Updated: February 3, 2012
The United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is announcing the availability of three national Farm Bill initiatives for North Carolina farmers. The initiatives are Organic Initiative, Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative, and On-Farm Energy Initiative. Each is available to eligible farmers under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill. Farmers can submit applications anytime throughout the year. However, NRCS will begin the application ranking process starting Friday, February 3rd for available funds. Applications are ranked based on greatest environmental benefit. Farmers should visit their local USDA Service Center to apply for available funding for Farm Bill programs and initiatives. Your local USDA Service Center is located at 2736 Highway 210 in Smithfield and their phone number is 919-934-7156, extension 3.
Boy Scout Troop 95 is having a Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's in Smithfield on Saturday, February 4th from 8:00am - 10:00am. Tickets are $6 each.
On Saturday, February 4th, there will be a Hoops For Heart Event in honor of Michael King, a referee coordinator for Princeton community sports events, beginning at 9:00am at Princeton Middle & High School Gyms. There will be a Bake Sale, t-shirts for sale, raffles, and games during the day. Donations will be accepted for the bake sale and game admission is $2 with proceeds to go towards the American Heart Association. For more information, call 919-738-2038.
There will be a new Scout Troop forming beginning on Monday, February 6th at 5:30pm at Selma Baptist Church, located at 1500 North Webb Street in Selma, with a large camp site bonfire and hotdogs. Cub Pack ages are 8-10 years, Boy Scout/Varsity Team are ages 11-18 years, and Venturing Crew/Sea Scout are ages 14-21 years. Each program will meet once a week at the Scout Hut on North Green Street in Selma. For more information, call Jeremy at 919-631-9257 or Charles at 919-868-5421.
The Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District is taking Orders for loblolly pines, easter red cedars and hardwoods. Available hardwoods will include Waxmyrtle, Eastern Redbud, Black Walnut, Common Persimmon, & Baldcypress. Pines will be sold in bundles of 25. Cedars and hardwoods will be sold in bundles of 10. Seedling prices will be $10 per bundle. Distribution of seedlings will be made on Wednesday, February 8th at the Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District Office, located in the Johnston County Agricultural Center on Highway 210 out of Smithfield. To place your order call 919-934-7156, ext. 3. Proceeds from the tree sale go toward the Johnston SWCD Education Program. All of the proceeds go into the District's scholarship account, the CW Warrick Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The Smith-Bryan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will have their Meeting on Saturday, February 11th at 9:00am at the Golden Corral in Smithfield. At this meeting, Johnston County students who are winners of the American History Essay Contest, the Good Citizens Contest, and the Good Citizenship Award will be recognized.
The Harbor Valentine's Ball will take place on Saturday, February 11th at the Preston Woodall House on East Hill Street in Benson from 6:00pm -10:00pm. Tickets are $125 per person and must be purchased by Thursday, January 27th by calling 919-938-3566 or online at www.harborshelter.org
The Neuse Little Theatre of Smithfield will present "The Dixie Swim Club", a comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, & Jamie Wooten, on Friday, February 10th, Saturday, February 11th, Sunday, February 12th, Friday, February 17th, & Saturday, February 18th at The Hut in downtown Smithfield. Showtimes are on Friday's & Saturday's at 8:00pm and on Sunday at 3:00pm. Ticket prices are $12 for reserved seating and $14 at the door. For tickets or more information, call 919-934-1873.
The Benson Little Theatre will hold Auditions for "Cinderella" on Monday, February 13th - Tuesday, February 14th at 6:00pm in the W.J. Barefoot Auditorium, located at 303 East Church Street in Benson.
The Annual Meeting of the Johnston County Goat Producer's Association will be held on Monday, February 13th at 6:30pm at the Johnston County Agricultural Center on Highway 210 in Smithfield. All Johnston County goat producers are invited to attend. The meeting will begin with a sponsored dinner followed by featured speaker Ben Carpenter, Livestock marketing Specialist with the NC Department Of Agriculture & Consumer Science. Annual dues of $10 will be accepted. In order to prepare for the meal, registration is requested by Friday, February 10th by calling 919-989-5380.
Smithfield Chapter #121 of the Eastern Star Scholarship will have their Soup & Sandwich sale on Tuesday, February 14th from 11:00am - 2:00pm at the Fellowship Masonic Lodge, 913 Bright Leaf Blvd, Smithfield. Vegetable Beef Soup and sandwich will be served for $6.00.
Registration is now open for the Greater Cleveland Athletic Association (GCAA) Spring Recreational Baseball Season. Cost is $75 for t-ball, $90 for coach pitch, minor league & major league players. The fee includes uniform jersey, cap, and socks. Practices will begin on Saturday, March 10th and opening day is Saturday, April 7th. The final day to register is Saturday, February 18th. For more information, visit www.gcaabaseball.com
Benson American Legion Post 109 will have a Reverse Drawing on Friday, February 24th at 6:00pm. The location will be at the American Legion Building, 605 North Wall Street in Benson. Tickets are $100. For tickets or more information, call 919-894-7216.
Princeton Cub Scout Pack 23 will be having a Cornhole 4 Cubs Tournament on Saturday, February 25th from 10:00am - 2:00pm. The entry fee is $40 and teams will receive t-shirts. For more information, call 919-273-6423.
Over 800 Girl Scouts in Johnston County are selling Girl Scout Cookies now through Sunday, March 11th. Cookies are $3.50 per box and this year the varieties are: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Lemonades, Thanks A Lots, Caramel DeLites, Shortbread, & Shout Outs.
There will be a Down East Walk To Defeat ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) on Saturday, May 5th with registration at 9:00am, opening ceremonies at 9:45am, and the 3K Walk at 10:00am. All will be held at the Alice F. Keen Park, located on County Home Road in Greenville. For registration information, go to www.WalkToDefeatALS.org and select "North Carolina" and then select "Down East". For more information, call 252-752-8854.
The Smith-Bryan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meets at the Golden Corral in Smithfield on the second Saturday of each month from September through May at 9:00am. For more information, call 919-934-7008.
Cub Scout Pack 422 will begin meeting on Monday's at 6:30pm in the fellowship hall at Thanksgiving Baptist Church on Highway 42 near Clayton. Boys in grades 1st - 5th are invited to join. For more information, call the church office at 919-965-3204.
The Four Oaks Civitan Club meets the second & fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Four Oaks Civitan Building beside the Four Oaks Elementary School at 7:00pm. For more information, go to www.leaguelineup.com/focitivan
The Princeton Lion's Club has their Meetings on the 1st and 3rd Monday nights each month at 7:00pm at the Princeton Community Center. Prospective members are invited to come and be involved with community projects that promote the Princeton community. The Princeton Lion's Club also supports a local LJ Worthington Scholarship given to a Princeton High School senior yearly.
Scholarship contributions are now being accepted for the Wade H. Johnson "Joy-2U" Scholarship at South Johnston High School. Mr. Johnson was a volunteer at SJHS for many years. Any contributions are tax deductible and can be made directly to the Johnston County Education Foundation, P.O. Box 1075, Smithfield, NC 27577. Please write on your check that it is for the Wade H. Johnson "Joy-2-U" Memorial Scholarship.
Drought Assistance, applications are being accepted now and will be approved locally by the Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District. Plans will then be sent to the NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation for final approval. With the limited amount of funds statewide, applications will be approved as they are received, until the funds are exhausted. Another stipulation of the allocation is that all practices must be designed and installed by December 31, 2011. Applicants must also sign a contract that obligates them to maintain the installed practices for a maintenance period of 10 years. If you are interested in applying for assistance for any of the BMP's mentioned above, please contact or visit the office of the Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District located in the Johnston County Agriculture Building at NC Hwy 210, Smithfield or call 919-934-7156.
The Salvation Army is in need of Volunteers to ring bells to raise money for families in need during the holiday season. They are also accepting volunteers to adopt a family in need for Christmas. New clothing, toys, and food are being accepted as donations. For more information, call 919-934-9102.
The Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District's Annual Tree Sale will take place now through Wednesday, February 8th. Orders are being taken for loblolly pines, eastern red cedars, and hardwoods (which include Waxmyrtle, Eastern Redbud, Black Walnut, Common Persimmon, & Baldcypress). Pines will be sold in bundles of 25, cedars & hardwoods in bundles of 10. Seedling prices will be $10 per bundle. Distribution of seedlings will be made on Wednesday, February 8th at the Johnston Soil & Water Conservation District Office (inside the Johnston County Ag Center on Hwy. 210 in Smithfield). To place your order, call 919-934-7156, ext. 3.
The Smith-Bryan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will have their Meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Johnston County Country Club at 9:00am. Breakfast will be available. For more information, call 919-219-9230.
The Sons Of Confederate Veterans, Clayton Yellow Jackets, Camp 1809, has their Meeting the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the fellowship hall at Powhatan Free Will Baptist Church on Powhatan Road in Clayton. For more information, call 919-369-7168. They are attempting to located unmarked Confederate graves in the Johnston County area. There are numerous graves in woods, fields, and on private property which need to be recorded and a headstone placed on the graves. For more information, call 919-369-7168.
United Hospice has a need for Volunteers in Johnston, Wayne, Harnett, Sampson, Hoke, Cumberland, Lee, Chatham, and Bladen counties. Volunteers will need to complete and training course and paperwork that prepare them for becoming a Hospice Volunteer. Hospice care treats the person rather than the disease and it highlights quality rather than the length of life. Hospice provides family-centered care involving the patient and the family in making decisions. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please call Heather Evans, Volunteer Coordinator, at 1-800-392-9295.
The local Quilts For Kids Chapter of North Carolina is in need of cotton fabric and quilting supplies. For more information, call 919-894-3326 and ask for Bonnie.
The Widowed Person's Fellowship Group will have their Meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Selma Woman's Club across from the library.
Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action, Inc. has received funds through the Weatherization Program American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to provide home weatherization services to residents who meet the 200% federal poverty guidelines and have been severely affected by the economic recession. Assistance is available to residents who live in the Johnston, Lee, and Harnett communities. Interested persons will need to provide the following information: proof of income, 12-month utility bill history of 12 months, proof of home ownership, and social security cards for all household members. For more information, call 919-934-2145 (Johnston County), 919-776-0746 (Lee County) or 910-814-8360 (Harnett County) and ask for the Weatherization Counselor.
Johnston-Lee Harnett Community Action's Community Services Block Grant program is seeking participants for its Family Services Self-Sufficiency Program. The program will provide one-on-one assistance with counseling/case management, assessing job skills and locating employment and much more. For more information or to enroll, call Nicole Jones or Gladys House at 919-934-2145, Tanisha Rouse at 919-209-9770. Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action's main offices are located at 1102 Massey Street, Smithfield.
The Salvation Army is in need of Toys & Clothing. The store is located off Bright Leaf Blvd. in Smithfield.
The American Legion Post #270 in Smithfield has their Meeting on the first Thursday of each month at the Post Home, located at 807 Martin Street in Smithfield at 7:30pm.
The Smithfield Lion's Club is selling Cookbooks for $10 each. They are available at Magic Tunnel Carwash on South Bright Leaf Blvd. in Smithfield & Keith Peedin & Associates on West Market Street in Smithfield.
A Literacy Program for families with young children will feature Tots & Tales the second Thursday of each month at 10:30am at the Children Early Learning Resource Library at 918 Highway 42 West and on the second Friday of each month at 10:30am at the Selma Partnership For Children Early Learning Resource Library at 1406-A South Pollock Street in Selma. For more information, call 919-202-0002.
Grief Support Group Meetings will be held at the Council On Aging, located at 1363 West Market Street on the third Friday of each month from 10:00am - 11:30am. For more information, contact Jane Quinn at 1-800-260-4442.
Community & Senior Services hosts Evening Caregiver Support Group Meetings every 3rd Thursday of the month from 1:30pm - 3:00pm at First Baptist Church, 202 S. 4th St., Smithfield and every 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Clayton Senior Center, located at 303 Dairy Road in Clayton. For more information, call 919-934-6066.
Johnston County REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team) will have their Meetings on the fourth Saturday of each month at 10:00am in the Old Court Room of the Selma Visitor's Center on Anderson Street in Selma. For more information, call 919-936-4031.
Cleveland Library is seeking Volunteers to provide a free Public Library and its services to residents living in or near the Cleveland Area. Volunteers may come in on Saturday's from 9:00am - 6:00pm and Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. For more information, call 919-661-6565.
Liberty Commons of Benson is actively seeking volunteers to assist with activities for all care levels of residents. For volunteer questions, call 919-207-1717.
Volunteers are needed for Reins From Above, Inc. Therapeutic Riding Center. You must be atleast 12 years of age to participate. For more information, call 919-938-1556.
Chapter 990, Johnston County Vietnam Veterans Of America meets each third Monday night of the month at 7:00pm at the White Swan, Hwy. 301 South in Smithfield. Membership is open to all veterans, all services, who served during the Vietnam era. For more information, call 919-934-6428.
Ride JCATS & reserve your seat. School, work, appointments, and more. JCATS is an affordable means of county wide transportation. $2 per ride in the county and $15 per ride out of the county. Call 24 hours in advance for availability. Some limitations apply. Call 919-202-5030.
The American Legion Post #132 in Smithfield, meets the 2nd Thursday in each month at 6:30pm at the Post Home, located at 100 Pitchi Street. For more information, call 919-934-1350.
The American Legion Post #518 in Clayton, meets the first Monday of each month at Rainbow Lanes Family Fun Center (Meeting Room A) at 7:00pm. For more information, call 919-398-8938.
Zebulon Shrine Club meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm at the Shrine Club, located at 1201 West Gannon Avenue. For more information, call 919-934-8148.
Volunteers are looking for Dog Houses & Dog Kennels for rescued animals. Working in conjunction with many animal related organizations, such as AARF & Paw Prints Rescue, these individuals provide shelter for rescued animals. For more information, or to donate a dog house or kennel, call 919-634-8533 or 919-961-8818.
The Council On Aging is in need of Volunteers to cut grass, trim hedges, and build ramps, among other odd jobs for the elderly in the county. For more information, call 919-934-6066, ext. 240.
The Johnston County Council On Aging is accepting durable Medical Equipment, such as lift chairs, walkers, wheelchairs, canes, etc. All must be in good condition. For more information, call 919-934-6066, extension 232.
A Grief Support Group will meet the third Friday of each month at the Johnston County Council on Aging, 1363 West Market Street, Smithfield from 10:00am - 12:00pm. For more information call 919-553-4350 or 919-934-6066.
Habitat For Humanity of Johnston County needs volunteers for a variety of tasks from clerical to building. The organization helps families to build affordable homes. For more information call Ned Walsh at 919-934-9331.
The Meadow Ruritan Club meets the second Tuesday night in each month at the Meadow Village Restaurant at 6:30 pm. They invite anyone interested in helping others to join them. For more information call 894-3360.
Project Linus, a volunteer non-profit organization, is accepting new, handmade washable Blankets For Children who are seriously ill. For more information, or to donate a blanket, contact Ann Sasser, Chapter Coordinator at 919-359-1304 or visit the Project Linus website.
The Carolina Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross is in need of Volunteers to assist with Blood Drives in Johnston County. Volunteers provide a number of services at blood drives including greeting donors, helping them register and serving refreshments. Individuals and civic organization interested in volunteering can call Donna Whitmann, Chapter Executive, at 919-934-8481.
The Widowed Persons Organization will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm at Rainbow Lanes on Highway 42 near Clayton. There will be a $5 attendance charge that will include food and drink. If you would like more information, call 919-553-7196 or 919-359-2547.
The Four Oaks Lion's Club meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Four Oaks Chamber of Commerce office at 204 North Main Street, Four Oaks at 6:00pm. For more information call Larry at 919-802-5917.