2021
rainfall above average,
yet below last year's
The total
recorded for the past year
by Cornell Cox's Backyard
Weather Station in South
Smithfield was
55.2 inches – above our
normal average rainfall of
just under 48 inches yet
well short of 2020's
abnormal 76.2 inches.
The big weather story at
year's end was our recent
spell of unusually warm
days. "We have just come
through a period of weather
unlike any I've observed in
my eight decades' memory: 10
consecutive winter days when
the daily temperature
averaged around 70 degrees
or just below," Mr. Cox
notes.
"In years past, even in my
childhood, this could have
been an event in the month
of November – but not in
winter" (which, by the way,
began Dec.
1 meteorologically
speaking, Dec. 21 based
on the Winter Solstice).
CORONAVIRUS REPORT
Here
we go again, with
infection rates rising
Johnston's
County Commissioners got
the monthly COVID-19
update Monday morning from
the county's public-health
director. "It's a new
year," Dr. Marilyn Pearson
began. "I was hoping we'd
start it a little
differently but... we're
still in a pandemic phase"
and "we all realize this
is going to be with us...
for a while."
She reported "a
significant increase in
our cases" in recent days,
rising to 413 per 100,000
residents with a positive
infection rate of 16%
of those tested here over
the past two weeks.
The average age of
infected Johnstonians is
now 37, Dr. Pearson noted,
with 89% of those
hospitalized in ICUs or on
ventilators coming
from the unvaccinated.
Where do we go from here?
"Vaccination is No. 1,"
advised the health
director, "but we
also ask folks to
physically distance and
wear the mask" – the same
advice we've been hearing
nationwide for almost two
years now.
" I know everybody's
tired" of all that, Dr.
Pearson concluded, "but
when I think about being
tired I think about the
people I'm trying to
protect."
Tuesday's report from the
county showed an increase
of 973 in the number of
cases identified
in Johnston over the
past week, and a jump in
the number
of COVID-related hospitalizations from
24 last week to 43 this
week. Of those, 19 were
persons age 65 and above,
10 ages 50-64, and 14 ages
25-49. Also during the
past week, Johnston's
Health Department reported
171 new "breakthrough"
cases among vaccinated
persons and 153
re-infections of persons
previously diagnosed with
COVID-19.
The county's list of six
institutional outbreaks
this week included three
staff members infected at
Smithfield Manor Nursing
and Rehab.
This
morning's report from
Johnston County Public
Schools, which
returned to in-person
classes Wednesday,
showed 254 active cases
among students and staff
(up from 221 just before
the holidays) with 552
students and 115 staff
members quarantined (631
students and 52 staff
were quarantined in
mid-December). Schools
with the most students in
quarantine: Cleveland High
with 32, South Johnston
High with 31, Polenta
Elementary and Riverwood
Middle with 22 apiece,
West Smithfield Elementary
with 21, Selma Elementary
with 20.
VIEW
the school system's COVID
dashboard with data 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 |
37,745
(35,772) |
368
(364) |
43
(24) |
107,307: 51%*
(106,676) |
| NORTH CAROLINA |
1,763,614
(1,648,359) |
19,542
(19,339) |
3,099
(2,122) |
6,183,267: 59%*
(6,154,659) |
| UNITED STATES |
57,762,144
(53,663,256) |
832,148
(822,920) |
|
206,797,799: 63%*
(205,638,307) |
| WORLDWIDE |
298,040,180
(284,670,396) |
5,467,613
(5,425,024) |
|
9,330,607,312
total doses given |
* Percentage of total population (all
ages)
Data provided by: County
of Johnston at
4:50 p.m. January
4
N.C.
Department of
Health and Human
Services at
11:55 a.m. January
5
Johns
Hopkins
University at
8:22 a.m. January
6 |
Johnston
County's jobless rate
drops below 3%
From a peak of
11% in May 2020 after the
COVID pandemic's arrival,
Johnston's unemployment rate
has steadily declined to
the latest recorded
mark of 2.9% – reported
for November by the
N.C. Dept. of Commerce,
which estimates 99,714
Johnstonians out of a labor
force of 102,702 held jobs.
What a contrast from the
state's report for May 2020
that put an estimated 10,167
Johnstonians on the
unemployment roll. At that
time, 12.7% of North
Carolina's workers were
classified as unemployed.
The latest report puts
the statewide jobless rate
at 3.4%.
1,300
households have
gotten rental
assistance
Johnston
County's Emergency Rental
Assistance Program by
December's end had
distributed $5,058,000 to
almost 1,300 households
requesting help in paying
bills for rent and
utilities because of
income losses attributed
to COVID-19. Another
$488,000 has assisted 310
households make mortgage
payments, Finance Director
Chad McLamb reported to
the County Commissioners
on Monday. A
combination of mostly
federal aid supplemented
by state grants has
provided the money for the
two programs. No county
funds have been required
for those expenditures,
including administrative
assistance by a processing
contractor, Mr. McLamb
noted.
Another
purpose for county-owned
property around the
landfill
The County of
Johnston holds title to
almost 1,200 acres off NC
210 west of Smithfield that
includes its solid-waste
landfill, the Livestock
Arena, the Agricultural
Center, and in the near
future a
sewage-treatment plant. On
Monday the County
Commissioners approved use
of two undeveloped portions
as "borrow pits" for
removing soil to cover
garbage and trash being
dumped at newly opened
sections of the landfill
over the next 5-7 years. The
cost to get that done is
budgeted at $525,250, to be
covered by fees charged
users of the landfill
including Johnston's
municipalities and
commercial waste haulers as
well as contractors and
households.
TOWN COUNCIL REPORT
Smithfield
reports six Police
Dept. vacancies
In
his monthly report to the
Town Council this week,
Town Manager Mike Scott
noted that the Police
Department currently has
six officer vacancies – a
slight increase over the
past few months. "Our
emergency services are not
currently impacted because
of COVID illness or
quarantine," he said in a
follow-up to the Weekly
Sun on Wednesday.
"However, we have seen an
increase in some of our
other departments the last
10 days." The Police
Department has 42 sworn
positions "from the chief
on down including school
resource officers," Mr.
Scott noted.
Citizen
asks for "transparency"
in probe of police
incident
Angelique
Legette asked the Town
Council at its monthly
meeting Tuesday to "ensure
transparency" in a Police
Department investigation
into a verbal
altercation involving an
off-duty Smithfield
officer and an
African-American
motorist at a Wake
County shopping center
last month. Captain Ryan
Sheppard, who is white,
remains on administrative
leave pending the
investigation's findings.
"I just hope Smithfield
will do the
investigation without bias
and let (everyone) know
this does not happen
here," said Ms. Legette,
an African-American
Smithfield resident who
identified herself as a
federal law-enforcement
officer.
Fifth
consecutive year for
water and sewer awards
Public Utilities
Director Ted Credle reported
to the council that the town
has won, for the fifth
consecutive year, North
Carolina American Water
Works Association &
Water Environment Federation
awards for "Potable Water
Distribution System of the
Year" and "Sanitary Sewer
Collection System of the
Year" among municipalities
of Smithfield's size.
3
lots added to new
subdivision recently
annexed
Following public
hearings that drew no
objections, the council
approved voluntary
annexation, an appropriate
zoning designation, and
preliminary plat approval
for three lots added to the
Twin Creeks Subdivision
previously annexed and
approved off Black
Creek Road near NC 210 west
of Smithfield. Planning
Director Stephen Wensman
said the actions were
requested by Navaho
Development, LLC after
discovery of a deed error
that omitted 1.61 acres from
the original plan.
Rezoning
granted to allow
small-child care center
Without public
objection, the council
rezoned a one-acre lot
on the north side of Laurel
Drive in West
Smithfield from R-20A
to R-10 to permit operation
of a small-child day-care
center at an existing
residence. Mr. Wensman said
the lot is directly across
the road from a large area
already zoned R-10.
Three
appointed to Downtown
Development's board
The council
appointed Mary Reece and
reappointed Tim Depp and
Jeremy Pearce to the Board
of Directors of the Downtown
Smithfield Development
Corporation. Ms. Reece is an
attorney who practices law
with her husband from an
office on South Third Street
Downtown. Mr. Depp is a
licensed landscape
contractor. Mr. Pearce
operates a
Smithfield-based insurance
agency. The complete list of
board members is posted on the DSDC
website>
Vacant
town-owned lot to be
sold with "upset bids"
The
council authorized staff
to sell a vacant,
town-owned lot at 801
Second Avenue through a
bidding process that gives
prospective buyers
repeated chances to raise
a bidder's price until
it's unchallenged. Town
Manager Scott said the
town has no use for the
relatively small lot,
which the town acquired by
foreclosure some years
ago.
Fire
station's underground
fuel tanks will be
removed
Fire
Chief Mike Brown got
the council's permission
to employ Geological
Resources, Inc. at an
estimated cost of
$15,562 to remove two
underground tanks – one
for diesel fuel, the other
for gasoline –
located beneath a
deteriorating concrete
parking pad at the town's
main fire station on
Fourth Street. After
undergoing a recent state
inspection, the tanks are
considered to be "an
environmental issue about
to happen," Chief Brown
told the council, which
instructed him to look
into above-ground
replacements for the tanks
to be removed.
"Knuckleboom"
truck to be bought at a
higher price
The
council added $17,568 to a
budgeted $160,000 to
purchase another
"knuckleboom" truck for
collecting yard waste and
other debris by the Public
Works Department. Town
Manager Scott said the
additional funding is to
cover price increases for
such equipment brought on,
at least in part, by the
COVID pandemic.
Grant
writer employed for
Spring Branch projects
The council
employed
McCormick Taylor, a
Raleigh-based engineering
firm, at a cost not to
exceed $8,700 to prepare
grant applications for
stormwater-abatement
measures as well as
expansion plans for the
town's greenway system
along Spring Branch from the
Bob Wallace Jaycee Kiddie
Park to Smith-Collins Park
and Johnston Community
College. The grants will be
sought from the state's Land
and Water Fund.
Town Council
members attending Tuesday's
session: Mayor Pro Tem
John Dunn, David Barbour,
Marlon Lee, Steve Rabil,
and David Stevens; absent
were Mayor Andy Moore,
Travis Scott,
and Roger Wood.
WHAT'S COMING UP?
School
board's monthly meeting
next Tuesday
And
that means another vote on
whether to continue the
mask requirement for
students and staff in
Johnston County's public
schools. As usual, the
board will move
into closed session
shortly after Tuesday's
meeting is convened at 4
p.m. in the Evander S.
Simpson Building on US 70
Business east of
Smithfield. The public
session follows at 5
p.m. VIEW the
full agenda once it's
posted online>
"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
JOSEPHINE
CHARNLEY ABMA, 88 –
died January 3
FAYE ANN
HARDEE, 84 –
died January 3
NOBLE GENTRY
STRICKLAND, 22 –
died January 2
VERNA JEAN
STANLEY AUSTIN, 73 –
died January 1
TERESA ANN
HAYES, 59 –
died December 29
ANGELICA
CELESTINE HAGANS MOORE,
47 –
died December 29
A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR
How
will January 6th be
remembered from now on?
Is
January 6, 2021 destined
to go down in
American history as a
second "date which will
live in infamy" alongside
December 7, 1941?
The nation's response to
the attack on Pearl Harbor
turned out to be a
heartening success story
as Americans, with a show
of true patriotism,
rallied to the cause of
defeating an existential
threat to our well-being.
Will our response to last
year's assault on the U.S.
Capitol and our democratic
process produce a similar
result?
Americans were
understandably frightened
by the attack of December
7, 1941, just as many of
us remain frightened by
what happened in
Washington a year ago
today.
Our parents weren't sure
of the outcome then, and
we're not sure of the
outcome now. All
we've got is faith that
truth will prevail over
denial regarding what took
place on January 6, 2021.
After
all, January 6 ought to be
celebrated as "Old
Christmas," not remembered
as a day of infamous
betrayal of what we hold
dear.
Speaking
of Old Christmas, what a
beautiful decoration is
this "Christmas cactus"
blooming above the
editor's back desk as
the new year arrives.
the SMITHFIELD
WEEKLY SUN
|
