Health Department, and Huebner Family McDonald's to provide 500 "child-centered resources bags" that have been placed in the League's Blessing Boxes, including one in front of Fire Station No. 1 on South Fourth Street, "to provide support for children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic." The bags include a "Joey the Kangaroo and her Coping with COVID Plan" coloring book, crayons, children's books, a McDonald's Happy Meal toy, and flyers about local mental-health and child-health resources. For more information, visit the Junior Women's League website> (Photo from Junior Women's League) LEAGUE GRANTS $12,000 TO PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN The Junior Women's League of Smithfield has presented a Community Impact Grant of $12,000 to the Partnership for Children of Johnston County. The League raised the money during its Diaper Drive last fall that took the place of its annual Touch-A-Truck fund-raiser that had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Diaper Drive produced more than 31,000 diapers and related materials that helped establish a Diaper Closet at the Partnership for Children. Meanwhile, the League is planning for a return of its Touch-A-Truck event on November 6 this year. |
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WHAT'S COMING UP? Daylight Saving Time returns this Sunday  The
second Sunday
in March
brings us back
to Daylight
Saving Time
when we'll
"lose" an hour
as we adjust
our timepieces
forward. That
produces an
extra hour of
daylight in
the evening
but a return
to darkness in
the morning
for early
birds like
high-school
students and
teachers.
Standard Time
returns
November 7.Neuse Little Theatre is back in business After more than a year since its last production, the all-volunteer Neuse Little Theatre is lighting up its stage again for performances of Last Train to Nibroc, the most acclaimed of three works by American playwright Arlene Hutton about the challenges of a young Kentucky couple in the 1940s. The two-person show features Annabeth Clark as May and Dylan Atwood as Raleigh. Opening Night is Friday, March 19. Limited seating will be available for each performance, but the shows will also be live-streamed for those who prefer that option. Details, including reservation information, are shown in the poster below:  COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO MEET AT 6 P.M. MONDAY The regularly scheduled third-Monday session will be held in the Old Superior Courtroom in the Courthouse. Seating for the public will be limited; the meeting will be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page> The board will discuss the composition of its proposed Land Use Plan Steering Committee and get an update on the East Coast Greenway project. VIEW the complete agenda on the county's website> |
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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.... JOSEPHINE (JOIE) TUMMINIA STEADMAN, 67 - died March 9 VELMA LEE McLAMB WADSWORTH, 87 - died March 9 AVA JUNE JONES OLIVE, 83 - died March 8 COLLEEN PREZIOSI POPE, 69 - died March 8 PATRICIA ANNETTE JACKSON, 68 - died March 7 JOHNNY LOUIS (RUSTY) FUTCH, 84 - died March 5 JOHNNIE LEE ENNIS, 88 - died March 4 |
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THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS  WORLD WAR II JOHNSTONIANS IN HIGH PLACES This display in the vestibule of the Public Library caught my eye during a visit there this week. An extension of the World War II exhibit inside the Heritage Center across the street, it showcases three "LOCAL VETERANS WHO BECAME GENERALS" --- Edwin B. Broadhurst, Colin C. Hamilton Jr., and James K. Durham --- and two West Point graduates during that era: Henry Royall and Edwin Broadhurst. (Photos from the Johnston County Heritage Center) |
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LINKS TO MORE PAGES IN THIS EDITION OBSERVATIONS |
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DID YOU MISS A PREVIOUS EDITION? Rewind with our archives LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION? Up-to-data Johnston County data along with useful community links are on the Smithfield-Selma Sun website> |
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