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The Johnstonian News
Her pandemic hobby became a business
CLAYTON — The COVID-19 pandemic forced Stephanie Lofink to choose between career and family. “Right before COVID-19, my mother-in-law moved in,” recalled Lofink, a teacher for 21 years. “Because I was a specialist teacher, I saw 650 kids within a couple of weeks.” That meant she brought the threat of COVID home every day. “I just thought that it wasn’t […] The post Her pandemic hobby became a business first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Former councilman chastises Clayton leaders
CLAYTON — Jason Thompson still follows the town council he served on for many years. “More often than not, I agree with you on most things,” he told the current council on Aug. 5. “But tonight I come to you because I don’t agree with you.” Thompson was unhappy the council planned to redirect $1 million a state lawmaker had […] The post Former councilman chastises Clayton leaders first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Johnston broadcaster will have his name on a stretch of I-95
RALEIGH — The N.C. Board of Transportation will dedicate a stretch of Interstate 95 to a longtime news broadcaster in Johnston County. Carl Lamm had a 72-year career at various radio stations across North Carolina, including Smithfield’s WMPM, which he owned from 1958 to 2007. Lamm retired in 2019 at the age of 92. He lives in Four Oaks. His […] The post Johnston broadcaster will have his name on a stretch of I-95 first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Johnston to hold Photo ID Day for voters
SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Board of Elections will host a Photo ID Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Kenly Public Library, 205 E. Edgerton St., Kenly. Johnstonians without a driver’s license or other photo ID can have one made for free during the event. North Carolina now requires voters to show a photo ID […] The post Johnston to hold Photo ID Day for voters first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Passports generate dollars for deeds office
SMITHFIELD — Accepting U.S. passport applications has become a lucrative sideline for the Johnston County Register of Deeds office. The deeds office became a Passport Acceptance Facility in June 2014. Since then, the office has collected more than $763,550 in revenue from the service. This past fiscal year, the office collected $111,520 in revenue from passports, a figure that has […] The post Passports generate dollars for deeds office first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
National Night Out rescheduled for Aug. 14
SMITHFIELD — The town has rescheduled National Night Out for 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road. The event will feature Duke’s Life Flight helicopter, K9 demonstrations, a petting zoo, bounce houses, safety info, hot dogs, snow cones and popcorn. The post National Night Out rescheduled for Aug. 14 first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Our Opinion: Growth train has left station
It’s safe to say some folks who live in rural Johnston don’t want new neighbors. And we get that; those folks live in rural Johnston exactly because they prefer not to have neighbors living on top of them. But opponents to new housing seldom state their opposition so directly. Instead, they dance around the topic, bemoaning, for example, the loss […] The post Our Opinion: Growth train has left station first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Mike Gordon helped Archer Lodge grow into a town
ARCHER LODGE — Mike Gordon, the first mayor of Archer Lodge, has witnessed the community’s long arc of growth. “When I was like 5 or 6 years old, we moved to Archer Lodge,” said Gordon, now 67. “That’s where my father was from, and my mother was from the Epsom community up in Franklin County.” The Archer Lodge landscape has […] The post Mike Gordon helped Archer Lodge grow into a town first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Reluctant Planning Board OKs rural subdivision
SMITHFIELD — Ultimately, a Johnston County Planning Board majority said yes to 11 homes on 16 acres near Benson. By a 5-2 vote, board members said state and county rules would address their concerns, which were mostly about drainage. Gary Lovering said he was confident the project’s engineer would follow state rules, which require development to maintain existing drainage patterns. […] The post Reluctant Planning Board OKs rural subdivision first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Johnston will celebrate a 250-year-old document
SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Museum will host a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Johnston Resolves. The event on Monday, Aug. 12, will feature the N.C. Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps from Camp Flintlock, historical characters in monologues and refreshments. A fife and drum parade will begin at 1 p.m. on the Smithfield Town Commons […] The post Johnston will celebrate a 250-year-old document first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Schools salute Micro Elementary media specialist
SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Public Schools have named their 2024 Media Specialist of the Year. She is Laura Warren of Micro Elementary School. Warren, who is from Newton Grove, is the daughter of a librarian. As a child, she would hide under the desk at the Selma Public Library with her favorite book, “Leo the Late Bloomer,” and read […] The post Schools salute Micro Elementary media specialist first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Clayton High to hold open house Aug. 22
CLAYTON — An open house is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 22, at Clayton High School, 600 S. Fayetteville. The high school invites freshmen to open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Other students may drop by between 4 and 6 p.m. The school asks parents of seniors to attend an informational meeting at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. The post Clayton High to hold open house Aug. 22 first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
When unions learn from failure
As Americans take August to process the presidential race upheavals of July, the most consequential may prove to be a union leader garnering wild cheers for declaring that “the biggest recipients of welfare in this country are corporations … we must put workers first!” In the 20th century, such campaign rhetoric was heard only at the margins from the likes […] The post When unions learn from failure first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
This JCC camp can save lives
SMITHFIELD — It’s no exaggeration to say that young people at Johnston Community College’s EMS Camp have learned how to save lives. “We’ve learned CPR and how to use an EpiPen,” said 12-year-old Paiton Sweigart of Benson. “We learned about splints, life-or-death bleeding and strokes.” Sweigart came to camp the old-fashioned way. “My mom was looking at camps to see […] The post This JCC camp can save lives first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Planning Board frowns on towing service near homes
SMITHFIELD — County Commissioners will have the final word. But the odds are stacked against a business owner’s bid to move his towing service to five acres on N.C. 231. For starters, the Johnston County Planning Board on July 16 recommended that commissioners deny the request. Board members balked at allowing a business in an area filled with homes. And […] The post Planning Board frowns on towing service near homes first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Magazine presents annual honors
BENSON — Johnston Now Magazine has announced this year’s Johnston Now Honors. The awards program, now in its seventh year, spotlights the accomplishments of Johnston County residents and groups. “We’re so proud to celebrate this year’s honorees,” said Shanna Capps, general manager of JNOW Media. “These people go above and beyond every day to make a difference in our community, […] The post Magazine presents annual honors first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Railroad crossing near Kenly to close for maintenance
KENLY — A railroad crossing in town will close for several days in September. Starting on or around Sept. 3, the rail crossing on N.C. 581 between U.S. 301 and Newsome Mill Road will close for three to five days to allow CSX Transportation to replace railroad ties. “This will require a total closure of the railroad crossing … meaning […] The post Railroad crossing near Kenly to close for maintenance first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
Police crack down on traffic violations
CLAYTON — A night of traffic stops on busy town roads and streets ended in scores of charges, police said. Some 20 Clayton police officers and Johnston County sheriff’s deputies took part in the operation. Police Chief Greg Tart said the goal was to reduce the number of traffic accidents in Clayton. “Due to the rapid growth in Clayton and […] The post Police crack down on traffic violations first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
North Carolina doesn’t overcharge drivers
Our state levies a motor fuels tax of 40.65 cents per gallon. This is one of the highest rates in the nation — but don’t jump to conclusions. North Carolina doesn’t spend more on highways than the average state. And motorists aren’t being overcharged. With so much data accessible online, it’s easy to assemble state-by-state comparisons of taxes, expenditures, public […] The post North Carolina doesn’t overcharge drivers first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
To what or whom do you pay allegiance?
I would love to see a nationwide poll of voters asking: To what do you owe your greater allegiance — your political party or your country? Twenty years ago, the answer would have been a no-brainer. But I’m not so sure today. Regardless of what people might tell a pollster, their attitudes and actions demonstrate that political party takes precedence […] The post To what or whom do you pay allegiance? first appeared on Restoration NewsMedia.
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