Until
North Carolina moved its
Primary Election from May
to March in 2016, the
filing period for
candidates came after the
first of the year – in
February. With the switch
to March to become one of
the early states to hold a
Presidential Preference
Primary, North Carolina
candidates at all levels
are now required to file
for office in December –
11 months before the
General Election in
November.
That filing begins at noon
next Monday and continues
just two weeks, until noon
Friday, Dec. 15 for
statewide offices of
Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Secretary of
State, State Auditor, State
Treasurer, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Attorney
General, Agriculture
Commissioner, Labor
Commissioner, Insurance
Commissioner, N.C. Supreme
Court Justice, and N.C.
Court of Appeals Judge.
Meanwhile, the N.C. Board of
Elections has authority to
determine who's to be on our
ballots in the Presidential
Preference Primary, based on
candidates who are "generally
advocated and recognized
in the news media
throughout the United
States or in North
Carolina." Other names may
be added by petitions
signed by at least 10,000
registered voters of a
candidate's political
party.
But what about county and
legislative races of local
interest? For the first
time in history, all those
offices up for grabs in
2024 must be filled based
on districts.
What's new is election of
members of the Johnston
County Board of Education
by residency districts
similar to the method of
electing members to the
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners in place
since 1994. In both cases,
candidates must win
election with countywide
voting. District maps for
the two boards are not the
same.
For the Board of
Education, four
of seven seats are up for
election in 2024 under a
staggered-term plan and
one of those four
districts – in westernmost
Johnston – presently lacks
a representative on the
school board. Incumbents
Lyn Andrews and Ronald
Johnston reside in two of
the other districts. Both
Kay Carroll and Mike
Wooten reside within the
other, but Mr. Carroll has
said he will not seek
re-election. Candidates
for the school board will
continue to run without
political-party
affiliation.
VIEW the map
of newly drawn districts
for electing
school-board members>
For the Board of
Commissioners,
four of seven seats are up
for election this time,
and two of the incumbents
– Tony Braswell and Fred
Smith – have said they
will not seek re-election.
The other two seats up for
grabs in 2024 are now held
by Ted Godwin and April
Stephens. All of the
incumbents are registered
Republicans.
VIEW the map
of recently redrawn
districts for electing
county commissioners>
For Johnston
County's seats in the
N.C. General Assembly,
recently approved
redistricting by the
Legislature keeps Johnston
County as a self-contained
N.C. Senate district,
presently represented by
Benton Sawrey, while
Johnston remains split
among three N.C. House
districts as before:
• No. 28, the largest in
land area, which includes
Smithfield, is presently
represented by Larry
Strickland.
• No. 26, the most thickly
populated, in northwestern
Johnston, is presently
represented by Donna
White.
• No. 53, which includes a
portion of westernmost
Johnston paired with about
half of Harnett County, is
presently represented by
Howard Penny.
All three are Republicans.
What's
significantly changed is
the 13th Congressional
District for
electing a member to the
U.S. House of
Representatives. All of
Johnston is now combined
most of six other mostly
rural counties and only
small sections of Wake – a
move by the
Republican-controlled
Legislature to weaken the
chances of re-electing
Democrat Wiley Nickel, who
won in the 13th District
put in place two years ago
that linked all of
Johnston with parts of
Harnett and Wayne counties
and half of Wake County. VIEW the new
map for the state's 14
Congressional
districts>
Once the filing period
opens next Monday, the
Johnston County Board of
Elections will post the
candidates' names at the
end of each day on its
website>
Opioid
campaign is distributing
Narcan antidote
Dr.
Marilyn Pearson, the
county's public-health
director, reported to the
Johnston County
Commissioners last week
that 3,709 doses of Narcan
were distributed here this
past year. Narcan, or
naloxone,
reverses a drug overdose by
blocking the effects of
opiates on the brain and
restoring one's breathing.
Much more of that is planned
for the year ahead, along
with employment of four
additional emergency
responders by the county to
work as a "post-overdose
response team," Dr. Pearson
said.
She noted that Johnston
County's share of a national
Opioid Settlement involving
major drug manufacturers has
grown to $14,619,174 to be
distributed over 18 years.
Commissioners approved a
plan for spending $1,441,483
of that total in 2024 on the
local campaign. (The past
year's expenditure amounted
to $304,505, mostly used for
planning purposes.)
Dr. Pearson said a community
Narcan training session open
to the public is planned for
January 9 at the Johnston
County Agricultural Center.
For more information, call
the Public Health Department
at 919-989-5200.
County
gets grants for two
parks and recreation
projects
The
commissioners at last week's
meeting, held Monday, voted
to accept two state grants
and to apply for a third.
One of those – $1,113,900
from the N.C. Land and Water
Fund – will reimburse the
county, in part, for
purchasing 212 acres at
Wilson's Mills for a new
high school and middle
school that includes
additional land adjacent to
the Neuse River that's
envisioned for future park
development.
The other two – $500,000
already granted from the
N.C. Parks and Recreation
Trust Fund and another
$500,000 to be sought from
the N.C. Land and Water
Conservation Fund – are for
development of the county's
first "regional park" on 77
acres in Cleveland Township
purchased three years ago.
The county is providing
matching funds that more
than double what's budgeted
for the park's first phase.
A "public meeting" on plans
for the park is scheduled
Monday, Dec. 18 (4:30-6:30
p.m.) at the Cleveland Fire
Department's Station 1 at
9039 Cleveland Road.
Another record: 109,277 Johnstonians
employed
The
N.C. Department of
Commerce reports that
109,277 Johnstonians from
an available labor force
of 112,809 held jobs in
October – yet another
all-time high. At the same
time, the number of
unemployed Johnstonians
rose to 3,532 – an
increase of 149 above
September's number. As a
result, the county's
unemployment rate went up
a tick – from 3.0% to
3.1%. Statewide, the
jobless rate rose from
3.2% in September to 3.3%
in October, the nationwide
rate from 3.8% to 3.9%.
November's
rainfall put us close to
our annual average
Cornell
Cox's Backyard Weather
Station in South
Smithfield has measured
2.78 inches this month –
better than October's 1.08
inches yet still below
November's average of
3.08, according to U.S. Climate
Data. With one month
to go in 2023, we're just
0.40 short of our average
annual rainfall of 47.75
inches.
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DAR chapter recognizes outstanding
volunteers
Logan
Schall has been
recognized as an
"Outstanding Youth
Volunteer" by the
Smith-Bryan Chapter of
Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR). The
15-year-old Logan is a
Life Scout in Troop 360, a
junior firefighter, and
youth church leader. He
has put in more than 385
volunteer hours in service
to veterans and active
military personnel over
the past eight years.
Logan's parents are Navy
veteran Michael and Stacey
Schall.
Devell Durham Jr.,
a U.S. Marine Corps
retiree, was honored as
"Outstanding Veteran
Volunteer" during the DAR
chapter's November 11
Veterans Day observance.
(Smith-Bryan Chapter
photo)
Public
Library is offering
backpacks for
borrowing
The
Public Library of Johnston
County and Smithfield is
circulating nature-themed
backpacks. Library users
in good standing may check
out a backpack from the
Children’s Department with
their library cards and
can remain checked out up
to three weeks
(replacement costs for
lost or damaged backpacks
and contents can range
from $4 to $143). The
project is funded by the
Johnston County Community
Foundation. Contributions
of items including event
calendars, carabiners,
sunglasses, bike-route
guides, and more have been
made by Howell Woods
Environmental Learning
Center, Johnston County
Visitors Bureau, and the
Smithfield Parks &
Recreation Department. For
more information, call
984-985-BOOK.
WHAT'S COMING UP
County
Commissioners to make
appointments Monday
The
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners will
consider appointments to
the county's Economic
Development Advisory Board
and Johnston's Tourism
Authority during its 10
a.m. meeting next Monday
at the Courthouse.
VIEW the
complete agenda here>
The board at its 6 p.m.
meeting Monday will
consider a proposed
Nonprofit Agency Funding
Policy. The only land-use
rezoning hearing scheduled
has been withdrawn.
VIEW the
complete agenda here>
Town
Council will re-organize
(sort of) next Tuesday
The
Smithfield Town Council's
monthly session begins at
7 p.m. Tuesday at Town
Hall. It's mostly an
"organizational meeting"
with oaths of office to be
administered to Mayor Andy
Moore and Councilmen John
Dunn, Steve Rabil, and
Roger Wood – who recently
won re-election – followed
by the council's selection
of a mayor pro tem, a
position presently held by
Mr. Dunn. VIEW the
complete agenda here>
A month full of Yuletide events,
beginning this weekend
The
Downtown Smithfield
Development Corporation is
once again offering free
Christmas Carriage Rides
from 5 till 8 p.m. on the
next four Fridays. Carriages
can typically accommodate
groups of 4-6, depending on
the carriage and the size of
the riders. Rides typically
last about 10 minutes.
Reservations are required
and may be made by following
this link>
This event will begin at 6
p.m. on "Candy Cane Lane"
(100 block of South Third
Street) featuring a
"reindeer food station,"
ornament making, letters
to Santa, face painting,
balloon animals, and a
food truck rodeo. The
lighting of the tree in
the Public Library
Courtyard nearby is set
for 7 p.m. featuring "a
special guest from the
North Pole." The Johnston
County Community Choir
will perform at 6 p.m. and
again later in the
evening. Other groups
scheduled to entertain
after the lighting of the
tree are the South
Smithfield Elementary
Chorus, Artistry in
Motion, American
Leadership Johnston
Elementary Choir, and both
the band and chorus from
Smithfield Middle School.
For a full
rundown of Town of
Smithfield Christmas
events, visit this
website>
FOR
SALE:
overlooking
pond
in South Smithfield
313
W. Wilson Street
Traditional brick home
with 5 bedrooms & 5
baths, including 3
lots totaling
more than an acre for $699,000 (MLS#
2509894)
SUSAN
LASSITER,
Broker
• Fonville Morisey
Realty • 919-669-9235
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
The
spirit of Thanksgiving
lives on in simple ways
Joe Nall's response to an act of
kindness long
remembered
Story
& photo submitted
by SUSAN LASSITER
Kindness
begets kindness in amazing
ways for which we are
thankful, especially during
this Thanksgiving season.
Here’s one heartwarming
story:
During a recent visit to my
friend’s gift shop in
Smithfield, owner Anna Kate
Nall said, "I want to show
you something I just
received in the mail." She
pulled out an envelope
addressed to her containing
a letter from Susanne Prigge
of Annapolis, Maryland.
The writer told Anna Kate of
her experience when she met
Anna Kate’s father, Joseph
T. (Joe) Nall, in
Washington, D.C. 38 years
ago. “I hope it will make
you smile with fond
remembrances of him,” Ms.
Prigge wrote.
“In 1985, I was working at
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture," she explained.
"I used the Metro in D.C.
every day so I recognized
when two gentlemen were
having a bit of a problem
with machines to get their
tickets. Usually, people
needed help on understanding
how the machines worked or
needed to break down large
bills.”
Ms. Prigge continued, “I
asked if I could help and
the men said they had a
large bill which the machine
would not take and the
additional cash they had was
short on the ticket money.
They said they were trying
to catch a plane.” Ms.
Prigge told them she wasn’t
able to break the bill but
asked how much they needed?
“They said less than $1.00
so it was easy for me to
tell them to take this $1.00
and pass the courtesy on
some day," she recalled.
"They said they really
wanted to reimburse me, so I
finally gave them my
business card and wished
them good luck on catching
their plane.”
Soon after that, Joe Nall
wrote to Suzanne Prigge and
said, “How grateful we were
for your kindness in paying
the subway fare for two
North Carolina redneck
lawyers! Apparently Southern
hospitality spreads as far
north as Washington, D.C. I
am taking the liberty of
sending you $2.00 to express
our gratitude to you. We did
meet our plane on time,
thanks to your assistance.”
“By the way, I was leaving
Washington after being
interviewed at the White
House and conferring with a
member of Congress in hopes
of being appointed to a
Democratic seat on the
National Transportation
Safety Board,” Mr. Nall
wrote, and enclosed two
wrinkled dollar bills. “It’s
a long ways down to North
Carolina from the U.S. Mint.
These bills are nearly worn
out, but they’ll spend.”
In Suzanne Prigge’s letter
to Anna Kate, she wrote:
“When I received his letter,
I was touched. It made me
smile so I put it in my safe
with other little memories
of people I came across in
life. I was 38 when I met
your father and was his
friend for that one minute.
I am now 77. As to be
expected, when you get
older, you wonder what
happened to others? So, when
I recently opened my safe
and saw the letter, I
googled your father’s name.
I was saddened to read that
your father died just four
years after I had that brief
encounter with him and his
friend.”
"I thought that perhaps you
and your family might
appreciate this little story
and your father’s
accompanying letter," which
"reminds me that many times,
it’s the small things that
bring a smile to my face. I
hope this brings a smile to
your face, too.” Ms.
Prigge attached a copy of
Joe’s letter showing the
two dollar bills.
Joe
Nall was appointed to the
National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) in 1986
by President Ronald Reagan.
Prior to that, Mr. Nall was
an ordained minister, first
serving as an associate
pastor at Smithfield's First
Baptist Church and then as
pastor of First Baptist
Church in Halifax, Virginia.
In 1973, Joe earned a law
degree from Wake Forest
University and returned to
Smithfield to practice law.
He also taught flying
lessons and operated Nall
Aviation Enterprises. He
moved to Washington, D.C. to
begin his work with NTSB in
1968.
In November 1989 he traveled
to Caracas, Venezuela as an
NTSB representative to give
a speech to the Venezuelan
Aeronautical Congress. It
was during a rainstorm in a
mountainous area west of the
Caracas airport that the
twin-engine plane in which
he was traveling crashed,
killing him and the pilots.
He was only 47 years old.
By sharing the letter
exchanges, Suzanne Prigge
has given Joe Nall’s
daughter quite a gift,
producing tears and loving
memories of long ago. Anna
Kate told me she wrote back
to the woman saying, “I grew
up in Smithfield and
everyone knew my dad. But
that was 38 years ago and
since then, people no longer
talk about him. Your letter
brought back so many good
memories of him for me.”
Anna Kate smiled and
exclaimed to me, “She’s my
Angel.”
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Ukrainian family's first Thanksgiving
in Smithfield
Speaking
of Thanksgiving,
six months have gone by
since the arrival of the
Shchurenko family
in Smithfield. They're
refugees from war-torn
Ukraine who have been
become part of the Warren
Grimes family, and they
just tasted their first
American celebration of
Thanksgiving. Whether it
will be their last one
here remains to be seen.
Pictured with Warren in
this Thanksgiving Day
portrait posted on
Facebook are two-year-old
Milana with her dad Roma
and mom Alina. A friend of
Warren's cousin recently
gave the Shchurenkos a
used SUV for a little more
independence in getting
around town (both parents
now have N.C. driver's
licenses).
To learn more about the
organization that assisted
Warren with the
resettlement of this
family, follow this
Facebook link to the MG
Global Support
Foundation>
To
read the Weekly Sun's
story about the
Schurenkos' arrival here,
follow this
link>
Some
statistics about
Hispanic families in our
community
You
may have been surprised by
the numbers in a recent
story about Hispanic
students in our public
schools, South Smithfield
Elementary especially
where 40.7%
of the students are
Hispanic, 31.9% Black, 19.6%
White, 5.5% Multi-racial,
and 2.1% Asian.
Providing more perspective
is an item that appeared
in the Triangle East
Chamber of Commerce
newsletter of November 19
with interesting data
regarding Johnston
County's Latino
population>
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