|
PUBLISHED
ONLINE APRIL 16,
2026
• VOL. 8,
NO.
16 |
Content
produced by WINGATE
LASSITER unless
credited otherwise
Click on the
highlighted link to e-mail
the editor
CONSTRUCTION
OF 301 RIVER BRIDGE ON
PAUSE
Sun
subscribers Roger &
Eleanor Horne e-mailed the
editor to report they've seen
no work going on there for a
month now. This week we got an
explanation from Andrew Barksdale, public information officer with the N.C. Department of
Transportation: "We are currently waiting for materials to be able to install a temporary waterline. The existing waterline running through the project area is in close proximity to where contract workers need to do some shoring," and that wasn't
discovered until after construction had begun. The good news is that the 301
crossing of the Neuse won't be closed at any time during the replacement project,
which is scheduled for completion two years from now.
NCDOT
previews upcoming highway
projects
Matt Clarke,
Division 4 engineer for the
N.C. Department of
Transportation, last week
showed Johnston's County
Commissioners plans for a
number of major highway
projects on the drawing
board for construction in
years just ahead.
Here are highlights of
projects in and around
Smithfield:
• Already under construction
is a $44-million remaking of
the interchange of I-95 and
US 70 Business (East Market
Street). It's scheduled for
completion in Summer 2027.
• Scheduled for construction
in Spring 2029 is a radical
rebuilding of the
complicated interchange of
I-95, 301, and 701 south of
Smithfield, replacing
multiple stop signs in the
vicinity with four
roundabouts (and no stop
signs):
US 301 coming from
Smithfield (upper right)
will be moved eastward with
a new bridge over the CSX
railroad (shown with a
lavender strip at the top)
coupled with separate
roundabouts for Thunder Road
and new entrance and exit
ramps from southbound I-95.
Below the Interstate are two
more roundabouts, one for
exit and entrance ramps for
northbound I-95 and another
south of Ronnie's Country
Store for a realignment of
both NC 96 and Devil's
Racetrack Road intersecting
US 701 at a single point.
Cost of that project: $76
million. Engineer Clarke
said closely following that
project are bridge
replacements for 301's
crossing of Holt Lake and
95's crossing of Black Creek
and the Neuse River,
bringing total expenditures
for it all to $150 million.
• Smithfield's North Bright
Leaf Boulevard from Booker
Dairy Road to Ricks Road in
Selma is scheduled for
"access management
improvements" costing $35
million. As shown in the
illustration, medians will
be added to restrict access
points to businesses along
the boulevard. Construction
is scheduled for Summer
2029.
• Widening of Buffalo Road
to three lanes from US 70 at
the Selma Oil Terminal
northward to Old Beulah
Road, including a reworking
of the interchange at 70
with a new alignment for
Selma's Noble Street and the
access road to the Sysco
distribution center. Cost:
$25 million, with
construction scheduled for
Summer 2027.
• Widening of Swift Creek
Road to three lanes near
Johnston Regional Airport. A
schedule for that project
wasn't listed.
County Commissioners'
Chairman Patrick Harris
asked if there was "anything
on the radar" for
replacement of the two-lane
railroad underpass for
Smithfield's Market Street.
"Yes, it's 100% on the
radar," replied NCDOT's
Project Development Engineer
Addison Gainey, who added it
might have to be "an
overpass rather than an
underpass" at that location.
Let it be noted that all
those projects would be
funded through the state,
not the county, which
provides no construction
dollars for either roads or
streets.
VIEW the
complete NCDOT rundown of
Johnston County highway
projects>
School
board lifts caps on SSS,
Smithfield Middle
Corinth
Holders only high school
now beyond capacity
"Capped Schools"
are campuses that do not
have at least 61 available
seats based on their "design
capacity" and are thereby
ineligible for reassignment
of students from another
attendance district. Each
spring the Johnston County
Board of Education
designates which schools are
capped for the next school
year.
The board approved the new
list at Tuesday's monthly
meeting as recommended by
the school system's
administrative staff.
Smithfield-Selma High, South
Johnston, and West Johnston
were taken off the previous
list, leaving Corinth
Holders as the only capped
high school in the county.
Smithfield Middle School was
also removed from the capped
list.
Elementary schools at Four
Oaks and Princeton were
added to this year's list.
South Smithfield Elementary
and West Smithfield
Elementary along with Selma
Middle School remain
uncapped while Wilson's
Mills Elementary remains
capped.
May 15 is this year's
deadline for parents and
guardians to apply for
reassignment of their
children to a school outside
their residential attendance
district.
Resolution
urges N.C. Legislature to
adopt budget
Michelle
Antoine, who chairs the
school board's Legislative
Committee, presented a
resolution asking the N.C.
General Assembly to
"immediately pass" a state
budget for the 2025-26
fiscal year that began last
July 1. She said her
committee recommends
approving the resolution "in
solidarity with the rest of
the state" as requested by
the N.C. School Boards
Association.
Ms. Antoine noted that
Johnston's "teacher families
and staff families were
counting on a raise,
especially with the
inflationary pressures"
currently facing them, yet
haven't gotten expected pay
increases for lack of a new
state appropriations act.
The resolution states that
"the wages of over 3,000
full and part-time
employees" in Johnston's
school system have not
received a pay raise this
year, and actually face "a
net pay decrease" because of
a rise in premiums under the
state's health plan.
The resolution also points
out that state aid for
educating "exceptional
children" with handicaps is
limited to 12% of a school
system's enrollment yet 16%
of Johnston's enrollment
qualifies for special
assistance. That's costing
the county's taxpayers $12
million annually to make up
for the shortfall, the
resolution notes.
The board unanimously
approved the resolution. The
General Assembly reconvenes
next Tuesday (April 21) with
adoption of a state budget
at the top of its to-do
list.
Other
actions by the school
board at Tuesday's
meeting:
• Approval of a
one-year contract for "a
comprehensive data analytics
and intervention monitoring
platform" that will
"function as an
early-warning system" to
identify students "who may
be at risk based on multiple
indicators, including
academic performance,
behavior, attendance, and
other relevant data
points."
I-LEADR, INC. – a consulting
firm based in Statesville –
will provide the service at
a cost not to exceed
$137,500 during the 2026-27
school year for students in
grades K-8. Federal Title I
funding will cover the
expense.
• Approval of a two-year
extension of a math
curriculum provided over the
past five years by enVision
Mathematics for all grade
levels. The board was told
this particular curriculum
will be replaced by a new
N.C. Math Standard Course of
Study two years from now.
Cost of the enVision
extension is not to exceed
$2,930,387.
• Approval of contracts with
two vendors to provide
network communications
equipment at the new
Wilson's Mills High School
and classroom additions at
MGee's Elementary and
Thanksgiving Elementary as
well as device replacements
at Archer Lodge Middle and
the Innovation Academy in
Smithfield. Encore
Technology Group of South
Carolina will be paid
$904,623 for switches and
access points. Applied
Networking Consulting Group,
Inc. of South Carolina will
be paid $116,940 for
Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) devices at 41 schools.
Funding will be provided
through the N.C. Department
of Public Instruction.
• Approval of a contract for
paving and pipe work at the
Innovation Academy campus in
East Smithfield. Paving
Professionals of Raleigh won
the contract for $133,351,
the lowest of four bids
submitted.
• Three appointments to
school advisory councils:
Kisha Davis at South
Smithfield Elementary,
Ariana Phelps at Selma
Elementary, and Sheena Ates
at Cleveland Elementary. All
were appointed to three-year
terms.
All actions by the Board of
Education Tuesday were
approved unanimously.
Smith-Bryan
DAR chapter marks 50th
anniversary
It was the only
chapter chartered in North
Carolina in 1976, the
nation's Bicentennial year.
Recognized at Sunday's 50th
anniversary celebration were
seven living regents who've
led the chapter (pictured
above, left to right):
Deidre Wood Kraft, 1988-91
and 2000-03; Mary Gudac
Aker, 2014-17; Barbara
Malpiedi Kirby, 2020-23;
Rebecca Smith Owens (seated),
2012-14; Janie Pope Temple,
2003-08 and 2011-12; Frances
Aycock Kiker, 2023-26; and
Gayenell Campbell Gull,
2017-20.
The local chapter – an
affiliate of the National
Society, Daughters of the
American Revolution – has
received numerous state and
national awards for
activities promoting
patriotism and good
citizenship and supporting
military veterans. To
promote literacy, the
chapter since 2015 has
donated funds to buy
take-home books for every
kindergarten student in
every Title I school in
Johnston County – 8,556
books provided in 2025
alone.
The chapter has grown from
44 members its first year to
112 today. Two of the
charter members – Jane
Austin Lee and Valeria
Shearon Vinson – remain as
members.
The chapter was named in
honor of the Smith and Bryan
families that provided
significant leadership in
Johnston County's
development 250 years ago.
VISIT the
chapter's website for more
information about the
organization>
 Vietnam
Veterans
move artifacts to
Johnston Museum
The
Johnston County Chapter of
Vietnam Veterans of America
has donated its collection
of artifacts to the Johnston
County Museum, a branch of
the Johnston County Heritage
Center housed in the former
Roses store building at 329
Market Street Downtown. Todd
Johnson, the Heritage
Center's director, reports
that the local chapter is
disbanding. Meanwhile, the
national organization is
gradually shutting down over
the next couple of years as
its membership is aging.
U.S. military participation
in the Vietnam War ended in
1973.
Fair to
offer help for veterans
and active-duty personnel
A "resource
fair" for military personnel
is set for Saturday, May 2
from 10 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.
in the lobby of the Paul A.
Johnston Auditorium at
Johnston Community College.
The free event, hosted by
Johnston County Veterans
Services, will offer
veterans, active-duty
service members, and their
families access to
health-care services,
education resources, job
opportunities, and other
services. For more
information, call Johnston
County Veterans Services at
919-989-5067.
WHAT'S COMING UP
County's
annual Rabies Clinic for
dogs & cats Saturday
It
continues from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. at Johnston County
Animal Services, 115 Shelter
Way (off Smithfield's North
Bright Leaf Boulevard beside
the solid-waste convenience
site). A one-year rabies
vaccine for dogs and cats
three months and older costs
$5, cash only. No appointment
is necessary, but you may
register in advance via this
link>. Can’t make it
Saturday? Rabies vaccinations
are available year-round at
the shelter. For an
appointment (required), call
919-934-8474.
County
Commissioners to get DSS
options Monday
The Johnston
County Board of
Commissioners, during its
regularly scheduled meeting
at 6 p.m. Monday at the
Courthouse, will consider
"construction procurement
options" for the proposed
new home of the Department
of Social Services. The
board will also be asked to
lease office space in the
former Tucker Furniture
Store building in Downtown
Smithfield and consider a
request for funding a
"Veterans Treatment Court."
VIEW the
complete agenda>
Town
Council to consider police
restructuring Tuesday
The Smithfield
Town Council, during its
meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at
Town Hall, will consider a
request from Police Chief
Pete Hedrick to restructure
the command staff of his
department. The council will
also honor the service of
retiring Deputy Police Chief
James F. Grady. VIEW the
complete agenda>
Hazardous-waste
disposal at Livestock
Arena April 25
The
County of Johnston will host
its annual Household
Hazardous Waste Collection event
from 8 a.m. to noon
Saturday, April 25 at the
Livestock Arena off NC 210
next to the
landfill. Items
accepted include motor
oil, antifreeze, oil-based
paint and paint thinner,
batteries of all types,
fluorescent bulbs,
aerosols, swimming pool
chemicals, prescription
and over-the-counter
medications, gasoline,
pesticides, herbicides,
and other common chemicals
from home and
farm. The event is
open to the public free of
charge.
DEATHS AND FUNERALS
Click on the
name to read an obituary,
usually posted by the
funeral home:
No doubt about
it: Downtown Smithfield is
at the proverbial crossroads
in its quest for
redevelopment that's been
going on since the early
1960s. Removal of all
parking along Market Street
and worsening traffic
conditions along the town's
main street are of immediate
concern. A shortage of
retail shops and
entertainment to attract
more folks to visit is
another challenge facing the
town's leaders.
 Fortunately,
the Downtown Smithfield
Development Corporation
(DSDC) now has a dynamic
executive director in place
alongside a revamped board
of directors who are
starting to make good things
happen. That new spirit
of optimism is reflected in
a new logo unveiled by DSDC
Director Heidi Gilmond at
last week's Town Council
meeting. She also touted a
new slogan for her
organization: "Let's
create something amazing
together."
 The
proof is in the pudding, and
it's looking good so far,
thanks to recent
developments like the
campaign to remake the
former Howell Theatre into
Smithfield's Performing Arts
Center, the attractive
rebuilding of the courtyard
outside the Public Library,
and a proposed new
restaurant and store
building on the site of the
former home of Little's
Pontiac.
Ms. Gilmond and her
associates are also
breathing new life into
Smithfield's Ham & Yam
Festival and looking at
creating additional festive
events centered at the
town's beautifully rebuilt
Neuse River Amphitheater.
Speaking of immediate
concerns, she and the town's
Market Street Task Force are
looking forward to getting a
revised parking plan with
attractive landscaping
features from NCDOT – in a
spirit of "making lemonade
out of lemons," as she put
it during a recent forum
involving Downtown
businesses and nearby
residents.
No one's denying the
short-term inconvenience of
the Market Street parking
ban. What that produces in
the long run will show the
world how vibrant the heart
of our community can be.
P.S. DSDC has revamped its
website. Take a look at
it here>
MISS
A PREVIOUS EDITION?
You'll find it
in the Weekly Sun
archives>
the SMITHFIELD
WEEKLY SUN
|
|
