2010 CENSUS puts
Johnston County's population at 168,878
That's a gain of 46,913 residents since 2000. Clayton is now officially Johnston's largest town with 16,116 residents. Smithfield gained just 99 residents to a new total of 10,966. Selma gained 159, to 6,073. Johnston's fourth-largest town is newly incorporated Archer Lodge, with 4,292 residents. Wilson's Mills comes in sixth – behind Benson's 3,311 – with 2,277 residents. To review historical Census data for Johnston County and its towns, click here.

WEATHER DATA
Temperature and conditions at Johnston County Airport
Regional radar from The Weather Channel
Neuse River depth at Smithfield from USGS
Monthly rainfall
April brought us 3.39 inches of rainfall, so we're still below normal for 2012.

OFFICIAL TIME
Click here and set your clock

ALMANAC
Click here for today's times of sunrise, sunset (& moonrise, moonset)
Next full moon
• June 4 @ 7:11 a.m.
Summer arrives
• June 20 @ 7:09 p.m.

FOR THE LATEST LOCAL NEWS, check with radio station WTSB1090AM.
CALENDARS
Click here for the Community Calendar maintained by the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce.

Click here for a rundown of upcoming entertainment compiled by the Johnston County Visitors Bureau.





SITE FOR A SMITHFIELD HISTORICAL MUSEUM?
The town's former water plant, vacant for years, stands beside the new Buffalo Creek Greenway not far from the site of Smith's Ferry, which gave birth to Smithfield more than 200 years ago. Too expensive to tear down (town officials say), the solid old structure might make an appropriate place for a Smithfield Museum of Local History, don't you think?

WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
Click here for the JCS Reporter

TRACKING OUR LOCAL GOVERNING BOARDS:

JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Click here for highlights of recent board meetings

JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Click here for highlights of recent board sessions

SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
Click here for minutes of meetings

SELMA TOWN COUNCIL
Click here for minutes of meetings
JOBLESS RATE
DOWN TO 8.4%
Johnston County's unemployment rate in March was 8.4% – down from 8.9% in February and 9.5% a year ago. According to the N.C. Employment Security Commission, in March 74,462 Johnstonians were employed (the highest number since July 2008) while 6,793 were unemployed (the lowest number since December 2008). To get more labor statistics from the ESC, click here.

RETAIL SALES UP
5.1% 4th QUARTER
According to the N.C. Dept. of Revenue, taxable retail sales of $319.2 million in Johnston County October-December were up 5.1% from $303.6 million recorded for the fourth quarter of 2010. For monthly reports going back 10 years, click here.

JOHNSTON NO. 3
IN CASH CROPS
Local farmers produced crops worth $120.9 million in 2010, ranking 3rd among the state's 100 counties. We were No. 2 in tobacco production and No. 2 in sweet potatoes. For more stats about N.C. agriculture, click here.

N.C. REPORT CARDS
FOR OUR SCHOOLS
Click here to access links to reports on all of Johnston County's schools.

4 AMTRAK TRAINS
STOP HERE DAILY
Carolinian (#79 & #80)
• NYC-Charlotte
Palmetto (#89 & #90)
• NYC-Savannah
Click here to see where else they go and whether they're on time
a Hometown Heritage site: updated 5/9/12
E-mail the editor:
Wingate Lassiter