Legislature sidesteps request to
change years of voting
At
a hastily called meeting
held Monday morning, a 5-2
majority of the Johnston
County Board of Education
adopted a resolution
asking the N.C. General
Assembly to authorize
election of board members
by residency districts and
to move the voting to
odd-numbered years
coinciding with statewide
municipal elections.
It turned out to be an
ill-timed request. By
Wednesday, the Legislature
had adopted an omnibus
local bill that requires
district election of
Johnston's school board
members but leaves the
voting schedule unchanged.
Furthermore, it sets a
deadline of November 17 –
three weeks from now – for
the board to decide on
district boundaries; and
if that's not done in
time, the legislation
requires Johnston's Board
of Elections to put in
place for next year's
election of school board
members the recently
redrawn residency
districts for choosing
county commissioners.
That last provision runs
counter to what the
majority of school board
members had promised
during Monday's debate
about the resolution,
which was opposed by
Michelle Antoine and
Ronald Johnson. Board
Chair Lyn Andrews and Kay
Carroll said moving
election of members to
odd-numbered years,
starting in 2025, would
give the board ample time
to get the public's input
on where to draw the
district lines.
Actually, changing the
years of school-board
elections can still be
done, according to Benton
Sawrey, who's in his first
term representing Johnston
County in the N.C. Senate.
(But not for the voting in
2024.)
"Every member of the
school board (at Monday's
meeting) appeared to
indicate some support for
residency boundaries and
we are willing to take an
incremental step and
implement those for the
2024 election and examine
whether to move future
elections to odd-numbered
years during the
(Legislature's) short
session (in 2024),"
Senator Sawrey wrote in a
statement sent to the Weekly
Sun. "We have
concerns about extending
the terms of the current
members of the board for
an additional year (till
2025)," he added,
apparently speaking for
others including Larry
Strickland and Donna
White, Johnston's
representatives in the
N.C. House.
Up for election next year
are the school board seats
now held by Ms. Andrews,
Mr. Carroll, Mr. Johnson,
and Mike Wooten. Ms.
Andrews told the
Weekly Sun on
Wednesday that the board
and staff are now at work
toward adopting a district
plan by the November 17
deadline that's different
from the commissioners'
districts.
During Monday's debate,
Ms. Antoine repeatedly
voiced her objection to
the board's adoption of
the resolution asking for
election changes without
having seen the content of
Senate Bill 68, the basis
for the legislation
adopted this week by votes
of 46-0 in the Senate and
100-6 in the House. Ms.
Antoine and Mr. Johnson
also had qualms about the
short notice given for
Monday's special session,
when board members and the
public saw the proposed
resolution for the first
time.
In addition, Ms. Antoine
voiced reservations about
moving school board
elections to odd-numbered
years when fewer voters
are likely go to the
polls.
"Who pushed this idea? Who
initially brought this
up?" Ms. Antoine asked.
The only response came
from board member Kevin
Donovan, who said the idea
was presented to him by
Marshall Conrad, head of
the Johnston County
Republican Party, at the
recent Selma Railroad Days
festival. "I told him I
didn't have an opinion
(about the proposal) at
the time," Mr. Donovan
said.
"Who wrote this
resolution?" Ms. Antoine
asked. "Was it based off
the proposed bill?" Ms.
Andrews, the board's
chair, said "we had the
assistance of Ms. Cornetto
and one of our
representatives." Added
Katie Cornetto, the
board's attorney: "Ms.
Antoine, I have not seen
the proposed bill."
"I don't know how you
write a resolution for a
proposed bill that no one
has seen," Ms. Antoine
responded.
Since 1998, Johnston
County has been electing
members of its Board of
Education to staggered
four-year terms without
regard to political party
affiliation. That will not
change under the
legislation approved this
week by the General
Assembly. And, even with
residency districts,
voters countywide will
continue to choose who
fills all the seats on the
school board – the same
set-up used for electing
members to the Johnston
County Board of
Commissioners since 1994.
Senate Bill 68 was filed
in the General Assembly
back in early February and
included legislation
affecting a handful of
local governments. Others
were added later,
including the changes set
forth for the Johnston
County Board of Education.
Senator Sawrey was
appointed on Monday to a
Conference Committee that
worked out differences
between Senate and House
versions of the bill.
Ratification of what they
agreed upon was finalized
on Wednesday.
Full text of
S.B. 68, which includes
Johnston's school-board
election changes>
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Dr. Megan Kirk and Dr.
Brian O’Neal review test
results in the emergency
department of UNC Health
Johnston's Smithfield
hospital.
Hospitals
again get five stars
for heart-attack care
Story
& photo from UNC
Health Johnston
For
the fourth year in a row,
UNC Health Johnston has been
recognized by
Healthgrades as a five-star
recipient for treatment of
heart attack. The award
places the organization in
the upper echelon of
hospitals for specialty care
nationwide.
Both hospitals in Smithfield
and Clayton have been
accredited chest-pain
centers since 2013.
Healthgrades evaluates
hospitals solely on clinical
outcomes: risk-adjusted
mortality and complications.
By focusing on what matters
most – patient outcomes –
Healthgrades ratings provide
critical feedback for both
patients and hospitals.
The 2024 hospital assessment
evaluated patient mortality
and complication rates for
35 common conditions and
procedures at approximately
4,500 hospitals nationwide
to identify the top
performers. The 2024
Healthgrades analysis
revealed that the variation
in performance between
five-star and one-star
hospitals continues to
widen, making it
increasingly important to
seek care at top-rated
programs.
From 2020 through 2022, if
all hospitals as a group
performed similarly to
five-star hospitals, on
average, 215,667 lives could
potentially have been saved,
and 149,521 patients could
have avoided potential
complications.
Consumers can visit Healthgrades.com
to learn more about how
it measures hospital quality
and also access an overview
of how UNC Health Johnston
stands.
FOR THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE, IT'S A
FAMILY AFFAIR
Mike
Hedrick took his oath of
office last Thursday
evening as Smithfield's
new chief of police, even
though he began work here
in mid-August. Joining him
at the swearing-in by
Mayor Andy Moore were his
wife Shannon, son Nate and
his wife Sara, and their
daughter Harper. The
chief's wife is a retired
detective who served with
her husband in police work
for many years in Florida.
The chief's son is in his
first year as a policeman
in the Eastern Carolina
town of Robersonville,
where Chief Hedrick had
been recently serving as
chief. Last week's
occasion was held to give
townspeople a chance to
"meet and greet" their new
chief of police, who said
he has been warmly
welcomed here. (Photo
from Town of
Smithfield's Facebook
page)
FOR
SALE:
overlooking
pond
in South Smithfield
313
W. Wilson Street
4,612 sq. ft. brick veneer
home with 5 bedrooms, 5
full baths, 2-car garage,
0.64-acre landscaped lot.
$699,000
(MLS#
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SUSAN
LASSITER,
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• 919-669-9235
WHAT'S COMING UP
Ghost Walk at Riverside Cemetery
starts at 6 p.m. today
The
Johnston County Heritage
Center's annual Ghost Walk
in Smithfield's Riverside
Cemetery begins with the
first tour at 6 p.m. today
(Thursday) and continues
till all comers have made
the walk in small groups.
Admission is $5 for adults
and $3 for students,
payable at the start near
the corner of South Second
and Church streets.
Downtown Smithfield's "Candy Crawl"
Friday afternoon
Fourteen
businesses will welcome
trick-or-treaters during
the Downtown Smithfield
"Candy Crawl" from 4 to 6
p.m. Friday. Participating
shops are located along
Market and Third streets.
They're
listed on Downtown's
Facebook page>
"Boo Bash" Halloween party at Sarah
Yard Center Friday
This
Smithfield Parks &
Recreation event will
continue from 4:30 to 6:30
p.m. including free games,
free food, free crafts,
and a costume contest.
Additional sponsors are
the Law Office of Antoan
Whidbee and the Smithfield
Police Department. The
Sarah Yard Community
Center is located on East
Smithfield's Lee Street
beside Smith-Collins Park.
Trunk or Treat at Community Park this
Saturday morning
This
Smithfield Parks &
Recreation event will
continue from 10:30 a.m.
till 12:30 p.m. All trunks
will provide two unopened
bags and individually
wrapped candy to
youngsters. Prizes will be
awarded for the best
decorated trunk.
Additional sponsors are
the town's Police
Department, Greater Vision
Worship Center, and
Walmart. Community Park is
located off Durwood
Stephenson Parkway beside
the Recreation &
Aquatics Center. For more
information, call Parks
& Recreation at
919-934-2148.
Traditional trick-or-treating in
Smithfield 5-8 p.m.
Tuesday
The
Town of Smithfield permits
trick-or-treating by
youngsters from 5 to 8
p.m. on Halloween. That's
coming up next Tuesday –
in the middle of the last
week of Daylight Saving
Time, which ends Sunday,
November 5.
Front-yard decorations
for Halloween appear to
expanding here as the
years go by. Typical is
this ghostly scene
alongside South First
Street.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Gary Ridout and Michelle Fields-Laughinghouse
were among artists
showcasing their works
during this week's
"Meet-N-Greet & Book
Signing" event hosted by
the Johnston County Arts
Council.
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
On
preserving Johnston
County's artistic
history
This year
marks the 50th anniversary
of the founding of the
Johnston County Arts
Council. What a fitting
way to celebrate is that
beautifully crafted
"coffee table" book
entitled Johnston
County Creates that
highlights a dozen or so
institutions and more than
60 personalities who have
exemplified this county's
creative talents in many
fields over the past half
century.
A number of them were on
hand to meet admirers and
autograph books and such
during Tuesday's Arts
Council open house in the
Selma Civic Center.
The book is being sold for
$65 through the end of
December ($75 after that).
Previous publicity about
it didn't list the names
of the people featured in
the book, so I'm going to
do it here as they're
listed in the Table of
Contents to pique your
interest:
Frank Creech, John and
Frankie Hobart, Algia Mae
Hinton, Carson George,
Margaret McLemore Lee, Don
Walton Stephenson, James
Earl Reid, Doris Rollins
Cannon, Bill Joe Austin,
Ava Lavinia Gardner,
Margaret Maron, Aimee
Louvierre, Alison Hendrix,
Amber Johnson, Angie
McClure, Ann Austin,
Laverne Blackley Lane,
Barbara Crowley, Barbara
Tucker, Calvin Edgerton,
Christy DeSantis, Cindy
Brookshire, Corina Knott,
Darlene Williford, David
Lennon, Diana Fernandez,
Dorothy La Motta, Ella Ann
Holding, Evelyn Wool, Gary
Ridout, Heather Peterson,
Heidi-Lee Peach, Hope
Toler Dougherty, Ivey Ray
Casey, Jason Bullock, Jo
Lee, Joyce
Kilpatrick-Jordan, Judy
Boyette, Karen Lauritzen,
Kathleen Nobles, Kathryn
Edwards, KeAnne Hoeg, Kim
Underwood, Kyle Wilson,
Lea Slaton, Loretta Shaw
Langdon, Maggie Kuthy,
Marsha Rogers, Carlie B.
Tart, Michelle
Fields-Laughinghouse,
Mindi Jentes, Nancy
Pitkin, Pam Guthrie, Peggy
Wickham, Rhonda O'Neal,
Robert M. Price, Rose
Cushing, Rosalyn Annette
Hansen, Sharon and Don
Creech, Stella Jackson,
Dorothy "Dot" Hooks, Sue
Avera, Teresa Blackmon,
Val Taylor, Wanda
Robinson-Lee, William
Strickland, Yana
Slutskaya.
Now, if
you're so moved, here's
where you can order a
copy of the book>
Beautiful day for a walk in the park
– and through the
woods
Here's
a group taking part in
last Saturday afternoon's
"Walk and Talk about
Trails" event along
Smithfield's Buffalo Creek
Greenway. It was the
second annual educational
hike put together by
Friends of Johnston County
Parks. Smithfield's
greenway extends about
three miles from Community
Park on the north to the
Bob Wallace Jaycee Kiddie
Park to the south, passing
by the Town Commons boat
ramp on the Neuse and also
the amphitheater below
Front Street.
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