The brouhaha surrounding the Republican nominees for Sheriff
and Commonwealth's Attorney will all be over tomorrow.
There are as many questions as answers as the voters of Halifax
County head into the polls to make their decision on who the Republican
candidates for the constitutional officers will be in November.
A list of polling locations can be found on page 2.
Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
In the hotly contested Commonwealth's Attorney race, incumbent
John Greenbacker Jr. is being challenged by attorney Kim S. White.
Sheriff D.J. Oakes is facing challenger Keith Tribble for the
Republican nomination for sheriff.
Voter turnout could be the deciding factor in the nomination process.
In Virginia, all voters are allowed to cast their vote in a primary
election.
Halifax County Registrar Judy Meeler said yesterday that she was
expecting a larger-than-normal voter presence at the polls.
"Our absentee ballots have ended up being more than expected,"
she said. "That usually means that we will have heavy voter
turnout."
Winners in tomorrow's primary will face the independent and Democratic
challengers in the November election.
According to the State Board of Elections, Halifax County is the
only locality in the state holding a primary for the nomination
of local constitutional officers.
Investigators with the South Boston Police Department believe
they have recovered the body of a woman who fell or jumped off
a bridge in Pittsylvania County last month, according to Lieutenant
B.K. Lovelace.
"We believe it's going to be the body of the female who went
over the bridge in Danville," Lovelace said.
Investigators report that a boater fishing on the river yesterday
morning spotted the body near the boat landing at the South Boston
wastewater plant at around 10:30 a.m.
"He called to people on the bank and told them to call the
police," Lovelace reported.
Authorities arrived on the scene and called members of the Halifax
Underwater Response Team, who brought a boat to search for the
missing woman.
"We put the boat in near where the body was spotted and traveled
downstream two and a half to three miles before we caught up with
the body," the investigator said.
The body was recovered and brought to shore at Staunton River
State Park at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Investigators believe the body to be that of a 20-year-old North
Carolina woman who was last seen at the State Line Bridge, sometimes
referred to as Satan's Bridge, in Pittsylvania County on May 24.
The woman, whose name is being withheld, is described as a 140-pound
white female with brown hair and blue eyes.
She was reportedly wearing a flower print top and blue jeans when
last seen.
Lovelace said the body recovered yesterday had "certain body
features that are leading us to believe it is the body of the
Danville woman."
Halifax County Medical Examiner Dr. Charles Devine was called
to the scene.
The body will be sent to the office of the State Medical Examiner
for autopsy, according to Lovelace.
The Halifax County School Board is expected to take action
Monday night on proposed revisions to the school system's promotion
and retention regulations when it holds its regular monthly meeting
in Halifax.
Monday night's meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose
room of the Halifax County Career Center, is open to the public.
Morris Bryant, assistant superintendent for Instruction and Administration,
said the more notable of the revisions to the school system's
promotion and retention regulations reflect changes regarding
SOL requirements and the changes the School Board adopted earlier
this year in the school system's grading scale.
Bryant said that it is being proposed that beginning with the
2003-20004 school year third-grade, fourth-grade and fifth-grade
students must pass three SOL tests reading, math and one
other among English, science and social studies.
Up until this past year, the students had been required to pass
only reading and math to advance to the next grade level.
Also, the School Board is expected to adopt a revision reflecting
its earlier action in changing the grading scale for students
in grades K-12.
Under the new grading scale, an "A" will be 94-100,
a "B" will be 86-93, a "C" will be 78-85,
and a "D" will be 70-77. Any grade of 69 or lower will
be a failing grade of "F."
Other changes that are proposed to the promotion and retention
regulations, Bryant said, "are cosmetic kinds of changes,
minor editorial revisions."
The proposed changes to the school system's promotion and retention
regulations are the big item under the heading of new business
on the School Board's agenda Monday night.
There are two other new items the School Board will consider,
both of which are routine.
The School Board is expected to adopt a resolution Monday night
supporting the development of The Prizery.
"The Prizery is an important part of the community and we
support its full development," said Halifax County School
Superintendent Dennis Witt.
"We feel that the Prizery will offer good opportunities for
our students and that opportunities will be available for the
school system to partner with The Prizery to help bring programs
to our students."
In addition, the School Board is expected to take action to elect
a delegate and alternate to represent the school system at the
Virginia School Boards Association/Virginia Association of School
Superintendents Annual Convention.
In another matter, the School Board is expected to select a date
for its late-June meeting, a meeting the body uses to review and
approve the payment of the end-of-the-year bills and review the
end-of-year financial report.
Dates that have been proposed for that meeting are June 23, 24
or 25.
Among other highlights of Monday night's meeting, the School Board
will join school system officials in honoring administrators,
teachers and other school system personnel who are retiring at
the end of this month.
In addition, school system officials will honor a Halifax County
teacher who has been selected to receive the PCTM Outstanding
Elementary School Mathematics Teacher Award for 2003.
After the School Board wraps up its regular business matters,
it will convene in closed session to discuss personnel matters.
"We are living out now what existed
only yesterday in our minds as a dream of being a high school
graduate," Halifax County High School Valedictorian Kevin
Reynolds said Friday.
Reynolds was speaking to 356 new high school graduates and over
2,000 family and friends packed into the gymnasium and auditorium
for the 2003 commencement exercises.
During his address, the valedictorian encouraged the new graduates
to be proud of their accomplishments, but to not rest on their
laurels.
"This is the day to take pride in what you have worked so
hard for... the opportunity to be formally recognized as being
educated.
"Let me remind you that this special occasion is called Graduation
Day, not Degradation Day," Reynolds said.
"This phase should merely be a single step in a never-ending
journey down life's winding road," he added.
Reynolds was joined by Amber Ford and Andrew Snyder, rounding
out the top three students of the class, in addressing the class
and well-wishers.
All encouraged the students to strive for greatness in their lives.
"If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing, it is now," Ford said.
"Not for any impressive cause, but because now is your time,
today is your day. Have fun. Dig deep. Dream big."
"What you do, think and say each day of your life establishes
who you are," Snyder said. "Where you go from here becomes
more and more your responsibility.
"It is important not to be afraid of failure," he added.
"Be more afraid of not trying. Take chances and risks - not
foolish actions, but actions that could result in failure yet
may lead to success and great reward."
In his address, Reynolds pointed out the successes of the past,
and admonished the group to strive for greatness in the future.
"I challenge you today to be someone special," Reynolds
said. "Be a role model and make your family proud. Don't
say that it isn't possible.
"Always remember that an accomplishment first starts with
a dream. Have that dream today to set a new standard, breach an
unbroken barrier, or pass the impossible obstacle.
"There is NO doubt in my mind that we will be remembered
by the residents of Halifax County, but be recalled as a tool
used to build up the community rather than a tool used to tear
down and destroy.
"If you conceive and believe, indeed you will achieve,"
Reynolds said. "Congratulations, Class of 2003! YOU are America's
Most Wanted!"
By DOUG FORD
Dale Ball took home his third consecutive win and newcomer
Caroline Geiken won her first time on the course in Saturday's
Third Annual South Boston-Halifax County YMCA 5K.
Ball, a Roxboro resident, ran the tough 3.2-mile course in a time
of 17 minutes, forty-eight seconds, while Geiken, from St. Simons
Island, Ga., finished in a time of 23:01, in a field of 66 runners.
Richard Ferguson finished second to Ball in the men's division
with a time of 18:20, while Krista Leake ran a time of 23:04 to
finish second to Geiken in the women's division.
Twelve-year-old Zachary King took the one-mile Fun Run in a time
of 12:07.
Mother nature provided an intermittent sprinkle of rain throughout
both the fun run and 5K event, but that was actually welcome news
to the runners.
"I like to run in the rain, but it was a bit muggy,"
Ball said afterwards.
"The hills haven't changed, and the course is still tough,"
he added.
Ball said his time this year was about the same as he ran in the
YMCA 5K last year, but that his best time so far this year has
been a 16:50 in Danville.
"I'm normally a minute slower on this course for some reason,"
Ball said.
Although Saturday was Geiken's first race on the hilly course
through South Boston, it was not her first race.
"I do a lot of running, both 10K's and marathons," explained
Geiken.
Nevertheless, Geiken thought the local course was tough, particularly
considering the terrain near her home.
"I'm not used to it...it's a tough course with lots of hills,
and this was not one of my better times, but I'm real happy with
it," said Geiken.
"I'm a better runner in the rain, I like it a lot better
and it's cooler.
"I think I'll come back next year."
Runners from as close by as Danville, and from as far away as
New York and Kentucky ran in this year's race.
Danville resident Laurie Dishman, along with her daughter, Anna,
both competed for the first time this year, and both liked the
course.
"It was very well organized," said Laurie Dishman, and
we didn't have to worry about cars."
Both thought literature describing the course's steep hills as
"slight inclines" rather amusing.
Lee Eagle, another Danville resident, said he was pleased with
his time, considering the wet conditions.
"It was a tough course, but I like running in the rain,"
Eagle said.
Event organizer Jenny Witko was impressed by both the numbers
of runners participating and their quality.
"I was happy with the turnout and the quality of the runners,
especially considering the weather," said Witko, herself
a competitive runner.
Witko added 15 people registered on race day, and the heavier
rain held off just long for the 5K to be completed.
"I was also pleased with the support of the Rescue Squad,
the Town of South Boston and the South Boston Police Department,
as well as with the volunteers from the town, the hospital and
the YMCA," she added.
Witko said she was surprised at the level of competition this
year, compared to the first two 5K's.
"Hopefully, they'll come back and participate in the Harvestfest
5K," said Witko.
"That race will be downtown this September 27. I hope that
will be as much a success as this was."
YMCA 5K Results
Women's Division (1st-3rd)
Overall Caroline Geiken, 23:01.
Ages 16-19 Jessica Nelson, 26:14.
Ages 20-24 Julie Burton, 24:49; Anna Dishman 34:29.
Ages 25-29 Janice Gibson, 39:39; Melissa Newton, 39:40.
Ages 30-34 Krista Leake, 23:04; Janice Pointer, 27:31.
Ages 40-44 Patti Nelson, 25:45; Diane King, 39:03.
Ages 45-49 Ann Wood, 26:33; Laurie Dishman, 29:48; Maria Spooner,
38:40.
Ages 50-54 Debra Duffer, 35:32; Barbara Speece, 43:20; Marliss
Barczak, 47:39.
Ages 55-59 Ella Evans, 45:45.
Ages 60-64 Maureen Murphy, 52:04; Alice Brown, 53:57; Monica Murphy,
54:01.
Men's Division (1st-3rd)
Overall Dale Ball, 17:48.
Ages 15 and Under Patrick Ketchersid, 22:25; Eric Nelson, 26:19.
Ages 16-19 Chris Irby, 19:54; Dewane Bradley, 20:03.
Ages 30-34 Daryl Wargo, 18:39.
Ages 35-39 Vince Decker, 18:59; Eddie Fielder, 28:06; David Milot,
29:22.
Ages 40-44 Mark Dunn, 18:26; Kerry Gavitt, 21:29; Lee Eagle, 22:03.
Ages 45-49 Richard Ferguson, 18:20.
Ages 50-54 John Geyer 22:41; Wayne Owen, 26:36; Field Just, 32:30.
Ages 55-59 Ben Fincher, 29:46; Frank Booker, 36:05.
Ages 60-64 Girvis Farrah, 31:57; Mitchell Gravitt, 32:59.
Ages 65 and Over John Billingsly, 31:16; Joe Harler, 35:55; Clyde
Peer, 43:43.
One Mile Fun Run
Zachary King, 12:07.
Irene Essie Blackstock, age 79, of South
Boston died June 6 at Twin Oaks Convalescent Home.
Mrs. Blackstock was born in North Carolina on October 9, 1923,
the daughter of James and Cora Eugenia Baker Lacy. She was married
to Elmer Lee Blackstock and was a member of Pleasant Grove Christian
Church.
Her survivors include her step-son, Calvin Lee Blackstock and
nieces and nephews.
A graveside service was held Sunday, June 8 at Pleasant Grove
Church cemetery with the Rev. Calvin Blackstock officiating.
Hilda Walker Blankenship, age 65, of 5003
Harmony Rd., Alton, died June 6 at her home.
Mrs. Blankenship was born on December 30, 1937 in Halifax County,
daughter of the late Velma Wilkerson Walker and James Owen Walker.
She was a retired employee of South Boston Insurance Agency and
a member of the Alton Baptist Church where she was a Sunday school
teacher, church historian and a member of the WMU.
Her survivors include her husband: Fred Blankenship of Alton;
two daughters: Melanie B. Ford and husband, Rob, of South Boston,
Beth B. Saunders and husband, Bert, of Mechanicsville; two grandsons:
Zak and Ben Ford.
A memorial service was held Sunday, June 8, at Alton Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to the Patrick
Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, P.O. Box 1398, Brookneal, VA
24528 or to the Alton Baptist Church, P.O. Box 11, Alton, VA 24520.