Town asks NCDOT to delay parking removal

"Market Street Task Force" to push alternatives

The Smithfield Town Council Tuesday night unanimously adopted a resolution asking the N.C. Department of Transportation for "a minimum 90-day extension" of its plan to remove about 70 parking spaces along Downtown's Market Street.

The council also voted to set up a "Market Street Task Force" to negotiate with NCDOT about other options to make the thoroughfare safer while protecting the interests of Downtown businesses.

NCDOT had planned to begin removing the parking spaces earlier this month but agreed to put off the work till after Christmas.

The council made initial appointments to the task force to include Mayor Andy Moore (who did not attend Tuesday's meeting) along with council members John Dunn, Steve Rabil, and Doris Wallace. Another eight or so business operators as well as residents of Smithfield will be added.

"We need a pause. We need to get this right," declared Mayor Pro Tem Sloan Stevens, presiding in the mayor's absence. "We need to do what we can to support these businesses."

Town to hire help in selection of a new manager

The Town Council authorized staff to approach a recruitment firm for assistance in finding a successor to Town Manager Mike Scott, who has announced his retirement effective January 31.

The council also accepted a suggestion put forth by Mayor Pro Tem Stevens to delay the selection process until the coming year's town budget is finished in June. "We're in a good position" to do that, Mr. Stevens said, noting this year's employment of Assistant Town Manager Kim Pickett who has been handling Mr. Scott's duties during recent council sessions.

Human Resources Director Shannan Parrish recommended negotiating a recruitment contract with The MAPS Group, a team of personnel and management consultants endorsed by the N.C. League of Municipalities. She said a preliminary quote for the firm's service is $21,000.

Industrial zone expanded along 70 Business West

Hearing no objections from the public, the council unanimously approved Light Industrial zoning for 4.89 acres adjacent to the Amazon distribution center across US 70 Business from the new Finley Landing residential subdivision.

Chris Johnson (the county's director of economic development) said his family had recently added the site to properties it already owns that are zoned for industry. He said there are no plans for developing the site at this time.

Club wants to share use of town recreation center

The council received a proposal from the Boys and Girls Club of Johnston County to share use of the town's Sarah Yard Center with the Parks & Recreation Department.

D.J. Jones, chief operating officer of the regional organization, said the local club would like to move its current activities from South Smithfield Elementary School and operate at the Sarah Yard Center after school hours on weekdays and all day on teacher workdays and during the summer.

He said the move would enable the club to serve students from West Smithfield Elementary and Smithfield Middle schools in addition to those presently being served at South Smithfield Elementary.

Mr. Jones said Boys and Girls Clubs would cover staffing costs and provide liability insurance at the Sarah Yard Center. The town would continue to be responsible for the facility's maintenance, he added.

The council deferred acting on the request pending a "community meeting" to be scheduled to hash out details of the proposed operation.

Appearance Commission presents its annual report

Former Vice Chair Emery Ashley Jr. briefed the council on projects completed by the town's commission this past year at a total cost of $13,505:
• $8,000 for an inventory of trees along the town's streets that hadn't been updated since the 1980s. It was done in conjunction with the recent removal of Bradford pears beside several streets and includes recommendations for future plantings.
• $4,500 for fall plantings of new growth in concrete planters Downtown.
• $1,005 for replacement plants at Sunset Memorial Park cemetery.

TOWN TO STOP COLLECTING FROM EXTRA TRASH CONTAINERS

Beginning Monday, December 29, "only town-issued trash cans will be serviced," states the town's notice. "Personal containers of any size or material (metal, plastic, or otherwise) will no longer be collected. This update applies to all residential customers, including those utilizing backyard pickup.... Residents who require additional trash cans may request them through the town's Public Works Department. Additional cans are subject to monthly service fees." For more information or to request additional town-issued trash cans, call the Public Works Department at 919-934-2596.
 

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840 S. Bright Leaf Blvd. • 919-934-7164 • www.carrollpharmacy.com

 MERRY CHRISTMAS! from the Carroll family & all the rest of us 

Overall attendance stable; charters report drop-offs

North Carolina's traditional public schools as a whole are experiencing declining enrollment. N.C. Department of Public Instruction data shows that 105 of the state's 115 school districts reported enrollment declines this fall compared to last year's numbers. Meanwhile, enrollment in charter schools statewide continues to grow.

Johnston County Public Schools are an exception – barely. This fall's reported enrollment here was 37,079 – up by 18 students from last year's 37,061.

Enrollment in Johnston's publicly-funded charter schools also bucked the statewide trend, declining from 3,692 last year to 3,629 this fall. Enrollment at the largest of the three, American Leadership Academy Johnston, declined from 2,078 to 2,037, enrollment at Neuse Charter dropped from 926 to 870, while enrollment at Johnston Charter Academy at Clayton (which does not include high-school grades) rose from 688 to 722.

This year's Johnston County enrollment in traditional and charter schools added together is 40,708 – down from last year's 40,753.

For the state a a whole, total enrollment in traditional public schools dropped from 1,371,565 last year to 1,347,577 this fall while enrollment in charter schools rose from 154,552 to 159,206. (The state has not yet compiled the latest enrollment data for private schools and home-schooled students.)

Enrollment numbers submitted to the state are calculated by taking each school's highest attendance for each grade level during the first two months of the school year. The results determine amounts of state funding for schools the following year – and in North Carolina that's the bulk of what's required to operate our public schools.
 

Johnston County Public Schools' awards to retired long-time employees with distinguished service this year went to Keith Beamon, Debra Avery, Vanessa and Haywood Watson (left to right). It's the 22nd year of these presentations.
READ summaries of their careers in a story posted on the JCPS website>
 

CANDIDATES WHO'VE FILED FOR 2026 ELECTIONS
AS WE HEAD TOWARD FRIDAY'S NOON DEADLINE

So far, we have contests in local and district races for two county commissioner seats, for sheriff, for the Smithfield district's seat in the N.C. House of Representatives, and for the 13th Congressional District seat in the U.S. of Representatives.

Since last week's report, Keith Branch has filed as a Republican candidate challenging incumbent Republican Butch Lawter's bid for re-election to the Clayton area's seat on the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. (While candidates for the county board as well as the school board compete for district seats, they are elected by countywide voting.)

Republican Congressman Brad Knott filed this week for re-election to the U.S. House along with Libertarian candidate Steven Swinton. Two Democrats – Paul Barringer and Alexander Nicholi – previously filed for that seat. (None of those are Johnston County residents.)  

Here's who had signed up through Wednesday of this week to be listed on ballots for Smithfield-area voters:

For Johnston County Commissioner, District 3
Adam Caldwell (Republican, Benson address)
Michael David Rose (incumbent Republican)
For Johnston County Commissioner, District 5
Patrick Harris (incumbent Republican)
For Johnston County Commissioner, District 7
R.S. (Butch) Lawter Jr. (incumbent Republican)
Keith Branch (Republican, Clayton address)
For Johnston County Board of Education, District 1
Michelle Antoine (incumbent)
For Johnston County Board of Education, District 2
Terry Tippett (incumbent)
Jeremy Jenkins (Middlesex address)
For Johnston County Board of Education, District 5
Kevin Donovan (incumbent)
For Sheriff of Johnston County
Steve Bizzell (incumbent Republican)
Randy Ackley (Republican, Clayton address)
For Johnston County Register of Deeds
Craig Olive (incumbent Republican)
For Clerk of Johnston Superior Court
Michelle Creech Ball (incumbent Republican)
For District Attorney
Jason Waller (incumbent Republican)
For District Court Judge, District 12, Seat No. 1
Joy A. Jones (incumbent Republican)
For District Court Judge, District 12, Seat No. 2
Travis N. Wheeler (incumbent Republican)
For District Court Judge, District 12, Seat No. 3
Jason P. Kimble (incumbent Republican)
For N.C. House of Representatives, District 28
Larry C. Strickland (incumbent Republican)
Eric Bowles Sr. (Republican, Benson address)
For N.C. Senate, District 10
Benton Sawrey (incumbent Republican)
Kevin Terrett (Libertarian, Clayton address)
Caitlin Marsh (Republican, Smithfield address)
For U.S. House of Representatives, District 13
Paul Barringer (Democrat, Raleigh address)
Alexander Nicholi (Democrat, Sanford address)
Brad Knott (incumbent Republican)
Steven Swinton (Libertarian, Sanford address)

Candidates running statewide for U.S. Senate, N.C. Supreme Court, and N.C. Court of Appeals are filing with the N.C. Board of Elections>

The filing deadline for candidacy in the 2026 elections is noon tomorrow (Friday).
The Primary Election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
 

 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REPORT 

Clayton falls to Greensboro Grimsley in state 7-A finale
GRIMSLEY 24, CLAYTON 14
The Clayton Comets finished their season with a record of 12 wins, 3 losses. It's the second consecutive state championship for the Grimsley High School team.
For game summary and more about high-school athletics, visit JoCoSports.com>
 

 WHAT'S COMING UP 

Two more Christmas movies at the former Howell Theatre
The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation plans to screen A Christmas Story at 7 p.m. Friday and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 1 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5. Proceeds will support the Historic Smithfield Foundation's campaign to re-purpose the dormant movie house as a Performing Arts Center.

Carriage rides, Santa's Workshop continue this weekend
Both will be operating Friday and Sunday in front of the Third Street wing of the Courthouse. Horse-drawn carriage rides at $25 will be offered from 5:30 to 8:30 Friday evening, 5-8 p.m. Sunday. For reservations, visit downtownsmithfield.com>
Santa's Workshop will be open first-come, first-served 5-8 p.m. Friday, 3-5 p.m. Sunday. There's no charge for admission.

Astronomical Winter officially arrives Sunday morning
The first of December is generally recognized as the start of meteorological Winter, and this week's frigid temperatures confirmed the season's arrival already: 15.8º recorded at daybreak Monday at Johnston Regional Airport. However, the official start of the season is the Winter Solstice when the Sun's northward march above the Equator reaches its zenith. That's to occur at 10:03 a.m. this Sunday (December 21). After that our daylight will gradually linger longer.
 

 DEATHS AND FUNERALS 
Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home:

KAREN ANN CASEY, 67 – died December 15

CLAUD LEE DUNN III, 58 – died December 15

WILLIAM HENRY LUCAS, 96 – died December 15

SAMMIE LEE BROWN, 82 – died December 14

LEVADA MAE INGRAM DARDEN, 64 – died December 13

GILBERTO PAGUADA, 88 – died December 13

HOWARD LEE CHANDLER, 85 – died December 12

MARCUS SUMMERS, 82 – died December 10

NATHANIEL PENNY SR., 90 – died December 9

 

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 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

A couple of literary gems for the season at hand

"And so this is Christmas / And what have you done?"
Another year over / And a new one just begun."

Those are the opening lines of the 1971 seasonal hit by the Beatles' John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono (she's credited with the lyrics). Its title was "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" – apparently in anticipation of an end to the Vietnam War.

The song was a Christmas wish, a prayer for peace:

"And so happy Christmas / For black and for white
For yellow and red ones / Let's stop all the fight.
A very merry Christmas / And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one / Without any fear."

The music of this special season is magical, and yet it's more effective with words that stir one's soul. One of the long-time literary favorites among the newspaper Lassiters is that famous editorial published in The New York Sun in 1897. Upholding family tradition, we offer it once again as part of this Christmas edition of the Smithfield Weekly Sun.
Here's our link to  "YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS">


LIGHTS "MERRY & BRIGHT" ON STEVENS STREET THIS NIGHT




The Smithfield Weekly Sun will not be published next week in observance of Christmas. The next edition – dated January 1, 2026 – will be sent to subscribers on New Year's Eve.

Subscribers to this edition: 1,632

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You'll find it in the Weekly Sun archives>