| PUBLISHED
ONLINE MARCH 7, 2024
•
VOL. 6, NO. 10 |
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PRIMARY
ELECTION RESULTS
•
Kelly Daughtry finishes
first in race for
Congress, faces
runoff against
Brad Knott in Second
Primary May 14
• Ronald Johnson, April
Lee on top in opening
round
of school board
races to be decided in
November
• Ted Godwin survives
challenge for
commissioner seat;
Michelle Pace
Davis, Bill Stovall
winners of two others
 Falling
just short of the 30%
threshold for winning the
Republican Party's
nomination for the U.S.
House of Representatives in
Tuesday's Primary Election,
Smithfield attorney Kelly
Daughtry finished first in a
field of 14 candidates,
capturing 27.38% of total
votes cast in the
multi-county 13th
Congressional District. She
will face runner-up Brad
Knott of Raleigh, a former
federal prosecutor who got
18.68% of Tuesday's votes,
in a Second Primary May 14.
(Photo from Daughtry for
Congress website)
Two years ago Ms. Daughtry
finished third behind Bo
Hines and fellow Johnstonian
Devan Barbour IV in the
Republican Primary. Mr.
Hines then lost to Democrat
Wiley Nickel in the General
Election. In this week's
Primary, Mr. Barbour
finished fourth.
This year's Republican
nominee will face Frank
Pierce of Raleigh, the only
Democrat to file for the
seat, in November's General
Election.
Tuesday's Republican Primary
voting in the district for
the leading candidates:
• Kelly Daughtry – 22,881
(9,212 in Johnston County)
• Brad Knott – 15,613 (3,452
in Johnston County)
• Fred Von Canon – 14,286
(2,559 in Johnston County)
• DeVan Barbour – 12,859
(7,050 in Johnston County)
VIEW voting
breakdowns for all 14
candidates in the
Republican Primary>
Ronald Johnson
moved a step closer to
re-election to the Johnston
County Board of Education as
the leading vote-getter
among four candidates in
Tuesday's nonpartisan
Primary for a Clayton-area
seat. He'll be on the
November ballot versus
challenger Jeff
Sullivan, who
finished second. Tuesday's
vote totals: Mr. Johnson
13,038, Mr. Sullivan 10,841,
David Marshburn 7,609, Sam
Solmonson 2,421.
April Lee
finished first and David
Spain second in a
separate Primary contest for
a seat on the school board
that's reserved for a
resident of western Johnston
County under a recently
adopted district electoral
plan. Tuesday's vote totals:
Ms. Lee 11,599, Mr. Spain
11,343, Emily Burke 3,517,
Telia Y. Virgin 2,368, Ken
Ramey 2,455, Tasa McGowan
2,065.
Tuesday's four survivors
will compete in November
alongside candidates for two
other school board seats up
for election this year.
Incumbent Board Chair Lyn
Andrews is being challenged
by Rick Walker in one race,
incumbent Kay Carroll by
Jason Shuler in the other.
(Those two contests were
exempt from Tuesday's
Primary since only two
candidates filed for each of
the seats.)
Ted Godwin
out-polled challenger Caleb
Johnson in Tuesday's
Republican Primary to retain
his seat on the Johnston
County Board of
Commissioners as no Democrat
filed for that office.
Tuesday's vote totals: Mr.
Godwin 14,110, Mr. Johnson
9,842.
MIchelle Pace Davis
finished well ahead of
Bennett Jones and Harold De
Lancey in the Republican
Party contest for a seat on
the Board of Commissioners
presently held by Fred
Smith, who chose not to seek
re-election. Ms. Davis
garnered 49.34% of total
votes cast in that race and
thereby avoided a runoff
under the 30% rule. She's
poised to take office in
December as no Democrat
filed for that seat.
Tuesday's vote totals: Ms.
Davis 12,021, Mr. Jones
7,373, Mr. De Lancey 4,968.
Bill Stovall
edged Tim Little in
Tuesday's Republican Primary
by a vote of 13,285 to
10,698 and will fill the
seat presently occupied by
County Commissioner Tony
Braswell, who chose not to
seek re-election. No
Democrat filed for that
seat.
Incumbent County
Commissioner April
Stephens will
continue to serve as she was
the only candidate to file
for her seat on the board.
In other contests of local
interest, State
Representative Larry
Strickland of
Pine Level – in a bid for
re-election – overwhelmed
Elizabeth Anne Temple of
Smithfield by a vote of
8,858 to 1,056 in Tuesday's
Republican Primary and will
face Democrat Tawanda
Shepard of Benson in
November's General Election.
In a Republican Primary race
for District Court judge, Brian
E. Lewis of
Sanford out-polled incumbent
Michael J. Onufer of Coats
by a vote of 23,717 to
14,656 in the judicial
district that includes
Harnett and Lee counties as
well as Johnston. Mr. Lewis
will be unopposed in
November's General Election.
VIEW DETAILED
RESULTS for all contests
on Tuesday's Johnston
County ballots>
Ham & Yam will include alcohol
sales, with limits
 The
Downtown Smithfield
Development Corporation
asked the Town Council
Tuesday night to permit
sales of alcoholic
beverages at controlled
spots during the upcoming
Ham & Yam Festival.
The council voted 4-3 to
allow it with the
understanding that this is
a trial run that could be
canceled if things get out
of hand.
"I'm not a fan of this,"
Councilman Travis Scott
declared. "Historically,
this is a family event."
Councilman David Barbour
said it's "alienating the
church crowd" who "won't
be there" if alcohol is
allowed. "It's sad that we
have to legalize vice to
enhance attendance," he
added.
John Bilott, who has taken
over as the DSDC board
chair, acknowledged that
the alcohol permit is part
of an effort to restore
the annual event to its
prior prominence. He said
the DSDC Promotions
Committee has prospects
for as many as 200 vendors
(four times as many as
last year), and for
children will is planning
for bounce houses, a
petting zoo, and "ice
cream as far as the eye
can see."
Alcohol sales and
consumption, Mr. Bilott
said, would be restricted
to two defined areas: one
on Front Street above the
new amphitheater, another
near a stage set up in the
100 block of South Third
Street. Beer and wine
would be sold between noon
and 7 p.m., he assured the
council.
"I would suggest we do
some extra staffing,"
advised Councilman Sloan
Stevens, who has been
meeting with the DSDC
committee. "To have areas
sectioned off is a good
middle ground," he said.
"I'm comfortable with
giving it a try."
Chief of Police Pete
Hedrick said his
department could handle
the extra responsibility
of keeping alcohol
consumption within bounds.
"We're not attracting the
Mule Days crowd," he added
– a reference to the
annual Benson festival
that has gotten out of
hand in years gone by.
Councilman Stevens made
the motion to approve the
trial run. John Dunn and
Steve Rabil also voted
yes; Councilmen Barbour,
Scott, and Marlon Lee
voted no. Mayor Andy Moore
broke the tie with an
affirmative vote in the
absence of Councilman
Roger Wood.
The Ham & Yam Festival
is scheduled on Saturday,
May 4 along Front, Second,
Third, and Johnston
streets Downtown.
Pre-4th-of-July
event will also include
sales of alcohol
The
council approved another
permit sought by DSDC to
allow alcohol to be sold
and consumed along the 100
block of South Third
Street during a "Red,
White, and Brews Festival"
on Sunday afternoon, June
30 prior to the town's
annual fireworks show
celebrating the Fourth of
July.
It's the same event held
there this past year, DSDC
Chairman Bilott told the
council. Although the
permit authorizes the
street to be closed to
vehicular traffic at 10
a.m. that day, musical
entertainment and alcohol
sales won't begin till
after noon to avoid
conflicting with nearby
church services, he said.
Councilman Barbour cast
the only vote against
issuing that permit.
On another DSDC matter,
the council appointed Michael
O'Dowd – owner
of SoDoSoPa, a Downtown
restaurant – to the
organization's Board of
Directors.
More
amenities coming to the
Second Street Dog Park
The
council approved a $12,250
contract with David Hinton
Construction Company of
Middlesex for concrete
work including walkways to
shade shelters. Parks
& Recreation Gary
Johnson said this is the
last phase of $30,800
budgeted for improvements
at the dog park this
fiscal year. The shelters
along with overhead
lighting accounted for
previous expenditures, he
noted.
New
Sanitation Dept. truck
to be bought within
budget
The
council approved spending
$274,500 for a 2024 Labrie
garbage truck on a
Freightliner chassis plus
$14,193 for a five-year
extended warranty offered
by Joe Johnson Equipment
of Monroe, which submitted
the lower of two bids. The
current town budget
earmarks $300,000 for the
purchase.
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Newsweek ranks Smithfield's
hospital 12th in N.C.
Story & photo from UNC Health
Three
UNC Health Hospitals have
been named to Newsweek’s
“World’s Best Hospitals
2024” list, including
hospitals in Smithfield,
Raleigh, and Chapel Hill.
Only 14 hospitals in North
Carolina are included in
this year’s “World’s Best
Hospitals” list. UNC
Health Rex in Raleigh is
the second highest rated
hospital in the state
while UNC Hospitals in
Chapel Hill is third and
UNC Health Johnston in
Smithfield is rated 12th
in North Carolina.
This year's list from Newsweek
and partner Statista
includes data on 2,400
hospitals in 30 countries.
Each hospital's score is
based on an online survey
of more than 85,000
medical experts and public
data from
post-hospitalization
patient surveys on their
general satisfaction.
The score also considers
metrics on hygiene and
patient-doctor ratio as
well as a Statista survey
on whether hospitals use
Patient Reported Outcome
Measures (PROMs), which
are standardized
questionnaires completed
by patients to assess
their experience and
results.
County's
Fire Marshal earns
professional
credential
From
Adam Carroll, Johnston
County Public Information
Director
 Johnston
County Fire
Marshal Ryan Parker has
successfully completed the
process that awards the
professional designation
of “Fire Marshal” (FM)
from the Commission on
Professional
Credentialing. Ryan
becomes one of only 238
FMs worldwide.
It's a voluntary program
to recognize individuals
who demonstrate their
excellence in seven
measured components
including experience,
education, professional
development, professional
contributions, association
membership, community
involvement, and technical
competence. In addition,
all applicants are
required to identify a
future professional
development plan.
The FM designation program
uses a comprehensive
peer-review model to
evaluate candidates.
Maintaining the
designation requires
recipients to show
continued growth as well
as adhere to a strict code
of professional conduct.
Ryan
joined the county's
Emergency Services
Department in December 2016
as an assistant fire
marshal. In March 2018 he
was promoted to Deputy Fire
Marshal to oversee the Fire
Inspections Program. In
August 2022 he was promoted
to Fire Marshal/Fire
Division Chief after Fire
Marshal Adam Stanley
retired.
Prior
to being hired by Johnston
County, Ryan was employed by
the City of Fayetteville as
a firefighter from September
2013 to December 2018. From
July 2012 to September 2013
he was also employed at
South Johnston High School
where he taught science and
agriculture and served as an
assistant football coach and
assistant wrestling coach.
What
will replace county's
garbage decals?
Johnston's
County Commissioners got a
report from the county's
finance director Monday
evening suggesting an annual
fee added to property-tax
bills to make up for revenue
to be lost from the end of
the vehicle-decal system
this June 30.
Chad McLamb said the fee
could be "in the $70-$75
range" for residents of
Johnston's unincorporated
areas and $20 for residents
of the municipalities. That,
he noted, would cover not
only the expense of
operating the county's
"convenience centers" for
collecting household waste
but also future capital
improvements and employment
of a county roadside cleanup
crew.
Commissioner Ted Godwin said
he would prefer deferring
the suggested fees for
another year and "absorbing
the loss" for operating the
current service within the
county's overall budget
during the new fiscal year
that starts this July 1.
Board Chairman Butch Lawter
asked staff to consider
other options, including
appropriations from the
county's General Fund or an
increase in "tipping fees"
at the county's landfill.
"I'd like to see us make a
decision this year," he
said.
In any event, this is the
last year for the county's
decal system. Up till now,
residents have been paying
$100 annually for windshield
stickers giving them access
to the county's dumpsters
for household garbage and
other items. Disposal of
recyclable materials has
been open to anyone without
charge at the convenience
centers.
County
positions mostly filled
with reappointments
Commissioners
made choices in two cases by
written ballots – a practice
used when there are more
applicants than positions
available:
• Johnston County
Airport Authority
– Reappointed were Arthur
Bentley Powell of
Smithfield, Bobby (Ken)
Jones II of Princeton, and
E. Dale Parker of Benson to
three available seats (for
which there were four
applicants).
•
Johnston County
Board of Health –
Dr. Matt Thompson, a Clayton
chiropractor, was newly
appointed to a seat reserved
for a physician (he was one
of two applicants who
weren't current board
members); Alan Carroll of
Smithfield was reappointed
without opposition to his
seat as a representative of
local pharmacists.
Other reappointments
approved Monday:
• Johnston County
Board of Adjustment –
retired engineer David Bryan
Barefoot of Four Oaks and
Smithfield real-estate
attorney Jason Wenzel.
• Nursing
Home/Adult Care Home
Community Advisory Board
– James Parker of Four Oaks
and George Smith of Archer
Lodge.
February
produced just 1.01
inches of rainfall here
According
to U.S.
Climate Data, our average
rainfall for February is 3.3
inches, so this past month’s
1.01 recorded by Cornell
Cox's Backyard Weather
Station in South
Smithfield puts us a couple of
inches behind the normal
total for the first two
months of the calendar year.
Notes Mr. Cox in his report
to the Weekly Sun: "Hopefully
March will be better
preparation for the
planting season beginning
in April."
WHAT'S COMING UP
Daylight Saving Time returns Sunday
as days grow longer
That
means it's time to "spring
forward" with your
time-keeping devices at
the end of the day
Saturday so you'll be on
time Sunday morning.
According to The Old
Farmers' Almanac,
sunrise at Smithfield this
Saturday will come at 6:29
a.m. Eastern Standard
Time, sunset at 6:17 p.m.
The following day – Sunday
– sunrise will come at
7:28 a.m. Daylight Saving
Time, sunset at 7:18 p.m.
There's been a lot of
clamor recently about
doing away with this
twice-yearly adjustment
and sticking to either EST
or DST year-round.
Fentanyl
victims' families to
meet here this Saturday
Hosted
by the Fentanyl Victims
Network of North Carolina,
the event will continue from
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the
Sarah Yard Community Center
on Lee Street beside
Smith-Collins Park. The
event's purpose is to "spark
public safety
conversations within
communities about the
dangers of illicit
fentanyl, particularly
counterfeit pressed pills
(Adderall, Xanax,
Percocet), and access to
life-saving naloxone in
schools and the
community."
Board
of Education’s regular
monthly meeting Tuesday
The
regular monthly meeting of
the Johnston County Board
of Education is scheduled
for 4 p.m. Tuesday at the
headquarters of Johnston
County Public Schools on
US 70 Business east of
town. VIEW the
agenda once it's
posted>
Town
approves permits for
four outdoor special
events
The
Smithfield Town Council on
Tuesday approved permits
for the following:
• Shamrock N Roll,
hosted by Bulldog's
Harley-Davidson at 1043
Outlet Center Drive from
noon till 4. p.m.
Saturday, March 16.
• Easter
Reenactment,
hosted by Centenary United
Methodist Church on South
Second Street beside the
church from 4 to 6 p.m. on
Palm Sunday, March 24.
• Transgender Day
of Visibility,
a "speaking event and
march" hosted by Bennett
Chapman from 4 to 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 31 at Market
and Second streets.
• Spring Fling,
hosted by the owners of
Twisted Willow along the
100 block of South Third
Street from 9:30 a.m. till
2:30 p.m. Saturday, May
18.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
"Will of the People," the consummate
public servant
 Will
Rogers Crocker – an
unforgettable name for an
unforgettable personality
– is gone from our view
but not from our memories.
His legacy of public
service – mostly as Clerk
of Johnston Superior Court
for almost 38 years – is
unsurpassed.
Will Crocker was always
there, and that was just
about everywhere.
Looking online for
whatever I could find that
was said about this man, I
came across Chandler
Pernell's tribute in
presenting Mr. Crocker a
Smithfield-Selma Chamber
of Commerce "Distinguished
Citizen" award in 2015:
"If I had to
describe him, I would
call him a local
diplomat with universal
appeal," Chandler wrote.
"When asked how he could
be so respected by both
political parties, he
said, 'It does not
matter if you are
Democrat or Republican;
if you live in my
county, then it is my
job to take care of
you.' He treats everyone
the same. It’s such a
strong conviction, I’ll
say it again: HE
TREATS EVERYONE THE
SAME. A simple-sounding
but truly difficult task
to carry out everyday."
It's why he earned the
label "Will of the
People."
Will Rogers Crocker was a
genuine politician –
defined by my trusty
Webster's as "a person
experienced in the art or
science of government; esp.
someone actively engaged
in conducting the business
of a government." Our
county, our state, our
nation would surely be
better off if we had more
public servants like him.
VIEW the
video of Wednesday's
memorial service at
Parrish Funeral Home>
(P.S. The photo above,
from an online archive,
appeared with a story in
The Smithfield Herald
when Mr. Crocker retired
in 2014.)
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the SMITHFIELD
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