| PUBLISHED
ONLINE OCTOBER 27,
2022
• VOL.
4, NO. 42 |
Stories
and photos by WINGATE
LASSITER unless
credited otherwise
(Click
on highlighted link to
e-mail the editor)
SHADES
OF AUTUMN
Susan
Lassiter got this afternoon
shot of resplendent trees on
Rosewood Drive earlier this
week when skies were as blue
as they can be this time of
year. And this is just the
start of Smithfield's fall
color explosion!
Superintendent
gets 2 bonuses, contract
extension
 The
Johnston County Board of
Education has awarded
Superintendent of
Schools Eric Bracy
performance bonuses of
$5,000 and $17,000
covering the past two
school years along with
pay raises of either
$4,752 or $5,248 for
seven high-ranking
administrators.
In addition, the board
extended contracts with
Dr. Bracy and the seven
"Cabinet" members
through June 2026, and
it increased monthly
travel allowances to
$900 for the
superintendent and $750
for the others. Those
actions were taken
during a couple of
recent special sessions
held by the school
board.
Dr. Bracy now receives a
salary of $226,904.52.
The pay raises approved
by the board for the
seven Cabinet officers
result in new salaries
as follows:
• Chief Academic Officer
Nicholas King –
$137,448.
• Assistant
Superintendent David
Pearce – $137,448.
• Chief of Financial
Services Stephen Britt –
$137,445.60.
• Middle Schools
Assistant Superintendent
Kendrick Byrd –
$128,916.
• Elementary Schools
Assistant Superintendent
Patty Whittington –
$128,916.
• Chief of Human
Resources Brian Vetrano
– $124,908.
• Chief of Facilities
and Construction Brooks
Moore – $117,252.
32 additional
employees of
Johnston's schools get
six-figure salaries:
• Chad Jewett, Principal, Thanksgiving
Elementary School –
$119,190.
• Linda Edmundson,
Central Services
Administrator –
$117,908.04.
• David Hawks,
Principal, North
Johnston High School –
$114,853.08.
• Sharon Bryant, Central
Services Administrator –
$110,067.96.
• Dondi Hobbs,
Principal, Wilson's
Mills Elementary School
– $109,746.
• Tol Avery, Choice Plus
Administrator –
$109,572.
• Charles Ferrell,
Central Services
Administrator –
$109,572.
• Allen Sasser,
Principal, Pine Level
Elementary School –
$109,358.04.
• Stephen Baker,
Principal, Selma Middle
School – $108,645.96.
• James Parrish,
Principal, Four Oaks
Elementary School –
$107,537.04.
• Anna Kuykendal,
Central Services
Administrator –
$107,484.
• Jenna Sauls Hairr,
Principal, Cleveland
High School –
$107,162.04.
• Sarah Reynolds,
Principal, Corinth
Holders High School –
$106,662.12.
• Tracey Peedin Jones,
Central Services
Administrator –
$106,320.
• Lisa Allen, Central
Services Administrator –
$105,668.04.
• Kelley Johnson,
Principal, Virtual
Academy – $104,692.92.
• Dorlisa
Johnson-Cowart, Central
Services Administrator –
$104,436.
• Jennifer Swartz,
Principal, West Johnston
High School – $104,184.
• Robert Daniels,
Principal, Early College
– $103,890.12.
• Clinton Eaves,
Principal, Meadow School
– $103,506.96.
• Michelle Turnage,
Central Services
Administrator –
$102,816.
• Chad McLamb,
Principal,
Corinth-Holders
Elementary School –
$102,006.96.
• Kebbler Williams,
Central Services
Administrator –
$101,904.
• William Weaver,
Principal, South
Johnston High School –
$101,531.04.
• Tamara Thomas, Central
Services Administrator –
$101,268.
• Marlon Watson, Central
Services Administrator –
$101,268.
• Susan Jones,
Principal, South
Smithfield Elementary
School – $101,121.
• Carla Withrow, Central
Services Administrator –
$100,880.04.
• Chenetra Mangum,
Principal, West View
Elementary School –
$100,641.
• Kristy Stephenson,
Central Services
Administrator –
$100,636.08.
• Daisey Edmundson,
Central Services
Administrator –
$100,032.
• Tamara Poland,
Principal, Polenta
Elementary School –
$100,031.04.
Low-performing schools present goals
to board
Three of the five Johnston County schools
defined by the state as
"low performing" – based
on student testing this
past year – are in this
area: Smithfield-Selma
High, South Smithfield
Elementary, and West
Smithfield Elementary
(the other two are West
Clayton Elementary and
Johnston schools'
Virtual Academy). Their
principals presented
goals for academic
improvement in the year
ahead and each school's
plans for reaching those
goals during a special
session of the Johnston
County Board of
Education on Tuesday.
Here's a statistical
summary of the three
Smithfield schools'
presentations:
SMITHFIELD-SELMA
HIGH – David
Allen, Principal
Demographics:
1,525 students with 49%
Hispanic, 26% Black, 20%
White;
16.2% served as
Exceptional Children;
40% eligible for free or
reduced-price meals.
Academic improvement
goals: By the
school year's end,
overall proficiency in
biology, English, and
math combined will
increase from 30.5% to
at least 35.5%.
Proficiency among
Students With
Disabilities will
increase from 34.5% to
40%, among English
Language Learners from
32.9% to 38%.
SOUTH SMITHFIELD
ELEMENTARY –
Susan Jones, Principal
Demographics: 445
students with 45%
Hispanic, 28% Black, 25%
White;
21% served as
Exceptional Children;
all students receive
free breakfast and
lunch.
Academic improvement
goals: By the
school year's end,
overall proficiency will
increase from 37.2% to
45%. Proficiency among
Students With
Disabilities will
increase from 8.8% to
25%, among Black
students from 24.2% to
47%.
WEST SMITHFIELD
ELEMENTARY –
Darrick McNeill,
Principal
Demographics: 416
students with 55.2%
Hispanic, 23.1% Black,
15.3% White;
17.7% served as
Exceptional Children;
all students receive
free breakfast and
lunch.
Academic improvement
goals: By the
school year's end,
overall proficiency will
increase from 33.3% to
41.8%. Proficiency among
Black students will
increase from 2.3% to
31.3%, among Students
With Disabilities from
6.5% to 22.5%.
As required by state
law, the Board of
Education adopted the
improvement plans
presented by the
principals. Included in
those plans are
beefed-up coaching of
teachers by curriculum
specialists, increased
collaboration among
school staffs regarding
individual student
challenges, more
opportunities for
parental and community
interaction, employment
of retired teachers as
tutors using federal
funds designated for
recovery from academic
losses caused by the
coronavirus pandemic,
and numerous other steps
that vary from school to
school.
VIEW the
YouTube archive of
Tuesday's meeting to
get full details of
the plans>
CORONAVIRUS REPORT
Cases in Johnston's schools appear to
be under control
The Johnston County Public Schools COVID-19
dashboard showed 21
active cases throughout
the system as of
Wednesday afternoon – 13
among students, 8 among
staff. Of those 21 total
cases, 17 were reported
at eight elementary
schools, including 2 at
South Smithfield and 8
at West View in
Cleveland Township. No
cases were reported at
any of the other
Smithfield-area schools.
VIEW the
JCPS coronavirus
dashboard, which is
updated frequently>
Booster shots recommended for
Johnstonians age 5-6
and older
Bivalent booster doses for Pfizer (5 years
and older) and Moderna
(6 years and older) are
now available from the
Johnston County Health
Department Monday
through Friday 9 a.m. to
4 p.m., on Tuesdays from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If at
least two months have
passed since one's last
dose of the COVID-19
vaccine, the Centers for
Disease Control
recommends that persons
age 5 and up get one
updated bivalent booster
to protect against the
most recent COVID
circulating and to
assist in restoring
protection that has
dwindled since prior
vaccinations. For more
information, visit JohnstonNC.com/COVID19/#vaccine
or call 919-989-5200.
CORONAVIRUS
measurements |
Total
cases
since 3-2020
(# on 9-21-22) |
Deaths
since 3-2020
(# on 9-21-22) |
Fully
vaccinated
[got new boosters] |
| JOHNSTON
COUNTY |
71,086
(69,989) |
480
(475) |
115,322: 55%
[9,814: 5%] |
| NORTH
CAROLINA |
3,237,440
(3,182,775) |
26,953
(26,458) |
6,106,332: 63%
[721,184: 11%] |
| UNITED
STATES |
97,318,833
(95,876,620) |
1,069,182
(1,055,216) |
226.6
million
70% |
| WORLDWIDE |
628,916,960
(613,600,659) |
6,583,381
(6,531,965) |
12,829,767,517
total doses |
Sources
for data shown above:
county and state numbers
from N.C.
Department of Health
and Human Services;
national and worldwide
statistics from Johns
Hopkins University.
 HOME
FOR SALE IN SOUTH
SMITHFIELD: 2,427
sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2.5
baths, 2-car garage. 811
Baker Street (MLS#
2478008). Asking price:
$410,000.
SUSAN
LASSITER, Broker
• FONVILLE
MORISEY
REALTY • 919-669-9235
Hospitals earn five stars for heart
care – again
UNC
Health Johnston this week
announced it is five-star
rated for treatment of
heart attack, according to
new research released by
Healthgrades, a national
marketplace connecting
doctors and patients.
Johnston has received a
Five-Star Distinction for
Treatment of Heart Attack
for three years in a row,
from 2021 to 2023.
Healthgrades evaluated
patient mortality and
complication rates for 31
common conditions and
procedures at nearly 4,500
hospitals nationwide to
identify the
top-performing hospitals
for treatment of heart
attack.
This year’s analysis
revealed significant
variation in patient
outcomes between five-star
hospitals and one-star
hospitals. From 2019
through 2021, if all
hospitals as a group
performed similarly to
five-star hospitals, on
average, 201,586 lives
could potentially have
been saved, and 160,498
patients could have
avoided potential
complications.
Additionally, from 2019
through 2021, patients
treated for heart attack
in five-star hospitals
(30-day mortality) have,
on average, a 45.5% lower
risk of dying than if they
were treated in one-star
hospitals. (Story
provided by UNC Health
Johnston)
The
Salvation Army Advisory
Board's new leaders
Beginning
two-year terms as leaders
of the board are (left
to right) Secretary
Nathan
Arn, President Barbara Lee,
Vice President Lynn
Ragsdale, and Treasurer
Warren Grimes. The
Smithfield Corps is
headquartered at 306 North
Bright Leaf Boulevard.
(Photo from The
Salvation Army)
Our
signs have changed
with the change in our
seasons.
Call
Pernell.com
to make sure
you're ready
for colder days coming
our way!
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
SSS defeated by Aycock in a 7-0
defensive battle
Neither team scored a
touchdown on offense, with the
game's only TD coming on a
"pick six" return of an
intercepted pass in the second
quarter of play. The Spartans
had a golden opportunity to
tie the game (or win it) as
time was running out when C.B.
Aycock fumbled and SSS
recovered the pigskin just a
yard shy of the end zone.
But a fourth-down pass was
batted down in the closing
seconds, giving Wayne County's
Aycock High the victory in the
battle of previously unbeaten
teams. Smithfield-Selma is now
8-1 overall, 5-1 in Quad
County 3-A Conference action
with one regular-season game
remaining – at home this
Friday against East Wake High.
Offensive statistics for the
game, played at Pikeville,
tell the story. Neither team
rushed for as much as 100
yards – Smithfield-Selma with
98 yards on 35 carries, Aycock
with 91 on 30 carries. And
neither team mustered an
effective passing attack, with
the Spartans gaining just 40
yards on five completed passes
and the Golden Falcons 54
yards on four completions.
Defenses forced five punts by
SSS, six by Aycock.
To close out the conference
season this Friday, Aycock
travels to Southern Wayne,
winless in league play. East
Wake, the Spartans' opponent,
has a conference record of two
wins and four losses.
| Last
week's football
scores for other
Johnston County
schools |
Cleveland (9-0)
45
Garner
0 |
Clayton (6-3)
63
Willow Spring
0 |
Corinth Holders (2-7) 20
Southeast Raleigh
28 |
South Johnston (4-5) 13
East Wake
28 |
West Johnston (4-5) 8
Wilson Hunt
15 |
Princeton (8-1)
47
Beddingfield
14 |
|
North Johnston (3-6) 8
Eastern
Wayne
34
|
For more
information about
football and other
sports
at each of our
high schools,
search MaxPreps.com>
|
Spartan
soccer ends season with
double-overtime tie
Smithfield-Selma's
boys soccer team finished
the season with an overall
record of 6-11-5
(wins-losses-ties) and a
Quad County 3-A Conference
record of 6-5-3 after a
3-2 loss to C.B. Aycock on
Monday and a
double-overtime 1-1 tie at
East Wake on Wednesday.
Neuse
Charter volleyball
girls advance in state
playoffs
After
winning the conference
tournament last week for
their 20th win of the
season, the Cougars'
volleyball girls defeated
KIPP Pride of Gaston
County in a state 1-A
playoff opener on Saturday
and Rosewood High on
Tuesday. Next up is a
match versus Cape Hatteras
at 7 p.m. today (Thursday)
at home.
The Neuse Charter boys
soccer team ended the
regular season with a 4-3
loss at home versus Union
High on Monday. The
Cougars finish with a
record of 8-9 overall, 4-7
in conference play.
An assortment of illuminated spooks will
greet trick-or-treaters
to this North Third
Street residence. Are
such displays to be the
norm for Halloween from
now on?
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Halloween
in Smithfield:
trick-or-treats 5-8 p.m.
Monday
That's
the official word from the
Town of Smithfield for
Halloween Night (Oct. 31).
Other events of the season
hosted by the town
include:
• Downtown
Smithfield "Candy
Crawl" for
costumed participants 4-6
p.m. Friday.
• "Boo Bash"
at the Sarah Yard
Community Center 4:30-6:30
p.m. this Friday.
• "Trunk or
Treat" at
Smithfield Community Park
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Saturday.
Third
StrEATery season finale
this Friday Downtown
Featured
entertainment for the
Downtown Development
Corporation's outdoor
dining event on South
Third Street is Blazin'
Keys, Dueling Pianos.
Patrons of nearby
restaurants are invited to
bring their meals outside
where tables will be set
up on the street that's
closed to motorists. The
event continues from 6 to
9 p.m.
Section
of Buffalo Road closing
Monday for pipe work
A contractor will close
Buffalo Road north of
Selma starting at 8
a.m. Monday to replace
a drainage pipe, the
N.C. Department of
Transportation has
announced. The closure
will be between Live
Oak Church Road and
Old Buffalo Road. The
road is expected to
reopen by Monday,
November 7.
Town
Council's regular
monthly meeting this
Tuesday
The
Smithfield Town Council
will consider awarding
contracts for expansion of
the splash pad at Eva
Ennis Park and
construction of nearby
trails linked to
Smith-Collins Park when it
holds its regular monthly
session that begins at 7
p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall.
The 2021 N.C. General
Assembly appropriated
state funds totaling
$535,000 for the two
projects. Also on
Tuesday's agenda is a
public hearing on an
amendment to the town's
development ordinances
that would allow buildings
as tall as 100 feet when
located in a B-3 zoning
district within 660 feet
of I-95. Under existing
rules, buildings of that
height require approval of
a special-use permit by
the Town Council. VIEW the
complete agenda for
Tuesday's council
session>
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
KEVIN WAYNE
DRAPER, 50 – died
October 25
PANSY DELORA
EDWARDS DOBSON, 91 –
died October 24
RICHARD VAN
HERSH JR., 77 – died
October 23
BEULAH
PEEDIN LEE, 81 –
died October 21
SHERWOOD
CARL SOUTHERLAND, 88
– died October 21
JAMES
BURTCHEL (RED) HARPER,
83 – died October 19
FREDDIE GENE
HOWELL, 74 – died
October 19
Absentee
ballot requests due
Tuesday, with an
exception
Requests
for absentee ballots for
the November 8 General
Election must be received
by the Johnston County
Board of Elections no
later than 5 p.m. next
Tuesday (November 1). No
special circumstance or
reason is needed to
receive and vote by
absentee ballot.
The completed and signed
request forms may be
returned to the elections
office either by mail or
dropped off in person.
Ballots will be mailed
within one to two days
after receipt of the
written request. (The
office is located at 205
South Second Street.)
A voter who develops a
sickness or a physical
disability may apply or
have a near relative or
verifiable legal guardian
request a ballot after
next week's deadline so
long as that's done by 5
p.m. on Monday, November 7
– one day prior to the
election. For more
information, call
919-989-5095 or e-mail elections@johnstonnc.com.
EARLY VOTING
CONTINUES THROUGH
NOVEMBER 5
The First Baptist Church
Ministry Center beside
East Johnston Street in
Smithfield is one of seven
locations throughout
Johnston County that are
open for early voting
Monday-Saturday through
November 5. Voting hours
are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
weekdays and 8 a.m. till 3
p.m. Saturdays.
VIEW
INFORMATION ABOUT
CANDIDATES FOR RACES OF
LOCAL INTEREST AND
ACCESS THE SAMPLE BALLOT
FOR SMITHFIELD'S VOTERS
HERE>
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Political
ads on TV are insulting
our intelligence
For
the most part, they're
full of half-truths at
best, outright
fabrications of fact at
worst. Yes, freedom of
speech guaranteed by the
United States
Constitution's First
Amendment is sacred; but
what good is that if such
"freedom" deliberately
ignores one's
responsibility to uphold
accuracy and fairness?
If I had my druthers,
there would be a rule that
candidates can only
advertise themselves – who
they are and what they
stand for – and must
refrain from smearing
their opponents with
vitriolic, and oftentimes
comical, assaults on
truth.
Saw this Facebook post the
other day that sums up my
feelings about the
situation:
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