Fallout From Raid Continues
Patron Says They Were Treated As ‘Worst Common Criminals’
At least one of the patrons of what police are calling an illegal gambling operation at Hill’s Tavern has leveled accusations at the law enforcement community alleging they violated the rights of the gamblers.
“I have never been treated the way the police handled this situation before in my life,” said Nicholas Hudson.
Hudson charged that police “charged in with guns pointed to our heads,” and handcuffed the patrons “with plastic bands so tight that it was cutting circulation off.”
“Now I understand the police need to protect themselves and the public for that matter, but handcuffing everyone there, while guns (were) pointed at our heads was not necessary by any means,” he said. “When I say handcuffing, I mean with plastic bands so tight that it was cutting circulation off to not only my hands, but to others as well.
“After advising the officers of this, and taking a few very rude comments from them, they took the handcuffs off of all of us.”
Hudson also charges that police confiscated large amounts of personal money from the patrons.
“The public was informed of thousands of dollars seized, but what they (police) ‘forgot’ to inform was that the money was taken out of our pockets and had nothing to do with the tournament,” he said. Hudson maintains that the patrons were attending a Texas Hold-Em tournament, where the players were playing for chips – not cash.
“Yes, you read that correctly, my personal money was taken out of my wallet and seized as gambling money,” he added. “Not one person was arrested and no charges were filed, but we didn’t get our money back.”
In a letter written to the Gazette-Virginian over the weekend, Scottsburg resident Cecil also raised questions regarding the raid.
“This was not a high stakes poker game,” he wrote, “just a friendly game among friends that get together on Wednesday night for some fun and relaxation.
“The most anyone could lose was $20,” Lacks added.
Lacks said that at the time of the raid, he had already lost $20 “and could have left.”
“At the time of the raid I wasn’t even at the table playing,” he said. “I was just standing in the room watching.”
According to Lacks, police seized $1,800 from him alone.
“My money was from my hard-earned wages, not from some gambling operation,” he said.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Kim White said that any money confiscated at the scene from either the business or the patrons was legally taken as evidence of the gambling operation.
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Freshour said he arrived at Hill’s after the initial entry was made by state law enforcement.
He said charges should be leveled in the near future.
“Charges, both felony and misdemeanor, will be forthcoming,” he said.
The deputy commonwealth’s attorney said that when he arrived at the South Boston business, the patrons “were being treated politely.”
“They had guns, but they were not drawn,” he said. “Everyone was sitting down. People were being treated politely and no one had a gun pointed at them.
“What happened at the beginning, I don’t know,” Freshour added. “Some of the gentleman asked to go to the bathroom and were allowed to do it. They were treated with courtesy and respect. There was nothing to suggest (police) were being overly aggressive.”
Contacted yesterday, Sergeant David Cooper of the Virginia State Police – the agency that took the lead in executing the search warrant, said it is standard procedure when officers are executing a search warrant to draw their weapons.
“That’s accurate,” he said when told about the allegation. “But I doubt they were pointed at their heads.”
Cooper said that a specially-trained tactical team made the initial entry into the business.
“Because there’s always a possibility that weapons are involved we did use our tactical team and they were carrying weapons and were wearing body armor,” he said. “We’re there to make sure no one gets hurt.”
Freshour agreed.
“Whether it’s the state police or the South Boston police, whatever the tactics for entering a building and executing a search warrant, no one has complained to us,” he said. “They (police officers) don’t know what to expect so they go in and protect themselves.”
Cooper said he doesn’t know for sure if personal money was confiscated.
“I know money was taken, but I don’t know about personal money,” he said.
“Where is it at?” Hudson asked. “Nobody can give me an answer or… tell me when I can get the money back.”
“The money taken at the scene was placed in an evidence locker at our headquarters in Appomattox,” Cooper said. “That is standard procedure.”

Virginia Fourth-Graders Show Test Score Gap
Most Pass State, But Fail Federal Reading and Math Exams
Staff and Wire Reports

In Virginia, 85 percent of fourth-graders who took a state reading test were rated proficient or better. But when the same students took the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress test, only 37 percent reached that standard, according to statistics from the Education Trust.
The findings were also similar for math scores, with 81 percent of Virginia fourth-graders scoring proficient on the state exam and only 39 percent proficient on the federal test.
Halifax School Superintendent Paul Stapleton said yesterday that he had not seen the Education Trust’s score comparisons, which were released Thursday, but did say that different states have different standards of learning and that could account for the scoring variation between states on the federal exams.
Also with the federal exams, not every fourth-grade student in every state takes the exam, rather it’s generally a sampling of students, he noted.
Other states besides Virginia are also experiencing the same phenomenon, some even more profoundly, the Education Trust noted.
Nearly 90 percent of Mississippi fourth-graders who took a state reading test were rated proficient or better, but only18 percent of those students reached that standard on the federal exams.
Such discrepancies are not uncommon. Students from all over the country performed worse on a tough federal test than they did on state exams in reading and math — raising questions about whether states are setting lower standards.
The number of children who were proficient or better on state exams was often solid, if not lofty, in 2005. States have wide latitude in deciding what proficiency means.
But on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — the gold standard of achievement in the U.S. — most states don’t come close to matching up, a new analysis shows.
The performance gap was often enormous. The number of fourth-graders and eighth-graders who scored proficient or better on state tests was often 30, 40 or 50 percentage points higher than the number of those who did well on the federal exam — the one the president and Congress use to chart the nation’s progress.
Congress has required every state to take part in the federal testing as a way to expose states that may be inflating achievement scores.
The Education Trust, a nonprofit think tank that tracks state compliance with President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law, released the comparison of test scores in a report Thursday.
‘‘There ought to be questions about whether state standards are preparing students for the challenges of college, work and the real world,’’ said Daria Hall, senior policy analyst at The Education Trust.
Under No Child Left Behind, all children must be proficient in reading and math by 2014. But there has never been a promise of consistency.
States define what ‘‘proficient’’ means, and their expectations for students, tests and passing scores vary widely. States have a huge stake in the scores on their own exams, because they determine whether schools make enough progress to avoid federal penalties.
The federal test is supposed to be a benchmark. But some state officials say the federal standard of proficiency — competency over challenging subject matter — is too high.
Other states besides Mississippi had huge test-score gaps:
—In Colorado, 89 percent of fourth-graders were proficient or better in math on the state test. On the federal test, 39 percent were.
—In North Carolina, 88 percent of eighth-graders were proficient or better in reading on the state test. On the federal test, 27 percent were.
—In West Virginia, 71 percent of the eighth-graders were proficient or better in math. On the federal test, 18 percent were.
In a few cases, students performed higher on the federal test than the state test.
“It makes you question whether the definition of ‘proficiency’ anyplace is anchored in real-world demands,’’ said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping states raise academic standards.
The new data will provide even more urgency, Cohen said, to states that are working to bring their standards up to what colleges and employers want.
One factor is unlikely to change. The state tests have consequences for schools. The federal test does not. So even big shortfalls on the federal test may not force much action.
‘‘We specifically pushed for all 50 states to participate in (the national test) to shed some light on state assessments,’’ said Education Department spokeswoman Susan Aspey. ‘‘We hope states take a good, hard look at this data and use it to help the millions of kids who aren’t yet at grade level.’’
In charting performance on state and federal tests, The Education Trust compared students within the same grade, or at least within a one-grade difference.
Overall, the analysis of state exams found states made progress in elementary school in raising achievement and reducing test-score gaps between white students and minorities. But the progress was much more mixed in middle school and high school.

Deputies Investigating B & Es

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is investigating several break-ins throughout the county, according to Captain Larry Fairs.
On Tuesday, a bolt action 20-guage shotgun was reported stolen from the Bagwell Drive residence of Lindsey West in Scottsburg, Fears said.
The back door of West’s mobile home was forced open, according to investigators.
On February 17, at the Addison Soloman residence on Wade Pond in Alton, a Sony Playstation 2 was reported stolen, Fears said.
Glass was found broken out of the home’s back door, police said.
On Thursday, February 23, some roofing tin was reported stolen from an outbuilding on the property Janice Dixon on Johnson Mill Road in Vernon Hill, Fears said.
Two crimes are also being investigated from Monday, February 27, Fears said.
A window and a wooden interior door were reported broken out at Virgilina Elementary School, Fears said.
Nothing was reported stolen, he added.
Also reported to deputies was an attempted automobile theft at the residence of Roger and Nancy Wilborn on Asbury Church Road in Vernon Hill.
According to the investigating deputy, pry marks were found in the door and window area of the Wilborn’s vehicle.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office at 476-3334 or Crimestoppers at 476-TIPS.

Obituaries

Ruby Smart Bradshaw
Ruby Smart Bradshaw, 93, of Oxford, N.C., died March 3, 2006, at Person County Memorial Hospital in Roxboro, N.C.
Mrs. Bradshaw was born February 22, 1913, in Person County, N.C., the daughter of the late Willie Morton Smart and Mary Belle Vaughan Smart, and was married to John Owen Bradshaw. She was a member of Amis Chapel Baptist Church and the WMU. She was a retired seamstress with Roxboro Manufacturing Company.
Survivors include her husband; one son, Cordell O. Bradshaw and his wife, Louise, of Raleigh, N.C.; one daughter, Nancy B. James and husband, Tim, of Roxboro; two sisters, Imogene Smart Kirk of Wendell, N.C. and Barbara Smart Monk of Raleigh; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Bradshaw were held March 5, at 3 p.m. at Amis Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Gene Brooks officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Amis Chapel Baptist Church, 9189 Amis Chapel Road, Oxford, 27565.
Albert Madison ‘Mac’ Hodnett Jr.
Albert Madison ‘Mac’ Hodnett Jr., 87, of South Boston, died March 2, 2006, at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Mr. Hodnett was born in Pittsylvania County on November 29, 1918, the son of the late Albert Madison Hodnett Sr. and Rose Darnell Hodnett, and was married to the late Ruth Henderson Hamlett. He was a member of Oak Level Presbyterian Church and Oak Level Ruritan Club.
Survivors include two sisters, Dema Chandler of South Boston and Clara Hodnett Forester of Virginia Beach.
Graveside services for Mr. Hodnett were held March 5, at 2 p.m. at Oak Level Presbyterian Church Cemetery with the Rev. Terry Blevins officiating.
Hector Roscoe Henry
Funeral services for Hector Roscoe Henry of Lacks Town Road, Clover, will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Whitfield Scott officiating. Burial will follow in the Lacks Family Cemetery.
Mr. Henry, 74, died at his residence Thursday.
A Halifax County native, Mr. Henry was born May 16, 1932, a son of the late Walter Henry and Allie Ferrell Henry.
He was a member of St. Matthew Baptist Church.
Mr. Henry is survived by a daughter, Ms. Frieda Henry of Clover; one son, Anthony R. Henry of Richmond; one sister, Bessie Watkins of Chase City; one daughter-in-law, Martha H. Henry of Richmond; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Mr. Henry was preceded in death by two sisters, Alice Foster and Ruby Jones, and three brothers, Mitchell Henry, Garland Henry and Jule Henry.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Ms. Frieda Henry, 1087 Lacks Town Road, Clover.
Henry Melton Shiflett
Henry Melton Shiflett, age 83, of Philpott Road, Alton, died Friday, March 3, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Brooks Funeral Home and are incomplete at this time.
Charlene Joyce Tucker
Funeral services for Miss Charlene Joyce Tucker will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Clover Bottom Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Charles O’Roark officiating.
Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. tonight at Henderson Funeral Home in Brookneal and after the funeral service in the church fellowship hall on Tuesday.
Miss Tucker, 55, of Buffalo Road in Long Island, died Sunday, March 5, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born in Halifax County, July 12, 1950, the daughter of the later Charlie Jackson Tucker and Christine East Tucker.
Miss Tucker was a member of Clover Bottom Baptist Church and a retired nurse.
She is survived by two brothers, Ralph Tucker and wife Jean of Lynchburg, and Wayne Tucker and wife Jackie of Chesterfield, a sister-in-law, Sue Tucker of Nathalie, and a number of nieces and nephews.
Miss Tucker was preceded in death by a brother, W. Marvin Tucker.
Etta Robertson Moore
Mrs. Etta Robertson Moore, of Halifax, died Sunday, March 5, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born July 2, 1927, in Pittsylvania County and was 78.
Mrs. Moore was the daughter of the late Moses and the late Hassie Walker Robertson and was married to Earley Mason Moore. She was a member of the Winns Creek Baptist Church and was a retired employee of Halifax Regional Hospital.
She is survived by her husband, two daughters, Nancy M. Mode and husband Ronald of Shelby, N.C., and Barbara M. Satterfield and husband Owen of Halifax; one brother, Arthur Robertson of Cumberland; four grandchildren; Chris Lloyd and wife Donna of Nathalie, Kim Martin and husband Joe of Callands, Kelly S. Fears and husband Tom of Halifax and Donnie Satterfield of Rustburg, and six great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Moore was preceded in death by one daughter, Linda M. Satterfield.
Funeral services will be held at Winns Creek Baptist Church on Tuesday, March 7, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Jim Kopco officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be held at Powell Funeral Home from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Monday and other times at the home of Barbara and Owen Satterfield, 5090 Howard P. Anderson Road, Halifax.
For memorials, please consider the Winns Creek Baptist Church.

Terry Places Seventh In State Track Meet

HCHS Junior Patrick Terry Placed Seventh In The 55-Meter Dash In The State Group AAA Indoor Track And Field Championships

Halifax County High School runner Patrick Terry made the all-state Group AAA track team with his seventh-place finish in the 55-meter dash in the State Group AAA Indoor Track And Field Championships held this past weekend at George Mason University.
Terry, a junior, turned in a time of 6.53 seconds in the event and was the bright spot for Halifax County High School, which sent eight participants to the state meet.
“I was real proud of Patrick,” said Comets coach Ralph Robinson.
“I thought he did very well. Patrick was really, really focused and he did a good job.”
Unfortunately, Terry’s performance was the only highlight of the weekend for the Comets, which came away with Terry being the only member of the Comets contingent to place in the state competition.
“I was very disappointed,” Robinson said.
“I felt we should have gone up there and done a lot better.”
The biggest disappointment, Robinson said, was the failure of Comets senior David Anderson to place in the triple jump. Not only did Anderson fail to place, he scratched on all three attempts.
Anderson entered the state meet ranked number one on the state in the event and ranked in the top six in the country.
“If you’re the best in the state, you don’t scratch out,” Robinson said.
“It was disappointing for me and I’m sure it was disappointing for him.”
Corey Jackson, who placed second in the Northwest Region meet in the shot put, failed to place. He finished 17th with a best throw of 46 feet and seven inches.
Travis Word, who placed second in the 55-meter hurdles a week earlier in the Northwest Region meet, placed 21st in the preliminary heat rankings with a time of 8.17 seconds and did not qualify for the finals.
It was also a tough weekend for two members of the Comets track team who were making their first appearances in state competition.
Jeremy Clauden failed to place in the triple jump with his mark of 41-5 giving him a 22nd-place finish. Jamond Edmonds also failed to place with a 25th – place finish in the long jump. His jump was 17-2.75.
Clauden had placed fifth in the triple jump in the Northwest Region meet and Edmonds placed fifth in the long jump in the regional competition.
Two members of the Comets girls indoor track team competed in the state meet.
LaDonna Canada failed to place with her 17th-place finish in the shot put. Her best throw was 32-8.75.
“LaDonna did not place but I thought she did a good job,” Robinson said.
“She has really come a long way. She works extremely hard. In fact, she is one of the hardest working people we have out there. You don’t have to say anything to her. She goes out there and does what she is supposed to do.”
Senior Juanita Kincy competed in the high jump but did not place. Kincy failed to clear the minimum starting height of five feet and was among nine competitors that did not receive credit for a jump by virtue of their failing to clear the starting height.
Western Valley District and Northwest Region champion E.C. Glass won the state title in the boys meet. The Comets, with Terry scoring the only points for the team, placed 49th out of 58 teams.
Bethel High School won the girls meet. The Comets did not score any points in the girls competition.
The state indoor meet concludes the indoor track season. Members of the Comets track team will begin workouts this week as they start to gear up for the start of the spring outdoor track season.
Group AAA Indoor Track Results (AP)
BOYS
Team scores—1. E.C. Glass 33, 2 (tie) Indian River and Huguenot 27, 4. Bayside 26, 5. Great Bridge 25, 6. Phoebus 23, 7. Robinson 22, 8. (tie) Deep Creek and Hermitage 20, 10. Western Branch 19, 11. (tie) Colonial Forge and Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria 18, 13. (tie) Booker T. Washington and Westfield 17, 15. (tie) Lee-Springfield and Oscar Smith 16, 17. Lake Braddock 15, 18. T.C. Williams 13, 19. Chantilly 12, 20. (tie) West Springfield and Manchester 11, 22. (tie) James Madison, Granby and Petersburg 10, 25. (tie) Brooke Point and Edison 9, 27. (tie) Midlothian, Atlee, Battlefield, Norview and Albemarle 8, 32. Potomac 7, 33. (tie) Hickory, Kempsville, Mountain View and Clover Hill 6, 37. (tie) Menchville, Herndon and Forest Park 5, 40. (tie) Cox, Oakton, Tallwood and West Potomac 4, 44. Langley 3.5, 45. (tie) Highland Springs, North Stafford, Henrico and Patrick Henry-Roanoke 3, 49. (tie) Halifax County, Lakeland, Meadowbrook and Ocean Lakes 2, 53. (tie) Matoaca, Yorktown, Denbigh, Culpeper and Stonewall Jackson-Manassas 1, 58. Osbourn .5.
Individual events
55—1. Charles Clark (Bayside) 6.41, 2. Ervin Riddick (Oscar Smith) 6.40, 3. Sean Holston (Lee) 6.45, 4. Toriano Moody (Indian River) 6.48, 5. Tarian Donaldson (Tallwood) 6.51, 6. Courtland Marriner (Western Branch) 6.53, < B>7. Patrick Terry (Halifax County)< B> 6.53, 8. Jared Simmons (Stonewall Jackson-Manassas) 6.53.
300—1. Sean Holston (Lee-Springfield) 33.94, 2. Charles Clark (Bayside) 34.61, 3. Quentin Moore (Deep Creek) 34.72, 4. Courtland Marriner (Western Branch) 34.78, 5. Thomas Speller (Indian River) 35.49, 6. Anthony Chesson (Manchester) 35.57, 7. Reginald Hill (Manchester) 35.59, 8. Carlton Phipps (E.C. Glass) 35.62.
500—1. Carlton Phipps (E.C. Glass) 1:03.99, 2. Quentin Moore (Deep Creek) 1:04.01, 3. Brian Lee (Huguenot) 1:05.62, 4. Charles Slominski (T.C. Williams) 1:06.39, 5. Ryan Sykes (Great Bridge) 1:06.57, 6. Timothy Glenn (Patrick Henry-Ashland) 1:06.81, 7. Mathew Anderson (Westfield) 1:06.84, 8. David Hogan (Lake Braddock) 1:07.52.
1,000—1. Taylor Bostick (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) 2:33.24, 2. Blake Arnold (Colonial Forge) 2:34.14, 3. Alex Bowman (Hermitage) 2:34.25, 4. Abreham Daganchew (Herndon) 2:34.25, 5. Mark Hussa (Robinson) 2:35.05, 6. Jack Pembroke (Langley) 2:35.77, 7. Liam Arocho (Ocean Lakes) 2:35.86, 8. Alec Meyer (North Stafford) 2:36.77.
1,600—1. Alex Boman (Hermitage) 4:20.80, 2. Brad Siragusa (Chantilly) 4:21.21, 3. Patterson Wilhelm (E.C. Glass) 4:22.07, 4. Jason Driscoll (Battlefield) 4:23. 23, 5. Eddie Jurdge (Cox) 4:25.05, 6. Matt Kroetch (Oakton) 4:25.67, 7. Daniel Leyh (Colonial Forge) 4:26.94, 8. Devin Cornwall (Culpeper) 4:28.08.
3,200—1. Mike Spooner (West Springfield) 9:20.63, 2. Jason Witt (Midlothian) 9:27.72, 3. Thomas Porter (Mountain View) 9:29.66, 4. Hersh Singh (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) 9:33.00, 5. Chris Clark (Robinson) 9:34.11, 6. Jason Driscoll (Battlefield) 9:37.18, 7. Pat Quinn (North Stafford) 9:38.05, 8. Matt Kroetch (Oakton) 9:39.33.
55 hurdles—1. Chris Bell (Granby) 7:34, 2. Michael Garel (Brooke Point) 7.51, 3. Michael Morrison (Great Bridge) 7.55, 4. McArthur Henley (Huguenot) 7.56, 5. Corey Vinston (Phoebus) 7.57, 6. Marlon Woods (Booker T. Washington) 7.64, 7. Predist Walker (Lakeland) 7.72, 8. Aramis Massenburg (Matoaca) 7.75
4x200 relay—1. Indian River (Toriano Moody, Robert Allen, Thomas Speller, Garrard Quigley) 1:31.42, 2. Bayside 1:31.56, 3. Western Branch 1:32.01, 4. Kempsville 1:32.34, 5. Phoebus 1:32.37, 6. Highland Springs 1:32.38, 7. Huguenot 1:32.84, 8. Potomac 1:33.17.
4x400 relay—1. Huguenot (Jerod Bailey, Matu Bundy, Donnie Seward, Brian Lee) 3:24.35, 2. Lake Braddock 3:25.24, 3. Potomac 3:27.01, 4. Westfield 3:27.92, 5. Robinson 3:27.93, 6. Colonial Forge 3:28.00, 7. Menchville 3:28.19, 8. Deep Creek 3:28.49, 7.
4x800 relay—1. Robinson (Christian Wichker, Tommy Barrineau, Chris Clark, Mark Hussa) 7:59.84, 2. T.C. Williams 8:02.24, 3. E.C. Glass 8:02.29, 4. Colonial Forge 8:03.37, 5. Hermitage 8:04.09, 6. Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria 8:04.63, 7. Forest Park 8:05.04, 8. West Springfield 8:07.09
Long jump—1. Corey Vinston (Phoebus) 23 feet, 6.5 inches, 2. Toriano Moody (Indian River) 23-1.5, 3. Douglas Wall (Petersburg) 22-10, 4. Edward Baldwin (Edison) 22-9, 5. Marlon Woods (Booker T. Washington) 22-5.25, 6. Cameron Perry (Forest Park) 22-4.75, 7. Michael Morrison (Great Bridge) 22-4, 8. Trenton Hughes (Kempsville) 21-8.25.
Triple jump—1. Justin Duncan (James Madison) 47-4.5, 2. Leon Hunt (Norview) 46-6.25, 3. Antonio Miller (Manchester) 46-4.75, 4. Corey Vinston (Phoebus) 45-11, 5. Matu Bundy (Huguenot) 45-8, 6. Thomas Hughes (Henrico) 45-0.75, 7. Josh Rodriguez (West Potomac) 44-6.75, 8. Michael Garel (Brooke Point) 44-1.
High jump—1. Marlon Woods (Booker T. Washington) 6-9, 2. Anthony Bryant (Albemarle) 6-8, 3. Kevin Nichols (Hickory) 6-8, 4. Lamar Veale (Deep Creek) 6-4, 5. Douglas Wall (Petersburg) 6-4, 6. Daniel Richmond (Menchville) 6-2, 7. Josh Rodriguez (West Potomac) 6-2, 8. James Moore (Osbourn) and Jordan Calderwood (Langley) 6-2.
Shot put—1. Michael Zajac (E.C. Glass) 57-6, 2. Frede Spellman (Oscar Smith) 55-8.75, 3. Blake DeChristopher (Clover Hill) 53-4.25, 4. Darien Kearney (Western Branch) 53-4, 5. Devan Clark (Edison) 52-8, 6. Austin Lester (Great Bridge) 52-1.25, 7. Brandon Oliver (Meadowbrook) 52-0, 8. Chavis Ross (Denbigh) 52-0.
Pole vault—1. Michael Morrison (Great Bridge) 17-5, 2. David Newkirk (Westfield) 14-0, 3. Ian Prohaska (Lake Braddock) 14-0, 4. Jordan Cole (Atlee) 14-0, 5. Dominic Lauchengco (Chantilly) 13-6, 6. Justin Varner (Atlee) 13-0, 7. Chad Cochran (Westfield), 8. William Harris (Yorktown) 13-0.
GIRLS
Team scores—1. Bethel 48, 2. Lake Braddock 42, 3. Deep Creek 34.5, 4. Centreville 32, 5. Great Bridge 29, 6. Westfield 27, 7. (tie) Menchville and Salem-Va. Beach 26, 9. Brooke Point 25, 10. Lee-Davis 24.5, 11. (tie) Hermitage and Kecoughtan 22, 13. Atlee 16, 14. (tie) Hayfield and Midlothian 15, 16. Osbourn Park 13, 17. (tie) Matoaca and Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria 12, 19. Forest Park 11, 20. (tie) Woodson, Chantilly and Yorktown 10, 23. (tie) Tallwood and Oakton 8, 25. (tie) Douglas Freeman, Western Branch, Mills Godwin and Huguenot 6, 29. (tie) Landstown, Stonewall Jackson-Manassas, West Springfield, Hampton, Colonial Heights and Woodside 5, 35. (tie) Fauquier and Kellam 4, 37. (tie) J.R. Tucker, Green Run, Deep Run and Manchester 3, 41. (tie) Robinson, T.C. Williams, Heritage-Newport News and James River-Chesterfield 2, 45. (tie) Henrico, Culpeper, Woodbridge, Colonial Forge and North Stafford 1.
Individual events
55—1. Francena McCorory (Bethel) 6.99, 2. Shamika Kentish (Salem-Va. Beach) 7.12, 3. Shanneka Claiborne (Matoaca) 7.14, 4. Thelma Breezealt (Stonewall Jackson) 7.21, 5. Crystal Carrington (Bethel) 7.24, 6. Shakia Forbes (Bethel) 7.27, 7. Teinesha Mitchell (Salem-Va. Beach) 7.28, 8. Kamerrra Brown (Culpeper) 7.28.
300—1. Francena McCorory (Bethel) 37.67, 2. Nicole Saunders (Menchville) 39.19, 3. Tiarra Swindell (Kecoughtan) 39.77, 4. Shae Wilbon (Colonial Heights) 40.38, 5. Dania Sanford (Fauquier) 40.88, 6. Trish Friederich (West Springfield) 40.96, 7. Rachel Butler (Lee-Davis) 41.31, 8. Emily Butler (Salem-Va. Beach) 41.36.
500—1. Francena McCorory (Bethel) 1:13.33, 2. Cate Tisinger (Centreville) 1:16.30, 3. Lana McGowan (Kecoughtan) 1:16.42, 4. Dominique Jordan (Woodside) 1:16.44, 5. Mansfield Murph (Atlee) 1:16.98, 6. Bethany Hyter (Osbourn Park) 1:17.99, 7. Jarryd Mushatt-Valrie (Brooke Point) 1:18.31, 8. Nakeisha Wineglass (Hayfield) 1:18.54.
1,000—1. Andrea Oaxaca (Yorktown) 2:56.06, 2. Stephany Reaves (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) 2:57.25, 3. Kenya Jones (Western Branch) 2:58.24, 4. Tasia Potasinksi (Westfield) 2:59.27, 5. Ashley Kukura (Kellam) 2:59.54, 6. Michelle Presley (Lake Braddock) 3:00.31, 7. Kristen Wolfe (James River) 3:00.60, 8. Christi Harsha (Douglas Freeman) 3:00.76.
1,600—1. Kristine Tobin (Great Bridge) 5:02.69, 2. Brittany Copeland (Brooke Point) 5:04.24, 3. Kerry Hartman (Westfield) 5:07.09, 4. Stephanie Slekis (Forest Park) 5:08.16, 5. Anne Barber (Tallwood) 5:10.01, 6. Kayley Byrne (Oakton) 5:10.21, 7. Jenny Hovland (Robinson) 5:10.96, 8. Amber Lussier (North Stafford) 5:11.06
3,200—1. Sarrah Hadiji (W.T. Woodson) 11:02.26, 2. Erin Klein (Lake Braddock) 11:12.40, 3. Stephanie Slekis (Forest Park) 11:19.28, 4. Brittany Copeland (Brooke Point) 11:21.78, 5. Alexis Deegan (Westfield) 11:22.12, 6. Michelle Britto (Woodbridge) 11:25.38, 7. Kayley Byrne (Oakton) 11:26.79, 8. Erin Stehle (Midlothian) 11:29.30.
55 hurdles—1. Kali Watkins (Menchville) 8.11, 2. Queen Harrison (Hermitage) 8.24, 3. Wanetta Kirby (Huguenot) 8.28, 4. Chantill Harvey (Deep Creek) 8.47, 5. Asia Odum (Hayfield) 8.52, 6. Charisse Bryant (Green Run) 8.53, 7. Trish Friederich (West Springfield) 8.53, 8. Rachel Butler (Lee-Davis) 8.54.
4x200 relay—1. Salem-Va. Beach (Shamika Kentish, Shonterria Fulton, Emily Butler, Morgan Epperson) 1:42.13, 2. Bethel 1:43.26, 3. Deep Creek 1:44.75, 4. Landstown 1:44.81, 5. Osbourn Park 1:44.87, 6. Centreville 1:45.30, 7. Deep Run 1:45.66, 8. Westfield 1:45.98.
4x400 relay—1. Kecoughtan (Tiarra Swindell, Marlene Belizaire, Morgan Saunders, Lana McGowan) 3:53.07, 2. Menchville 3:55.34, 3. Osbourn Park 3:58.09, 4. Hampton 4:01.49, 5. Atlee 4:03.03, 6. Bethel 4:03.18, 7. Centreville 4:03.20, 8. Westfield 4:03.41.
4x800 relay—1. Midlothian (Christine Selander, Samantha Dow, Paige Johnston, M.C. Miller) 9:20.86, 2. Lake Braddock 9:26.28, 3. Westfield 9:29.76, 4. Oakton 9:30.28, 5. Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria 9:31.90, 6. Douglas Freeman 9:35.42, 7. Great Bridge 9:35.57, 8. Colonial Forge 9:37.85
Long jump—1. Brittni Finch (Centreville) 19-10.25, 2. Queen Harrison (Hermitage) 19-1.25, 3. Chantill Harvey (Deep Creek) 18-7.25, 4. Shamika Kertish (Salem) 18-2.75, 5. Mansfield Murph (Atlee) 18-2.25, 6. April Sinkler (Brooke Point) 17-9.75, 7. Carolyn Lewis (Heritage-Newport News) 17-9.5, 8. Janet Brown (Great Bridge) 17-9.5.
Triple jump—1. Nakeisha Wineglass (Hayfield) 39-1, 2. Janet Brown (Great Bridge 38-7.5, 3. Queen Harrison (Hermitage) 38-6.75, 4. Rachel Butler (Lee-Davis) 38-2.25, 5. Brittni Finch (Centreville) 37-11, 6. Mansfield Murph (Atlee) 37-7.25, 7. Jasia Richardson (J.R. Tucker) 37-3, 8. Ashley Orr (Deep Run) 37-2.25.
High jump—1. Ashley Gatling (Deep Creek) 5-9, 2. April Sinkler (Brooke Point) 5-8, 3. Mia Aghaji (Matoaca) 5-6, 4. Jonee Artis (Deep Creek) 5-6, 5. Jasmine Gates (Tallwood) 5-4, 6. Rachel Butler (Lee-Davis) and Shawanda Weston (Deep Creek), 5-4, 8. Danielle Greene (Henrico) 5-4.
Shot put—1. Kathy Howard (Lee-Davis) 43-4.5, 2. Janet Brown (Great Bridge) 42-0, 3. Teressa McCoy (Lake Braddock) 40-0.5, 4. Aimee Kodat (Westfield) 40-0, 5. Allison Jones (Lake Braddock) 39-11, 6. Jennifer Marinacci (Manchester) 38-4.5, 7. Samella Koroma (T.C. Williams) 38-4, 8. K’Lynne Robinson (J.R. Tucker) 36-3
Pole vault—1. Nicole Kazuba (Chantilly) 11-0, 2. Anna Noguchi (Lake Braddock) 11-0, 3. Anne Marie Gordon (Mills Godwin) 11-0, 4. Dana Comber (Centreville) 10-6, 5. Rachel Butler (Lee-Davis) 10-6, 6. Jennifer Garrott (Lake Braddock) 10-0, 7. Megan Boivin (Lake Braddock) 10-0, 8. Emma Dejarnette (Atlee) 10-0.

Competing With Construction

Teams, Fans Advised Of Potential Hazards At Halifax County Middle School Athletic Facilities

Athletic teams and fans of Halifax County Middle School sports teams will have to contend with more than opposing teams and weather this spring, as construction continues at the school.
Construction trailers, equipment, stacks of pipe, concrete blocks and other materials will be part of the landscape adjacent to the baseball and softball fields until completion of the project.
The lower parking lot adjacent to the new softball field has also been put off limits during construction.
Distinct orange web fencing has been erected in several locations, and there’s more to come, according to Halifax County Middle School Athletic Director Dewey Compton.
Compton said he has spoken already to the project superintendent concerning safety issues for the upcoming season.
“He told me barriers would be in place around the pipe and other construction materials,” said Compton.
Compton added that the bus parking lot adjacent to the baseball field would be used for both baseball and softball games, and advised that construction materials will be stored there as well.
“You should be able to walk down the first base line in order to reach the softball field, and there should be an open lane behind the bleachers to reach the softball field as well,” added Compton.
Black plastic fencing, a familiar sight at most construction sites, is already in place at several locations, and parents of small children should be particularly aware of the ongoing construction.
Both the Lions baseball and softball teams play their first home games during the annual Halifax County Middle School Invitational Tournament scheduled for March 18.

SBS Crate Engines Test Goes Well For Limited Sportsman Drivers

SBS Limited Sportsman Division Drivers Give Positive Response On New Crate Engines

South Boston Speedway officials gave Limited Sportsman division drivers four hours of track Saturday to test the new crate engines mandated for use in the division this season.
When the day was done, a majority of the 10 drivers that took to the asphalt had good things to say about the new power plant.
South Boston driver Bruce Anderson said he is a big fan of the new engine package.
“I’m impressed,” Anderson said.
“ It has a lot more power than I thought it would have. As much motor trouble as we had last year, I’m the biggest fan of it.”
Speedway officials made the decision late last season to go with the crate engine. Teams purchase the engines, all of which are built to identical specifications and come from one supplier.
The engines are sealed and cannot be modified by the teams. If a seal has been broken and an engine has been tampered with, track NASCAR officials will be able to detect it easily.
Cost-wise, the crate engines are much cheaper than the “built” motors that teams have used in the past. And, this year, there will be a claim rule in the division in which a competitor may purchase another competitor’s engine for $4,500 if he goes through the proper process with track and track NASCAR officials.
As far s the bottom line goes, the crate engines will reduce the cost for competitors and put all of the teams on the same level as far as engines are concerned. As a result, it will create closer racing and put the outcome of the races more into the hands of driving ability and the ability of the crew to hit the right handling setup as opposed to which team has the biggest wallet.
“It doesn’t make it fun when one person’s checkbook is bigger than the other,” Anderson said.
“ This will make the racing a lot better because it will come down to who works the hardest.”
The economic factor, Anderson said, means a lot to his team.
“This saves us a lot of money,” he pointed out.
“ We spend a lot of money every year on built motors. This engine is supposed to be almost bullet-proof. Everybody on pit road will have the same thing. With this you’re on the same playing field so you know if you need to work on your skills or get a little sharper on your setup.
“I really like the motors we had, but I really like this deal,” Anderson continued.
“ We have about $6,000 in it versus having $16,000 in a built motor. People can go spend $10,000 or $12,000 getting these motors cheated up, but I can buy it on Saturday night for $4,500 with the claimer rule they have. You don’t want to go spending that kind of money every week when a guy can buy your motor on Saturday night for $4,500.”
The bottom line for Anderson is that the crate engine will make it more likely that he can race the entire season.
“We’re real fortunate with the help we get from sponsors, and my father is good to me with help, but we just don’t have the money to keep on racing with the built motor,” Anderson said.
“ This will probably make it possible for us to run every race this year and keep our expenses within reason.”
Danny Willis Jr. of Cluster Springs also says the new engine will be good.
“I think the crate motor will be a good thing, especially for low-budget teams,” he pointed out.
“ You don’t have to get your motors rebuilt as much, plus all the motors are supposed to be equal. That puts the emphasis on the driver and setup as far as who is going to win races. I think it will make for better competition.”
The financial savings will be a boon for his team, Willis said.
“We rented a motor all last season,” he said.
“ This year, the crate motor was $4,500. If I had bought a built motor it would have cost me around $10,000. By the time we had to buy the clutch and so forth, we probably have $6,000 in it (the crate engine) versus $10,000 for a built motor, so that saves us $4,000.
“I think it may have hurt a few people initially because they already had built motors and had to spend $4,500 for the crate motor,” Willis continued, “but, I think in the long run it will be better for everybody.
The racing, Willis said, should be very close.
“I believe it will make for better competition,” he pointed out.
“ I don’t think anybody is going to run off with it every week. It’s going to be a tight field and will make for good racing. Hopefully, we will have different winners every week.”
In terms of power and responsiveness, both Anderson and Willis said the crate engines are pretty good.
“If you rate a built motor as a 10, you rate this crate motor as an eight,” Anderson said.
“They’ve given us a bigger carburetor and a smaller clutch to try to compensate. It’s not quite what a built motor is, but it’s pretty decent.”
“It (the crate motor) doesn’t have as much pep as the built motor has, but it doesn’t feel too bad,” Willis noted.
“ It feels a little weak coming off of the corner, but we will all get used to it.”
Tommy Peregoy of Red Oak, another top contender in the division, says the crate engine will be good for the division.
“This year it has already saved me $3,000,” he pointed out.
“ We bought the motor complete and didn’t have to go freshen up our built motor. We had some little odds and ends stuff we had to buy to make this work but it’s already about $3,000 cheaper. People say these motors run better the longer they run. They’re thinking a year to a year and a half before you need a rebuild.
“A lot of people would rebuild their built motor every five or six races,” Peregoy pointed out.
“ That’s a couple of thousand dollars and you do that two or three times a year. They say the crate motors will last at least a season and hopefully they will. That will save a lot of money too.”
As far as speed and power are concerned, Peregoy says the crate engine is not far off of the built motors.
“I had on 200-lap tires and I ran the same times I ran last March with new tires,” he pointed out.
“ The speeds may even be quicker. We’re a little different on gear than we were last year. We changed the gear and picked up a half a second. As far as the throttle response, I don’t see any difference. They gave us more carburetor and gave us a lighter clutch. All of that made up for what we lost in the built motor.
“It (the crate engine) is going to put everything back into the hands of the driver and the crew,” added Peregoy.
“ It’s not going t o be a money thing anymore.”
SATURDAY’S TEST TIMES
POS. DRIVER TIME SPEED
1. Danny Willis, Jr. 16.443 87.575 MPH
2. Tommy Peregoy 16.476 87.400 MPH
3. Ken Rountree 16.512 87.209 MPH
4. Bruce Anderson 16.526 87.135 MPH
5. Brian Pembleton 16.542 87.051 MPH
6. Tiffany Daniels 16.625 86.617 MPH
7. Terri Williams 16.696 86.248 MPH
8. Charles Barnes 16.891 85.253 MPH
9. Phillip Woods 16.904 85.187 MPH