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:
• May 29 @ 10:20 a.m.

SUMMER begins:
• June 21 @ 6:07 a.m.
a Hometown Heritage site:
updated 5-8-18
E-mail the editor:
Wingate Lassiter






SMITHFIELD OPENS A NEW PARK "FOR ALL"
It's an "inclusion park" designed for persons of restricted mobility, young and old, and features a playground accessible to the handicapped and a softball field for the Miracle League of Johnston County. It's part of Smithfield Community Park off Booker Dairy Road next to the high school. A good deal of the funding was raised through the Johnston County Partnership for Children, with the Town of Smithfield financing the rest with help from funds granted by the State of North Carolina.

MAY 8 PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS
Click here for results of races on Johnston County ballots
 
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

SELMA TOWN COUNCIL
Click here for meeting agendas and minutes
JOBLESS RATE EASES
DOWNWARD TO 3.9%
Johnston County's unemployment rate went to 3.9% in March, down from 4.1% in February, as the number of Johnstonians employed rose to 91,722 while 3,746 were looking for work, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. For more information from NCDC, click here.

RETAIL SALES UP
5.7% IN 4th QUARTER
According to the N.C. Dept. of Revenue, taxable retail sales of $480,463,025 in Johnston County
October-December were up 5.7% from $454,591,452 reported for the fourth quarter of 2016. 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.

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