EARLY VOTING BEGAN TODAY, ENDS NOV. 2
The
Smithfield early-voting
site is the same as
before: the First Baptist
Church Ministry Center
beside Johnston Street
between South Fourth and
Fifth streets. Weekly
polling hours are 8 a.m.
till 7:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. till
3 p.m. Saturday.
And if you're not yet
registered to vote in
Johnston County, you may
sign up and cast your
ballot with "one stop" at
any of Johnston County's
nine early-voting sites.
Be reminded that ID's must
be shown before voters are
permitted to cast their
ballots. Here are the
rules>
• VIEW
early-voting details,
including a list of the
sites>
• VIEW the
complete SAMPLE BALLOT for
voters residing in
Smithfield's precincts>
• VIEW
basic information about
the candidates in county
and district contests as
well as county bond issues
for Johnston's public
schools and community
college>
As
of October 1, Johnston
County had 161,884
registered voters,
including 59,371 as
Republican, 40,627 as
Democrat, 59,891 as
Unaffiliated, 1,203 as
Libertarian.
Chamber
of Commerce "Candidates
Connection" posts videos
The
Triangle East Chamber sent
questionaires to
candidates for county and
district offices on
Johnston County's ballots,
asking them to submit
brief video responses.
Here are those in
contested races appearing
on Smithfield's ballots
who responded:
For Board of
Education – Lyn
Andrews, Kay Carroll,
April Lee, David Spain,
Jeff Sullivan, and Rick
Walker (Ronald Johnson and
Jason Shuler did not
participate).
For N.C. Senate
– Felicia Baxter and
Benton Sawrey (Christopher
Sessions did not
participate).
For N.C. House of
Representatives
– Tawanda Shepard (Larry
Strickland did not
participate).
For U.S. Congress
– Frank Pierce (Brad Knott
did not participate).
Here's the
link to the Chamber
website where the
responses are posted>
IT'S STREET-RESURFACING TIME IN SMITHFIELD
Three
blocks of North Fourth
Street (shown here)
were getting the treatment
on Wednesday – part of a $246,305
contract with Daniels Inc. of
Garner
approved by the Town Council
in August. Other streets
included in this round of
repaving: two
blocks of South First Street,
one block of North Avenue, two
blocks of Dr. CJ Allen Drive,
Cherry Street, Dail Street
entryway, one block of Church
Street, three blocks of South
Fifth, and one block of Forbes
Drive. The money comes from
the town's annual share of
state Powell Bill funds
designated for local street
maintenance.
Council
favors apartments over
more townhouses
Developer's
request to alter
previously approved
plan denied
The
Smithfield Town Council's
decision Tuesday night was
unanimous: A previously
approved plan for a large
residential subdivision
across US 70 Business from
the Amazon warehouse will
NOT be changed to replace
its apartment component
with additional
townhouses.
"Smithfield is getting
less and less affordable,"
declared Councilman Sloan
Stevens. "We need that
mix" – of apartments,
townhouses, and
single-family houses
initially proposed by
Carolina Land Group, LLC
for its project first
labeled as "Floyd Landing"
but now under the name
"Finley Landing."
The plan
approved by the Town
Council in September 2021
(shown here)
calls for 669 housing
units on almost 200 acres:
89 single-family dwellings
(shown in red at the
top), 220
townhouses (light gray
in the middle), and
360 apartments (darker
gray at the bottom).
Portions of the project
are now under
construction.
Speaking for the
developers at Tuesday's
public hearing, Joe
Faulkner asked the council
for permission to
eliminate the project's
apartment component and
replace it with another
168 townhouses beyond
what's presently approved.
He cited "the lending
environment" as the
builder's reason for
seeking the change.
Councilman Stevens,
especially, was insistent
that the plan remain
unchanged. "I was sold on
this because they were
nice apartments with nice
amenities," he said –
something that would
"attract young people" to
Smithfield.
Mayor Andy Moore pointed
out that more than 70% of
recently approved new
residential units within
the town's jurisdiction
are townhouses. That's "a
little unbalanced," he
said.
Prior to Tuesday's vote,
Mr. Faulkner said Finley
Landing's developers
"haven't ruled out
apartments," regardless of
the council's decision.
The town's Planning
Department as well as its
Planning Board, by
unanimous vote, had
recommended approval of
the developer's altered
plan.
Market
Street sidewalks to get
concrete in place of
bricks
The
Town Council approved a
$37,456 contract with
David Hinton Construction
of Middlesex to replace
the brick pavers behind
the curbs along two blocks
of Market Street in the
heart of Downtown with
stamped concrete. Public
Works Director Lawrence
Davis said the
six-inch-deep concrete
should hold up better
under the weight of
vehicles that park over
the curb.
But Mayor Andy Moore was
quick to remind folks the
public that such parking
is illegal. "If we spend
this money I really,
really, really want the
Police Department
enforcing no parking on
the curbs," he declared.
Because the pouring of the
concrete must be done when
daytime temperatures reach
at least 75 degrees, the
work won't be done till
next spring, Mr. Davis
said. The project should
take about two weeks to
complete and will require
alternating lane closures
along Market between
Second and Fourth streets,
he noted.
Town
seeking grant to add
sidewalk beside Venture
Drive
The
council agreed to
authorize staff to apply
for a federal grant to pay
the lion's share of a
million-dollar project to
construct a sidewalk along
one side of Venture Drive
from its intersection with
Peedin Road to Outlet
Center Drive.
Planning Director Stephen
Wensman recommended that
the sidewalk be built on
the west side of Venture
Drive because it's less
developed with fewer
easement issues than the
other side, but Councilman
David Barbour said it
ought to be put on the
east side where more
businesses currently
stand. Mr. Wensman said a
decision on which side is
chosen could be deferred
until the grant is
awarded.
The grant would come from
the federal Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement Program. The
Town of Smithfield would
be required to put up 20%
of total funding needed to
complete the project.
West
Smithfield's street-side
ditches to be cleaned
out
The
council approved a
contract with Vision NC,
LLC of Raleigh to clean
out pipes beneath
driveways and
intersections on a dozen
or so residential streets
in West Smithfield that
lack curbs and gutters.
Vision submitted the
winning bid at $5,940 for
each 10-hour day of work.
Public Works Director
Davis said the project is
expected to take two to
three weeks to complete.
He assured the council
that his staff will clean
the open ditches as the
contractor finishes each
segment of its pipe work.
Police
to purchase two used
vehicles to stretch
budget
The
council approved, without
discussion as part of the
meeting's Consent Agenda,
the Police Department's
purchase of two used
vehicles – a 2020
Chevrolet Tahoe with
11,632 miles and a 2018
Ford Explorer with 18,345
miles – for a total cost
of $65,000 from Asia
Motors, an Illinois-based
dealer which specializes
in used government
vehicles.
Chief of Police Pete
Hedrick noted in a memo to
the council that the
vehicles will be used "for
investigative and patrol
use." He said "buying
these two used vehicles
will allow the department
to purchase two additional
new vehicles, all while
staying within budget,"
which is $110,000 for
police vehicles this
fiscal year.
The
new addition was built on
the back side (far right)
of the original Mental
Health Center, which
opened in the early 1970s
beside Johnston Memorial
Hospital.
Behavioral
Health Department
expansion completed
From UNC Health Johnston
UNC
Health Johnston has
wrapped up a
6,430-square-foot addition
to its Behavioral Health
Department. The
$4.8-million project –
funded by the state –
includes space for six
additional inpatient beds,
bringing the total to 26.
Since the pandemic, the
hospital has seen the
demand for mental-health
services increase with
even more cases of
anxiety, depression, and
drug use. Before then, and
even now with extra space,
the department is full
most days.
Dr. Hasan Baloch, medical
director of behavioral
health services, said the
extra beds will enable the
team to treat more
patients and turn over
rooms more quickly. The
new beds are expected to
free up space in the
Emergency Department where
psychiatric patients
sometimes wait extended
periods of time for
admission.
“When our Behavioral
Health Department is full,
we have to refer patients
to hospitals in other
counties – some as
far as two or three hours
away," said Dr. Baloch.
"Having more beds will
improve access to local
inpatient psychiatric
care.”
The expansion improves the
department’s efficiency,
comfort, and safety. Two
of the new patient rooms
are larger to accommodate
wheelchairs. Two
glass-paned conference
rooms feel open yet
private enough for patient
interviews or phone calls
to families involved in
patient care. Other
features include two
seclusion rooms, a second
nurses’ station, and sets
of double doors that can
separate the new and
original sides of the
department, if needed.
Construction also included
changes to the original
12,624-square-foot
building. There is now a
dedicated break room for
staff, a larger patient
and family visiting room,
and updated bathrooms in
patient rooms.
...and
a new director is on the
job
Brent
Thornton is the new
director of behavioral
health services. Prior to
joining UNC Health
Johnston in August, he was
a nurse manager for the
inpatient behavioral
health unit at the VA
Medical Center in
Fayetteville. He has more
than 18 years of clinical
and leadership experience
in emergency and
behavioral-health nursing.
He said his experience
with treating veterans has
strengthened his
communication skills and
ability to build care
plans with empathy.
WHAT'S COMING
UP
20th annual Riverside Cemetery Ghost
Walk next week
The
Johnston County Heritage
Center will stage its 20th
annual Ghost Walk next
Thursday, October 24 in
Smithfield’s historic
Riverside Cemetery.
Beginning at 6 p.m. six
personalities from 18th
Century Johnston County will
be brought "back to life."
Visitors will be greeted at
the corner of Second and
Church streets beside St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church,
where they will begin guided
group tours through the
cemetery.
The line-up includes
Mary Artis, Revolutionary
War widow (portrayed by
Carolyn Beckwith); Lydia
Wood, Colonial housewife
(portrayed by Tess Garnett);
Col. William Bryan
(portrayed by Carlton
Vinson); Jeremiah Smith,
enslaved Revolutionary War
messenger (portrayed by
Nathaniel Bush); Governor
Richard Caswell (portrayed
by Matt Dean); and the Rev.
John Moore, pioneer Baptist
minister (portrayed by the
Rev. Thomas
Collings).
Author James Parker will be
on hand in the Hastings
House on Front Street during
the event to sign copies of
his new book, Ghostly
North Carolina, which
includes a number of
Johnston County ghost
stories. Organists Kelley
Garris and Colton Barber
will offer haunting music on
the Zimmer organ inside St.
Paul’s Church.
Admission charge is $5 for
adults and $3 for students,
payable at the event. No
advance tickets will be
sold.
County
Commissioners face a
short agenda Monday
The
regular third-Monday
session will begin at 6
p.m. in the Courthouse. A
decision on the board's
appointment of a successor
to ousted Commissioner
Dickie Braswell is not
scheduled. The deadline
for candidates to apply is
3 p.m. October 25.
VIEW the
complete agenda for
Monday's board
meeting>
"Trusted
by families since
1977"
840
S. Bright Leaf Blvd.
• 919-934-7164
• www.carrollpharmacy.com
MEDICARE
OPEN ENROLLMENT TIME
IS NOW. WE CAN HELP!
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
1954's Hurricane Hazel didn't produce
flooding like we've seen
from more recent storms,
but it did uproot many
trees as shown in this
photo from The
Smithfield Herald. The
damaged residence shown
here stood near the
corner of Fourth and
Bridge streets. READ the
National Weather
Service's summary of
Hazel's fury>
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
70 years since I got first-hand
hurricane knowledge
October
15, 1954 was the day
Hurricane Hazel came
blasting through
Smithfield. For a
seven-year-old second
grader, it was one of
life's unforgettable
moments.
We were in school that
morning when we got orders
to go home. My sister and
I made the uneventful
five-block walk, then sat
down with my mother to eat
lunch even as the storm
began to make is presence
known. Ironically, in
retrospect, my father was
away at a newspaper
gathering in the western
part of the state when
Hazel hit here – but not
there.
As the storm passed
through, I don't remember
the power going out.
Rather, the thing that got
our attention was a "THUD"
from the crashing down of
a mammoth oak tree that
stood just a few feet from
the front of our
one-year-old residence.
Fortunately for us, that
big old tree fell away
from our house – and was
so large its top landed on
the other side of Sunset
Drive (still unpaved at
the time). On its way down
it took out two other
mature trees. We lost a
fourth one behind the
garage that had provided
shade for our "sand pile"
(a popular thing for
children in those days).
After my father had made
it back home, I remember
riding around town looking
at the damage: mostly
uprooted trees, with a
handful of structures
crushed. One scene that
stuck with me was looking
down the 400 block of
South Fourth Street in the
old "Brooklyn"
neighborhood where several
large fallen oaks still
blocked the street.
Another memory seared in
my brain is the sight of
my mother cooking
breakfast over some sort
of fire in our backyard
driveway. Guess we kids
thought that was pretty
neat, especially since
"camping out" was not
something our family
normally did.
As shocking as Hazel's
damage appeared to us
youngsters, it was "minor"
in comparison to what the
folks in Western N.C. have
endured this fall. I've
viewed scores of videos
posted on Facebook over
the past week or so that
illustrate better than
words the power of the
floods that rained down
from the mountaintops.
I don't think we had a
host of volunteers
descending upon our town
after Hazel to help put
things back together. But
those western folks have
surely needed that help,
and I'm heartened to learn
about all the good works
going on there to lift up
Tar Heel neighbors the
helpers didn't even know
till they arrived.
Speaking of
the Western N.C.
disaster, here's an
excellent video of the
local relief drive and
delivery effort
coordinated by the
Johnston County
Sheriff's Department>
Subscribers
to this edition: 1,574
MISS
A PREVIOUS EDITION?
You'll find
it in the Weekly
Sun archives>
the SMITHFIELD
WEEKLY SUN
|
