Vice
Chair Terry Tippett
argues with Ronald
Johnson (off camera) as
Chair Lyn Andrews seeks
to restore order during
Monday's special session
of the Johnston County
Board of Education.
(Screenshot from JCPS
live-streaming of the
meeting)
School
board turmoil reaches a
boiling point
Antoine
accused of violating
rules on a personnel
matter
The
Johnston County Board of
Education met in special
session Monday morning to
receive a report from its
attorneys regarding an
investigation into
allegations that board
member Michelle Antoine
violated policies related
to the handling of a
grievance filed by an
employee of Johnston
County Public Schools.
At one point, the tense
give-and-take among Ms.
Antoine, her ally Ronald
Johnson, and the board's
leaders got out of hand,
with Vice Chair Terry
Tippett arising from his
seat in anger during an
exchange with Mr. Johnson.
School board attorneys
Katie Cornetto and Rebecca
Williams of the Poyner
Sruill law firm based in
Raleigh presented the
results of their
investigation into Ms.
Antoine's behavior, much
of it redacted (blacked
out) to protect the
identity of the "Grievant"
and "Employee 1" who
provided evidence for the
report.
Of three allegations
investigated, one was
completely redacted in the
report's public version,
another resulted in a
conclusion of "no
violation," while the
third led attorneys to
cite violations of polices
entitled Code of Ethics
for School Board Members,
Role of Board Members in
Handling Complaints, and
Board of Education Policy
(on) Confidential
Information.
Regarding Allegation 3,
the attorneys said Ms.
Antoine violated board
policies "because she was
not completely honest with
investigators" and "failed
to refrain from taking
individual action with
regard to a complaint
about a school matter...
rather than simply
referring the complaint to
the proper administrative
employee."
The report adds that Ms.
Antoine e-mailed
"unsupported and
disparaging comments"
about the Grievant and
"failed to uphold the
integrity and the
independence of her office
and failed to avoid
impropriety in the
exercise of her duties as
a member of the Board when
she shared inflammatory,
confidential personnel
information about Grievant
with three (unnamed) JCPS
employees."
VIEW the
attorneys' redacted
report released to the
public>
The board voted 5-2, with
Ms. Antoine and Mr.
Johnson dissenting, to
receive the report as
information and also voted
along the same lines to
allow Ms. Antoine to
present her response as a
written affidavit at a
subsequent board meeting.
Throughout Monday's
contentious meeting, Ms.
Antoine protested the
proceedings, calling the
session a "kangaroo court"
(defined by
Merriam-Webster as "a
court characterized by
irresponsible,
unauthorized, or irregular
status or procedures").
Meanwhile, Ms. Antoine
last weekend filed a
Notice of Voluntary
Dismissal of her complaint
against the Board of
Education and Chair
Andrews in particular that
was initiated in Johnston
Superior Court on
September 12 and later
transferred to the U.S.
District Court for Eastern
North Carolina. The
contents of that complaint
have not been made public.
At last check, more than
7,000 viewers have watched
the YouTube recording of
Monday's 42-minute school
board meeting. Here's the
link to view it>
MIGHT
CALL THIS OUR
"HARVEST
EDITION"
The
Smithfield Herald
for many years produced an
annual Harvest Edition in
conjunction with the
opening of the Smithfield
Tobacco Market. Both the
Herald and those
auction sales are no
longer with us, but
agriculture remains an
important component of the
Johnston County economy.
Therefore, we present
below the state's latest
report on farm production
in Johnston County
(although the statistics
tend to lag a couple of
years behind the present
day) along with an
historical note about the
Smithfield Tobacco Market
and transcripts of Gary
Ridout's interviews with
three "tobacco wives": Jennifer
Foy, Mary
Daughtry, and Becky
Whitley. READ their
stories on the FEATURE
PAGE>
In years gone by,
tobacco harvested from
the fields was hoisted
by hand labor onto racks
hung high in curing
barns, but nowadays it's
done with front-end
loaders and
containerized "bulk
barns" as shown here in
a photo provided by
Becky Whitley.
Where
we rank in N.C.
agricultural
income
Johnston
County ranked fifth among
North Carolina's 100
counties in total cash
receipts from crops in
2021, according to the
latest Agricultural
Statistics report from the
N.C. Department of
Agriculture. Ranking ahead
of us are (1) Mecklenburg
(a surprise from a county
that includes Charlotte),
(2) Sampson (no surprise
for the state's largest
county by total acreage),
(3) Wilson County, and (4)
Duplin.
Among crops, Johnston
ranked third in sweet
potatoes (we were first
when the Ham & Yam
Festival was launched in
1985) and fourth in "all
other crops," which
curiously in the latest
report includes tobacco
lumped with hay,
greenhouse,
"floriculture," nursery,
cut Christmas trees,
mushrooms, "and other
miscellaneous crops." We
also ranked fourth for
vegetables, fruits, and
nuts.
Johnston's No. 5 ranking
for all crops is based on
$119,454,000 in total
receipts in 2021. We
ranked 28th in livestock,
dairy, and poultry with
receipts of $105,795,884
and 15th in government
payments to farmers at
$8,394,472. Total cash
receipts for all those
categories amounted to
$233,644,267, ranking us
15th statewide.
Johnston's total receipts
in 2021 was $30 million
above the 2020 total of
$203,561,000 – an increase
of 14.8%.
The top income figure
reported for particular
crops in Johnston was
$16.5 million for soybeans
followed by corn at $8.1
million. Hogs led the
livestock sector here with
receipts of $50 million
followed by turkeys at
$14.7 million.
The state's report no
longer shows income from
tobacco alone. The "all
other crops" category that
includes tobacco showed
total 2021 income of $43.8
million plus another $44.1
million from vegetables,
fruits, nuts, and berries.
Based on 2021 numbers,
North Carolina as a whole
continued to rank first in
the nation in production
of both tobacco and sweet
potatoes as well as first
in poultry and egg cash
receipts. We ranked second
behind Iowa in "annual pig
crop," second behind
Minnesota in turkeys, and
second behind Idaho in
"trout sold." N.C. ranked
third in production of
hogs and pigs as well as
cucumbers.
VIEW the
complete report entitled
2022 North Carolina
Agricultural
Statistics>
The
Smithfield Tobacco
Market: 1898-2004
Statistics
published in The
Smithfield Herald
in the late 1940s
documented the growth of
the Smithfield Tobacco
Market from the early days
of the Great Depression
through the end of World
War II. The numbers of
pounds sold on the local
market also illustrate
growth in productivity by
Johnston's tobacco farmers
over those years:
1922 – 1,995,297
lbs.
1930 – 8,683,892
lbs.
1935 –
10,725,124 lbs.
1943 – 16,285,116
lbs.
1944 – 33,023,182
lbs.
1946 – 35,131,016 lbs.
The poundage numbers
leveled off in the years
that followed. By 1989,
tobacco designated for
sale at the Smithfield
market was reported at
27,664,247 pounds.
Established
in 1898, auction sales on
the Smithfield Tobacco
Market continued for more
than a century – until
2004 when the Federal
Government's allotment and
price-support program,
established in 1938, came
to an end.
Perhaps more than a
coincidence, the Bank of
Smithfield – Johnston
County's first commercial
bank – was also
established in 1898. It
was the foundation of
First Citizens Bank &
Trust Co. that grew into
today's Raleigh-based
First Citizens Bank.
Here's a photo from
the early 20th Century
of the Banner Warehouse,
the first one erected
after establishment of
the Smithfield Tobacco
Market. It stood on the
north side of Johnston
Street between South
Third and Fourth
streets.
FARMERS DAY,
an annual event organized
by the Smithfield Chamber
of Commerce to celebrate
the tobacco market's
opening, was held each
year in August throughout
the 1940s and 1950s. This
view of the festival's
parade down Market Street
is from 1947. The
livelihoods of many of the
town's merchants depended
on retail sales to farmers
when they came to the
Smithfield market to cash
in their crops. (Both
photos from the archives
of the Johnston County
Heritage Center)
HOME
FOR SALE
in
South Smithfield
412
West Sanders Street
1,677 sq. ft. brick ranch on
1/3 acre. Hardwood floors,
new interior paint,
remodeled kitchen and baths,
new appliances,
new water heater, new
high-efficiency furnace:
$284,000
(MLS# 2534176)
SUSAN
LASSITER, Broker •
Fonville Morisey
Realty • 919-669-9235
Johnston's
August jobless rate up
slightly to 3.4%
The
N.C. Department of Commerce
reports that 108,331
Johnstonians held jobs in
August, down slightly from
July's all-time record high
of 108,537. The number of
unemployed Johnstonians in
August was 3,797, a slight
increase from July's 3,748.
That pushed the August
jobless rate here to 3.4%,
up from 3.3% a month
earlier. Statewide, the
unemployment rate was
unchanged in August at 3.6%,
while the nationwide rate
rose to 3.8%, up from July's
3.5%.
Weekend's storm didn't interrupt the
entertainment
Once
again Smithfield's Farmers
Market was canceled because
of last Saturday's stormy
weather, but two other
events took place Downtown
as scheduled – indoors, of
course.
ABOVE: A Neuse Little
Theatre performance of the
sold-out musical Willy
Wonka. (walk-up
tickets may be available at
this weekend's shows).
RIGHT: A youngster playing
catch with a robot at the
SSS-based Robotics Club
Renaissance Festival that
was moved inside the Public
Library.
(Both photos from
Downtown Smithfield's
Facebook page)
Ophelia
caused three power
outages, little flooding
Tropical
Storm Ophelia moved
through Eastern North
Carolina last Saturday,
bringing gusty winds and
rainfall most of the day.
The weather station at
Johnston Regional Airport
recorded wind gusts above
30 mph early Saturday
morning and just above two
inches of rainfall
throughout the storm's
duration.
Town Manager Mike Scott
summed Ophelia's impact in
Smithfield:
"We
had three (power) outages
Saturday, two in South
Smithfield and one on
North Highway 301. South
Smithfield was caused by
limbs coming down on power
lines on Forbes Drive and
we had a transformer fail,
resulting in the problem
on 301 North. In all we,
had 156 customers affected
for a maximum of four
hours. Most were back up
within two hours.
"No reports of any
significant flooding. We
had some water over the
greenway trail," he added.
From heavier rainfall
upstream, the Neuse River
rose to a depth of 13.76
feet at Smithfield at 6:30
p.m. Sunday – just below
its flood stage here of 15
feet.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Heritage
Center symposium:
"Reclaiming the Black
Past"
Billed
as "An Artifactual
Journey," the event will
take place at two
locations this Friday
evening and much of the
day Saturday. "A Campfire
Discussion" begins at 6
p.m. Friday at the Boyette
Slave House near Kenly.
Saturday's activities at
the Johnston County
Agricultural Center off NC
210 begin at 9 a.m. with
displays of
African-American artifacts
followed by historical
talks, singing, and
story-telling continuing
into the afternoon. The
event will conclude with a
gathering at the
Sanders-Smith Cemetery
next to the Ag Center to
honor the memory of
enslaved persons buried
there. More details
are posted on the
Heritage Center's
website>
Taekwondo
championship event at
SRAC this Saturday
The Kukkiwon Cup taekwondo championships are coming to the Smithfield Recreation and Aquatics Center and SSS High School Saturday, with opening ceremonies at Smithfield-Selma High at 10 a.m. (spectators are encouraged to arrive no later than 9:30 a.m). That event will include the SSS Marching Spartans and a demo performance from the Korean National Taekwondo team. After the ceremonies, the championships will feature breaking, weapons, forms, and sparring at the SRAC. Admission for the opening ceremonies and the championships is $10. Learn more at www.kukkiwoncup.com>
County
Commissioners' hearing
on redistricting Monday
The
public hearing on proposed
plans for redrawing the
boundaries of residential
electoral districts for
commissioner seats is
advertised for 10 a.m.
Monday at the outset of
the board's
first-of-the-month morning
session at the Courthouse.
The morning agenda also
includes a request for an
18-month extension of the
county's incentive
agreement with Amazon
since its West Smithfield
facility "is now
tentatively set to launch
in Spring 2024" (the
original date was Fall
2022).
The board will consider a
request for 13 new
positions at the
Department of Social
Services to handle the
state's expansion
of Medicaid
December 1.
VIEW the
complete agenda for the
10 a.m. session,
including redistricting
maps>
The commissioners' 6 p.m.
session includes just one
public hearing: a request
from Novo Nordisk
Pharmaceutical
Industries to
rezone 59 acres at 2641
Powhatan Road in Clayton
Township from Agricultural
Residential to Industrial
1.
The agenda also includes
the board's Residency
Redistricting Project. Any
changes in those
boundaries for electing
commissioners must be made
by the end of next week to
be in effect for the 2024
election of four board
members.
VIEW the
complete agenda for the
6 p.m. session>
Town
Council will discuss
chickens at Tuesday's
meeting
The
Smithfield Town Council
will hold a discussion
with Planning Director
Stephen Wensman "regarding
the maintenance and
possession of chickens
within town limits" during
its regular monthly
meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday
at Town Hall.
Three public hearings are
on the agenda: (1) a
request for business
zoning for 1.53 acres on
the south side of NC 210
west of Skyland Drive; (2)
an ordinance amendment for
automobile-sales display
areas; and (3) an
ordinance amendment
regarding permits for
amplified sound for events
in town parks.
Other items on Tuesday's
agenda include an
engineering contract for
extending the CSX culvert
project on the south side
of town under I-95 and a
request from Chief Pete
Hedrick for a new Police
Department position of
Community Service Aide to
assist sworn officers with
some of their duties.
VIEW the
complete agenda for
Tuesday's meeting>
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
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NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
What
letter grade for the
2023 General Assembly?
It's
ironic that our
contentiously divided
Board of Education was a
body united in unanimously
adopting – just last week
– a resolution urging the
N.C. General Assembly to
step up state funding for
teacher salaries, students
with special needs, and
other challenges facing
public education.
What's more, the
resolution was crafted by
the school board's
Legislative Committee
chaired by Michelle
Antoine, who earlier that
same day had filed a
judicial complaint against
the board regarding a
personnel matter (the
content of which was
sealed from public view).
Specifically,
the board's resolution
called on the Legislature
to fund pay raises for
teachers amounting to "a
minimum of 7.5% across the
board"
this year with another
raise to follow that would
produce an 11% increase
over two years.
And what did the General
Assembly provide in
adopting its new budget
late last week? A 7%
increase in teachers' pay
over the next two years,
that's what – hardly
enough to keep up with
inflation, much less
address our growing
teacher shortage.
The school board's
resolution also asked
legislators to raise the
state's funding cap on
support for
exceptional-needs students
that now stands at 13% of
a school system's
enrollment. That cap has
cost Johnston County
Public Schools millions of
dollars in recent years as
the local system sought to
take care of all those
students in need of extra
help – an expense shifted
to the county's taxpayers.
I've seen nothing in
reports on the new state
budget that addresses that
situation.
Meanwhile, the General
Assembly increased funding
for private-school
"Opportunity Scholarships"
that will now be available
to any household
regardless of income,
while making yet another
cut in the state's already
modest personal income tax
that appears to be on the
way to extinction in years
just ahead.
Just as our public schools
are assigned letter grades
by the state based on the
academic performance of
their students, perhaps we
should grade the
Legislature as a whole on
how well or poorly it
addresses the needs of
public education.
Admittedly, the outcome of
that exercise would likely
depend on one's political
inclinations. Folks do
like tax cuts, I'll
concede. But I believe
many among us also want
our public-school teachers
and their students to get
the support they need to
be successful in the
classroom.
When it comes to grading
its efforts on public
education, I"ll be lenient
and give the 2023 General
Assembly an "incomplete."
Certainly not Grade A.
EDITOR'S POSTSCRIPT:
In case you missed the
link above, check out
Gary Ridout's interviews
with "tobacco
wives"
Jennifer Foy, Mary
Daughtry,
and Becky Whitley –
on the
FEATURE PAGE of
this week's edition>
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