BENSON — Every fall, Main Street experiences a burst of color and creativity. It’s the town’s annual scarecrow contest, and this fall marked the third consecutive year of competition for the Mary Duncan Library Public Library. “We do it more for the kids than anything because they get excited,” said Derrick Barefoot, Benson’s librarian and cultural arts director. This year, […] The post Have you seen the scarecrows? first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — Building projects don’t always go according to plan. At Johnston Community College, for example, pitfalls have stymied a renovation project that’s just now nearing completion. So JCC President Vern Lindquist is happy to report that one building — the Four Oaks Advanced Manufacturing Training Center — is on schedule. “We should be occupying it in June and be […] The post Four Oaks training center on schedule first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SELMA — In celebration of its newest store, retailer Burlington donated $5,000 to Pine Level Elementary School for classroom supplies. “We are grateful to be partners with Burlington Stores,” Eric C. Bracy, superintendent of Johnston County Public Schools, said in a news release. “Their generous act will be used to further the education of some of our amazing students, in […] The post New store donates $5,000 to school first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

CLAYTON — A veterans’ ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. Second St. Retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Charles Eggleston, a recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, will speak. Eggleston joined the Army in 1992 and deployed to Iraq multiple times. During his third deployment, in 2005, he was critically […] The post Purple Heart, Bronze Star recipient to speak in Clayton first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — “Swimsgiving” is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Smithfield Recreation & Aquatics Center, 600 M. Durwood Stephenson Parkway. Admission to the pool is four cans of food or other nonperishable food item. For more information, call 919-934-2148. The post Take a swim to help feed the hungry first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — Police Chief Pete Hedrick wanted to talk about what happened in the moments before one of his officers punched a man while trying to arrest him. But he couldn’t. “We’re working with the District Attorney’s Office, and she is concerned that if we put out any additional information, it could jeopardize a fair trial for this man,” Hedrick […] The post Warrant sheds police light on controversial arrest first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

CLAYTON — A man wanted by police killed himself in front of officers on Monday. Police had been looking for Justin Patrick Andrews, 41, of Clayton, who was wanted on several felony charges linked to domestic violence. Earlier in the day, officers had found his vehicle in the parking lot at the Clayton River Walk. During a search, police found […] The post Wanted Clayton man kills self in front of police first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — October is National Principals Month, and Johnston County Public Schools is expressing gratitude to the principals who lead its schools. The dedication, passion and commitment they share shape the educational experiences of the students and foster positive school cultures, the district said. Each day, the principals motivate teachers, staff and students to pursue excellence, the district added. They […] The post Johnston schools salute principals first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — UNC Health Johnston has achieved five-star ratings for specialty care, according to new research released by Healthgrades.  The hospital earned five stars for both stroke treatment and outpatient back and neck surgery.  These achievements reflect UNC Health Johnston’s commitment to consistently delivering the best care possible and place Johnston in the upper echelon of hospitals for specialty care […] The post Hospital earns top ratings for specialty care first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — The Downtown Smithfield Candy Crawl is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. Participating downtown businesses will be handing out candy to costumed youngsters. The post Downtown Smithfield shops to host Candy Crawl first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — Five people have filed to fill the vacant District 3 seat on the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. Jason Barbour, James Gathers Jr., Kim LeQuire, Michael David Rose and Stephen Woodard Jr. filed by the 3 p.m. deadline on Friday.  Barbour, of Stricklands Crossroads Road, Four Oaks, is a real estate agent. As a commissioner, Barbour said, he […] The post Five apply for commissioner seat first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

CLAYTON — The increased security at Clayton High School on Friday did not stem from a specific threat. Instead, it followed a shooting the day before in neighboring Wake County, where one teen shot another near Cary High School. The suspected shooter had two firearms. Because they were juveniles, no one would confirm it, but the two teens were apparently […] The post Clayton stepped up security for football game first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

Johnston’s district attorney and the county’s 911 communications team are among the latest recipients of N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Awards. The awards go to people who are working to improve the health, safety and well-being of their fellow North Carolinians. “As district attorney, Susan Doyle has been dedicated to keeping people safe and holding people accountable for committing […] The post Attorney general salutes DA, 911 communications first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — The town will dedicate its new mural on Wednesday, Oct. 30. A presentation will take place at 4 p.m. at Town Hall, 350 E. Market St. A ribbon cutting will follow at 4:15 p.m. at the “Heart of Smithfield” mural across the street. Town Hall will then host a reception for the artist. The mural is the third […] The post Town to dedicate ‘Heart of Smithfield’ first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

CLAYTON — Trick-or-Treat Main Street is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, along Main Street in downtown. The town invites children to dress in their Halloween costumes and stop by downtown businesses for treats. The town’s fire and police departments and library staff will be on hand to pass out candy and help children safely cross streets. […] The post Clayton invites kids to trick-or-treat on Main Street first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

Sisters Chloe and Katelyn Daniels of Princeton helped lead their middle school volleyball team, the Wilson County DASH, to a state home school championship. The DASH are members of the North Carolinians for Home Education Athletic Commission. In a best-of-three match, the No. 1 seed DASH defeated the No. 2 seed North Wake Storm 2-0 to win the state championship […] The post Princeton sisters help home school team to state title first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

For a long time, America was not the place to go to find despicable people. England even sent her worst criminals to the American colonies, and colonial folk had enough smarts and goodness to turn many into upstanding citizens. Things changed in the 1960s with a social upheaval that kicked off a huge crime wave rolling out for a couple […] The post America has become ‘Despicable We’ first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — The group tasked with revamping fire service in Johnston County is checking boxes on its to-do list. The group, which is now the Johnston County Fire Protection Service District Commission, had four goals, its leader, Cleveland Fire Chief Chris Ellington, told County Commissioners earlier this month. Goal 1 was to provide a standard funding avenue for Johnston fire […] The post Step by step, fire service is improving across Johnston first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — For Harbor, the numbers are sobering. Already this year, the county’s domestic violence agency has fielded more than 530 calls from battered women. And statewide, 65 women have died at the hands of their abusers. For Kay Johnson, Harbor’s leader, one of those deaths is personal. “It hit home this year … when my nephew lost his mother […] The post Harbor aims to raise its profile first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.

SMITHFIELD — The ninth annual Touch-A-Truck is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in downtown. A project of the Junior Women’s League, the fundraiser allows children to see, touch and safely explore their favorite big trucks and heavy machinery. Trucks on display will include emergency vehicles, tractors, construction equipment, farm equipment, and service and delivery trucks. […] The post Touch-A-Truck, food drive return to downtown on Nov. 2 first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.