U.S. CENSUS:
JOHNSTON HAS
196,708 RESIDENTS
That official Census estimate – for 2017 – shows a gain of 5,258 residents since 2016 and almost 28,000 since the 2010 U.S. Census. For more Census data about Johnston County, click here.

N.C. "REPORT CARDS"
FOR OUR SCHOOLS
For the latest stats on Johnston County' schools, click here.

FOR LOCAL NEWS, check out "Johnston County Report" from radio station WTSB. Another online source is The News & Observer's "Johnston County" page (Smithfield Herald is kaput).

LOCAL OBITUARIES
Click here for links to funeral homes posting obituaries online:
Parrish & Underwood
Sanders Funeral Home
Walter Sanders F.H.

WEATHER DATA
Temperature and conditions at Johnston County Airport

Regional radar from weather.com

Neuse River depth at Smithfield from USGS

Click here for all sorts of historical weather statistics for Smithfield

OFFICIAL TIME
Click here and set your clock

ALMANAC
Click here for today's times of sunrise, sunset (plus moonrise, moonset)

Next full moon:
• July 27 @ 4:20 p.m.

AUTUMN arrives:
• Sept. 22 @ 9:54 p.m.
a Hometown Heritage site:
updated 7-15-18
E-mail the editor:
Wingate Lassiter






SMITHFIELD CELEBRATES ITS NEW BOAT RAMP
To draw attention to Smithfield's reconstructed boat ramp on the Neuse River, the town's Parks & Recreation Department hosted its first annual "River Rat Regatta" on Saturday, July 14. The event featured about 30 homemade cardboard boats that raced from the ramp downstream about 250 yards to the Market Street bridge. The original boat ramp at this site was built by the town as part of Smithfield's 200th birthday celebration in 1977. The new ramp was built by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and features a floating dock. Its location at the north end of Front Street is believed to be near the site of Smith's Ferry, a late 18th Century colonial landmark that gave birth to a settlement first known as "Johnston County Court House," later incorporated as the Town of Smithfield.
To view more pictures from the River Rat Regatta, click here.


TRACKING OUR LOCAL GOVERNING BOARDS

JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Click here for highlights of recent board meetings
Click here for minutes of recent board meetings

JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Click here for meeting agendas and minutes

SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
Click here for meeting agendas and minutes
Click here for proposed budget for FY 2018-19

SELMA TOWN COUNCIL
Click here for meeting agendas and minutes
JOBLESS RATE STEADY AT RECORD LOW 3.4%
Johnston County's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4% in May even though the number of Johnstonians employed rose to 93,015 while 3,240 were looking for work, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. For more information from NCDC, click here.

RETAIL SALES UP
3.8% IN 1st QUARTER
According to the N.C. Dept. of Revenue, taxable retail sales of $439.3 million in Johnston County
January-March of this year were up 3.8% from $423.1 million reported for the first quarter of 2017. For monthly reports compiled by NCDR, click here.

JOHNSTON NO. 3
IN CASH CROPS
Local farmers produced crops worth $136,225,598 in 2016, ranking 3rd among the state's 100 counties. We continue to rank 2nd in flue-cured tobacco (behind neighboring Sampson County), and we're 4th in sweet potatoes. In addition to income from crops, Johnston's farmers earned $97,789,707 from hogs, chickens, turkeys, and other livestock. For more stats about N.C. agriculture, click here.

MORE ECONOMIC DATA
ABOUT JOHNSTON CO.
 Click here to access the website of the county's Economic Development Office.

THINGS TO SEE & DO
Click here for a rundown of upcoming cultural events – compiled by the Johnston County Visitors Bureau.

SMITHFIELD-SELMA MAP
Click here for an interactive Google map of our area.

4 AMTRAK TRAINS
STOP HERE DAILY
Click here for information about passenger trains that stop at Selma Union Station.