The parking lots at Johnston Community College are filling up fast these days.

JCCollege registers another enrollment record

Johnston Community College has reached record-breaking enrollment for a third consecutive semester with 5,708 degree-seeking students at the start of the fall term. That's an increase of nearly 1,000 students above last fall's enrollment.

Applications to JCC have surged by 18% since last fall, reflecting growing demand for affordable, high-quality education, states a news release from the college.

Nearly 1,000 recent high-school graduates are attending JCC tuition-free, thanks to the JoCo Commissioners Promise which provides "last dollar" funding. Additionally, the NEXT NC scholarship program offers free community-college tuition to households earning less than $80,000 per year.

READ MORE about enrollment opportunities and financial aid at JCC>

County grants JCC $386,000 for "urgent needs"

Johnston's County Commissioners, meeting Tuesday instead of Monday because of the Labor Day holiday, approved President Vern Lindquist's request for three "urgent needs" at Johnston Community College:
• $50,000 to match a $500,000 state grant to begin a respiratory-care program.
• $185,000 to outfit a room in its emergency-management training program for "simulation recording software."
• $151,000 for another "Echo Immersion Room" for EMS training.

Dr. Lindquist acknowledged that the request is outside the county's normal "budget cycle" but emphasized the extra funding is needed now in response to JCC's unprecedented enrollment growth as well as accreditation issues.

Commissioner Patrick Harris, a former EMS manager, pointed out that JCC's program not only prepares new recruits for the county's EMS department but also provides ongoing training for existing staff. "You've got a really great program," he told Dr. Lindquist.

The current year's county budget earmarks $1.2 million for capital expenditures at JCC. The appropriation approved by commissioners this week will be added to that.

Meanwhile, $30 million of a proposed county budget issue before Johnston's voters this fall is designated for JCC, mostly for expansion of the college's Public Safety training facilities.

Neuse Charter School's enrollment rises to 928

Neuse Charter's Superintendent Melissa Blackwell returned to the County Commissioners Tuesday to share numbers about enrollment and to renew a request for $8 million to build a second classroom building. The school, located on Durwood Stephenson Parkway across from Smithfield-Selma High School, is in its 17th year of operation.

Dr. Blackwell said this fall's enrollment has reached 928, with 903 of its students Johnston County residents including 305 from Smithfield's ZIP code, 246 from Clayton's, and 167 from Selma's. This past February she had reported enrollment of 892 when she first approached commissioners to ask for a county grant for the proposed classroom addition.

"This request is a proper role of government," Commissioner Fred Smith declared Tuesday, "because (1) they are a public school and (2) they are good stewards of taxpayers' money."

Dr. Blackwell told commissioners Neuse Charter finished this past year with an operating surplus of $843,388, which could help finance the new classrooms. But she also said inflation has likely pushed the project's cost closer to $9 million.

Commissioners took no action Tuesday on her request for a county grant.

Wilson's Mills Fire Department to build a new station

Commissioners approved a tax-exempt loan of $2.5 million for a permanent fire station at the department's temporary auxiliary station at 1988 Gordon Road. Chief Bentley Powell said the department had selected Jackson Builders of Goldsboro to construct the new building at a price of $2,682,100. It will be built on property donated by Novo Nordisk, the chief noted. First Citizens Bank was low bidder on the 15-year note with an interest rate of 4.91%.

County gets final report on COVID relief for households

Commissioners closed out a $900,000 federal grant program that provided rental assistance to 72 Johnston County households, mortgage payments to 104 households, and utility assistance to 259 households. Skip Green, who administered the grant through the county's Department of Social Services, noted that the grant was aimed to help low and moderate-income households "whose income was adversely affected by COVID." The individual payments were made directly to landlords, mortgage companies, and utility providers.

Appointments to new Fire Commission, Heritage board

Commissioners voted by written ballots Tuesday to select appointees to seven seats on the newly established Fire Protection Service District Commission and a single open seat on the Johnston County Heritage Commission.
• Fire chiefs Chris Ellington of Cleveland, Alan Johnson of Benson, John Beasley of Bentonville, and Barry Stanley of Four Oaks were chosen to fill two-year terms on the Fire Commission; chiefs Kendall Hocutt of Antioch, Jeremey Daughtry of Smithfield, and Chadwick Ward of Brogden were selected to fill one-year terms. Seventeen had applied for the seven positions.
• Vann F. Stancil of Jerusalem Church Road, Kenly was chosen from three candidates for the Heritage Commission vacancy.

County pledges $301,067 for conservation easements

At their August 19 mid-month session, the County Commissioners agreed to allocate $301,067 in next year's county budget to match $3.4 million in federal funding and $1.7 million from the state to purchase conservation easements covering 1,024 acres of Johnston County farmland in the year ahead. Greg Walker, director of the Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District, said his agency is arranging the purchases involving 11 properties with a total "easement value" of $10,669,000.

FINANCE STAFF EARNS NATIONAL HONOR – AGAIN

For the 14th consecutive year, the County of Johnston Finance Department has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. According to the county's announcement, the honor is "the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting." Pictured is the team primarily responsible for the achievement: (left to right) Chad McLamb, Deborah Fields, Robin Hartley, Fay Benavidez, Kathy Kyle, April Wilkinson, Martha Lasater, Pam Radford, and Tyson Radford. (County of Johnston photo)

"Trusted by families since 1977"
840 S. Bright Leaf Blvd. • 919-934-7164 • www.carrollpharmacy.com
PILL PACKAGING • FREE LOCAL DELIVERY • CONVENIENT DRIVE-THRU

94 additional townhouses
approved for West Smithfield

Following a public hearing that drew no opposition at the August 20 meeting of the Smithfield Town Council, members present voted 5-0 to approve a special-use permit for a 94-unit townhouse project on vacant land in West Smithfield.

The 9.6-acre site is owned by Dan Heavner. Paul Embler of TerraEden Landscape & Design presented the plan, which includes extending Hartley Drive west of Coates Drive to provide access to the project. Although the site extends northward to Durwood Stephenson Parkway, no access is planned from that roadway.

Following another public hearing at the August 20 session that drew no opposition, the council agreed to rezone a 0.38-acre tract on Massey Street between Sixth and Seventh streets to allow construction of three single-family detached houses. Adams & Hodge Engineering presented that plan in behalf of the property owner, Twin States Farming (Holding family).

A third rezoning case on that evening's agenda was withdrawn by the applicant, Samuel O'Brien, who had requested the town's permission to construct 16 townhouses on 1.88 acres off Waddell Drive.

Council members Marlon Lee and Sloan Stevens as well as Mayor Andy Moore were absent from the August 20 session.

Town to add stormwater fees to 2025 tax bills

The amounts are yet to be determined but are likely to be as high as $72 for a typical residence and much more for commercial properties.

The Town Council decided Tuesday evening to choose annual property-tax bills rather than monthly utility bills as the vehicle for collecting the fees that will feed a Stormwater Enterprise Fund making the town eligible for Stormwater Infrastructure Investment grants from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.s
Town Manager Mike Scott recommended that the town ask for inclusion in state legislation that authorizes specific municipalities to collect stormwater fees in the same manner as it assesses and collects property taxes, including liens on delinquent accounts. Neighboring towns already on that list include Garner, Knightdale, Wendell, and Zebulon.

While exact amounts of Smithfield's fees will be determined at a subsequent Town Council meeting, we do know that the basis will be the average amount of impervious surface measured within bounds of the town's residential properties. KCI Engineering, a stormwater consulting firm employed by the town last year, has determined that Smithfield's average – the town's Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) – is 4,111 square feet.

Mr. Scott told the council Tuesday that the town's staff is recommending a charge of $72 per ERU. Council members looked upon that as a maximum, suggesting it could be lower. And while that amount would be applied to most if not all of the town's residential properties, it would be higher for larger commercial and industrial tracts.

Because the fee would be assessed for the first time on 2025 tax bills along with revised property-tax rates following this year's real-estate revaluation by the county, Mr. Scott suggested the council could adjust the town's tax rate next year to offset the additional expense of stormwater fees on Smithfield's property owners.

Downtown Development board gets a new member

The council confirmed the appointment of Andrew Wagner of the Little Brown Jug to the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation's Board of Directors.
VIEW the list of board members posted on the DSDC website>

July and August brought us a surplus of rainfall

Rainfall in August totaled 7.87 inches, including 4.89 inches produced by Tropical Storm Debby, on the heels of 11.51 inches recorded in July at Cornell Cox's Backyard Weather Station in South Smithfield. That brings our year-to-date total to 40.86 inches, well above Smithfield's average of 34.26 inches through August, according to U.S. Climate Data>

Jobless rate is up, yet a record 109,661 employed

Johnston County's unemployment rate rose to 3.9% in July – up from 3.7% in June and 3.2% in May. Even so, the number of Johnstonians employed remains steady, and actually rose to a new all-time high of 109,661 in July, according to the latest monthly report from the N.C. Department of Commerce. The statewide jobless rate also went up in July – to 4.3%, same as the national rate for the month.
VIEW the complete July report for all N.C. counties>

Johnston visitor spending up 4.9% (6.9% statewide)

Visitor spending in North Carolina during 2023 rose 6.9% to reach a record-high $35.6 billion. In Johnston County, visitors spent $298,950,000 last year – an increase of 4.9% over 2022's number. That places Johnston 28th in the state in total visitor spending, and third among counties in the Triangle region behind Wake (just under $3.3 billion) and Durham (just over $1.1 billion).

Breaking down Johnston's total, our visitors spent $103.42 million on food and beverages, $69.86 million on transportation, $61.68 million on lodging, $40.18 million on recreation, and $23.81 million on retail purchases, according to the latest annual report from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. (A Johnston County Visitors Bureau news release notes that the state's report excludes retail spending and employment at Carolina Premium Outlets "as the research is not customized for Johnston County.")

The statewide report shows a 4.8% increase in "direct tourism employment" last year – rising to 227,224 workers. Johnston County accounted for 2,003 of those employees with total income of $76.4 million.

“Johnston County’s tourism industry is certainly growing, with two new hotels opening soon in Benson and Smithfield and several under development in the county," stated the Johnston bureau's CEO Donna Bailey-Taylor. "We anticipate visitor spending to follow suit with the growth coming in 2024-25 and the opening of Eastfield Crossing in Selma.”

WHAT'S COMING UP

E.T. is free movie at Neuse River Amphitheater this Friday

The town's "Movie in the Park" series continues with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Neuse River Amphitheater. Sponsored by the Smithfield Parks & Recreation Department, the showing is free of admission charge.

Another monthly concert series coming to the amphitheater

"Fall Fridays on Front" is its name of the series of three performances scheduled this fall at the outdoor venue below Front Street beside the old Legion Hut:
• September 13 – U.B.U. the Band, "fun time variety band."
• October 11 – Chris Hagan Band, "energetic pop, rock & country."
• November 8 – One 80 Band, "hometown high energy rock."
All three concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. The series is a product of the Town of Smithfield's Parks & Recreation Department.

School board's monthly meeting scheduled next Tuesday

Johnston County's Board of Education convenes at 4 p.m. September 10 with a closed session followed by the open business session that usually begins around 5 p.m. at the Evander S. Simpson Building on US 70 Business east of Smithfield.
VIEW the agenda once it's posted online>

Important dates for November 5 General Election voters

September 6 – Absentee voting by mail begins. Those ballots must be returned in person or delivered by mail to the Johnston County Board of Elections office in Smithfield before the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 5
October 11 – N.C. statutory deadline to be registered to vote in the November 5 election, although you may sign up at early-voting sites through November 2.
October 17 – Early voting begins at nine locations throughout the county, including the First Baptist Church Ministry Center in Smithfield.
October 29 – Last day for civilians to request absentee ballots (November 4 for overseas military service personnel and their families).
MORE DETAILS on the Johnston County Board of Elections website>

DEATHS & FUNERALS

A rundown of obituaries posted online since the Sun's edition of August 15.
Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home.

RAMONA HOBGOOD CASH, 94 – died September 1

MARY RUTH BIZZELL, 96 – died August 31

DAVID OLIVE STEPHENS, 77 – died August 30

MARY LOUISE HOBBS, 70 – died August 29

ALTHA PEARL HAMBY, 76 – died August 28

WILLIE ROGER GOODWIN, 70 – died August 26

EVA MAE PITTMAN BAKER, 94 – died August 24

TIMOTHY LEE JERNIGAN, 61 – died August 23

ANN LEE HUCKENBECK, 88 – died August 22

LENA H. BAILEY, 95 – died August 20

VERA TERRY LEE COX, 84 – died August 18

CARL EDWARD LAMM, 97 – died August 15

NORMAN BRIDGERS GRANTHAM JR., 90 – died August 14

SHIRLEY FANN BAKER HAYES, 88 – died August 14

A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR

Johnston County has gained 7,824 jobs post-COVID
It's the fifth largest increase among all of N.C.'s counties

That news comes from a nationwide report published in The New York Times last week. It presents statistics compiled from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, and includes a searchable database for each and every county in the United States – for the period 2019, just prior to COVID's onset, till 2023.

"The U.S. job market has recovered from a pandemic loss, but the recovery has been uneven: The South is booming, while parts of the Midwest have struggled," reads the newspaper's summary of its findings.

Not surprisingly, Mecklenburg and Wake counties registered the most jobs growth in our state during those years: 65,262 for Charlotte's region, 64,516 for Raleigh's. New Hanover (Wilmington) followed with 11,191 new jobs, Cabarrus (suburban Charlotte) with 8,126, then Johnston with 7,824 – an increase of 15%, surpassed only by Brunswick County's 20% based on 6,474 new jobs there. Four of our neighboring counties – Wayne, Wilson, Nash, and Sampson – saw declines in total employment from 2019 to 2023.

Chris Johnson, Johnston's director of economic development, was understandably pleased with the reported growth in jobs here, calling it "a testament to the hard work and leadership of our County Commissioners, city council members, and advisory board members." He continued: "Although tremendous and welcomed news, the task at the Economic Development Office is far from complete. Nearly 70% of our current working citizens still leave every day to find quality employment. Recently we challenged ourselves and began promoting the '30 for 30' Jobs Campaign. This jobs initiative is to reduce this 70% down to 30% by the year 2030."

In addition to the job-growth numbers for 2019-2023, the Times report also included a breakdown in where those new jobs arose. For Johnston, the Education and Health sector saw a 60% gain in employment, followed by 31% in Business Services, 25% in Construction, 18% in Finance, 17% in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, 14% in Leisure and Hospitality, and 10% in Manufacturing.

Add to all that the fact that the number of Johnston County residents holding jobs has also grown dramatically – to a record monthly high of 109,661 (state's report for July). In January 2019, the number of employed Johnstonians totaled 92,410. Following the onset of COVID, that number dropped temporarily – to 82,005 in June 2020. What a mountain we have climbed since then!

A big reason for Johnston County's recent employment growth is the huge Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical campus east of Clayton. Since 2016 the company has completed one major expansion and this summer announced a $4.1-billion project that will add another thousand jobs. (Photo from Novo Nordisk website)

Subscribers to this edition: 1,560

MISS A PREVIOUS EDITION?
You'll find it in the Weekly Sun archives>

the SMITHFIELD WEEKLY SUN

is a product of Hometown Heritage Publishing Inc.
send e-mail to Wingate Lassiter, sole proprietor

FINANCE STAFF EARNS NATIONAL HONOR – AGAIN

94 additional townhouses approved for West Smithfield