JHN – Top news

SMITHFIELD — The Police Department will place officers in five schools in town. Smithfield leaders on April 2 gave their blessing to hiring school resource officers for South Smithfield Elementary, Smithfield Middle, Innovation Academy, Smithfield-Selma High and Choice Plus Academy, the county’s alternative school. West Smithfield Elementary was missing from the list because it’s outside the town limits. But many […]

SMITHFIELD — A project at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield made this month’s solar eclipse safe to see. The box pinhole projector “is one of the ways … that is safe to view the eclipse if you can’t get your hands on glasses,” said Skye Poole, programming and community engagement librarian. “We used a cereal box and […]

SMITHFIELD — What was old is new again at Johnston Community College. The college has brought back community classes for Johnstonians who want to explore new topics or hone longtime hobbies. “Our community programs are our personal enrichment classes, so anything from a motorcycle to basic writing courses to beekeeping to culinary classes,” said LaShawndra White, JCC’s director of community […]

SMITHFIELD — That didn’t take long. Two weeks after debating a subdivision request at length, the Town Council rejected it in a matter of minutes and without debate on April 2. “I recommend we not approve this based upon the finding of fact that it is inconsistent with the adopted comprehensive growth plan,” Councilman David Barbour said. His recommendation became […]

SMITHFIELD — The town’s planning director was a buzzkill, a downtown shopkeeper told Smithfield leaders earlier this month. On Easter, someone dressed as a latte stood on a downtown street corner, dancing and waving at passersby, a sign inviting them to the nearby Gilded Pear coffee shop and cafe. Online, a short video of the dancing latte drew rave reviews. […]

SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Public Schools on April 9 broke ground on the district’s latest building project, Swift Creek Elementary, at 4188 Cleveland Road, Smithfield. The district’s 49th school will ease crowding on other campuses in fast-growing Johnston. “We are excited to break ground on this new elementary school and see all of the planning start to become a […]

CLAYTON — Luxury picnics have become a popular way to celebrate special occasions. “Everyone just loves the look of them,” said Gabriella Terry, chief executive of All in a Picnic, a new venture that grew out of her other business, Chefella’s Catering and Events. “I think people are really curious when they’re driving by and they see someone having a […]

CLAYTON — In dressage, a horse carefully executes precise movements in response to signals from its rider. It’s quite the show, but the sport is also the foundation all of riding, says Beth Gilbert, barn and event manager at Portofino Equestrian Center near Clayton. “Dressage is about balance,” she said. “It’s about you understanding your horse, understanding how to ask […]

CLAYTON — Pure Green’s nutrient-rich food and drinks fuel more than the body, say Danielle and Cody Sawyer, owners of the Flowers Plantation franchise, the chain’s first North Carolina store. “We are … feeding the mind, body and soul,” Danielle said, explaining that Pure Green serves its healthy menu in a serene setting. “We want to make sure that we […]

SMITHFIELD — Johnston commissioners on April 1 bought two parcels of land near the county’s landfill. The county paid $170,000 for the roughly one-acre lot and doublewide mobile home at 299 County Home Road. It bought the lot and doublewide next door for $150,000. Commissioner Ted Godwin balked at the price tags. “I sometimes worry that there’s nothing too expensive […]

SMITHFIELD — County Commissioners on April 1 took another step toward creating a single revenue source for all Johnston fire departments. During a required public hearing on a single fire service district, Johnstonians voiced more questions than opposition, and commissioners and staff were ready with answers. For one, no fire departments are going away, said county Fire Marshal Ryan Parker, […]

KENLY — William and Sandra Parnell, the owners of Eastern NC Crawfish Farm, started crawfish farming as a hobby.  “I say hobby, but it’s a lot of work,” Sandra Parnell said as another harvest season gets underway. A year after buying their farm near Kenly in 2015, Parnell and her husband decided to use its pond for something other than […]

CLAYTON — Larissa Koerschner created what became Alligator Steps Swim School in response to a lack of programs for moms and their babies.  “I was a military spouse, and we were stationed overseas in Okinawa, Japan, and I had my first baby,” Koerschner recalled. “I had no friends, no family. We were overseas.” She asked the base about an outlet […]

SMITHFIELD — By 2042, Johnston County’s daily water need will reach 44 million gallons. That’s nearly twice what the county can currently produce or purchase from neighbors. But that’s OK. “The county has been planning for this for a long time,” Kim Rineer, the engineering manager in Johnston’s utilities department, told County Commissioners on April 1. Specifically, the county has […]

SMITHFIELD — Cynthia Mayenschein has this advice for beginning gardeners: It’s OK to make mistakes. “Don’t be afraid to kill a plant. I can’t tell you how many plants I have killed,” said Mayenschein, a member of the Johnston County Extension Master Gardeners. “You’re going to make mistakes, but you will learn something.” “I’m not afraid to try something,” Mayenschein […]

CLAYTON — A divided Planning Board on March 25 endorsed Carolina Overlook North, a total of 750 single-family homes and townhomes on 362 acres at Covered Bridge Road and Brookhill Drive. With lots of 4,700 to 8,000 square feet, some board members said the project clashed with its closest neighbors, Smith Ridge Estates and Ole Mill Stream, where lots are […]

SMITHFIELD — Dan Wells, the county’s Extension livestock agent, has long worked with young people taking part in the Johnston County Youth Livestock Show & Sale. “Youth working with livestock projects gain a lot of valuable life skills, like responsibility, sportsmanship and work ethic,” he said on the second day of this year’s event, held annually in April. “And having […]

SMITHFIELD — The owners of TigerShark Aquatics, Darryl Waldon and his wife, Jen, have already seen a range of people, from children to adults, show interest in their new swim school.  “People have been excited,” Waldon said. The Waldons offer in-depth programming, including lessons, stroke clinics and competition teams, to all ages, a departure from some swim schools. “I think […]

SMITHFIELD — The county will pursue grant dollars to build a trail in Wilson’s Mills. “The parks and open space department has been working diligently on a lot of plans,” Austin Cross, the department’s grant coordinator, told County Commissioners in March. “One of those is the Neuse River trails plan.” With commissioners’ blessing, the department will seek roughly $3.4 million […]

When U.S. 70 becomes Interstate 42, it could prove confusing to leave N.C. 42 West on the Johnston County map.  “That’s a big issue for public safety and emergency services,” Patrick Pierce, Clayton’s economic-development director, told his Town Council recently. And with U.S. 70 giving way to I-42, the N.C. Department of Transportation sees no reason to keep the “Business” […]