News Briefs: June 29

The Johnston County Board of Education named one new principal and two new assistant principals at a recent meeting. It also shuffled numerous administrators, including principals and assistant principals.

Jamie Tyler is the new principal of East Clayton Elementary School. The new assistant principals are Melissa Finch of West Johnston High School and Julie Johnson of Powhatan Elementary.

Two principals are on the move: Lorrie Johnson is headed to West Smithfield Elementary from West View Elementary. And Brayton Leonhardt is moving from East Clayton Elementary School to West View Elementary School.

The following assistant principals are on the move:

Andrea Andino – from Clayton High School to Riverwood Middle School.

Tamara Barbour – from West Johnston High School to West Smithfield Elementary School.

Tandra Batchelor-Mapp – from Archer Lodge Middle School to River Dell Elementary School.

David Shawn Bates – from Archer Lodge Middle School to Clayton High School.

Michelle Deyo – from Cleveland Elementary School to Benson Elementary School.

Aaron Firebaugh – East Clayton Elementary School to Cooper Elementary School.

Chris Germanoski – Riverwood Middle School to Clayton Middle School.

Igor Gorbatovski – Cooper Elementary School to Cleveland Elementary School.

Lee Hudson – Polenta Elementary School to West View Elementary School.

Jake McAllister – Smithfield-Selma High School to Cleveland High School.

Roger Norris – Cleveland Middle School to Four Oaks Middle School.

James Parrish – River Dell Elementary School to Micro Elementary School.

Lynn Prescott –Four Oaks Middle School to Cleveland Middle School.

Thomas Presti – Clayton Middle School to West Johnston High School.

Mogie Reddy – West Smithfield Elementary School to Riverwood Elementary School.

Angel Shepherd – Selma Elementary School to Cleveland High School.

Jennifer Swartz – West Johnston High School to McGee’s Crossroads Middle School.

W. Anthony Whitaker – Cleveland High School to Selma Elementary School.

Kristin Williams – McGee’s Crossroads Middle School to Selma Middle School.

Cole Yarborough – Cleveland High School to South Smithfield Elementary School.

Also, Deborah Johnson is moving from the central office, where she was director of human resources, to West Clayton Elementary School, where she will be an assistant principal.

Johnston County is among 25 North Carolina counties the Department of Transportation is surveying to help determine the state’s overall seat belt usage rate. Surveyors were to be in the county through June.

In 2015, North Carolina’s seat belt usage rate was 89.9 percent, just slightly below the national standard of 90 percent. That same year, Johnston County’s usage rates were 96.4 percent for drivers and 91.8 percent for passengers.

A Johnston County farm has received an agritourism grant from the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

Sanderson Farm near Four Oaks is among 29 farms statewide to receive grants for marketing efforts.

The N.C. Department of Transportation has turned the intersection of N.C. 96 and Little Devine Road near Selma into a permanent four-way stop. The intersection had required traffic to stop on Little Devine Road, while traffic on N.C. 96 could continue through a flashing yellow caution light.

In a news release, the DOT said traffic volumes at the intersection and other factors warranted installing stop signs on N.C. 96. Crews installed “stop ahead” pavement markings to help warn motorists of the new traffic pattern.

As drivers approach a four-way stop intersection, they should follow these right-of-way rules:

• The first vehicle to the intersection has the right-of-way ahead of any vehicle that has not yet arrived.

• When two or more vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the right has the right-of-way.

• The vehicle with the right-of-way may move straight ahead or, if legal and after signaling, turn left or right.

• When two facing vehicles approach an intersection at the same time, both drivers can move straight ahead or turn right. If one driver is going straight while the other wants to turn left, the driver who wants to turn left must yield to the other driver.

A federal judge has sentenced a Smithfield man to seven years in prison.

The sentence came after Terrell Rickey Settles, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine and heroin; maintaining a place for manufacturing, storing, distributing and using methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.

Smithfield police arrested Settles after receiving complaints about possible drug activity at a home on Boyette Circle.

This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 7:24 AM with the headline "News Briefs: June 29."