Virginia Higher Education Council
Not Recommending New Southside College

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s higher education council declined Tuesday to recommend that the state establish a brand-new college in the Southside region, and said that one institution can’t single-handedly solve the area’s economic woes.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia said in a report that it would be more cost-effective to have different Southside localities first develop partnerships between existing community colleges and four-year schools to offer educational opportunities to area residents. The report also recommends a comprehensive economic development plan for the area, which has suffered from the loss of furniture, textile and tobacco jobs.
‘‘We have estimated that the demand in the Southside region is about 300 (new) students per year,’’ costing the state about $2 million to $4 million annually, council spokeswoman Elizabeth Wallace said in a telephone interview. ‘‘It would be more cost-effective to leverage existing resources.’’
The partnerships could serve as the groundwork for an eventual state-funded ‘‘stand-alone’’ school, according to the report, which will be forwarded to Gov.-elect Tim Kaine and the General Assembly.
W.W. “Ted” Bennett, the executive director of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, said yesterday that “the core of it is exactly what I recommended to Kaine in the Higher Education Transition Team report.
“The thesis is not to build a new university in Martinsville and let that be it, but to have the three communities coalesce around a new college entity that will serve all three jurisdictions, not just one.
“By doing that we expand the reach and population served from about 135,000 to about 378,000 by providing degree programs in all three localities.”
Bennett said the goal could be accomplished by using the community colleges and existing resources for year one and two courses.
“However there are some four-year institution people who believe that many of those first and second year courses need to be strengthened,” he added.
“Additionally, this way we work together and don’t compete and don’t duplicate courses, reaching a whole lot more people at considerable savings per student,” added Bennett.
“And the piece they don’t mention (in the Council for Education Associated Press report) is that we need the faculty to be living here, living in Danville and in Martinsville, not just teaching classes and returning to a campus, but living here to replace the brain drain that occurred over the last 150 years. And I think they will do that.”
The study was released a year after the council initially declined to endorse the immediate creation of a new school. In that assessment, requested by the General Assembly, SCHEV determined that the issue needed further study before the state should commit to such a project.
In the follow-up report, SCHEV found that about 66 percent of the region’s students graduate from high school — compared with 78 percent statewide. Also, there’s strong interest among students in the region to attend a college in the Martinsville area and respondents to the study expressed a clear preference ‘‘for a local college to be a branch campus or ’affiliated with’ an existing institution.’’
It also found that students and employers in Southside need specific degree programs, and recommended that four-year degree programs be offered in the areas of health, education, business administration and computers.
SCHEV recommended a partnership that creates a local administrative structure that would address the educational needs for each of three Southside localities. In Martinsville and Danville, students seeking bachelor’s degrees would use the resources of Patrick Henry and Danville community colleges, which would build educational partnerships that focus on granting degrees in health-related or science and technology fields. In South Boston, students would use the resources of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center for associate’s degrees, and local administrators would find faculty that would provide the second two years of a bachelor’s degree program.
A comprehensive economic-development plan is necessary because ‘‘one institution, or a series of four-year degree-granting programs, could not single-handedly reform a region economically,’’ the study said. ‘‘It is important that careful analysis and planning regarding economic development be an integral part of the overall effort.’’
One group that eventually wants to create a four-year college, the New College Institute Planning Commission, has proposed a partnership that would have students earn an associate’s degree at an existing local institution, then develop either a new school or branch campus of an existing college by 2012.
The proposed New College Institute stems from a philanthropic group created after proceeds from the sale of a local hospital were designated to improve the area’s quality of life. The group, the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont, offered a $50 million challenge grant to start a new four-year school.
‘‘We look forward to continuing to work with SCHEV, the Virginia General Assembly and our educational partners to advance higher educational opportunities and economic development initiatives of benefit to Martinsville-Henry County, Southside Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia,’’ New College planning chairman Robert H. Spilman Jr. said in a statement.
Kaine and several state legislators have said that they strongly support creating a Southside college to improve the region’s economic prospects, which have dimmed with the departure of textile and furniture businesses that once helped the area prosper.
Virginia hasn’t created a wholly new public four-year college since Virginia State University was founded in 1882. The most recently established four-year school is Christopher Newport College, founded in 1971 from a former two-year branch of the College of William and Mary. It became Christopher Newport University in 1992.

 

School Construction Costs Continue To Rise

Trustees Select McDowell As Board Chairman, Anderson Vice-Chairman

Dewberry and Davis architect Alan Burchette offered good news and bad news to the Halifax County School Board at its monthly meeting Monday.
The good news is that the Halifax County Middle School renovation project is proceeding smoothly and on schedule, according to Burchette.
“The middle school project is off to a real good start,” Burchette said. “By mid-August the classroom additions should be finished.”
Then the bad news, Burchette informed Board members that material costs have continued to skyrocket, going up another 10 percent since November 1.
Bids for the two elementary school projects are slated to go out in February and be opened in March with construction to begin April 1.
“Currently there is not much bidding,” Burchette said, noting that could be a good if contractors are searching for projects. But it could work against the school system if several other projects go out for bid at the same time, he added.
Halifax County School Superintendent Paul Stapleton has requested a revised cost estimate, Burchette said, and he expects to have it to him by the end of the week.
Drawings for the South Boston and Cluster Springs projects are to be completed by the end of the month, Burchette told the Board, who said he is very pleased with both sites.
The Board passed a resolution requesting and consenting to the Halifax County Board of Supervisors issuing general obligation bonds for the school system’s capital improvement projects through the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) program.
The resolution asks supervisors to issue bonds in aggregate principal amount to provide $28,800,000 of proceeds for the projects.
Also on the agenda, Board members selected new officers and adopted their meeting schedule for 2006.
The longest serving member of the Board, D.H. “Mac” McDowell, was chosen to serve as chairman and another long-serving member, Steve Anderson, was tapped as vice-chairman.
McDowell was nominated by Joe Bailey III and Anderson was nominated by Doug Fisher. Both were approved unanimously.
Stapleton then nominated Robin Mahan to serve as clerk and Amy Throckmorton to serve as deputy clerk. Both were also approved unanimously.
The Board also adopted its meeting schedule for 2006. It will continue to hold its monthly meetings on the second Monday of each month, with the exception of April when there is a conflict. The April meeting will be held Thursday, April 6.
Several students were recognized at the meeting for obtaining Internet technology certifications.
The students were involved in piloting a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) program at the STEM Academy. The CIW program consists of three tests: Site Development Foundations, Internet Business Foundations and Networking Foundations. Woltz’s students were tested only on Site Development Foundations, which focused on comprehensive knowledge of coding in HTML and XHTML as well as general Web development.
This is course work typically offered at technical schools not in high schools, Executive Director for Administration Paul Nichols told the Board.
The students will also get college credit from the dual-enrolled class.
Nichols also responded to concerns raised by Board member Arthur Reynolds that dropout numbers from the college-level courses were high because of the workload.
While not having exact figures available, Nichols told the Board that the dropout numbers were quite small.
Stapleton said the courses were intended to be challenging.
“These programs are intended to be hard,” Stapleton said. “That’s why Virginia Tech is willing to transfer engineering credit.”
Nichols and Stapleton pointed out that students do not have to take duel-enrollment classes, they can follow the regular high school curriculum.
Nichols also presented an update on the academies.
The Fulbright Program rated the Brazilian exchange as “outstanding” and is now working with the International Academy to bring to Halifax teachers from Morocco on an exchange in March or April, Nichols said.
Several grant opportunities are now also becoming available Nichols told the Board.
The schools system is seeking two grants, one to help fund K-12 Chinese language education and another from the USDA for equipment to be placed at the Cove for the Environmental Academy, according to Nichols.
Lastly, Nichols told the Board that the two-way video equipment is coming online at the STEM Academy to allow students to interact with programs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
The Board also heard from counselors at the middle and high schools about the success of their programs funded by the Safe and Drug-free Schools grant.
Middle school Student Assistance Coordinator Anne Leggett told the Board that the school offers students individual and group counseling on such issues as anger management and peer relationships.
The program has served 28 students this school year, she noted, with referrals coming from teachers, parents and students.
Peer mediation director Beth Lynne said the high school’s program, established in 1992, has a very high success rate helping students. The program has received state and national recognition and has received high marks from the students it serves, she said.
The school system will receive $40,000 in federal funds under this grant, according to Director of Testing/Gifted and Talented Barbara Speece.
Lastly, the Board went into executive session to address student disciplinary and personnel performance matters.

 

Virginia General Assembly
Hogan: Gov’s Budget Doesn’t Show Restraint

Halifax County Delegate Says $72 Billion Budget Doesn’t Address Some “Underlying, Fundamental Obligations”

Halifax County’s delegate to the Virginia General Assembly said yesterday that Governor Mark Warner’s proposed $72 billion budget does little to address some of the problems facing the state.
“When I got to the legislature, the biennial budget was $48 billion and now it’s $72 billion,” Delegate Clarke Hogan said. “I think that goes to show you that we’ve hardly had a budget crisis in the last five years and revenue growth has more than kept up with the state’s population inflation.”
On December 16, Warner proffered his budget to the General Assembly, one that boosts school spending by $1.5 billion to $6.6 billion, adds $625 million to address the state’s transportation needs and funnels $402 million to the state’s rainy day fund.
The proposed budget is up by $6 billion from the current budget that expires June 30.
“I think we need to be very, very careful about state spending, whether we have a lot of money or not,” Hogan, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said. “I think our modus operandi has been to spend it all when we have money and when we don’t, believe state government will cease to exist.
“I think that especially in times when you have large budget surpluses, you need to be critical of the spending, even more-so than when times are tight. It’s times of excess when irresponsible things happen,” he added.
The Halifax County delegate said he believes the job of the General Assembly is to be critical of all spending, both new and old.
“One of the things I don’t like is I don’t see any effort to restrain or control state spending,” he said. “For my part, I’m going to spend a fair amount of time looking at it and seeing where cuts can be made.
“When you find out that the cabins at the Virginia State Parks are costing $450,000 each, there’s something wrong,” Hogan added.
“We have some underlying, fundamental obligations we need to meet first (before spending on other things). I just don’t think this budget shows much restraint, but then that’s typical of a governor’s budget when they’re on their way out the door,” he said. Warner will leave office when Governor-Elect Tim Kaine takes the oath of office Saturday.
“I think you’re going to see big chunks of the proposed budget disappear,” Hogan added. “We’ll get in there and work on it.”
Asked whether he would advocate using any of the additional transportation funding to improve Route 501 in the county, Hogan chuckled.
“(Route) 501 would take all of it,” he said. “There may be some chance we can get some improvements to 501, but there are around $50 billion in transportation needs statewide and no plan I’ve seen yet, even those based on higher revenues, comes up with that amount.”
Hogan said legislators need to change their paradigm to create a solution to the problem.
“We’re going to have to look at fundamentally different ways of funding our transportation needs in Virginia,” he said. “To throw $600 million or a billion dollars at the problem doesn’t come close to solving the problem. I will advocate that we look at a totally different approach to our transportation needs.
“Right now, there’s no proposal out there for new funding that will come close to addressing the transportation needs as they’re defined,” Hogan added. “Higher revenues will not get it done.”
School Funding
In addressing the additional funds for the state’s public schools, Hogan said he believes the state has “demonstrated its commitment” to the school system.
“There are earmarked funding streams that need to be looked at, but the state needs to focus on the overall funding and let the localities decide where to put the money,” he said. “If we meet our obligations on the big stuff, the locality needs to be left alone to decide on any additional spending.”
As an example, Hogan used Project Discovery, a $700 million earmarked fund that Hogan says serves some communities and not others.
“$700 million is real money,” he said. “We’re not convinced that enough of the education funding is ending up in the classroom. We’d like to see a higher percentage of our education money being spent in the classroom.
“That’s where the students learn and the teachers teach and that’s what it’s all about,” Hogan said.
Hogan said that replenishing the state’s rainy day fund is a constitutional requirement, and he would like to see even more money set aside for future needs.
“That (Warner’s proposed $402 million allocation to the fund) will take it to about a $1 billion, and I know we’re going to need it in the future.
“When you look at the overall economy, it’s easy to see that we’ll need it in the next two or three years or so when the economy slows down,” he said.
“I’ve spent most of my time in the legislature trying to close huge budget holes and that’s not the way to run a state government.”

 

Lions Boys Cagers Clinch Share Of Conference Title

First-Quarter Run Leads HCMS To 56-30 Win Over Bluestone

The Halifax County Middle School boys basketball team clinched a share of the Southside Middle School Conference title here Monday, its defense keying a 56-30 rout of Bluestone.
Halifax used a pressing man-to-man defense and Trojan turnovers to lead 19-0 in the first quarter, and the issue was never in doubt thereafter. The Lions owned a 37-5 lead at halftime, with reserves playing a majority of the second half.
Quinton Wooden came off the bench to score a game-high 12 points for Halifax, which also got 10 points from Lemal Adams, seven points from Tevin Gayles and six points from Deshon Dabbs and Demetre’ Faulkner.
Patches Trent scored five points, Antonio Walker and Devin Walton four points apiece, while Wendal Adams added a basket for the Lions, who also enjoyed a good night at the foul line, hitting 10 of 14 free throws as a team.
N. Baskerville led Bluestone with 10 points, including two treys, while Maurice Hunter included a three-pointer among his five points.
Teraunte Osborne and Brandon Allen each finished with four points, Franklin Watson a trey for three points, while S. Hardy and D. Staten each had two points for Bluestone.
Coming between key conference road games, Lions coach Mike Hailey liked the way his team played at home against a game but outmanned Trojans’ squad.
“We took care of business and I’m pleased with that,” he began. “We played real good defense early on, a good man-to-man.”
“Our starters did a good job the first quarter and a half, and everyone played a lot tonight. I was real pleased with the second group I put out there and we may need a couple of those players as we get to the end of the year.”
The Lions’ man-to-man was effective in the teams’ earlier meeting at Bluestone, according to Hailey, and it proved effective again here Monday, Halifax using defense and an uptempo offense to gain the big advantage early.
“The man-to-man was effective [at Bluestone] and we did a fairly good job with it tonight,” noted Hailey.
“That’s good to see coming down to the end of the season, if we have to go man-to-man.”
Dabbs had all his six points in the first quarter, Gayles five and Walton four points. Adams added six points, his coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer countering Bluestone’s first bucket (Baskerville) to make it 21-2.
The lead grew to 29-2 midway through the second period, Wooden the Lions’ workhorse with 10 points in the quarter, while Walker and Faulkner had four and two points, respectively.
Hardy answered with a field goal and Staten a foul shot for the Trojans, but Halifax still held a 37-5 lead at intermission.
With the game essentially over by halftime, the second half was played for the most part with reserves from both teams.
Lemal Adams and Gayles scored four and two points, respectively, before sitting for the remainder of the game, while Trent hit a foul shot, as Halifax led 44-18 going into the fourth quarter.
The Trojans countered with their best quarter of the game, Allen scoring four points, Watson and Hunter connecting for treys, and Osbourne for a bucket. Staten hit one of two free throws for Bluestone in the third quarter.
Trent and Faulkner each scored four points in the fourth quarter, while Adams and Wooden added a basket apiece to counter eight points (two treys) from Baskerville along with a field goal each from Hunter and Osbourne.
The Lions need one win in their remaining two conference games – at Russell and home next Wednesday against Park View – to lock up sole possession of first place in the conference.
Hailey is hoping for performances similar to what he has seen the past couple of games to clinch the title outright.
“At Wyatt (47-39 win), we played extremely well the first 18 minutes and the first two minutes of the fourth quarter,” recalled Hailey.
“We had a couple of kids in foul trouble and had a patchwork offense and defense at times later in the game, having some bad passes and turnovers to let them get close.
“But, we had enough of a lead to ice the game, and that was the biggest thing, to get the win on the road.
“All we need to do is win one of our two remaining conference games. I hated it that my starters didn’t get any more action tonight, but resting them should help us some at Russell and down the road.”

 

Comets Grapplers Rally To Edge Tunstall Monday

After having won only one of its first seven dual meet contests and a disappointing outing in last weekend’s Rocket Invitational Tournament, the Halifax County High School wrestling team found itself in need of a boost of confidence.
Monday night, it got a taste of the right tonic.
The Comets, making one of their better showings of the season, rallied to win the last three weight classes and scored a come-from-behind 48-42 win over Tunstall High School.
“We’re making progress,” said Comets head coach Brady Taylor after the win that lifted his team’s record to 2-6 overall in dual-match events.
“We’ve still got a long way to go but tonight was a big step.”
The forward step the Comets made in Monday’s match, the second of only three home matches the team has on its schedule this season, may be one of the more important steps they have taken this season.
“I don’t want to put too much importance on it, but I think if we had lost tonight our confidence would have been shot,” Taylor said.
“ I think this will do a lot to show them that if they wrestle hard and wrestle smart they can win matches. It’s been over a month since we’ve won a match. Hopefully this will start us off on some sort of a roll.”
The Comets won the match by doing what they had to do – win the last three weight classes.
Halifax County trailed Tunstall 42-30 after its 171-pounder, Charles Crawley, was pinned by Tunstall’s Seth Flora. However, 189 pounder Damon Chambers came out made quick work of his match, pinning Tunstall’s Levi Barrett in 24 seconds. The Comets’ 215-pounder, Robert Stanfield, tied the match by pinning Tunstall’s Justin Thornberry in three minutes and 23 seconds.
When Tunstall did not field a wrestler in the 275-pound weight class, the Comets’ heavyweight, Cavanaugh Smith, stepped out on the mat to claim the win and put the Comets over the top.
“I’m proud of them,” Taylor said of his wrestlers.
“They came in tonight with a better attitude than they had Saturday (at the Rocket Invitational Tournament at Person High School). We talked to them Saturday and again today and basically told them they had to reach down and that it was up to them. We (the coaches) can’t wrestle for them. We prepared them as best we could and they came out and showed a good effort. They wrestled hard.”
The match, which started with the 103-pound weight class bout, was a close one throughout with the score being deadlocked on four occasions.
Along with the pins posted by Chambers and Stanfield, the Comets got pins from 112-pounder Brent Messick, 119-pounder Jordan Litchfield and135-pounder Jonathan Chappell.
Smith, as noted earlier, won the 275-pound weight class bout by forfeit and the Josh Brooks, the Comets’ 145-pounder, won the 145-pound weight class bout by a forfeit.
There was a double forfeit in the 103-pound weight class.
With the momentum of Monday night’s win behind them, the Comets will return to action tonight, going on the road to face Martinsville High School.
“I have no idea what Martinsville has,” Taylor pointed out.
“ The last time we wrestled them was probably four or five years ago and they were really strong then. We’re going to go and try to give them a good shot, and, hopefully come home with a win.”
Halifax County 48 Tunstall 42
103 – Double Forfeit.
112- Brent Messick (HC) pinned Donnie Devall (T) 5:04.
119 – Jordan Litchfield (HC) pinned Corey Phillips (T) 32 Sec.
125 – Freddie Hernandez (T) pinned Heather Oakes (HC) 57 Sec.
130 – Matthew Hyler (T) pinned Shayna Oakes (HC) 2:12.
135 – Jonathan Chappell (HC) pinned Seth Scearce (T) 5:46.
140 – Nathaniel Evans (T) pinned Tyler Bamberg (HC) 57 Sec.
145 – Josh Brooks (HC) won by forfeit.
152 – Dustin Echols (T) pinned Ray Albert (HC) 54 Sec.
160 – Drew Richardson (T) won by forfeit.
171 – Seth Flora (T) pinned Charles Crawley (HC) 3:09.
189 – Damon Chambers (HC) pinned Levi Barrett (T) 24 sec.
215 – Robert Stanfield (HC) pinned Justin Thornberry (T) 3:23.
275 - Cavanaugh Smith (HC) won by forfeit.
Exhibition Matches
103 – Matt Thornberry (T) def. Ralph Tuck (HC) 13-0.
145 – Brent Hyler (T) pinned Josh Brooks (HC) 5:22.

 

HCMS Girls Basketball Team Clinches Conference Title

Fast Start Propels Lions To 66-23 Rout Of Bluestone

Make it seven straight Southside Middle School Conference championships for the Halifax County Middle School girls basketball team, the Lions clinching its latest title here Monday with a 66-23 rout of Bluestone.
Halifax bolted to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in improving to 6-0 in the conference and 11-0 overall.
Miyisha Younger led Halifax with 12 points, followed by Whitney McCargo with 10 points. Melyse Brown finished with nine points, Jameshia Smith (two treys) had eight points, and Destiny Betts and Johanna Spencer seven points apiece.
Tiffany Wilson scored six points, and Nia Brown, Jamilia Smith and Chaquetta Guthrie added two points each, while Jessie Bagbey was one of two from the foul line to complete the Halifax scoring totals.
Domonique Osborne led Bluestone with nine points, and Jenna DeSantis and Dekeda Townes each finished with five points. Angelique Sturdifen added four points for the Trojanettes.
The key to the win, as usual, was the Lions’ pressure defense, a half-court trap producing numerous Trojanette turnovers that Halifax converted into easy buckets during the early going.
That gave the Lions a 20-5 lead after one quarter, and it cruised home from there.
Halifax coach James Smith was pleased with how his team came out of the gate against a solid Bluestone team.
“They’re a good team, and I knew they were good at the guard position, but we put a lot of pressure on them and I think they got tired,” said Smith.
The Lions set the tone early, McCargo scoring off the opening tip and adding two consecutive baskets after turnovers. Betts converted another turnover into a basket, hit one of two foul shots and scored a fast break bucket for an 11-0 lead.
Wilson hit the first of her three first-quarter baskets, and Melyse Brown added a fast break bucket before Townes broke the ice for Bluestone to make it 15-2.
Younger hit two foul shots, Melyse Brown another, and Wilson added a breakaway layup, before Townes nailed a trey to bring the Trojanettes to within 15 points going into the second quarter.
Another 20-5 run before halftime essentially put the game away for Halifax, the Lions’ depth coming into play for a commanding 40-10 lead.
Spencer worked inside for five points, and Jameshia Smith hit the first of her two treys as part of her five points in the quarter. Jamilia Smith, Nia Brown, Younger and McCargo also connected for Halifax, while Bluestone countered with two foul shots from Sturdifen and a basket and foul shot from Osborne.
Younger added eight third-quarter points, Melyse Brown six, and McCargo and Betts two each, as the lead grew to 58-12, Bluestone responding with a DeSantis bucket.
The Trojanettes battled the Lions on even terms in the final period, Osborne adding a trey among her six points in the final quarter, while DeSantis was three of four from the foul line.
Sturdifen hit two of three foul shots for Bluestone, which hit an even fifty percent from the charity stripe for the game (nine for 18).
Jameshia Smith added her final trey in the fourth quarter, while Betts, Spencer and Guthrie added baskets for Halifax, which hit six of 11 free throws for the game.
Despite the big win, Smith sees room for improvement as tournament time is just around the corner.
“I’m pretty pleased with how things are going, but we have to work on a few more things,” said Smith, adding his team’s free throw percentage has improved in recent games.
“We make some foolish mistakes sometimes, but that comes from being aggressive.
“This was still a good conference win against a good opponent.”
Halifax plays at Russell before returning home next Wednesday to face Park View.

 

Obituaries

Tommy Ray Clay Jr.
Tommy Ray Clay Jr. of Zebulon, N.C. died January 2, 2006. He was preceded in death by his father, Tommy Ray Clay Sr.
A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. January 9, at Massey Funeral Home in Zebulon.
Survivors of Mr. Clay include his mother, Alice Clay of Zebulon; a sister, Ginger Klein of Zebulon; and his grandmother, Irene Clay, of South Boston.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider a mental health charity.

Rev. James B. Crocker
Rev. James B. Crocker of North Suffolk died at his home December 11, 2005. He was born in Isle of Wight County on January 15, 1935, the son of the late Raleigh E. Crocker and Susie Pearl Vincent Crocker.
Rev. Crocker was a graduate of the University of Richmond and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a pastor for 45 years, having served at Clover Bottom Baptist in Nathalie for the past eight years.
Survivors include his wife, Minnie Ann Carr Crocker; two daughters, Debra C. Perry and husband, George N. Perry, of Smithfield, and Mary Sue MacKenzie and husband, James D. MacKenzie, of North Suffolk; two grandchildren, James Collin MacKenzie and Kaitlin Ann Perry; and a brother, John R. Crocker.
Rev. Crocker was a member of the Ruritan Clubs of Callao and Windsor, Westmoreland Masonic Lodge No 212, Royal Arch Chapter No. 41. He served as associate grand çhaplain of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, and was involved in leadership positions in the Baptist Associations in which he served.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on December 15, in Central Hill Baptist Church, Windsor. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Clover Bottom Baptist Church, 7042 Stagecoach Road, Nathalie, 24577, for International Missions.

Samuel Elmo Smith
Samuel Elmo Smith, 97, of 1248 Ramble Road, Virgilina died January 9, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Smith was born July 11, 1908, in Halifax County the son of the late Samuel Jones Smith and Lula Allen Smith and was married to the late Charlotte Hudson Smith. He was a member of Grace Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and secretary and treasurer and was a member of the Dan River Baptist Association. He was a member of High Hill Hunting Club and of the local draft board during World War II.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, January 12, at 11 a.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bill LaWall officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Survivors of Mr. Smith include two daughters, Patricia S. Compton and husband, Alex, of Chester and Barbara Smith Vance and husband, Harold, of Bel Air, Md.; one sister, Geraldine Hite of Virgilina; two brothers, N. Berkeley Smith and Talmadge Smith of Virgilina; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends this evening, January 11, from 7:00 until 8:30 at Brooks Funeral Home, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Patrick Henry Boys & Girls Plantations, P.O. Box 1398, Brookneal, 24528.

Margaret Brown Solomon
Margaret Brown Solomon, 82, of South Boston died January 9, 2006, at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Ms. Solomon was born August 3, 1923, in Halifax County the daughter of the late Willie Harvey Solomon and Mae Oakes Solomon. She was a member of First Cross Roads Baptist Church and was a retired secretary with John Marshall Hotel, Richmond.
Survivors include one sister, Virginia Loftis of South Boston; one brother, Wallace Solomon of Halifax; and four nephews, Allen Loftis, James Solomon, Carroll Solomon and Wayne Solomon.
Funeral services for Ms. Solomon will be held today, January 11, at 3 p.m. at First Cross Roads Baptist Church with the Rev. Dan Ward officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Frances Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Wilbourne
Frances Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Wilbourne, 59, of Halifax died January 7, 2006, in Lynchburg General Hospital.
Ms. Wilbourne was born January 16, 1946, in Martinsville the daughter of Paul Pulliam of Martinville and the late Edna Nolen Pulliam. She was a member of Dan River Baptist Church, and was a caseworker with Social Services.
Survivors include three sisters, Bonnie Pulliam of Roanoke, Cathy Clark of West End, N.C., and Glenda Pulliam of Hampton.
Graveside services for Ms. Wilbourne were held at Mountain View Cemetery in Ridgeway at 3 p.m. on January 10. The Rev. Doug Gibson officiated.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the American Stroke Association, 4217 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, 23060, or Dan River Baptist Church, Halifax, 24558.