CORONAVIRUS
measurements |
Total
cases
since
3-2020
(# on 5-25-22) |
Deaths
since
3-2020
(# on 5-25-22) |
Fully
vaccinated *
[got boosters] |
| JOHNSTON
COUNTY |
66,105
(61,324) |
464
(452) |
114,293: 55%**
[59,519: 28%] |
| NORTH
CAROLINA |
2,983,130
(2,744,935) |
25,483
(24,644) |
6,050,379: 62%**
[3,849,078] |
| UNITED
STATES |
90,842,142
(83,563,298) |
1,028,294
(1,003,104) |
220,950,194
67.67%** |
| WORLDWIDE |
573,165,079
(526,960,814) |
6,391,647
(6,281,482) |
11,945,331,878
total doses |
* 2 doses
Moderna or Pfizer
vaccines or 1 dose
Johnson &
Johnson vaccine
** Percentage of
total population
(all ages)
Data from N.C.
Department of
Health and Human
Services at
12:20 p.m. July 27
and Johns
Hopkins
University at
1:21 p.m. July 27
(no data
provided by County
of Johnston since
March 24) |
"Our
community transmission
level is HIGH
(based on case rate and
positivity rate) and our
community level is MEDIUM
(based on case rate and
hospital capacity)," Dr.
Pearson reported. As a
result, the health
director emphasized two
precautions for the public
to take at this point:
•
Vaccinations –
"We are here Monday-Friday
[at the Johnston County
Health Department] and
have all brands of vaccine
available. Most of our
medical providers and many
pharmacies also offer
vaccinations," Dr. Pearson
noted.
VIEW the
Health Department's
current vaccination
schedule>
•
Testing –
"Stay home if symptomatic
and get tested," she
urged. "Utilize at-home
test kits. We have them
available here at the
Health Department and you
can also access free tests
through your insurance.
You can utilize our county
testing site on Monday,
Wednesday, or Saturday
during testing hours. If
you test positive, follow
the CDC guidance for
isolation and quarantine."
Here's the link to that:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html#
"For
treatment, contact your
medical provider or
utilize the N.C.
Department of Health and
Human Services 'how to get
treatment' link to find a
treatment site. Wear a
mask if symptomatic or
exposed and in high-risk
settings and take
precautions to protect
yourself and others," Dr.
Pearson concluded.
Johnston
teams with Campbell to
lure more teachers
The
target group of the new
joint venture are teacher
assistants presently
working for Johnston
County Public Schools.
Under an agreement
approved Wednesday by
Johnston's Board of
Education, Campbell
University and Johnston's
school system will provide
up to 
$5,250 per
academic year for tuition
and fees to TAs who agree
to work in Johnston's
schools at least three
years once they earn the
college degree required
for licensing as
full-fledged public-school
teachers in North
Carolina.
Brian Vetrano, the school
system's chief of human
resources, told the board
Wednesday that Johnston
currently has 145 teacher
vacancies as the 2022-23
school year approaches
(the fall term begins
August 29).
He said the intent of the
new program is to enable
teacher assistants to
pursue the Campbell degree
while they continue to
work here. With two-year
college degrees already in
hand, the TAs would likely
complete their work for
four-year degrees in
one-and-a-half to two
years, Mr. Vetrano said.
State
funds "Smart Bus" pilot
for Johnston's schools
The
county's Board of
Education on Wednesday
awarded a contract to
Edulog (Education
Logistics, Inc.) to
provide school-bus routing
software paid for by state
funding totaling
$1,425,000 over the next
three school years.
The service includes GPS
tracking of school buses
and real-time ridership
information for parents
and students. Assistant
Superintendent David
Pearce told the board
Johnston was one of 24
N.C. school systems chosen
for this pilot program.
Edulog claims on its
website to be "the
original school-bus
routing software company,"
in business across North
America since 1977.
More
than 200 children get
"Paws for Reading"
Z’aya Bryant (in front in photo) and
Aubrey Clemente were
among 264 children this
summer who got a
"Reading Pet" to keep
for signing a
certificate promising to
read to their adopted
stuffed dogs 20 minutes
daily.
It was a project set up
by Read to Grow Johnston
County as part of
National Summer Learning
Week. The local group
hosted 10 "Paws for
Children" events across
the county where
"celebrity" readers
chose books to share
with the children who
participated.
A total of 363 free
books were given to the
youngsters to read to
their "pets."
Families attending the
events received
information about the
importance of summer
learning, including tips
on how to support their
children's promise to
read to their stuffed
dogs daily.
Read
to Grow Johnston County is
a collaborative group that
joined the National
Campaign for Grade Level
Reading in June 2021. It's
made up of business and
faith-community leaders as
well as representatives of
local organizations
including the Partnership
for Children, My Kid's
Club, and Johnston County
Public Schools.
To get involved, contact
Heather Machia at
919-975-2511.
(Photo and facts for
this story from
Partnership for Children
of Johnston County)
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
County
Commissioners twice
Monday with short
agendas
Having
met twice on Monday of
last week, Johnston's
Board of County
Commissioners faces
shorter-than-usual agendas
for both of its regularly
scheduled
first-Monday-of-the-month
sessions next week (August
1).
VIEW the
agenda for the 10 a.m.
session>
VIEW the
agenda for the 6 p.m.
session>
Town
Council hearings Tuesday
on W. Smithfield
projects
The
August session of the
Smithfield Town Council
will open at 7 p.m. at
Town Hall with public
hearings on two requests
related to projects in
West Smithfield:
• Floyd Landing Holdings
is requesting annexation
to town of 96.82 acres the
firm plans to develop as a
large residential
subdivision across from
the Amazon distribution
center under construction
on US 70 Business West.
• Blueline Aviation is
requesting rezoning of
14.43 acres across Swift
Creek Road from Johnston
Regional Airport to allow
a mix of uses including
"residential dormitory,
classroom/office, hotel,
and flex/industrial
office" the company wants
annexed to the town.
Blueline operates a
pilot-training center at
the airport.
The council will be asked
to adopt a new schedule of
fees for the Fire
Department – covering
inspections, permits, and
citations for false alarms
and posted occupancy rules
– and for the Police
Department: authorizing
increased fines for
parking violations, most
of them rising from $10 to
$25.
VIEW the
complete agenda for
Tuesday's meeting on the
town's website>
National
Night Out at JCCollege
Tuesday evening
The
Town of Smithfield will
partner with communities
across the nation and beyond
for another National Night
Out celebration Tuesday
(August 2) from 5 to 8 p.m.
at Johnston Community
College. It's an annual
community-building campaign
that promotes strong
police-community
partnerships and
neighborhood camaraderie.
Local sponsors include
police departments of Selma,
Four Oaks, and Wilson’s
Mills in addition to
Smithfield's, the Johnston
County Sheriff’s Office, the
N.C. Highway Patrol,
Walmart, Stevens Sausage,
Ram Rentals, and Country
Superstars 102.3. Activities
will include bounce houses,
K9 demonstrations,
giveaways, police-vehicle
displays, booths
highlighting crime
prevention and safety, plus
free food. To learn more
about National Night Out, visit
natw.org>
River
Rat Regatta returning
for a third time on
August 13
This year's
race among homemade
cardboard boats is
scheduled to begin at 5
p.m. Saturday, August 13
at the Town Commons boat
ramp on the Neuse River at
the north end of Front
Street. The finish line is
beneath the Market Street
bridge a few hundred yards
downstream. For contest
rules, an entry form, and
a schedule of activities
associated with the event,
here's a printable
PDF provided by the
town's Parks and
Recreation Department,
the event's
organizer>
"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
AGNES
HARRIET DeCECCHIS, 73
– died July 25
JANICE JOAN
THOMPSON, 87 – died
July 25
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
For
every smooth one, there
are many rough spots
It's
good see the Town of
Smithfield repairing and
repaving our beaten-up
streets. Trouble is, there
are far more of them in
need of fixing than state
Powell Bill money will
cover in one year's time,
and the list is growing
longer each and every year
as the streets are wearing
out faster than the
funding that's trickling
down from Raleigh.
Besides
resurfacing of several
streets that got under way
this week here and there,
a contractor is rebuilding
drainage gutters at a
couple of intersections
along Stevens Street (shown
above), but not far
away are others in need of
repair like this example (right)
at the intersection of
Holding Street and
Chestnut Drive.
The N.C. General Assembly
recently revised the
state's budget to divert a
portion of sales-tax
proceeds to supplement
funds for road maintenance
beyond revenues from the
state's tax on gasoline
sales. But that's still
not likely to produce the
money that's needed
statewide for new
construction as well as
maintenance, so there's a
study under way on taxing
motorists based on annual
mileage driven.
Something's got to give or
else our rides will get
even bumpier.
One
of Downtown Smithfield's
best-known eateries
got a nice spread in the
current edition of Our
State magazine:
"Livin' on a Prayer at
Gotham's Deli" is the main
headline, with this
subhead: "In Smithfield, a
family has blessed North
Carolina's Coastal Plain
with a welcoming New
York-syle deli."
Of course, the star of the
piece is Gotham's Scott
Gandolph and his "all in"
family with genuine NYC
roots. Supporting roles
come from Smithfield
fixtures Ruffin and Connie
Johnson, seated at their
regular table in "Ava's
Corner" where portraits of
the legendary actress
grace the walls, including
one of 14-year-old Ruffin
greeting the movie star
during a rare public
appearance in Smithfield
around 1950.
Here's a
link to the full article
with accompanying
photos>
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