Johnston population estimate climbs
to 241,955
3-year gain of 25,961 but no
longer N.C.'s
"fastest growing"
The
2020 U.S. Census produced
results that put Johnston
County at the top of North
Carolina's "fastest
growing" list when our
population increased by
27.2% from 168,878 in 2010
to 215,999, the official
count on April 1, 2020.
That distinction was based
on growth percentage.
The U.S. Census last week
released its latest
estimates of population,
putting Johnston County's
July 1, 2023 number at
241,955 – a gain of 25,961
since the 2020 Census that
ranks us 3rd in the state
in actual numbers of
growth. Ranked No. 1 is
Wake County (including
Raleigh), which has added
60,923 residents since
2020. Mecklenburg County
(including Charlotte) is
No. 2 with 48,167 new
residents over the
three-year period. Right
behind Johnston is coastal
Brunswick County (near
Wilmington), which ranks
4th with 23,269 new
residents since 2020.
In terms of growth
percentage from 2020 to
last July, Johnston
County's population has
increased by 12%. That's
higher than Wake's growth
of 5.4% and Mecklenburg's
4.3%, but Johnston's
recent growth percentage
trails Pender County's
13.8%, Currituck County's
12.4%, and neighboring
Franklin County's 12.2%.
Meanwhile, the N.C. Office
of State Budget and
Management estimates
Johnston's population
could grow to 287,852 by
2030. That's almost a 70%
gain from 2020.
Bottom line: Johnston is
"one of the fastest
growing counties" in North
Carolina.
Smithfield's "Main Street Champions":
Terri & John
Bilott
Each
community participating in
North Carolina's annual
Main Street Conference
gets to name a "Champion"
each year. Smithfield,
designated years ago by
the state as a "Main
Street Community," this
year chose Terri and John Bilott of The Twisted Willow gift and specialty shop for their key roles in launching a farmers market and other Downtown activities near their business, which is housed in a 120-year-old building on Third Street they've restored. Counting the 40 persons honored statewide at last week's conference in Goldsboro, 415 "Champions" have now been recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce since 2000. (Photo from Historic Downtown Smithfield Facebook page)
Town
agrees to join statewide
health-insurance pool
The
Smithfield Town Council
Tuesday evening adopted a
recommendation from Tim
Kerigan, the town's
director of human
resources, to enroll the
town's employees in the
North Carolina Health
Insurance Pool (NCHIP),
which presently includes
28 municipal and county
governments.
Mr. Kerigan said the move
should put a damper on the
town's health-insurance
premiums going forward and
also protect the town from
future premium spikes
following a year of
unusually high claims
among its employees.
He said the town was
facing a 13% jump in its
annual premium in the
fiscal year ahead under
its existing arrangement
with a private insurance
carrier. Joining NCHIP
should cut the coming
year's increase to 7.9%,
although NCHIP's premium
increases in recent years
have averaged 2.1%, he
said.
Moving into NCHIP should
save the Town of
Smithfield "over $100,000"
this coming year and $1.1
million over the next five
years, Mr. Kerigan
estimated.
He said NCHIP has been in
operation for six years
with 10,000 employees plus
another 5,000 family
members presently covered.
No local government has
withdrawn from the plan
since its inception,
although the town has that
option each year; and
"they have not kicked
anyone out," Mr. Kerigan
noted.
Current terms of the
town's health-insurance
program will remain in
effect, including
deductibles and
out-of-pocket limits, Mr.
Kerigan emphasized. After
assessing potential health
risks among Smithfield's
employees, NCHIP's board
"felt we would be a good
partner," he said.
CarMax
site plan approved;
small subdivision plan
tabled
Following
a public hearing that drew
no opposition, the Town
Council granted a request
from CarMax, the national
used-car dealer, to build
and operate a sales and
distribution center on 13
acres beside Outlet Center
Drive between Carolina
Premium Outlets and
Smithfield Business Center
(the former Sylvania
plant).
It will not be a typical
car dealership; rather,
it's a facility for
selling vehicles to
"qualified wholesale
dealers" and conducting
"private" auction sales.
As a result, the town
exempted CarMax from some
of the layout rules for
traditional car dealers.
The Town Council was told
that CarMax could employ
30-45 persons at its
Smithfield facility "at
full maturity."
Following a separate
public hearing that also
drew no opposition, the
council tabled a decision
on a request from CMH
Homes Inc. and Clayton
Homes of Raleigh to build
single-family dwellings on
seven lots at the
intersection of NC 210 and
Galilee Road next door to
West Smithfield Elementary
School.
Stephen Wensman, the
town's planning director,
said his staff is
recommending approval of
the project but pointed
out that residential use
of that particular site
goes against the town's
Comprehensive Plan, which
calls for commercial use
of the property. However,
because the county is not
providing sewerage to the
site, development of
residential lots with
individual septic systems
is now a better option,
Mr. Wensman told the
council.
Councilman David Barbour
said changing the
Comprehensive Plan
deserves some thought and
he moved to table that
decision till the April 2
council session. The rest
of the council members
present concurred.
Council
OKs return of farmers
market with "craft
artisan fair"
Permission
was requested by owners of
the two Downtown
businesses – Twisted
Willow and The Oak City
Collection – that operated
last year's farmers
market. What they're
planning are four
combination events from
9:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. on
the second and fourth
Saturdays in June and
September. Complementing
those are evening
entertainment events on
the second and fourth
Saturdays of July and
August previously approved
by the town. All of those
events will take place
along the 100 block of
South Third Street where
the two businesses are
located.
"Trusted
by families since
1977"
840
S. Bright Leaf Blvd. • 919-934-7164
• www.carrollpharmacy.com
SHINGLES
& RSV
SHOTS DAILY – NO
APPOINTMENT NEEDED
County's high-school dropout rate
went up last year
SSS saw a reduction yet it's still the
highest in Johnston
The dropout rate in Johnston County's high
schools rose to 2.28%
last year – up from
2.11% the year before
and the highest level
recorded over the past
five years. Statewide,
the dropout rate last
year was 1.95% of
high-school students
enrolled.
Smithfield-Selma High
School saw a reduction
last year – from 5.04%
in 2021-22 to 4.51% –
but continues to produce
the highest rate among
Johnston's traditional
schools, which last year
showed rates ranging
from 2.27% at Princeton
High to just 0.34% at
West Johnston.
Kristy Stephenson, the
schools' accountability
and programs officer,
presented the numbers to
Johnston's Board of
Education during its
monthly meeting last
week. She said freshmen
and sophomores continue
to be the most numerous
among students who drop
out. Some good news, she
noted, is that 30
students who had
previously dropped out
have returned to school,
and many of them are
back on track to
graduate.
Nine more Johnston schools reach
Title I funding
threshold
As a result, the Board of Education has
changed the eligibility
cutoff to add just two
of those nine to the
list. Up till now,
Johnston County schools
with at least 50% of
their students eligible
for free or
reduced-price meals have
qualified for federal
Title I aid. Last week's
decision by the board
raises that threshold to
60%.
Kebbler M. Williams, the
school system's director
of elementary education
& Title I, told the
board that the number of
schools and special
programs eligible for
Title I funding in the
year ahead would
increase from 22 to 31
if the 50% rule were
left unchanged. With the
new 60% rule, just two
more schools – McGee's
Crossroads Middle and
West View Elementary –
will be added along with
the county's Choice Plus
program and its Virtual
Academy, she said.
A major factor in the
staff's recommendation
to raise the threshold
is an anticipated cut in
federal funding for
Title I schools
nationwide in the year
ahead. For Johnston
County, that funding in
recent years has ranged
from $7.5 million to $9
million, Dr. Williams
noted.
Title I of the
federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act
provides financial
assistance to schools with
high numbers of children
from low-income families.
The 22 schools in Johnston presently
receiving Title I aid
include South
Smithfield, West
Smithfield, and Wilson's
Mills Elementary as well
as Smithfield Middle.
Smithfield-Selma High –
with 80% of its students
eligible for free or
reduced-price meals –
doesn't receive Title I
funding but will get
additional aid as a
"Restart" school given
state and local funding
and administrative
flexibility, the board
was told.
JCC offering truck-driver training in
high schools
Story
& photo from
Johnston Community
College
Johnston's
community college is the
first in the state to
offer truck-driver
training through the
Career and College
Promise dual-enrollment
program for high-school
students.
Students who wish to
apply must be
high-school seniors who
will turn 18 years old
by April 30. Graduates
of the program will earn
a certificate from JCC
and will be prepared to
take a Commercial Driver
License road test. North
Carolina drivers with a
CDL between the ages of
18 and 21 can drive
within state lines.
“If we can train a
pipeline of graduates
who are ready to drive
tractor-trailers when
they turn 18, they can
get the three years of
road experience needed
to drive for big
companies as soon as
they turn 21,” said
Maxie Kirby, JCC's
department chair of
advanced technologies
and truck-driver
training. “We believe
this is a game changer
for the logistics
industry in Johnston
County.”
“For the last 50 years,
we have operated the
first Truck Driver
Training School
established in this
country,” noted JCC
President Vern L.
Lindquist. “Now, we are
the only community
college in the state
offering this
tuition-free training to
high-school seniors."
Career and College
Promise is a statewide
program that allows
high-school students to
earn college credit. JCC
has nearly 30 pathways
of study for students to
choose from.
Applications for Summer
and Fall of 2024 are
open through March 27
(next Wednesday). For
more information, visit
www.johnstoncc.edu>
Top names for Johnston County's 2023
babies
Register
of Deeds Craig Olive has
released his annual list
of the most popular names
given Johnston County's
newborns.
"For
the second consecutive
year, Charlotte
was the most popular name
for female babies born in
our county during 2023,"
Mr. Olive reported. "Liam
captured the top spot for
male babies.
Interestingly, Liam was
the second most popular
male name in 2022," he
noted.
For the boys born in 2023,
the next most-popular
names (in order)
were Noah, Sebastian,
William, Asher, Levi,
Julian, and Mateo. For the
girls: Olivia, Sophia,
Camila, Emma, Isabella,
Scarlett, and Delilah.
Johnston County recorded
1,931 births last year:
981 boys, 950 girls.
9-1-1
department earns fifth
international
accreditation
Johnston
County's 9-1-1
Communications Department
has been re-accredited for
the fifth time by the
International Academies of
Emergency Dispatch as a
Triple Accredited Center
of Excellence. Johnston
County first received its
Tri-Accredited status on
August 22, 2011 and was
the third 9-1-1 center in
the world to reach this
milestone.
Shown inside the
department's quarters in
the county's new Public
Safety Center on US 70
Business east of
Smithfield are Director Brett
Renfrow, Quality
Assurance/Training
Specialists Ragen Bowen and
Nichole Jones, and Training
Manager George Ellinger. (County
of Johnston photo)
Past
year's progress shown in
"State of the County"
video
Butch
Lawter, chairman of the
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners, delivered
the annual "State of the
County" message in the
form of a video recording
shown at Monday evening's
board meeting. Highlights
of the past year include
the county's achieving a
AAA bond rating,
completion of new Public
Safety and Detention
centers, the Commissioners
Promise scholarship
program at Johnston
Community College,
adoption of an updated
Land Use Plan, a four-cent
cut in the county's
property-tax rate, along
with industrial
announcements and new
parks and transportation
initiatives. VIEW the
six-minute "State of the
County" video>
WHAT'S COMING UP
Native-American author's "Immersion
Event" this weekend
The
Johnston County Arts Council
and Triangle East Writers
will host award-winning N.C.
author Annette Saunooke
Clapsaddle, an enrolled
citizen of the Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians, in a
"Native American Author
Immersion Event" in
Smithfield this Friday and
Saturday. Scheduled events:
•
A book discussion of her
book, Even As We
Breathe, on Friday
from 10 a.m. to noon at the
Public Library of Johnston
County and Smithfield ($25
admission includes a copy of
the book).
• A free-admission public
presentation, "Cherokee Core
Values," on Friday from 5 to
7 p.m. at the Smithfield
Recreation & Aquatics
Center.
• A writers' workshop, "The
Art of Dialogue," from 9
a.m. till 1 p.m. Saturday at
the Public Library in
Smithfield ($50 fee includes
lunch and a one-year
membership in Triangle East
Writers).
Registration for the event
is online at Native
American Immersion Event
Registration. For
more information, contact
Darlene Williford, the
Arts Council's executive
director, at info@jcartscouncil.org or
919-934-9166, extension
228.
JCCollege to host "Community Open
House" Saturday
The
event begins at 10 a.m.
and continues till 2 p.m.,
including tours of
Johnston Community
College's Smithfield
campus, carnival games,
bounce houses and
inflatables, carnival
food, and "comprehensive
information on academic
programs and exciting
career opportunities.
Admission is free of
charge.
Easter Egg Hunt at Community Park
Sunday afternoon
The
Smithfield Parks &
Recreation Department
invites youngsters to take
part, free of charge,
beginning at 3 p.m. at the
park off Durwood
Stephenson Parkway next to
Smithfield-Selma High
School and the Recreation
& Aquatics Center.
Centenary Church's Holy Week
Re-enactment Sunday
The
public event, free of
admission charge, will be
staged from 4 to 6 p.m. at
several locations in and
near Centenary United
Methodist Church,
including a Palm Sunday 
parade
on Johnston Street, the
Last Supper in the
church's sanctuary, Jesus
on trial inside the
Courthouse, and the
Crucifixion and Empty Tomb
scenes on the church
grounds. Spectators will
be guided from scene to
scene as the Easter story
unfolds.
Here's a photo from
The Smithfield Herald
archives at the Heritage
Center of Centenary
Church's first Easter
re-enactment in 1985.
This scene shows the
arrest of Jesus. Do you
recognize any of the
actors? They're not
identified in the
newspaper's full-page
coverage of the event.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Townhouse
project going up in West
Smithfield
This
is the first phase of
Franklin Townes, a
134-unit townhouse-only
development under
construction at the
intersection of Wilson's
Mills Road and Durwood
Stephenson Parkway.
Meanwhile, new townhouses
are already built and
occupied in the East River
subdivision on Buffalo
Road, and townhouses are
included in several other
pending projects approved
by the town, most of them
in West Smithfield.
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Do
folks reside where they
really want to
live?
Reflecting
on Johnston County's
emergence as one of the
state's "hottest" suburban
counties in attracting new
residents, I came across an
article entitled "Remote
work could jump-start a
renaissance for rural
communities" that
was published online earlier
this week in Capitol
Broadcasting Company's Daily
Opinion Roundup.
“People
don’t live where they
want to live.... They
live where they have to
live.”
That quote in the article
came from Brent Lane,
Executive in Residence for
Economic Strategies at
Ohio University, who says
the coronavirus pandemic
forced many of America's
office workers to start
doing their jobs at home.
How many of them will
continue to do that
remains to be seen.
Wouldn't most folks rather
reside closer to their
places of work and avoid
the hassles of daily
commutes? Instead, far too
many gravitate to
far-flung suburbs like
ours where housing is less
expensive and urban
congestion can be avoided.
Working remotely at home
is certainly one way to
reverse that trend. A more
lasting solution is to
bring those jobs closer to
our small towns and rural
neighborhoods. That's what
Chris Johnson, our
county's director of
economic development, has
been preaching for some
time now. And we're
beginning to see some
encouraging results from
that push by Johnston
County's leadership.
Perhaps someday sooner
rather than later we
Johnstonians can re-phrase
that quotation above to
read: "People live
here because they want
to, and the career
opportunities are in
place to make it happen."
READ the
entire piece, by Leslie
Boney, on jump-starting
rural communities>
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