Schools'
enrollment up 782 from
last year
The
total at the end of the
second week of the 2020-21
term last Friday was
37,593 – up 782
students from last year's
Day 10 total of
36,811 but not much above
pre-pandemic enrollment
of 37,411 two years
ago.
Smithfield-area schools
showed a slight decline in
Day 10 enrollment – from
3,458 last year to 3,439
this year. Only
Smithfield-Selma High
reported a higher number
this year: 1,400 – up from
1,370 on Day 10 last year.
SSS is now Johnston's
fourth largest high school
based on enrollment.
The others (including
last year's 10th-day
count): Corinth Holders
2,131
(2,143); Clayton
1,980 (2,018); Cleveland
1,770 (1,812); West
Johnston 1,341 (1,369);
South Johnston 1,311
(1,310); Princeton 1,013
(1,079); North Johnston
759 (795).
Test
results
document COVID's learning
loss
The
N.C. Department of Public
Instruction (DPI) has
released
students' end-of-grade
and end-of-course testing
results for the
2020-21 school year that
was largely disrupted
by the coronavirus
pandemic. It's not at all
surprising that the
numbers are down
from statewide
testing done at the end of
the 2018-19 term two years
ago (last year's testing
was skipped because of the
pandemic).
The table below – showing
combined results for all
subjects tested by
DPI at schools
in the Smithfield-Selma
attendance district –
tells the story:
PERCENTAGES OF
STUDENTS GRADED
"PROFICIENT" IN
ALL SUBJECT AREAS |
2020-21 |
2018-19 |
Change |
| All North Carolina Public Schools |
45.4% |
58.8% |
-13.4 |
| All Johnston County Public Schools |
42.7% |
52.9% |
-10.2 |
| Smithfield-Selma High |
31.4% |
30.3% |
+1.1 |
| Smithfield Middle |
30.0% |
44.3% |
-14.3 |
| Selma Middle |
21.1% |
26.9% |
-5.8 |
| South Smithfield Elementary |
28.2% |
32.0% |
-3.8 |
| West Smithfield Elementary |
17.9% |
30.0% |
-12.1 |
| Wilson's Mills Elementary |
27.4% |
45.2% |
-17.8 |
| Selma Elementary |
24.6% |
36.2% |
-11.6 |
Among
those numbers is one
notable exception:
Smithfield-Selma High
School actually showed
slight improvement despite
the pandemic, although
percentages at SSS for
2020-21 as well as
2018-19 are below
countywide and statewide
numbers.
Smithfield-Selma
lags behind five of
Johnston's eight high
schools in test results
from 2020-21. The county's
best showing was at
Corinth Holders High at
49.5% followed by
Cleveland High at 48.9%,
West Johnston at 38.9%,
Princeton at 38.6%, and
Clayton at 34.5%. Trailing
SSS were North Johnston at
28.3% and South Johnston
at 27.6% of students
scoring "proficient" in
combined testing.
Among students at
Smithfield-Selma, 62% of
whites, 23.9% of
Hispanics, and 20.4% of
African-Americans met
the state's "proficient"
standards.
DIG DEEPER into the numbers through this
portal on the N.C. DPI
website>
CORONAVIRUS REPORT
More
folks
dying; highest
number yet in hospitals
Johnston's
County Commissioners got
another somber report from
County Health Director
Marilyn Pearson at the
outset of Tuesday's
morning session. Dr.
Pearson said 10 more
Johnstonians had perished
from COVID-19
complications in the past
week; 32 in the past
month.
(Actually, a report issued
Tuesday afternoon
shows 11 deaths this
past week. And the number
of Johnstonians
hospitalized because of
COVID-19 is up to 86 – one
more than last January's
peak of 85).
Dr. Pearson said
Johnston's infection rate
is up to 540 cases per
100,000 residents. "We
want that down to 10," she
told commissioners.
Johnston's positivity rate
from COVID-19 testing has
risen to 15%; "our goal is
under 5%," she noted.
Dr. Pearson said the
Health Department is
working on arrangements to
treat infected
persons at risk of serious
coronavirus complications
with infusions of
monoclonal antibodies.
Meanwhile, she noted that
Johnston has seen 420
"breakthrough" cases where
vaccinated persons became
infected.
A bit of hopeful
news from our schools:
The number of
students in
quarantine has declined
from 1,193 a week ago to
1,049, according to the
school system's real-time
COVID-19 Dashboard this
morning (Thursday). The
outbreak at Corinth
Holders High School has
eased somewhat, with
student quarantines down
from 152 to 41. On the
negative side, Cleveland
Middle School now has 94
students quarantined, with
45 in quarantine at
Glendale-Kenly and West
View elementary schools
and 41 at Selma
Elementary. VIEW the
latest report for all
schools>
VIEW the
current list of
vaccination clinics in
Johnston County>
VIEW the
current list of testing
sites in Johnston
County>
CORONAVIRUS
weekly
measurements |
Case total
since 3-20
(last week) |
Deaths
since 3-20
(last week) |
Hospital
patients
(last week) |
Fully
vaccinated
(last week) |
| JOHNSTON COUNTY |
28,237
(27,149) |
281
(270) |
86
(76) |
89,542: 43%*
(87,861: 42%) |
| NORTH CAROLINA |
1,267,333
(1,220,902) |
14,894
(14,529) |
3,790
(3,757) |
5,314,240: 51%*
(5,226,936: 50%*) |
| UNITED STATES |
40,311,473
(39,260,718) |
651,053
(640,914) |
|
176,659,496: 54%*
(174,121,529: 53%) |
| WORLDWIDE |
222,212,318
(218,057,832) |
4,591,159
(4,526,088) |
|
5,555,902,774
total doses given |
* Percentage of total population (all
ages)
Data provided by: County
of Johnston at
4:15 p.m.
September 7
N.C.
Department of
Health and Human
Services at
11:55 a.m.
September 8
Johns
Hopkins
University at
12:21 p.m.
September 8 |
More
development headed to
West Smithfield
The
Smithfield Town Council
this week approved
several items clearing the
way for both residential
and industrial growth in
West Smithfield:
• Rezoning to allow a
669-unit residential
project across US 70
Business from the Amazon
distribution center
currently under
construction.
• Voluntary annexation of
the Amazon site and
adjacent industrial
property.
• Rezoning to allow future
industrial development of
properties on both sides
of 70 Business between the
Amazon site and Johnston
Regional Airport.
What's more, the council
received plans for a
143-unit residential
project on NC 210 just
west of Skyland Drive.
READ MORE
about those items and
other
matters addressed
by the council>
Smithfield's
new fire chief coming
from Wilson
Town
Manager Michael Scott has
named Mike Brown of
Wilson as the town's new
fire chief,
effective September
22. He succeeds John
Blanton, who retired June
1.
Chief Brown recently
served as the Deputy Fire
Chief for the City of
Wilson Fire
Department after
moving up through the
ranks from firefighter to
Battalion Chief. He has
more than 35
years of municipal
and volunteer fire
service.
Chief Brown’s starting
salary is $99,507. He's
scheduled to receive
a 5% increase
next July, following
his probationary period.
County
Commissioners' sessions
were shorter than usual
The
board's regular
first-Monday morning and
evening sessions were
held Tuesday because
of the Labor Day
holiday. READ the
Sun's summary of what
transpired>
"IF IT'S
REALLY
CLEAN,
IT'S PARRISH
CLEAN!"
919-934-5898
www.parrishclean.com
HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL REPORT
Smithfield-Selma overwhelms
N. Johnston, 49-0
The
visiting Panthers were no
match for the rejuvenated
Spartans, who scored seven
touchdowns with a mixture
of long runs and passes at
Charles Tucker Stadium
last Thursday evening.
SSS running back Devonte
Watson scored four
touchdowns, rushing for
three and catching a TD
pass from quarterback
Dashawn McCullough, who
threw three touchdown
strikes and ran it in
himself for another score.
Also catching TD passes
were George Brewer and
Daniel Dawson.
The balanced Spartan
attack produced 247 yards
rushing and 196
passing. Watson
gained 182 yards on the
ground
with just seven
carries. McCullough
completed 11 of 15 passing
attempts.
The Spartans have an open
date this week. They'll
host 3A conference rival
South Johnston High on
Friday, September 16. Here's the
full SSS schedule>
Smithfield-Selma
High's cheerleading
coach Bridget Rose had
her hands full as she
directed her squad on
the sidelines of last
Thursday's football home
opener. "She’s a rock star and nothing stops
her!" exclaimed SSS
Principal David Allen.
Baby Luke
took it all in stride as
his mother stayed on
task the entire
game.
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Third
StrEATery outdoor dining
event returns this
Friday
Downtown
Smithfield's "Socially
Distanced Outside Dining
Room and Live
Entertainment Venue" will
be open again this Friday
from 6 to 9 p.m. along the
100 block of South Third
Street. The Arbor Strings
trio will entertain.
Patrons are invited to
purchase meals from nearby
restaurants to eat at
tables on the street.
Mirrors
of a Southern Girl
author to sign
books Saturday
Mary
Nell Lee Ferguson will be
stationed inside the
Johnston
County Heritage
Center from 11 a.m. till 1
p.m. this Saturday to
autograph copies of her
memories of growing up in
Smithfield in the 1940s
and '50s. The Heritage
Center is located at the
corner of Market and Third
streets Downtown.
Land
Use Plan Steering
Committee
meets next Tuesday
A meeting of the
Johnston County
Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Steering Committee will be
open to the public at 6 p.m.
Tuesday at the Johnston
County Agricultural Center
on NC 210 west of
Smithfield.
Johnston
school board's monthly
meeting next Tuesday
The agenda is
usually not made public till
the Friday beforehand. Once
it's posted it can be
accessed from this page
on the school system's
website>
"Trusted
by families since 1977"
840 S.
Bright Leaf Blvd. • 919-934-7164
• www.carrollpharmacy.com
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
HOYT MORRIS
LOCK, 92 – died
September 8
EDWARD
CANTERBURY JR., 74 –
died September 7
LINZEY GRAY
TOOLE SR., 84 –
died September 7
EULA JEAN
DAUGHTRY JOHNSON, 92 –
died September 4
JOHN ARTHUR
WALLACE JR., 83 –
died September 3
BRANDON LEE
NARRON, 36 –
died September 2
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
How
do we beat COVID? With
caution, not defiance
County
Commissioner Larry Wood
expressed the frustration
that has infected many
Johnstonians as the battle
against COVID-19 continues
to rage, dashing our
earlier hopes of beating
back the pandemic by now.
"Explain this to me: Why
does a three-year-old have
to wear a mask, up until
they eat lunch" while "a
16-year-old can stand
across the line from
somebody snarling at 'em
in a football game and
don't have to wear a
mask?" he asked during
Tuesday morning's
coronavirus update by the
county's health director.
He was pointing out
inconsistencies in
mandates and advisories
from health-care
authorities that go back
to the onset of the
pandemic a year and a half
ago – things like the
state's edict that shut
down most small retailers
while the "big boys" like
Wal-Mart and Lowe's were
allowed to remain open.
Despite all that,
Commissioners' Chairman
Chad Stewart said the
advice from medical
experts about wearing
masks, washing hands, and
avoiding close contact
with folks we don't know
is still worth heeding:
"None of it's foolproof
and nobody's expected to
do all of it. But every
little bit you can do when
you can do it has got to
be a help," he said. "Try
to wear it (mask) as much
as possible. Try to social
distance. Try not to be in
large crowds. Just try to
do as best we
can." Acknowledging
Mr. Wood's frustration,
Mr. Stewart concluded: "I
know some of it doesn't
make sense, but try to do
a little bit of all of it
(and) let's get these
numbers down."
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