Content produced by WINGATE LASSITER unless credited otherwise
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Johnston moving up in educational advancement

Almost 32,000 young people have degrees or credentials

A report just released by MyFuture NC says the state has almost 1.7-million residents 25-44 years of age who have attained an academic degree or professional credential – a gain of 15% since a campaign launched by the N.C. General Assembly in 2019 set a goal of 2-million attaining that level of education and training by 2030.

The report shows 53% of Johnston County's residents age 25-44 now hold a degree or credential – up from 47.4% in 2019. The local numbers are shown on a chart provided by MyFutureNC:



Additional educational statistics for Johnston County in the report:

• 78.9% of Johnston's K-12 students attended traditional public schools last year, 7.3% enrolled in charter schools, 2.7% in private schools, 11% home-schooled.

• 30.6% of Johnston's eligible 4-year-olds were enrolled in the N.C. Pre-K program last year (57.2% statewide).

• 30.8% of Johnston's students in grades 3-8 earned "college-and-career-ready scores" in reading last year (29.8% statewide), 35.8% in math (36.5% statewide).

• 22.8% of the county's students were "chronically absent" from school in 2023 (27.5% statewide).

• Johnston County's student-to-counselor ratio in our public schools was 417:1 last year (328:1 in peer counties).

• Top destinations in 2023 for Johnstonians attending college: 5,522 to Johnston Community College, 1,857 to Wake Technical Community College, 851 to East Carolina University.

Breakdown of educational levels among Johnston County's residents (2023):
• 7.6% hold graduate or professional degrees.
• 24.3% hold bachelor's degrees.
• 13.6% hold associate degrees.
• 7.5% hold short-term credentials.
• 12.9% have some college education, no credentials.
• 24.7% are high-school graduates without additional education.
• 9.4% have less than a high-school education.

VIEW the complete annual report produced by MyFutureNC>
 

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   Realtor Susan Lassiter has what it takes to sell Smithfield. 
"With my knowledge about the community and my experience in real estate, I know this is a good time to sell your property. Call me to discuss your listing plans."
• Licensed real estate agent since 1992
• Real estate broker since 2001
• Served on the Smithfield Town Council for 8 years
• Past president, Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce
• Past president, Downtown Smithfield Development Corp.
• Past president, Rotary Club of Smithfield

SUSAN LASSITER, Broker, Fonville Morisey Realty 919-669-9235

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A shelter for the homeless when it's bitterly cold

Street Reach JoCo – a non-profit organization – sets up a shelter for homeless persons whenever the weather forecast calls for nighttime conditions below the freezing point. It's housed at West Smithfield's First Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the agency recruits volunteers to help round up those in need and share suppers with them, sometimes around campfires (as shown in this Facebook photo posted by the church). The homeless persons are picked up around 7 p.m., spend the night inside the church, and are returned to their various abodes at 7 a.m. the next morning. A calendar on the Street Reach website shows a dozen "White Flag" shelter nights this past month, including an entire week February 16-23. Thankfully, this week's milder weather has brought those folks some relief.
 

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Tucker Twisdale of Smithfield, a retired teacher, receives a Hydrangea Pin from Becky Kuszmaul, treasurer of the local Alpha Beta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, in recognition of 37 years of service with the organization. Ann Parrish of Benson also got a pin – for 51 years of participation. Delta Kappa Gamma – DKG – is an international society with a mission statement on its website that reads: "We promote professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education." (Photo from Sonya Kiser)
 

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 WHAT'S COMING UP 
Listed here are community events open to the public free of admission charge:

County Commissioners' regular first-Monday sessions

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at its 10 a.m. meeting Monday at the Courthouse on a plan to finance construction of a portion of the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Four Oaks and a classroom addition at Cleveland High School with loans up to $30 million beyond recently approved bond issues. VIEW the complete agenda for the morning session>

At the 6 p.m. meeting, commissioners will hold hearings on three land-use zoning cases, including a request to rezone 25.9 acres around the Stevens Sausage plant off Brogden Road from Agricultural Residential to Industrial 2-Conditional Zoning.
VIEW the complete agenda for the evening session>

Town Council to get Downtown traffic proposals Tuesday

The Smithfield Town Council will receive a Downtown Smithfield Transportation Study when it meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall. The report includes several alternatives for re-configuring traffic lanes, parking, and sidewalks along Market Street and a proposal for one-way pairing of Second and Third streets.
VIEW the complete agenda with details of the Downtown Transportation Study>

APPEARANCE COMMISSION'S CHAIR REAPPOINTED

The Smithfield Town Council at last week's meeting reappointed Kaitlyn Tarley to the Appearance Commission (NOT to the Downtown Development board as the Weekly Sun incorrectly reported in last week's e-mailed edition). Pictured on the town's website are most of the Appearance Commission's current members along with Public Works Director Lawrence Davis (on the left): Vice Chair Emery Ashley Jr., Carmen Zepp, Chair Kaitlyn Tarley, and Michelle Choe. Not pictured are members Elizabeth Baker, Robin Cook, and Sharon Lynch. The nine-member commission has two vacancies. If you're interested in serving, here's the application form>
 

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 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

Hooray! A reliable follower of high-school sports

Yes, someone in the public arena out there IS regularly keeping up with the achievements of Johnston County's high-school athletes.

Responding to last week's comments in this space about the lack of interscholastic sports coverage by our local media, Jamie Strickland of the monthly magazine JNOW (Johnston Now) sent me a note about a relatively new website – JoCoSports.com – launched by Randy Capps, the magazine's publisher who got his start in journalism as a sports writer in South Carolina.

In addition to the JoCoSports website, there's a companion Facebook page where regular updates are posted.

Good stuff to know for you sports fans out there.

An ill-advised routing for such a big truck!

No-left-turns are against the law at the busy intersection of Market and Third streets Downtown, and for today's extra-long tractor-trailers right turns are difficult if not impossible to execute without damaging utility poles and possibly parked cars. Here's a windshield view from the editor's vehicle one day last week when one of the huge trucks attempted to make the move but had second thoughts and backed off. In addition to cars and trucks speeding through town, here's another example of how Market Street conditions impede commerce within our central business district.
 

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