School board member Johnson appeals for looser mask rules
SMITHFIELD — Another month, another 4-3 vote to mandate masks in Johnston schools. “It’s sad news,” ...
Johnston Health limits virus testing
January 17, 2022SMITHFIELD — Johnston Health is no longer administering COVID-19 tests to people who come to its eme...
Breakthrough cases continue to climb
January 18, 2022Here are the COVID-19 numbers in Johnston County as of Jan. 13: Total cases — 42,140, up 933 from tw...
Virus surges but deaths are fewer
SMITHFIELD — The new year did not arrive as Dr. Marilyn Pearson had hoped. “We are still in a pandem...
School closures were too risky
When the news broke on Monday that one of North Carolina’s largest school districts, Cumberland Coun...
Omicron brings urgency for vaccination, safety habits
As eastern North Carolina continues to see rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the ...
State continues to urge vaccinations
January 3, 2022RALEIGH — The COVID-19 vaccine remains the most important thing North Carolinians can do to keep the...
Cases climb by 951 in just two days
January 4, 2022SMITHFIELD — Johnston County isn’t immune from North Carolina’s Omicron surge. On Dec. 30, the Johns...
As Omicron spreads, so does testing
SMITHFIELD — With COVID’s Omicron variant spreading quickly and widely, Johnstonians are lining up t...
COVID-19 cases surge in one day
December 28, 2021SMITHFIELD — The number of COVID-19 cases in Johnston County grew by 136 in one day last week. Becau...
Back where we began
Over the past few days, it has felt like we were ending 2021 where we started it — in the throes of ...
First COVID-19 vaccine dose comes with $100 gift card
December 20, 2021SMITHFIELD — While supplies last, the Johnston County Public Health Department is offering $100 VISA...
County doling out millions in rental assistance
SMITHFIELD — Johnston County continues to dole out dollars to keep renters in their homes with the l...
Pace of COVID infections climbing again
SMITHFIELD — When Dr. Marilyn Pearson spoke to Johnston County Commissioners last week, the newest C...
Omicron: Next step from pandemic to endemic?
South Africa reported detection of a new variant of the COVID-19 virus to the World Health Organizat...
CDC expands booster recommendation to all adults
November 24, 2021RALEIGH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending COVID-19 booster shots for ...
Doctors welcome vaccine for kids
UNC Health doctors expressed excitement after the federal government on Oct. 29 OK’d Pfizer’s COVID-...
Halloween adds food, fun to vaccine clinic
SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Public Health Department used Halloween to inject some fun — and ...
Boosters are many, first doses are not
SMITHFIELD — The number of Johnston adults who want a COVID-19 vaccine appears to have reached a pla...
COVID spread continues to slow
November 3, 2021Last week, Gov. Roy Cooper said the spread of COVID-19 in North Carolina was slowing. The numbers i...
Local news
SSS students display their photos
SMITHFIELD —Through February, photographs by Smithfield-Selma High School students are on display at...
School board member Johnson appeals for looser mask rules
SMITHFIELD — Another month, another 4-3 vote to mandate masks in Johnston schools. “It’s sad news,” ...