ARCHIVES of 2025 editions
November 6, 2025
This week's headlines:
• All but one of Smithfield's incumbents re-elected
• Historical Ghost Walk draws record turnout
• Commissioners urged to rise up against funding cuts
• JCC students have new pathway to N.C. State
• Editorial comment on Smithfield's voter turnout
October 30, 2025
This week's headlines:
• New Clayton High School's cost: $134,381,316
• More five-star ratings for Johnston hospitals
• Police offer free mobile app for public contact
• Editorial comment on Smithfield's election challenges
October 23, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield candidates list priorities
• Town Council opens bids for repaving streets
• County's drinking water earns high marks
• Triangle East Chamber names a new CEO
• Editorial comment on Market Street parking
October 16, 2025
This week's headlines:
• SSS celebrates bond with Special Olympics
• What are prospects for school funding cuts?
• Hospital's chief nurse gets Athena Award
• $97,637 raised locally to fight cancer
• Editorial comment on N.C.'s legislative redistricting
October 9, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town proceeding with baseball stadium plan
County pledges $2 million for Smithfield's facility
• Council rejects plan for 1,147-unit subdivision
• County OKs budgets for first greenway, first park
• Retail sales up 10.55% in year's 2nd quarter
Editorial comment on railroad trespassing fatalities
October 2, 2025
This week's headlines:
• JCC unveils Advanced Manufacturing Facility
• Johnston's jobless rate rose to 3.4% in August
• A report on developments in nearby towns:
Selma's Eastfield; new houses at Wilson's Mills & Pine Level
• Editorial comment on Smithfield's link to Selma's RR history
September 25, 2025
This week's headlines:
• COVID vaccinations available at pharmacies
• Jack O'Hale saluted for his 50-year law career
• Airport lands Highway Patrol operations base
• Community Action naming for long-serving director
• Editorial comment on local boards' closed meetings
September 18, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield makes official bid for "Tobs" baseball
• County courtroom-upgrade projects advance
• Transportation plan OK'd with rail emphasis added
• Johnston inspectors honored for Helene relief
• SSS football team gets first win of the season
• Editorial recollections of Leafs' baseball roster
September 11, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield schools post lackluster test results
Leaders tout progress for schools countywide
• JCC gets $565,044 for cybersecurity programs
• Tourist spending in Johnston up 5.2% in 2024
• Editorial comment on Smithfield schools' test scores
September 4, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield to honor its Tuscarora roots
• County delays new stormwater rules till Jan. 1
• Highlights of county's new transportation plan
• We've had a wetter-than-normal summer
• Editorial comment on collegiate-level baseball here
August 28, 2025
This week's headlines:
• On 3rd day of school: brief lockdown at SSS
• New feature: weekly high-school football report
• JCC to offer training for fiber-optic technicians
• Johnston's employment total continues to rise
• A thorough look into the work of Social Services
• Editorial comment on funding for farmland preservation
August 21, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Council fills vacancy with Dr. Gettys Cohen Jr.
• New year starts Monday for most of our schools
Breakfast & lunch are still free of charge for all
• Another double-digit jump in JCC enrollment
• County hikes development & wastewater fees
Editorial thoughts on schools' Public Comment blackout
August 14, 2025
This week's headlines
• Board gives teachers cell-phone discretion
• "Public Comment" blocked from meeting's live-stream
• Countywide revaluation nearing jump of 70%
• UNC Health in full control of county's hospital
• Prison men raise donations for two charities
• Editorial comment (again) on late opening of schools
August 7, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town OKs new Mallard Road subdivision plan
• Retirement of town's ElectriCities debt celebrated
• County mails tax bills based on higher valuations
• Ernie Allsbrook returns as Legion Post commander
• Remembering the Howell Theatre's marquee
July 31, 2025
This week's headlines:
• A whole lot of paving going on
• New principal at SSS; interim at Wilson's Mills
• How do local property-tax rates stack up?
• Visitors Bureau names its new CEO
• Johnston employed record 124,811 in June
• Editorial comment on site of county campus
July 24, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Howell Theatre transactions completed
All Smithfield incumbents face challengers
• Plan unveiled for County Government campus
• Elections board has new members, new chairman
• Editorial comment on Howell Theatre's re-purposing
July 17, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town Council wrestles with land-use decisions
• Update on Smithfield's infrastructure projects
• Employment in Johnston still above 124,000
• Editorial comment on health-care employment boom
July 10, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Contests assured for 3 Town Council seats
• School board split on discrimination policies;
separate policy banning Pride flags adopted
• Assistant DA Jason Waller succeeds DA Doyle
• Downtown's newest shop about skin care, soul
• Editorial comment on Neuse River's risings
July 3, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town Council boosts Howell's preservation
• Council OKs contract for Hastings House renovations
• Spring Branch is getting a "trash trap"
• Town's first assistant manager is on the job
• Another new full-service car wash opens
June 26, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield budget adopted with 45¢ tax rate
• Superintendent's 4-year contract starts at $235,000
• Retail sales up just 4.4% in year's first quarter
• Not quite 100º but HOT nonetheless
• Editorial comment on tax bills vs. inflation
June 19, 2025
This week's headlines:
• County budget adopted with 52¢ tax rate
• School board names David Pearce superintendent
• 12 get scholarships for health-care careers
• High marks for JCC's Nurse Aide program
• Editorial comment on misleading budget spin
June 12, 2025
This week's headlines:
• School board says good-bye to Superintendent Bracy
• School board adopts stricter cell-phone policy
• County names its new Fire Marshal
• Smithfield sees start of major road projects
• Editorial comment on status of N.C. newspapers
June 5, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town's budget hearing draws minimal response
• County budget hearing also short on public input
• Winners of Chamber of Commerce Legacy Awards
• Editorial comment on balloon releases
May 29, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Councilman Marlon Lee dies suddenly at age 51
• Superintendent Bracy going to Cumberland County
• Smithfield-Selma High School graduates 382
• Summer enrollment at JCC another record-setter
• Register of Deeds restores military discharge files
• Editorial comment on Marlon Lee's rise to leadership
May 22, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield's manager recommends 47-cent tax rate
• County manager recommends 64-cent tax rate
• Four added to Johnston EMS Hall of Fame
• Deals in motion to "re-purpose" Howell Theatre
• Town Council gives green light to 3 subdivisions
• Smithfield's population estimated at 12,806
• Editorial comment on partisan school-board elections
May 15, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield Manor sold to N.J.-based chain
• Town budget moves big step closer to completion
• School budget sends budget request to county
• SSS seniors awarded JoCo TEACH scholarships
• UNC Health Johnston thanks 139 volunteers
• Editorial comment on school-board telecasts
May 8, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Market Street "pedestrian friendly" for Ham & Yam
• NCDOT favors removal of Market Street parking
• Outlet Center Drive repaving to be done at last
• County to buy law firm's property for courtrooms
• Editorial comment on change in county incentives
May 1, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Ham & Yam's 39th edition
•"Social District" introduced this week
• Schools seeking $10 million more from county
• Cause of Saturday's power outage "unknown"
• Johnston's employment continues to rise
• Ava Museum's federal grant terminated
• Editorial comment on new farmers market plan
April 24, 2025
This week's headlines:
• W. Smithfield townhouse project proceeds after all
• County commissioner berates Amazon on trucking
• Four more inducted in JCPS Athletic Hall of Fame
• Downtown welcomes in-home health-care provider
• Editorial comment on erosion of "local control"
April 17, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town OKs plan for old hotel's renovation
• Downtown restaurant plans major expansion
• New Middle Creek bridge opens ahead of schedule
• Johnston's Young Democrats "Chapter of the Year"
• Editorial comment on passing of Georgianna McLean
April 10, 2025
This week's headlines:
• LuLong was perhaps our most famous celebrity
• School board votes 5-2 against partisan elections
• Traffic safety tops citizens' worries at town forums
• County got more than 5,700 revaluation appeals
Editorial comment on communities' postal identity
April 3, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Commissioners set priorities for new facilities
• Council rescinds West Smithfield townhouse plan
• Ham & Yam poster design unveiled
• March rainfall normal; year-to-date still lags
• Editorial comment on new property-tax rates
March 27, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Draft town budget: tax rate "less than 50 cents"
• Police chief addresses East Smithfield concerns
• Fiscally "sound" county sells more school bonds
• Elections director is state association's president
• Record 124,107 Johnstonians employed in January
• Editorial comment on the costs of land-use choices
March 20, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Smithfield prioritizes stepped-up street resurfacing
• Council OKs townhouses in place of apartments
• Residents fear pending sale will end theatre's run
• Sixth consecutive award for robotics team at SSS
• Schools' gender-discrimination rules left intact
• Editorial comment on Choice Plus Academy
March 13, 2025
This week's headlines:
• School board urged to protect gender references
• Options given for Innovation Academy, Choice Plus
• Chamber launches "Prosperity Initiative"
• Tourism spending in Johnston: 4.9% gain
• Editorial comment on teachers' pay vs. police pay
March 6, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Town Council gets Downtown traffic options
• Fire and police departments to be "fully staffed"
• 5,676 informal revaluation appeals filed
• Two key county officers to retire April 1
• SSS joins Clayton, Cleveland in new sports league
• Editorial comment on soul music and race relations
February 27, 2025
This week's headlines:
• How many replacements for cleared trees?
• 32,000 Johnstonians have degrees or credentials
• A shelter for the homeless when it's bitterly cold
• Editorial comments on high-school sports, Downtown trucks
February 20, 2025
This week's headlines:
• A second snowfall (with sleet) ices our streets
• County adds funds to JCC tuition-grant program
• Neuse Charter now asking county for $16 million
• Town paying $456,210 for amphitheater restrooms
• US 301 river bridge scheduled for replacement
• Editorial comment on coverage of high-school sports
February 13, 2025
This week's headlines:
• SSS senior is a state swim champion
• New school calendar continues current set-up
• High-school dropout rates show improvement
• Smithfield reports overall 2% rise in crime
• Editorial comment on school board's lack of minorities
February 6, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Jeff Sullivan chosen to join Board of Education
• Full staffing of town's police force almost done
• Two large N. Smithfield subdivision plans advance
• Audit: county's Fund Balance rose to $269 million
• Olivia and Liam county's top baby names in '24
• Editorial comment on four-way stops, speed bumps
January 30, 2025
This week's headlines:
• JCPS Innovation Academy: which way from here?
• Heritage Center gets grant for local-history teaching
• Our state legislators get committee assignments
• State wants fewer left turns along 301 North
• Editorial comment on needed state reforms
January 23, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Jury convicts Ronald Johnson on all charges;
removed from school board, he's sent to prison
• 40,753 now enrolled in Johnston's K-12 schools:
37,061 in traditional schools, 3,692 in charters
• At last: a little bit of snow
• Editorial comment on Johnson's delayed trial
January 16, 2025
This week's headlines:
• South Smithfield is now an "IB World School"
• Finance chief expects schools to break even this year
• Airport's new director is "Top Gun" – really!
• County presents donation to Samaritan's Purse
• Editorial comment on where Downtown's headed
January 9, 2025
This week's headlines:
• Property revaluation's "sticker shock" hits home
• Smithfield police officers get body cams
• JCC breaks yet another enrollment record
• Retail sales up 6% in 2024's 3rd quarter
• Editorial comment on revaluation notices
January 2, 2025
This week's headlines:
• THE PAST YEAR'S MAIN EVENTS:
New-home plans the highlight of Smithfield's year
Two of biggest N.C. job deals close to home
A good year for incumbents seeking re-election
2024 rainfall: 56.93 inches – above normal (again)
• County's water works continue to earn high marks
• Editorial comment on the Weekly Sun's mission
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2024 EDITIONS
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2023 EDITIONS
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2022 EDITIONS
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2021 EDITIONS
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2020 EDITIONS
VIEW ARCHIVES FOR 2019 EDITIONS
RETURN TO THE CURRENT EDITION