ARCHIVES of 2023 editions
December 28, 2023
This week's headlines:
• A REVIEW OF THE YEAR'S TOP STORIES
• Keith Dimsdale ends 25-year Chic-fil-A venture
• Linwood Parker shares his White Swan story
• Editorial comment on filling a journalistic void
December 21, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Filing ends with 14 candidates for school board,
8 for county commissioner, 14 for U.S. House
• Retail sales up just 1.9% during year's 3rd quarter
• Lots of plants set out along rebuilt Spring Branch
• JCC's radiography program is 50 years old
• Editorial comment on school-board tensions
December 14, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Sale of club house yields gifts for non-profits
• County pays 84 employees more than $100,000
• Three added to schools' list of "Living Legends"
• Schools going remote to offset teacher shortage
• Editorial comment on faded road-lane lines
December 7, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Early filers for elective office are few in Johnston
• Another tool for a Market Street slowdown
• East Market Street bridge over I-95 to be replaced
• Downtown board fires Executive Director Edwards
• Roger Wood is Smithfield's new mayor pro tem
• County's new Social Services director introduced
• Editorial comment on Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores
November 30, 2023
This week's headlines:
• 2024 candidates start filing next week
• Opioid campaign distributing Narcan antidote
• Another record: 109,277 Johnstonians employed
• DAR chapter recognizes outstanding volunteers
• Joe Nall's response to an act of kindness
• Ukrainian family's first Thanksgiving here
November 16, 2023
This week's headlines:
• New home for JCC engineering school
• Amazon says it'll be up and running in early 2024
• Town Council OKs incentive pay for police staffing
• School board adopts electoral-districts map
• Superintendent, key aides get new contracts
• Editorial comment on two key local institutions
November 9, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Incumbents win the day in Smithfield's election
• School board unveils 3 proposed electoral maps
• At last: an adopted budget for Johnston's schools
• Enrollment at all Johnston schools tops 40,000
• Neuse Charter School gets 10-year extension
• Editorial comment on municipal polling places
November 2, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield making a new-housing comeback
• Durwood Stephenson marks 50 years in business
• "Topping out" celebration for new SSS auxiliary gym
• Johnston's employment total sets another record
• Editorial comment on N.C.'s gerrymandered redistricting
October 26, 2023
This week's headlines:
• District elections for school board ordered
• Tribute to SSS volunteer coach Earl Marett
• Hospitals again get five stars for heart-attack care
• Editorial comment on preserving our artistic history
October 19, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Who are the candidates in Smithfield's election?
• Legislators grilled on school salaries and more
• County advised to impose household garbage fee
• Some county employees to get extra pay raises
• Marcia Armstrong wins Chamber's Athena Award
• JCC, schools, industries teaming up for BioWork
• SSS students get National Merit honor
• Editorial comment on greenways and freeways
October 12, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Electric rates rise for West Smithfield residents
Town of Smithfield's rates are now markedly lower
• It was a busy weekend for new stuff in Smithfield
• Audit sheds light on school's General Fund surplus
• South Smithfield Schools' goals for improvement
• Partnership for Children chooses its next leader
• Health Department resuming COVID vaccinations
• Editorial comment on teachers' complaints
October 5, 2023
This week's headines:
• Gas leak empties Choice Plus Academy
• Town again puts residential streets ahead of Outlets
• New police position OK'd as relief for sworn officers
• CSX culvert project's costs doubles; state will cover it
• County redraws districts for electing commissioners
Fred Smith announces he will not seek re-election
• Amazon's incentive agreement extended 18 months
• Social Services adding personnel for Medicaid expansion
• Quarterly retail sales here show a rare decline
• Tobacco Farm Life Museum to be state historic site
September 28, 2023
This week's headlines:
• School board turmoil reaches a boiling point
Antoine accused of violating rules on personnel matter
• Where we rank in N.C. agricultural income
• Three "tobacco wives" share their memories
• August jobless rate up slightly to 3.4%
• Ophelia caused three power outages, little flooding
• Editorial comment on Legislature's education budget
September 21, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Board of Education antagonism intensifies
Michelle Antoine joins Ronald Johnson in legal assaults
• County ratifies new wastewater contract with town
• County exercises option to buy 45.7 acres near new jail
• County commits future funding for JCATS expansion
• New residency districts for commissioners proposed
• Bentonville's link in the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
September 14, 2023
This week's headlines:
• 3 local schools graded C; the others get a D
School leaders highlight academic progress countywide
• County schools' 10th-day enrollment down from last year's
• School board presses Legislature on state budget:
Wants two-year 11% pay raise for teachers
• Additional $2,500 bonuses approved for cafeteria staff
• County OKs hotel sewage; town drops legal action
• Smithfield promotes Jeremey Daughtry to Fire Chief
• UNC hospitals pledge $176,000 for JCC nursing program
• Editorial comment on demographics behind school test results
September 7, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Town challenges county's new wastewater contract;
Proposed hotel's delay triggers pending legal action
• Downtown loses one restaurant, gains another
• Downtown "social district" heads toward approval
• Speed limit to be reduced on section of West Market
• Another record for Johnston: 108,537 employed
• Editorial comment on Market Street "traffic calming"
August 24, 2023
This edition's headlines:
• Schools open Monday with new principals,
more safety measures, free breakfast & lunch
• JCC enrolls 4,803 degree students – a new record
• First assignment for new Salvation Army officers
• County awarded highest national credit ratings
• Commissioners get a thank-you for school funding
August 10, 2023
This edition's headlines:
• Detention Center receives first prisoners
• Town's new police chief starts work next week
• County Commissioners OK 20-year land-use plan
• County collects 99.93% of 2022 property taxes
• Record 106,954 Johnstonians employed in June
• Editorial comment on town's transportation priorities
July 27, 2023
This edition's headlines:
• A tour of county's new Detention Center
• SSS has a new principal; Allen to Central Office
• Smithfield faces contests for mayor, Town Council
• Town to put up $1 million for new I-95 interchange
• Town's fire chief hired 21 months ago retires
• Project Access has extended health care to 6,700+
• JCC is bringing back its auditorium concert series
• Editorial "thank you" to SSS Principal David Allen
June 29, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Ukrainian family finds peace at home in Smithfield
• QuickRide has funding to continue for another year
• Tourism Authority, Junior Women's League give grants
• Leaders of the future explore what's what in Johnston
• May's report had 106,840 Johnstonians employed
• Retail sales up 3.8% in latest quarterly report
• Weekly Sun will be a Monthly Sun this summer
June 22, 2023
This week's headlines:
• County budget surprise:
Schools, JCC get what they sought;
property-tax rate cut by 4 cents
• Clayton High had largest graduating class
• New principal at South Smithfield Elementary
• All students at 43 schools to get free meals
• Doctors make donation for AEDs at middle schools
• Reflections on graduating classes of the late '60s
June 15, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield-Selma High School graduates 306
• JCC earns high N.C. ranking for student success
• County budget close to adoption; no word on school funding
• Water plant's expansion tops list of town's loans
• What's going on at Brogden Road and I-95?
• Hospital volunteers award health-care scholarships
• History-making graduation classes in the late '60s
June 8, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Farmers market permitted through mid-October
• Town of Smithfield's 2023-24 budget adopted
• Buffalo Creek Greenway open all the way again
• Fire departments ask county for $4.5 million
• Incentives OK'd for Clayton "biosciences park"
• Editorial comment on town's modest pay raises
June 1, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Proposed budget leaves school funding unsettled
• Chamber of Commerce presents annual awards
• Earl Worley replaces Harold Keen at KS Bank
• April's report had 106,408 Johnstonians employed
• SSS pair first to get JoCo TEACH scholarships
• New therapy treating enlarged-prostate symptoms
• Editorial comment on Market Street traffic
May 25, 2023
This week's headlines:
• COVID emergency's end means no more tracking
• Smithfield's estimated population up to 12,129
• Rally stands up for students' "Y'all for All" event
• Johnston lands second 4-H Extension agent
• Two JCI professionals get statewide recognition
Observations on Spring Branch project, beautification
May 18, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Proposed town budget would raise utility rates:
+2% for electricity, +4% for water, 11 cents for trash
• County adopts plan for Cleveland Township park
• We're 19th in nation for potential farmland loss
• Editorial comment on state employees' lagging pay
May 11, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Schools want $12.9 million more from county
• New amphitheater star of the Ham & Yam show
• Town shows off expanded water plant
• Downtown program to get more funding
• SSS will send 4 to Governor's School
• Editorial comment on Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4, 2023
This week's headlines:
• First test of farmers market "resounding success"
• New East Smithfield walking trail "chistened"
• Employment in Johnston continues to rise
• County Commissioners embrace inter-city rail plan
• Another JCC nursing instructor "Educator of the Year"
• Editorial comment on water and anticipated growth
April 27, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Spring Branch reconfiguration project begins
• Town Council gets schools' annual grant requests
• Two wrecks on same day interrupted power
• JCC instructor N.C. nursing "Educator of the Year"
• Just one COVID case in Johnston's schools
Editorial comment on ever-widening expressways
April 20, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Amphitheater to be ready by Ham & Yam
• Parks and recreation on the grow in Smithfield
• Land use: "Agricultural" or "Rural Living"?
Commissioners differ on terminology in plan
• Salvation Army majors retire after 32 years
• Johnston robotics team finishes 2nd in state
• Editorial comment on desegregation of teams
April 13, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Johnston's estimated population rises to 234,778
• Smithfield Police and Fire keeping up with growth?
• School board gets report on vaping by students
• JCCollege Foundation's changes in leadership
• 105,040 Johnstonians employed; jobless rate 3.2%
• Editorial comment on charter-school funding
April 6, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Grand Jury indicts Ronald Johnson on 5 counts
• Council OKs test for Downtown farmers market
• Town Council hears requests from non-profits
• N.C. association salutes environmental health director
• Community & Senior Services has a new director
Editorial comment on children's mental-health services
March 30, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Marking 50th anniversary of Vietnam War's end
• Smithfield eyes 2% electric-rate hike, same tax rate
• This year's "Main Street Champion" for Smithfield
• Foundation offering nursing scholarships at JCC
• Editorial comment on Vietnam veterans' sacrifice
March 23, 2023
This week's headlines:
• County Commissioners delve into priorities:
"Regionalization of water & sewer services;
Land Use Plan with focus on farm preservation;
More office spaces for expanding departments
• Local economy fared better than most in COVID
• Jobless rate climbed to 3.3% in January
• Retail sales up 6.6% in fourth quarter of '22
• Hospitals earn 3rd straight Patient Safety Award
• Editorial comment on local public-school funding
March 16, 2023
This week's headlines:
• School board OKs bonuses for all employees
• Smithfield-Selma tested for Uber-like "microtransit"
• School board lets contract for SSS auxiliary gym
• Late Winter surprise: sleet after a season of no snow
• Editorial comment on return of community's auditorium
March 9, 2023
This week's headlines:
• When will Amazon begin operations here?
• Town cuts duration of Downtown contract
• County to buy another 47 acres east of town
• "Teacher of Year" semi-finalists named
• First Citizens Bank celebrates its Smithfield roots
March 2, 2023
This week's headlines:
• New SSS football coach has championship DNA
• Are we in the path of a hazardous train wreck?
• Pharmaceuticals head list of largest employers
• Hospitals earn accreditation in vascular procedures
• Johnston County's most popular baby names
• Editorial comment on racial segregation & deprived friendships
February 23, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Whatever happened to winter?
• Property revaluation coming up in 2025
• New "jail" and Public Safety Center almost ready
• JCC Truck Driver Training adding enrollment
• COVID fatalities have topped 500 in Johnston
• Editorial advisory on four-way stops
February 16, 2023
This week's headlines:
• EMS will give local hospitals priority for strokes
• Johnston has 8 more nationally certified teachers
• Update on beleaguered school-bus operations
• Neuse Charter boys unbeaten as conference champs
• Editorial comment on Career and Technical Education
February 9, 2023
This week's headlines:
• School board votes 4-3 to hire new legal team
• Firm chosen to design new high school at Wilson's Mills
• Town amends rules to allow "accessory dwelling units"
• Nursing homes "coping very well" post-COVID
• Editorial comment on fixing public-school calendar
February 2, 2023
This week's headlines:
• SSS swim team repeats as conference champs
• What's going on with recycling around here?
• Leaders confront Johnston's workforce challenges
• Johnston's December jobless rate down to 2.8%
• Smithfield's Exit 95 gets 10th multi-story hotel
• New museum introduces Black History Month
January 26, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Amazon hiring put off till summer
• New "infill" houses popping up in town
• COVID cases on the rise again in Johnston
• Feature on Master Gardener Ozzie Coor
• Editorial comment on Facebook shortcoming
January 19, 2023
This week's headlines:
• A new president at Johnston Community College
• Blue Line Aviation touts progress beyond promises
• County aids winner of rural Broadband grant
• SSS hosts "first ever" countywide swim meet
• Editorial comment on "town hall" forums on schools
January 12, 2023
This week's headlines:
• School-bus driver situation has gotten "worse"
• Johnston Airport's economic impact celebrated
• Town has 19 applicants for police-chief vacancy
• Smithfield-Selma's football coach is leaving
• Pickleball craze reaches Smithfield
• Editorial comment on misplaced road priorities
January 5, 2023
This week's headlines:
• Abandoned hotel sold for redevelopment
• Two local trail projects to be studied
• Craig James gets another district judge post
• County grants infrastructure aid to towns
• 2022 produced below-average rainfall
• Editorial comment on wrestling with county's growth
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