WEEKEND'S WINTER STORM: WE "DODGED A BULLET"

The forecast was alarming with predictions of a major ice storm coming our way. Fortunately, it arrived Saturday night with sleet rather than freezing rain, and the mixture that followed was lighter than expected. The result: treacherous travel conditions but no power outages.

"We experienced a very quiet weekend under the circumstances," Smithfield's Interim Town Manager Kim Pickett reported. "Our crews were well prepared for the storm and pre-treated streets with brine in advance. There were no storm-related accidents, and our proactive tree-trimming efforts contributed to zero power outages. Additionally, there were no water line breaks to report." (Water-line breaks in streets have been reported since last weekend as cold temperatures have persisted.)

The photograph above was taken from the editor's second-floor vista Sunday morning as light precipitation accumulated. It could have been much worse.

The precipitation was done when Monday morning arrived, allowing Town of Smithfield workers to clear Downtown sidewalks. As you can see, most offices and businesses were closed early on. (Town of Smithfield Facebook photo)

By the end of the day, most of the ice was gone from streets and walks as the temperature climbed above freezing and the sun came out. Even so, schools remained closed on Tuesday with students directed to "remote learning."

Now we have a forecast for another wintry scenario this coming weekend, with a prediction for snow rather than freezing rain. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

P.S. Did you know last weekend's event had an official name? "Winter Storm Fern."
 

County has "capacity" to finance new buildings

More than $300 million likely needed over next 5 years

In what played out as a prelude to next month's annual planning retreat, Johnston's County Commissioners last week got a financial assessment that sets the stage for a massive capital-improvement plan for constructing new facilities.

At the end of a four-and-a-half-hour board meeting on Tuesday of last week (prolonged by that contentious public hearing on changes to the county's land-use rules), commissioners received a glowing report on the county's overall financial condition from Senior Vice President Kyle Laux of Richmond-based Davenport & Company, which has been advising the county for 25 years.

Commissioners are looking at expenditures for new buildings exceeding $300 million over the next five years. That's in addition to about $200 million remaining to be spent from school-bond issues authorized by Johnston's voters in 2022 and 2024.

"You have capacity to do" the extra borrowing beyond voter-approved bonds, Mr. Laux told commissioners. That's because the county has gotten "very strong financial results over the last five years," he noted.

The county has seen revenues consistently exceed expenditures alongside systematic retirement of previously authorized indebtedness, Mr. Laux pointed out. That's what produces "capacity" to borrow funding for upcoming capital projects.

Mr. Laux presented a tentative schedule showing when three major projects given priority by commissioners and staff could be phased in:
• Already under way is the $129-million rebuilding of Clayton High School.
• Soon to follow over the next couple of years is an estimated $88-million project to build a new home for the Department of Social Services.
• A third major project on the list is construction of a "Courthouse annex" at an estimated cost of $75 million. At this point, that's projected for Fiscal Year 2030.

A more detailed capital-improvements plan is likely to finalized during the commissioners' annual "Strategic Planning Session" February 20-21.

Site for the Courthouse addition?
The county recently purchased the Mast Law building behind the Courthouse, apparently to be the site for new courtroom facilities. County Manager told the Weekly Sun this week that the county has leased the building back to the law firm for six months. "There have been informal discussions about eventually tearing down the current Mast building and constructing a judicial annex there," he said.
 

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Community College spring enrollment +12%

Johnston Community College has enrolled 5,892 degree-seeking students for its spring semester. That's an increase of 12% over last year's number, and the seventh straight semester of double-digit percentage increases in JCC's enrollment.

Gains are also evident in JCC’s partnerships with local high schools. This spring, 2,017 high-school students are enrolled in college courses through Johnston County's Career & College Promise program.

Last year, JCC also served 8,155 students in non-credit courses.

"Behind the enrollment gains is a coordinated effort to meet students where they are and support them throughout their academic journey," states a news release from the school. "JCC has expanded its outreach and digital presence while investing in tools that simplify the student experience from enrollment through graduation. Once enrolled, students are supported by a growing network of academic, financial, and personal support services.

"In addition, continued success of the Johnston County Commissioners’ Promise program has removed financial barriers for recent Johnston County high-school graduates, making a college education more accessible to local students."

JCC photo above shows students taking a break outside the new Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility at Four Oaks.

HOSPITAL FOUNDATION BOARD HAS NEW MEMBERS

Johnston Health Foundation has appointed six new members to its board of directors: (left to right) Felita Carr, dean of retention and student support at Johnston Community College; Teresa Bau, physician with UNC Health Family Medicine; Kelly Daughtry, attorney with Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence & Starling; Megan Kirk, M.D., director of emergency services for UNC Health Johnston; Melissa Overton, owner of MedicalTraining.me and The Overton Experience; Morgan O’Meara, senior vice president, District 19, State Employees’ Credit Union. (UNC Health Johnston photo)

BOARD'S NEW OFFICERS: Jason Wenzel, attorney with Narron Wenzel, P.A., is chair; Brent George, senior vice president and commercial relationship manager with United Community Bank, is vice chair; John Scovil, a Certified Public Accountant, is treasurer; Iris Green, director of constituent services with Disability Rights North Carolina, is secretary.

"Johnston Health Foundation supports UNC Health Johnston through philanthropic partnerships that fund essential programs, advanced medical technology, and community health initiatives," notes the announcement.
 

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 WHAT'S COMING UP 

County Commissioners scheduled to meet twice Monday
Johnston's County Commissioners will meet twice next week – on the first Monday of the month as regularly scheduled. VIEW agendas once they're posted>

Town Council to get new Downtown zoning ID Tuesday
The Smithfield Town Council at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall will conduct public hearings on two zoning-ordinance amendments that will replace an existing "Rowhouse Overlay District" with a new "Downtown Overlay District." On another matter, the council will be asked to put up $305,075 over two budget years to qualify for $1,525,3745 in a grant being offered to add sidewalks to Venture Drive.
VIEW the complete agenda for Tuesday's meeting once it's posted>

40th Ham & Yam Festival ingredients coming together

Two announcements were issued during the past week regarding Smithfield's annual festival scheduled the first Saturday in May:

SISTER HAZEL – a nationally known Southern rock band – will be this year's "headlining musical act," announced the Downtown Smithfield Development office. "From Gainesville, Florida, Sister Hazel is best known for their feel-good Southern rock sound and their chart-topping hit 'All For You,' which soared to the top of the adult alternative charts and helped propel the band to platinum success. Over the years, the band has built an impressive catalog that crosses rock, alternative, and country genres, earning multiple appearances on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart."

DESIGN & COLORING CONTESTS – Downtown Development also announced the return of a Ham & Yam T-shirt design contest open to Johnston County middle and high-school students and a new "festival themed" coloring contest for local students in the elementary grades. Both offer cash awards, with a March 1 deadline for entries. E-mail info@downtownsmithfield.com for more information.
 

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

RICKY DEAN BARBOUR, 75 – died January 25

JAMES (JIM) PRESTON GEORGE, 86 – died January 24

GEORGE RAYMOND LOVERING, 97 – died January 24

ANTHONY (TONY) DALE THORNTON, 29 – died January 21

FRANCIS (FRANK) ANTHONY TICHAUER, 80 – died January 20

JOSEPH BRANDON PHELPS, 43 – died January 17

WALTON STEPHEN CROCKER, 66 – died January 1

 

---

Report comes from Johnston County Register of Deeds Craig Olive

"Liam has held the number one and two spots for the past five years," he notes. "Mia and Sophia have also both been in the top five spots for several years."

More 2025 numbers recorded by the Register of Deeds Office:
• 1,237 marriage applications – down from 1,340 in 2024.
• 1,794 deaths – up from 1,725 in 2024.
• 2,015 births – down from 2,063 in 2024.
 

 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

County's UDO hearing aroused a sleeping public

It was disheartening to hear speaker after speaker at last week's public hearing on the county's revised Unified Development Ordinance say they weren't made aware of the 619-page document until a day or so before the Tuesday, January 20 meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.

During that lengthy hearing, commissioners got an earful of complaints from citizens (as well as developers). Some of those complaints were based on thoughtful analysis of the proposed new land-use rules. Others appeared to be emotion-filled gut reactions to hearsay.

To their credit, commissioners agreed to review the new UDO in light of the complaints and schedule a subsequent public hearing once revisions are made in response to objections they heard last week.

But the sad fact remains that many folks weren't paying attention as the new rules were rolled out by the county's planning staff and consultants over the past year at a number of advertised public forums.

It's a problem that goes beyond the UDO situation. Where do folks go these days for reliable information about the workings of their governments? What's even more disturbing is the apparent lack of effort among many not to seek that information to begin with.

There's too much reliance on "social media" by both the public at large and our government agencies to keep us in touch. Facebook and other popular online sources are a useful tool, but they're marred by misinformation and a shortage of accountability for what's being posted.

This "old school" journalist continues to mourn the decline of newspapers as a trusted and comprehensive source of community connectivity. And despite claims of "coverage you can count on," commercial television falls far short of providing us with easy-to-access details on many topics we once wanted to know about.

It won't get any better until we get a lot more effort by the public at large to demand the facts from trusted, reliable sources.

P.S. I'll come to the defense of those who voiced objections at last week's hearing. Even if they sought last-minute information, page numbers weren't visible in the digital version of the new UDO posted by the Johnston County Planning Department, and that made it difficult to find the particular rules folks were complaining about.
 

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