A groundbreaking celebration on Monday marked the start of construction of an elementary classroom building on the campus of Neuse Charter School. The project got a jump-start from a $7-million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The new structure, going up behind the school's main building facing Durwood Stephenson Parkway, will accommodate about 600 students in grades 1-5 upon its completion before the start of the 2027-28 academic year.

Johnston's County Commissioners had been asked to put up $16 million under a 2023 state law that allows local governments to provide capital funding for charter schools. Neuse Charter's Superintendent Melissa Blackwell told commissioners a year ago the elementary building is expected to cost $10 million; the additional $6 million requested, she said, would be spent on outdoor athletic facilities the school presently lacks.

Commissioners subsequently decided not to appropriate any of the requested funds in the 2025-26 county budget. Since then the county has identified construction priorities of $129 million to rebuild Clayton High School, $88 million for a new Social Services headquarters, and $75 million for a courtroom addition at the Courthouse.

Neuse Charter, founded in 2006, enrolled 926 students at the start of the 2024-25 school year followed by a decrease to 870 at the start of the current school year, according to reports filed with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The school receives annual per-pupil funding for operations from both the state and the county.


Neuse Charter's Superintendent Melissa Blackwell at Monday's groundbreaking: "This is an important milestone in the history of our school," she said. "It was made possible through the vision of the founders and the dedication of the families, staff, board members, and community partners and owners." (JoCo Report photo)
 

The Smithfield Town Council adopted a resolution last week that exchanges the town's opposition to removal of all Market Street parking in return for further negotiations with the N.C. Department of Transportation on steps to make Downtown Smithfield more pedestrian friendly and attractive to patrons of its businesses. As a result, the town will begin enforcement of the state's recent no-parking decision.

"Yes, we will start enforcing parking on Market and we have started enforcing the two-hour parking (limit) in all of Downtown where signs are posted," Interim Town Manager Kim Pickett told the Weekly Sun.

A spot check shortly before noon on Wednesday found just two vehicles parked along the south side of Market between the Courthouse and Town Hall (the spaces remain striped for parking). Here's a windshield view of Wednesday's scene:



Forum on Downtown parking at Town Hall Monday

Meanwhile, the town has scheduled a public session led by its Market Street Task Force at 6 p.m. Monday (March 16) at Town Hall "to discuss upcoming roadway and traffic changes affecting Downtown."

During the meeting officials "will take questions from business owners and community members" about plans in the making, including a proposal to create one-way street pairs on Downtown sections of Second and Third streets that would allow room for angled parking to help offset the loss of 98 spaces along Market Street.

Here's a graphic provided by the town showing what a one-way street with angled parking might look like:



READ the resolution adopted by the Town Council March 3 that sets forth the town's conditions for continued negotiations with NCDOT>
 

 

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The Johnston County Board of Education approved several purchasing contracts Tuesday, mostly for equipping the new Wilson's Mills High School, which is scheduled to be ready for students in August of next year.

Cost of the purchases totals almost $2.4 million:
• Interior Systems, Inc. of West End will be paid $1,217,604 for classroom furniture.
• Brame based in Charlotte will be paid $157,486 for media-center furnishings.
• Applied Data of Charlotte will be paid $110,000 for 53 Chromebook charging carts.
• Camcor of Burlington will be paid $101,000 for 45 classroom "interactive panels."
• Lenovo will be paid $800,000 for 1,600 Chromebook laptop computers.

All of those purchases will be covered by the county's 2022 school-bond issue that is funding construction of the new school.

School board OKs contracts for fire-fighting services

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 WHAT'S COMING UP 

Downtown's International Culture Fair this Saturday

"Celebrate Smithfield!" is the name of the event billed by the Downtown Development Corporation as "a vibrant day of entertainment, art, food, and fun as we highlight the diverse cultures that call Smithfield home." Live musical performances, cultural arts and displays, and "a variety of delicious international flavors" of food will be offered from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. Starting point for the "world tour" is the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield at the corner of Market and North Third streets.

County Board to authorize Clayton High financing Monday
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners, at its regular third-Monday meeting at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse, will be asked to authorize staff to apply for approval by the N.C. Local Government Commission of financing up to $134,500,000 for a new Clayton High School to be built on the present campus. Also on the agenda is continuation of a public hearing on a conditional zoning request for "multiple heavy industrial uses" on 28.38 acres at the intersection of Cleveland and Pierce roads in Cleveland Township. VIEW the complete agenda for Monday's meeting>

Town Council to get baseball stadium update Tuesday
The Smithfield Town Council, during its regular third-Tuesday session at 7 p.m., will get an update on plans for a stadium at Community Park that will host the Smithfield Tobs collegiate-level baseball team as well as other events held by the town's Parks & Recreation Department. Also on the agenda are public hearings on four matters:
• Rezoning of 1.75 acres on Firetower Road to R-20A residential (a portion is presently zoned for business).
• Special-use permit to allow a residence at 1115 Chestnut Drive to be used as a foster home.
• Preliminary subdivision plat for Clarius Park, 75.6 acres recently zoned for Light Industrial uses on US 70 Business across from Saint Ann Catholic Church.
• Preliminary subdivision plat for Mallard Crossing with 1,326 single-family and townhouse lots on 470 acres on both sides of Mallard Road.
VIEW the complete agenda for Tuesday's meeting>

Community blood drive at St. Peter Church next week
The Johnston County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Smithfield Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. will host a community blood drive from 1 till 6 p.m. next Thursday (March 19) at St. Peter Church of Christ, 1011 Massey Street. Donors will receive a $15 Amazon gift card. All donors will receive free health screening prior to donating, which includes checks of pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and hemoglobin levels. Those interested in participating can schedule an appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org>
 

 DEATHS AND FUNERALS 
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 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

Bradford pears live on in Smithfieldians' yards

The Town of Smithfield over the past year has removed rows of the species that had been planted years ago within the rights-of-way of town-maintained streets. Many of those trees had become unsightly and had to be trimmed periodically as they fouled utility lines and sustained storm damage. Yet the stunning Bradfords still flourish where they were planted by homeowners where the trees had plenty of room to grow and utility-line conflicts were averted. The pair shown here, near the intersection of Crescent and Maplewood drives, were in full bloom this week .
 

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